BARODA STATE POSTAL HISTORY

Baroda lacked a fully organized state post office comparable to those in Hyderabad, Travancore, or Cochin. No regular postal service existed for the general public in Baroda territory. Government correspondence relied on sowars and halkaras via the Gaekwar Dawk. Private individuals handed letters to these couriers or hired special kassids (messengers) for urgent needs.

The Bombay GPO opened around 1790, with post office rules published then. Max Smith, in India Post #121, notes a twice-weekly dawk from Bombay to "Brodera" (Baroda) established by a 29 June 1802 notice. Routed via Surat, it charged 1 quarter 50 reas per single prepaid letter (50 reas from Surat alone). Rates rose on 30 August 1802 to 2 quarters 50 reas from Bombay and 1 quarter 50 from Surat—confirming a post office in Baroda since 1802.

The following tables detail rates from various places, as listed in annual Post Office rate tables and the Bombay Calendar.

By 1820, the rate per single letter from Bombay to Baroda dropped from 0-2-50 to 0-2-20 rupees (R-q-rs). To Nowsari and Gandavi, it was 0-1-75 from Bombay. In 1824, the Bombay-Baroda rate rose to 0-3-00.

An August 1822 notice announced a new dawk between Baroda and Pertaubghur (Pertabgarh).

There were no major changes to postal rules or rates between 1826 and 1837.

Baroda P.O. was under the Inspecting Postmasters' Division of Guzerat (Gujarat) and remained there long after the 1855 numbered obliterators list assigned it No. 28. The office was likely in the Cantonment area, outside Gaekwar territory, and served mainly British officers and residents—known as Camp P.O. The division's headquarters were in Baroda, and by 1869, the Inspecting Postmaster oversaw 44 offices, not all within Baroda State borders. Imperial post ignored state lines when defining responsibilities.

In October 1856, British postal authorities proposed opening offices in Baroda territory—at Beesnagar (Visnagar), Sidpore (Sidhpur), and Puttan (Patan)—for public convenience. But in December, the Gaekwar Government opted for its own postal system. By July 1858, they argued it would allow free official correspondence. Matters stalled until 1863, when authorities again pushed for offices in major Baroda towns.

Finally, in March 1863, the Gaekwar Government agreed. In exchange, they received an annual refund for stamps on official mail. Baroda provided land for post offices, runners' huts, and stables, plus guards and escorts for mail security. District offices connected to villages via messengers on fixed schedules. In 1882, to reach remote interiors without full post offices, authorities asked Baroda to let village schoolmasters handle postal duties. Facilities soon extended to the state's smallest hamlets. By July 1883, 54 post offices operated; the number grew to 76 in 1893, 203 in 1905, and 419 by 1939.

Baroda State maintained its own system for government correspondence until 1878. Even before the establishment of a formal postal system in Baroda territory, British authorities at Borsad in Kaira District routinely franked mail from the Gaekwar Sirkar originating in Petlad (Pitlaud). The origins of this practice remain unclear.

From earlier times, the Gaekwar Government also enjoyed free postage privileges for sending mail to and receiving it from—Durbar Vakils (advocates) in Poona. This was facilitated under the franks of the Resident and the Agent for Sirdars in the Deccan, respectively.

Upon the establishment of British Post Offices in Baroda territory, the Government of India agreed to reimburse the Baroda State Government for postage expenses on official state correspondence, as outlined in the Baroda Residency memo dated 14 October 1863. The Resident at Baroda covered these costs from his treaty allowance.

In 1879, the British Government revised the rules governing the use of Service postage stamps by Native States, effective 1 November 1879. Under this arrangement, His Highness' Government was permitted to use Service stamps on official state correspondence. Officers of the Baroda State Government were granted the privilege of franking letters with these stamps for posting within state limits. Notifications of any additions to the list of authorized officials or the localities where franking would be recognized—had to be provided to British postal authorities.

This system proved advantageous: letters up to 10 tolas could be sent for one anna via Service Post, whereas private letters exceeding ½ tola but not 1½ tolas incurred the same one-anna rate. On 3 January 1906, the Director General of the Post Office of India authorized specific Baroda State officials to use Service postage stamps on official correspondence and post it under their frank at all Imperial Post Offices in India.

Under the official correspondence rules, unstamped or Service-stamped letters were prohibited from posting. State correspondence bearing Service stamps could not be mailed via railway letterboxes or RMS vans. For instance, a letter posted in an RMS letterbox in October 1891, affixed with a one-anna Service stamp, was rejected; two annas in postage due were charged, with the remark: "Posted in RMS Letter Box contrary [to] Director General's Orders."

In 1907, the Director General (DG) of the Post Office of India issued a notice assimilating postal rates for both private and official letters and parcels, effective 1 October 1907. Native States using Service stamps lost the concessions they had previously enjoyed. The Baroda Government opposed the change and requested alternative arrangements. In April 1909, the Government of India sanctioned a free annual grant of Service postage stamps valued at Rs 36,000, subject to review after five years. This was increased to Rs 40,000 in April 1914 and to Rs 85,000 per year in 1919. If state requirements exceeded the grant, His Highness' Government could purchase additional Service stamps at face value from the Residency Treasury.

On H.H. The Gaekwar's Service Envelope, 31 July 1909	On Gaekwar Service Envelope (Tex in Gujarati) 21 March 1924

Example shown are printed envelope inscribed "ON H.H. THE GAIKWAR'S SERVICE ONLY," bearing a King Edward VII half-anna stamp overprinted "ON H.M.S.," addressed to Ajmer and mailed 31 July 1909. Also shown: envelope with King George V Service overprinted stamps, mailed from Dwarka by the Baroda State Court to Morvi on 21 March 1924, inscribed in Gujarati "Only for use of Gaekwar Service."

Example of Service postcard shown with rubberstamped inscription "On H.H. the Gaekwar Service Only," sent by the In-charge of Dhari Nursery from Dhari to Champrajnagar, 14 August 1945. Another example: postcard with rubberstamped inscription "ON BARODA STATE SERVICE ONLY," mailed from Amreli to Veraval, 23 January 1945.

British authorities also prohibited the use of Service stamps for official foreign correspondence. Despite representations from the Baroda Government, permission was refused. For a time, the state used ordinary postage stamps for foreign mails under protest.

DC Padgham reports one exceptional cover: King Edward VII adhesives (overprinted "On H.M.S.") dated 6 October 1910, addressed to Germany; Service stamps accepted despite inland-use restrictions.

Printed envelope from "Superintendent, Furniture Factory, Baroda" ("On H.H. the Gaekwar's Service") to London, posted at Lehripura (Baroda sub-office) on 14 September 1933, prepaid with ordinary Indian postage stamps in observance of the agreement.

Similar example: envelope from Baroda State Press to Sagaing (Upper Burma), registered from Baroda on 27 December 1932, prepaid with ordinary stamps, lacking any Service postage inscription.

An attempt to use Service stamps in 1914 on a letter to USA was illustrated inIndia Post 133, but here the stamps were disallowed and the letter was taxed 10 cents on delivery. .