Page:The Imperial Durbar Album of the Indian princes, chiefs and zamindars.djvu/70

 Cutch.

THE State of Cutch (from the Sanskrit Kachcha 'foreshore') is peculiarly interesting, geographically, geologically, as well as historically. Its situation and peninsular formation is such that there is no other State like it in the whole of India. Its geological formation though complex is very important inasmuch as it has furnished a clue to the age of the Jurassic and Cretacious series. Historically too, the State has its own importance. It has been noticed by Greek writers, and appears to have formed part of Menander's kingdom in the second century B. C. The great Chinese traveller Hieun Tsiang makes special mention of it. In the 9th century A.D. the Arabs have been known to have settled on its coast.

The modern history of Cutch may be said to date from its acquisition by the Samma Rajputs of Sindh, who established themselves in the peninsula in the fourteenth century A.D. The Jadeja ('children of Jada ' - a word signifying 'twin' in Sindhi) Rajputs, to which clan the ruling family of Cutch belongs, are the descendants of the Samma tribe. They are said to have emigrated from Sindh under the leadership of Jam Lakha, son of Jada. When the rest of the tribe embraced the orthodox Mahomedan faith, the Jadejas adopted a mixture of Mahomedanism and Hinduism as their religion.

Till about 1540 A.D. the Jams ruled over Cutch in three sections; but about that year, Khengarji, the ruler of the southern portion, succeeded with the assistance of the king of Ahmedabad in establishing his supremacy over the other two convpatriot rulers, and made himself master of the whole province. He obtained from the king of Ahmedabad the grant of Morvi in the north of Kathiawar, and the title of 'Rao'.

He established Bhuj, the capital of Cutch, in 1549 A.D., and thirty years later founded the important sea'port town of Mandvi, which even to this day commands the extensive trade of the province.

On the decline of the power of the kings of Ahmedabad, Bharmal, the successor of Khengarji, attempted to make himself independent, but was defeated in the attempt, and on his acknowledging the supremacy of the Emperor of Delhi, he was confirmed in his original position. For six generations from Khengarji, the Raos ascended the masnad in regular succession according to primogeniture; but on the death of Rao Rayadhan in 1797 A.D., Pragmalji, his third son, secured the throne to himself by murder and usurpation. But he placed Kanyoji, the son of one of his murdered brothers, in independent charge of Morvi, with a view to pacify him. Pragmalji died in 171 5 A.D. During the time of his grandson Deshaji, Sir Buland Khan, the Mogul subhedar of Gujrath, helped the Chief of Morvi to invade Cutch; but Deshaji was successful in driving away the invaders, and fortified the town of Bhuj as a precautionary measure against any future attacks. In 1741 A.D. Deshaji was made a prisoner by his son Lakhapatji, an extravagant but very ambitious and calculating youth. He was conferred the title of 'Mirza' by the Emperor of Delhi, and that of ' Maharajadhiraj ' by the King of Kabul.