LATHI

About Lathi

Lathi( princely state of Gohil dynesty) is a city and a municipality in Amreli district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Lathi is located at 21.72N 71.38E.[1] It has an average elevation of 141 metres (462 feet). As of 2001 India census,[2] Lathi had a population of 20,964. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Lathi has an average literacy rate of 63%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 71%, and female literacy is 55%. In Lathi, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age. The rulers belonged to the Guhilot/Gahlot dynasty. The ancestor of the family was Sejakji Gohil, founding Thakore saheb of Sejakpur.(governor, commanding officer of King Kumarpals army and right-hand man of the Solankis, a branch of the Chalukyas. Sejakji befriended Rah (Rao) Mahipal, King of Saurashtra, whose capital was Junagarh, and married his daughter Valumkunverba (Amarkunvari) to Khengar (Kawat), the heir apparent (Jayamal) of Saurashtra. Sejakji received Shahpur along with 24 villages in jagir, in the midst of which he founded a capital in 1250, naming it Sejakpur after himself. He added 40 villages by force of arms, and died in 1254. ) his fourth son, Thakore Saheb Sarangji, founded the predecessor state of Arthila and his descendants ruled there for four generations till Raja Mandalik of Junagadh conquered and sacked Arthila and slew Thakore Saheb Dudoji, the then ruling chieftain. The Gohils of Arthila then withdrew to Lathi which they held till the merger of the State in 1948. Lathi ranks as a Fourth Class state in Kathiawar. The Chief maintains a military force of 12 cavalry, 25 infantry and 10 guns (as of 1892).