Page:The Imperial Durbar Album of the Indian princes, chiefs and zamindars.djvu/230

 Jawhar.

NO reliable account of the foundation of the Jawhar State is forthcoming prior to 1294 A.D. Up to that time Jawhar appears to have been held by a Varli chief. The first Koli Paupera, otherwise known as Jayaba, appears to have obtained a footing by an injenious stratagem. He asked for as much land as the hide of a bull would cover. When this was consented to, he cut the hide into strips and claimed as much area as was engirt by those strips.

Nemi Shah, the son of Jayaba, was conferred the title of 'Raja' by the king of Delhi in 1343 A.D. on the 5th of Jilne. So important was this event considered of Jawhar that the day, on which the title was received, has been made the beginning of a new era, and is still used in the public documents of the State.

Very little is heard of the Jawhar Kings for about two centuries after Nemi Shah. The Sultans of Ahmedabad, who held the sea^coast of Thana, interfered but little with the chief of Jawhar. The Portuguese, too, who held the coast of Northern Konkan, only took care to prevent the constant aggressions on the part of the Jawhar chief. Shiwaji and his successors left the Jawhar king to himself and it was not till the power of the Peshwas was welLestablished that they took any notice of the Koli chief. After they had wrested the coast of Northern Konkan from the Portuguese in 1739'40 A.D., they repeatedly encroached upon the territories of the Raja of Jawhar. Patang Shah II. entered into an agreement with the Peshwa in 1782 A.D., by which he was confirmed on the gadi on condition of his agreeing to be his tributary.

On the fall of the Peshwa and the establishment of British supremacy, the Raja transferred his allegiance to the latter. No treaty, properly so called, has been entered into between this State and the British Government, but a memorandum of settlement was drawn up by the first Collector of Northern Konkan in 1822 A.D. Except the nazrana or succession fee in case of adoption, the Raja pays no tribute to Government. On the death of Raja Vikram Shah in 1866 A.D., his widow adopted Malhar Rao alias Patang Shah, who was .vested with full powers in 1876 A.D. He was succeeded by his son, Krishna Shah, the present Chief, in 1905 A.D. A sanad allowing the right of adoption was granted to the Chief in 1890 A.D.

The area of the State is 534 square miles with a population of 48,556 inhabitants. The revenue of the State in normal years is about one lac and a half of rupees.

Jawhar is under the political control of the Collector of Thana. The Chief has powers to decide Sessions cases and hear appeals, and to try his own subjects for capital offences.