The founder of the princely state of Tonk was Amir Khan, a Muslim freebooter of Afghan descent, and a notorious Pindari leader of the early 19th century. In 1817, upon submitting to the British during the Pindari War, he received the territory of Tonk and the title Nawab. The state was part of the Rajputana agency and consisted of six isolated tracts, some of which were under the Central India Agency.