Always Independent Dangis

The Dangs was never part of British Rule even though the British were present in the Dangs as elsewhere in the country. This may sound strange but is a fact. Four Rajas and 10 Naiks of the Dangs were always fighting those who tried to interfere in their rule.
They would set Indian teak wood rich forests afire whenever they feared any exploitation by the British. The teak wood was needed for ships for Royal Navy. This forced British to get the forests on lease by pampering the Rajas of the Dangs.
District Gazetteer of the Dangs observes “The conquest of the Dangs was not primarily by force but by the outstanding personality of Sir James Outram, who visited the area as a young man and won the confidence of inhabitants, raised a Bhil Corps which in 1827 numbered 600 rank and file and suppressed plundering.
Divisional Forest Officer, C K Sonwane, young IFS with a probing mind, says that Outram knew Dangi very well and Dangis regarded Outram as one of them. Obviously, this quality helped him raised Bhil Corps and made them fight their own Dangi brothers.
Dangs had continued to be a foreign territory subject to the Rights of the British Government as a lessee. The administration of the Dangs was run under the Foreign Jurisdiction Act. This position continued till the merger in the Indian territoryas a part of the Bombay State in 1947.
No merger agreement was taken from the Rajas on the ground that they were too illiterate and were not able to understand the implications of any agreement signed by them.Their consent to the merger was presumed by the Bombay Government.
Interestingly, the Rajas whom Government of India considered illiterate and did not consult they gathered at Ahwa on January 25, 1947 and opposed the decision. They even passed two resolutions against merger in the Bombay State.
The question of the rights and privileges of the Rajas and Naiks was decided in 1954. They ceased to be rulers and became political pensioners under the Rule. This pension is paid even today in the Dang Darbar held around Holi. Collector pays this pension to them.