Garjat states formed an integral part of Orissa from geographical, historical and cultural points of view. These tributary chiefs who virutally enjoyed internal sovereignty under the Gajapatis maintained their status under Mughals and Marahattas.
The entire Orissa was divided into Mughalbandi and Garjat. Territories which came under direct control of Mughals was known as mughalbandi. The Garjat chiefs only paid taxes to disturb the prevailing political structure. The British conquest of Orissa also did not like substantially change the political situation. The mughalbandi districts of Balasore, Cuttack and Puri were directly administered by the British.
From 1814 to 1818 the Judge-cum-Magistrate of Cuttack was the Superintendent of Orissa Tributary States. In 1818 the Commissioner of Mughalbandi simultaneously exercised the functions of the Superintendent of Tributary Mahal.
Towards the end of 1905, seven Oriya speaking states were transferred from the Central Provinces to the control of the commisioner of Orissa and subsequently two more states were added to raise the number of the feudatory states of Orissa to 26. In 1906 the supervision of the Tributary States was entrusted to an officer, called political Agent who was subject to control of Commissioner of Orissa Division.Lord Minto’s sanad in 1908 indicated gradual interference of Britishers in the domestic domain of tributary chiefs. The concern of the British administration towards the feudatory states became evident when in 1922 the political Agent was made independent of the control of Commissioner and was designated as the political Agent and Commissioner of Orissa Feudatory states.
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For the better management of Feudatory states an Assistant political Agent was also appointed. The administrative set upon was further overhauled in 1933 in order to bring the states directly under Government of India. The Eastern State Agency functioned which comprised of twenty-six feudatory states of Orissa and fourteen Central Province states. Originally its headquater was at Ranchi and later on it shifted to Calcutta. The administrative control of the Eastern States Agency was vested with a Resident under the direct supervision of Political Department of Government of India.
After Orissa became a separate province in April 1936, the Eastern States Agency became divided into three parts. Twenty three Garjat states remained under Orissa State Agency, Mayurbhanja remained under Bengal whereas Kalahandi and Patna remained within Chhatisgarh.
In 1937 taking into consideration the importance of feudatory states they are categorised into A, B, C.Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanja, Bamanda, Baud, Gangapur, Patna, Kalahandi, Sonepur, Saraikela and Nayagarh becmae A class states, in Been category remained Athgarh, Baramba, Narasinghpur, Athamallick, Hindol, Daspalla, Khandapara, Kharasuan, Rairakhol, Talcher, Bolangir and Nilgiri and in C category were states such as Palalahara, Ranpur and Tigiria. Before the Prajamandal Movement all these feudatory states were loyal to British Government by paying taxes and tributes and enjoyed internal sovereignty.
The administrative arrangement for Garjat states made in 1936 continued till the end of the British rule in the country. Thus the British policy towards Garjat states veered around pragmatism to use the princes to prevent the growth of national unity and to counter the rising national movement. The princes in turn depended for their self preservation from popular revolt on the protection by the British power. The story of Prajamandal Movement in Orissa can be discussed from both the angles.