Tharad and Wao

Princely States

Tharad

Tradition says Tharad derives it's name from Tharpal Dhru who came to the area in VS 101 and the area is originally ruled by Parmar Rajputs. The last Parmar king abdicated the throne in favour of his nephew Dedhrao, the Chohan of Nadol after converting to Jainism. Dedhrao himself fled from Nadol after the fall of Sambhar to Muslims. Other accounts say that the Chohan of Nadol killed his uncle. Six generations hence during the reign of Rana Punaji, the king was killed in a Muslim attack and the kingdom was siezed by Muslims ruled by a Multani clan. This event happened probably during the reign of Qutubuddin Aibak. Punaji's wife fled with her infant son Vajaji to her father in Parker(according to some versions, a Bhil, Dipa protected her) and the son returned back to the area in 1244, built a stepwell of Vav and stormed Tharad to take back the estate. But, because of the fear of the Governor of Patan, he didn't eject the Multanis but slowly encroached upon their holdings. Thus, the territory was split between Wao ruled Chohans and Multani ruled Tharad.

After the formation of Gujarat Sultanate, the Multanis were ejected from Tharad by Fateh Khan Baloch who also siezed Radhanpur and other areas. In 1700, Firoge Khan Jhalori took the place after the family was ejected from Jhalore and by 1730, it moved into the control of Jawan Mard Khan of Radhanpur. After Abhey Singh of Marwar became the Governor of Gujarat, Jawan Mard Khan was ejected out and a nominee of the Raja was installed at Tharad. Chohan Jetmalji of the Wao line then established himself in 1736 but the next year, Rana Vajrajji of Wao fearing competetion from his relative invited Bahadur Khan of Palanpur to eject him out. In 1759, it was given to a Waghela Khanji of Morwada for his services. By the time of his death in 1786, he declared independence from Palanpur. In 1819, when both Tharad and neighbouring states were being plundered by people from the desert, the rulers petitioned the British for protection and the state became a formal British tributary the next year under the usual terms.

Ruler List