Idar State, also historically known as Edar, was a princely state in India during the British Raj. It was the most significant state within the Mahi Kantha Agency of the Bombay Presidency, later becoming part of the Western India States Agency. Located in the present-day state of Gujarat, its capital was the town of Idar, though the administrative seat was later moved to Himatnagar (formerly Ahmednagar).
The state was ruled by a dynasty of the Rathore clan of Rajputs. Historical records indicate that the modern state of Idar was established in the early 18th century, approximately around 1728 or 1729, by Anand Singh and Rai Singh, brothers of the Maharaja of Marwar (Jodhpur). The rulers of Idar were entitled to a 15-gun salute and held the title of Maharaja.
During the colonial period, Idar State maintained a subsidiary alliance with the British East India Company and subsequently the British Crown. One of its most prominent rulers was Maharaja Pratap Singh, who served as the regent of Jodhpur and was a distinguished soldier and administrator in the British Indian Army.
Upon the independence of India in 1947 and the subsequent partition, the last ruler of Idar State signed the Instrument of Accession. The state formally integrated into the Union of India on June 10, 1948. It was initially part of Bombay State before being incorporated into the newly formed state of Gujarat in 1960.
