Page:The Imperial Durbar Album of the Indian princes, chiefs and zamindars.djvu/228

 Jath.

THE Chief of Jath is in treaty relations with the Bntish Government, and claims his descent from Lakhmojirao Yaldojirao Chavhan, headman of the village of Daflapur. Lakhmojirao had two sons, Satwajirao and Dhondjirao, both of whom were gallant soldiers. Their bravery attracted the notice of Sultan All Adilshah of Bijapur who at once took them into his service, and in 1680 A.D. conferred in perpetuity upon Satwajirao the deshmukhi of the four mahals of Jath, Karajgi. Bardol, and Vanwad, on payment of a nazarana of 3,000 Mohurs. Satwajirao continued to be one of the leading noblemen at the Bijapur court until its final over-throw by Emperor Aurangzeb in 1686 A.D. Satwajirao then ' assumed entire independence, and began to divest the territories of the Mogul Emperor, who ordered his generals to catch and bring him to Delhi. The Mogul generals were, however, unsuccessful; they captured Dhondjirao instead, and took him to Delhi. Satwajirao was surprised at this action of the Mogul generals; and, fearing lest any calamity befall his brother, he humbly offered his services to the Emperor, intimating his willingness to serve him if some grant were made to him in perpetuity. Aurangzeb readily accepted his proposal. He confirmed the watan already granted to him by the King of Bijapur, and in addition bestowed upon him the jahagir of Jath and Karajgi, and appointed him a "Commandant of 5,000 horse." On getting this jahagir, Satwajirao made the town of Jath his captial. Since that time, the Chavhan family came to be known as Dafles from "Daflapur" their original village.

Satwajirao had two sons, Bawajirao and Khanajirao, of whom the first was the rightful successor. He was killed at the siege of Satara in 1700 A.D. As he had no male issue, the jahagir devolved upon Yesubai, his widow, after the death of Satwajirao. She proved a just and kind ruler and was held in high esteem by her subjects. She died in 1754 A.D. and was succeeded by her nephew Yashwantrao, who was followed by his son Amntrao. He accompanied the Peshwa in his campaigns in the Karnatic and was present in almost all the battles fought there.

Amritrao was succeeded by his son Khanajirao. He fought under the Mahratta banner at the battle of Kharda in 1795 A.D He died in 1816 A.D. He had two wives; the senior widow, Renukabai, took charge of the management of the State after him. She entered into a treaty with the British Government as well as with the Raja of Satara in 1820 A.D. She died in 1823 A.D.

Thus, there being a failure of male heir, the jahagir lapsed to the Raja of Satara. In 1824 A.D., however, it was restored to one Ramrao, a collateral member of the Dafle family, who also died childless in 1 835 A.D., and the Raja of Satara again attached the jahagir; but restored it in 1841 A.D. to Ramrao's widow Bhagirthibai. This lady adopted Bhimrao alias Amritrao in 1841 A.D. He died in 1892 A.D. leaving no son, and his senior widow adopted the present Chief Ramrao alias Aba Saheb in 1893 A.D., who has since been invested with full powers of administration.

The area of the State is 884 square miles with a population of about seventy thousand inhabitants and a revenue of over 1| lacs of rupees.