Short answers, pulled from the story.
Porbandar State was a First Class Princely State in the Kathiawar region of India, ruled by the Jethwa dynasty. It became a British protectorate on the 5th of December 1809 and was merged into the United State of Kathiawar on the 15th of February 1948, eventually becoming part of present-day Gujarat.
Porbandar State was accorded a thirteen-gun salute, placing it fourth in rank among the principalities in the Kathiawar Agency. It was classified as a First Class Princely State with full judicial and administrative powers.
Mahatma Gandhi's grandfather Uttamchand Gandhi, his father Karamchand Gandhi, and his uncle Tulsidas Gandhi all served as Dewan, or chief minister, to the Rana of Porbandar State. Gandhi himself was born in Porbandar.
The Porbandar State Railway, a metre-gauge line, was established in 1888 during the reign of Vikramatji Khimojiraj. After Indian independence it was merged into the Saurashtra Railway.
Maharaja Sir Natwarsinhji Bhavsinhji, KCSI, was the last ruler of Porbandar State, reigning from 1908 to 1948. He oversaw the state's accession to India following independence in 1947.
The Jethwa rulers initially held Shrinagar as their capital, then moved to Ghumli. Ghumli was later lost to the rival Jadeja clan, though architectural heritage built by the Jethwas still stands there. Porbandar, a harbour town, then became the capital of Porbandar State.