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Chital, Gujarat
Chital is a village in Amreli Taluka of Amreli district, Gujarat, India.
History[edit]
During British period, it was one of the most important seats of the Vala Kathis of the Jetpur house and was one of their earliest settlements. Originally a Sarvaiya holding, a pal or blackmail payment from it was acquired by the Selarka Kathis of Mendarda. The great seat of the present Jetpur Kathi house was then at Devlia about ten miles north-west of Chital and about five miles east of Vasavad. Najo Vala of Devlia pursued some Selarkas of Chital who had driven off his cattle, and was slain in the pursuit near the village of Sultanpur now under Gondal. The sons of Najo namely Viro and Jaito continued the feud and finally the Selarkas relinquished to them the pal over Chital, and a reconciliation was effected. The Selarkas then retired to Mendarda and the Devlia Valas removed their capital to Chital of which place they speedily became sole masters reducing the Sarvaiyas to a subordinate position. There were even now Sarvaiya Mulgrasias in Chital. Viro and Jaito founded the two principal branches of the Jetpur house now known as Viraui and Jaitani which will be treated of under Jetpur. Jaito had a son Bhoko whose son Jaito was very famous.[1]
The following duho (couplet) is said concerning him[upper-alpha 1]:
If thou Jaita on the Chital throne
Had'st not been so unbending.
The Kathis would have been obliged to move
And would have been forced to pay dues
like cultivators, Oh son of Bhoka !
Chital became a prosperous town under the rule of the Kathis who in 1803 made, together with the Kundla Kathis, the first overtures to the British Government. The Kathis of Chital became so powerful that the Nawab of Junagadh ceded to them Jetpur, Mendarda, and Bilkha. The reason for these cessions was probably as follows. By their establishment at Mendarda they restrained the Selarkas and Harsurka Kathis who were frequently troublesome. At Bilkha they controlled the Khants, Maiyds, and other tribes, while at Jetpur they defended the line of the Bhadar from any foreign foe. Chital was taken by Thakor Vakhatsingbji of Bhavnagar State in his warfare with the Kathis in A.D. 1793, but was restored to them. The Vanias who left Chital on this occasion did not return to it. They are still called Chitalia Vanias.[1]
Demographics[edit]
The population of Chital according to the census of 1872 was 3908 and according to that of 1881 3959 souls.[1]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ The Gujarati runs : Tun Jaita Chitalne Takhat, Nar Aakut Na Thaata, Kathi Kise Ja Bhog Bharva Bhokdut.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Kathiawar (Public Domain text). Vol. VIII. Printed at the Government Central Press, Bombay. 1884. pp. 404–405.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Coordinates: 21°44′15″N 71°11′25″E / 21.7376148°N 71.1903762°E
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