Bhaunagar

LIST OF THE RULERS OF BHAUNAGAR in modern times.

 

Bhausinghji I                 1703-1764AD

Akherajji                        1764-1772 AD

Wakhat Singh                1772-1816 AD

Vajesinhji                      1816-1852 AD

Akherajji II                     1852-1854 AD

Jasvatsinhji                   1854-1871 AD

Takhsinhji                      1871AD-1896AD

Bhausinhji II                   1896-1919 AD

Krishna Kumarasinhji     1919-19-- AD

 

HISTORY[1].

Bhaunagar (Bhavnagar) is a small state on the coast of the Kathiawar Peninsular in western Gujarat, lying between 20o and 22o 18’ N and 71o 15’ and 72o 18’ E, and having an area of about 2860 square miles.  It is bounded by Ranpal, Ahmedeabad and Panchal to the north, Dhandhuka (Ahmedabad) on the east and to the west are Sorath and Halar.  Southwards lies the Gulf of Cambay, an arm of the Arabian Sea.

 

The area is said to have been settled in about 1260AD by the Gohel Rajputs under Sajakji (Sejakji). The Gohels are said to be descendents of the Palavas, who, in turn are of the “Lunar” Chandrabansi race.  Sajakji was grandson of Mohodas, twentieth in line of descent from Shalivahan, who migrated to Kathiawar a very long time ago.  The territory occupied by Sajakji was within the state of  Mahipal III of Junagadh, who gave permission for Sajakji to remain in his lands, employed him as an officer of state and awarded some land, Shahpur and twelve villages to him.  He built a new village and called it Sejakpur, and used it as a base from which he conquered the surrounding territory and became an independent ruler.  Sejakji had three sons, Ranoji who founded Bhaunagar and succeded Sejakji to the rulership, Saranji who founded Lathi and Shahji who founded Palitana.  Also the state of Vala is an offshoot of Bhaunagar.  Ranoji founded the town of Ranpur and made it his seat of goverment.  It was lost in 1309 during fighting with the Muhammadan invaders.  Ranoji’s son and successor, Mokhadji, expelled the Moslems from a part of the terrirory they held, but his son was defeated in 1347 while defending his lands against the seemingly invincible Mahmud Tughlaq, sultan of Delhi.

 

There followed a series of uneventful reigns, and then Bhausingji I, 20th in line from Sejakji, who took over on the death of his father, Vikoji, in 1703AD.  Bhausinghji ruled for over 60 years until his death in 1764AD.

 

Bhaunagar town itself was founded by Bhausinghji I in 1723AD.  His son, Rawal Akherajji  and grandson, Wakhat Singh (1772 AD) succeeded in turn to the chieftainship.  All three set about improving their territory and extirpating the pirates who infested the state’s coastline, in which they were encouraged by the government of the Bombay Presidency.  The area was threatened by the Nawab of Cambay, and, to protect himself from this danger, Bhausingji applied for protection of the Sidi of Surat, to whom he paid a quarter of the income from customs dues, in 1739AD.  Rawal Akherji (1764-1772AD) assisted the Bombay government to remove the piratical Kolts from the areas of Talaja and Mahuva, and for this help, Akherji was offered the fort of Talaja. He declined and it was given, instead, to the Nawab of Cambay.  However, Wakhat Singh (1772-1816AD) immediately took the fort back from Cambay, and in 1773 he agreed to pay Rs.75,000/= to the Bombay government and was allowed to continue in possession.  Wakhat Singh increased his land holdings in the area

 

The next ruler was Vajesinhji (1816-1852AD), then came Akherajji (1852-1854AD), and Jasvatsinhji (1854-1870AD)who rendered valuable assistance to the British during the Mutiny of 1857/58AD.

 

Jasvatsinhji had a minor son, Takhtsinhji who succeeded in 1870AD, and was placed under a British Administrator until 1878AD when he was invested with full ruling powers.  He died in 1896 and was succeeded by his son, Bhausinhji II (1896-1919AD) and was followed on the gadi by his minor son, Maharaja Krishna Kumarasinhji (1919AD-?) under a Council of Administration during his minority., during the reign of

 

Kathiawar was split between the Peshwa (eastern part) and the Gaikwad of Baroda (larger western part), the town of Bhaunagar and part of its territory falling in the Peshwar’s area and forming part of the districts of Dandhuka and Gogha.  These were, in turn, ceded by the Marathas to the British under the treaty of Bassein in XXXX AD.  The remainder was still in the Gaikwad’s territory, which was administratively inconvenient, and so this part was included in the land ceded by the Gaikwad to the British in 1807AD.

 

The Thakur was allowed to rule the British section as his own until 1816, when it was taken over by the British for “a serious abuse of power”.  He was allowed Rs.52,000 in perpetuity from those estates.  Later, in 1866AD some villages of the area were transferred to the Gujarat government.  The Thakur was granted Rs.2,800 a year as compensation, as well as Rs.4000 for agreeing to forgo the customs income from Gogha, and an additional sum when the mint was closed, see below.

 

COINAGE.

It is not known when the Bhaunagar mint opened, but it was presumably some time during the reign Bhausinghji or Rawal Akherji, because the first known coins bear the name of the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan III.  It was closed by the British in 1840AD, during the reign of Ajherajji.  Coinage was on the Kutch and Kathiawar system of copper Trambiya and Dokda, along with fractions.  Coin was struck during the reigns of, and in the names of  Shah Jahan III (AH1173-74, 1759-60AD), Shah Alam II (AH1174-1221, 1759-1806AD)and Muhammad Akbar II (AH1221-1253, 1806-37AD).  Although the mint was not officially closed until 1840AD, coins in the name of Bahadur Shah Zafar have not been recognised.  Perhaps the undated Muhammad Akbar II issue was continued posthumously, or the production of coinage may have ceased prior to the mint’s actual closure.  The Krause catalogues also include a problematical anonymous copper issue dated VS 2004 (1947AD, the year of Indian independence), but this is not a coin, but an unofficial celebratory token issue.

 

The first known issues are an undated quarter trambiya bearing the mark “Shri” in Nagari characters on the reverse and the Mughal’s names and titles on the obverse, and two versions of the Dokdo, also undated, bearing a scimitar on the reverse, which points up on some coins, and down on others.  It is not known whether this is significant.  Some coins carry, in addition to the scimitar, the Nagari Shri or the date 1825.  It is not known whether this date is real or false, but it falls during the reign of Muhammad Akbar II, not Shah Jahan III, whose inscriptions are found on the coin.  There is also a copper Dhinglo, bearing a Nagari “Shri” on the reverse.

 

The next issue is an undated copper Dokdo in the name of Shah Alam II.

 

The last true issue of coinage is an undated Dhinglo in the name of Muhammad Akbar II bearing a scimitar on the reverse.

 

Uncatalogued variations of these rather crude issues are not infrequently met with, most of which should be treated as die varieties only.  Coins struck on unusually shaped flans are also occasionally found.