Page:The Imperial Durbar Album of the Indian princes, chiefs and zamindars.djvu/245

 Lathi.

THE rulers of Lathi are Rajputs of the Gohel tribe. They have come from the same family as that of the chiefs of Bhavnagar and Palitana. Their common ancestor was Sejakji. He had three sons, and the descendants of the youngest Sarangji have been the chiefs of Lathi.

Sarangji's grandson, Noghanji, obtained possession of the country surrounding Lathi by sheer force of arms from the Kathi owners, and made Arthila his capital. Dudhoji, the grandson of Noghanji, was plundering the imperial territories and adding them to his possessions, which attracted the notice of the Mogul viceroy of Gujrath, and he ordered Rah Mandlik of Junagarh to bring this 'impudent' Dudhoji to his senses. A pitched battle was fought, in which Dudhoji was killed, and Arthila razed to the ground.

Limshahji alias Jijibawa, a kinsman of Dudhoji, and a Girasia, to whom the twelve villages of Valukhed had been assigned by the founder of the Bhavnagar branch, stepped into the position vacated by the untimely death of Dudhoji, and made Lathi his capital.

For a time he too went on extending his dominions by fresh conquests, but the attacks of their kinsmen from Bhavnagar and Palitana, and from the neighbouring Kathi chiefs brought about almost complete ruination to the Thakor; so much so, that Lakhoji, who was reigning there about the middle of the eighteenth century, was unable to pay his tribute to the Gaekwar. He gave his daughter in marriage to Damaji Gaekwar and granted him in dower the pargana of Chabadia, which afterwards came to be known as Damnagar. This matrimonial alliance contributed to save Lathi from the aggressions of the neighbouring chiefs, and the Gaekwar waived his demand except the nazar of a horse every year. Sur Singhji, the son of Lakhoji, was on the gadi at the time of Colonel Walker's settlement in 1807' 1808 A.D.

The present ruler, Pratap Singhji, was installed on the gadi on the 1st of May 1911 A.D. His father Sur Singhji alias Bapubha, has been recognized as one of the first class poets of Gujrath. •

The area of the State is 418 square miles. It contains 9,249 inhabitants. The revenue of the State is Rs. 1,50,000. It pays no tribute to the Government, but pays Rs. 861 on account of Gaek war's contingencies and Rs. 1,146 towards Junagarh Zortalbi.

Lathi is a fourth class State in Kathiawar, and as such, its Chief is invested with criminal powers entitling him to inflict rigorous imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years, and a fine up to Rs. 5,000; while in civil matters he has power to dispose of suits up to Rs. 10,000.

The ruler of the State is officially styled "Thakor."