and Kher continued as the Chief Minister of the state, serving until 1952. After independence In 1947, Bombay Province became part of the Dominion of India. When provinces were replaced with states when the Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950, the day India became the first republic in the Commonwealth of Nations, Bombay Province became the Bombay State, a Part-A state. Geography The Bombay Presidency was bounded on the north by Baluchistan, the Punjab and Rajputana; on the east by Indore, the Central Provinces and Hyderabad; on the south by Madras Presidency and the Kingdom of Mysore; and on the west by the Arabian Sea. Within these limits were the Portuguese settlements of Goa, Daman and Diu, and the native state of Baroda which has direct relations with the government of India; while politically Bombay included the territory of Aden, in present-day Yemen. The total area, including Sind but excluding Aden, was , of which were under British and 65,761 under native rule. The total population was 25,468,209 in 1901, of which 18,515,587 were resident in British territory and 6,908,648 in native states. Demographics The Bombay Presidency had a large and diverse population. The census of 1901 gave a total of 25,468,209. By religion the population was 19,916,438 Hindu, 4,567,295 Muslim, 535,950 Jain, 78,552 Parsi and Irani Zoroastrians, and approximately 200,000 Christians. A significant number of Bene Israeli and Paradesi Jews were also present, most of them emigrated in 1948 after the Partition of Palestine and the establishment of the Jewish homeland (British mandate of Palestine) in Israel. In Sindh, Islam had been the predominant religion after the Caliphate of Sunni Arab origins conquered it the 8th century. In Gujarat the predominant religion remained Hinduism, although the Sultanate of Guzerat has left its influence and imprints in northern parts of the province. The Deccan region is the home of Marathis, who constituted 30% of the population. The Konkan region was home to various Konkani Christian minorities and communities since the 16th century, due to the colonial era of the Portuguese in Goa and Bombay-Bassein. While in the Belgaum area of the Carnatic region, Lingayatism, a Hindu reform movement dating to the 12th century, was accepted by nearly 45% of the population. The Marathas were the predominant caste numbering 3,650,000 (1901), 1,900,000 Kunbis and other 350,000 Konkanis, and another 1,400,000 Marathas not specified. The chief languages of