Page:The Imperial Durbar Album of the Indian princes, chiefs and zamindars.djvu/211

 Gondal.

THIS is an insular State, almost in the centre of Kathiawar. Its rulers, who are Rajputs of the Jadheja clan, come from the same stock as that of the rulers of Cutch, Rajkot, and Jamnagar, but they are more directly related to the rulers of the last state.

Kumbhoji I, great-grandson of Jam Sataji, whose mother was a Chudasam Girasiani, was the founder of the Gondal house. He received Ardhoi and a few other villages from his father, Meramanji, in the seventeenth century. Not being on the best of terms with his brother, Singhji, he spent the greater part of his early days at his maternal home in Gondal. When he grew to manhood, he is said to have driven away his maternal uncle, and established himself in his stead on the Gondal gadi. He left behind him two sons, Sagramji and Sangoji, of whom the first succeeded to Gondal, and the second founded the estate of Kotada Sangani. Sagramji was succeeded by his son, Haloji, who was the father of Kumbhoji II. This Kumbhoji proved to be such an able and efficient ruler that the whole of Kathiawar trembled at his name. He largely increased the extent of his State by numerous conquests.

Kumbhoji had for his contemporaries such eminent personages as Amarji Diwan of Junagarh, Meheraman Khawas of Jamnagar, Vakhat Singhji Thakor of Bhavnagar, and Fatteh Mahammad of Cutch; but he towered over them all by his bravery and tact.

Kumbhoji gave himself no peace as long as Amarji was by the side of the Nawab of Junagarh. Hamid Khan ascended the throne of Junagarh in 1795 A.D. Kumbhoji succeeded in achieving that which he could not in the time' of the previous Nawab. He alienated the feelings of Hamid Khan from his loyal and sagacious minister to such a degree that Amarji was murdered in the Nawab's palace, in 1784 A.D. Now Kumbhoji had much his own way with the Nawab. He secured from him a sanad in heredity With regard to Gondal, Jetalsar, Mali, Majethi, Lath, ' and Bhilmora. In addition, he permanently secured the districts of Sarsai and Oiamparda from the Nawab in satisfaction of an old out-standing death.

Kumbhoji's only son, Sagramji, had died during his life-time, leaving behind him two sons, Muluji and Devoji; of these, the first being the elder, succeeded his grand- father. Muluji had two sons, Haloji and Dajibhai. Haloji succeeded his father but died only after a reign of one year. As he left no issue, his brother, Dajibhai, ascended the gadi. He too died without an heir, and so his uncle, Devoji, succeeded him in 1800 A.D, He accompanied Raghunathji, the Diwan of Junagarh, in 1803 A.D. in his expedition in Jhalawad to levy the zortalbi on behalf of Junagarh.

Devoji died in 1812 A.D. leaving behind him four sons, of whom Nathoji reigned for only two years. He was succeeded by Kanoji (1814-1821 A.D.), Chandra Singhji (1821-1851 A.D.), and Sagramji II (1851-1870 A.D.).

Sagramji died in 1870 A.D. and was succeeded by Bhagwat Singhji. He being only four years of age at the time of his father's death, the management of the