Prior to independence, this region was known as Gohilwad. It was the legent amongst all the other states of the entire region. Maharaja Bhavsinghji founded state of Bhavnagar near Vadava village in 1743 on the third of Vaishakh. The small princely states such viz Palitana, Vallabhipur and a few others are a part of the Bhavnagar district of the present day.