THE KATHIS ENTER SAURASHTRA

Lakhtar were formed in the early part of the seventeenth
century, and Sayla was conquered from the Kathis by
Sheshabhai, second son of Raisinhji of Dhrangadhra,
some time in the middle of the eighteenth century A.D.

It was some time about the eleventh century A.D. that
the Kathis first came to Saurashtra, but of the time of
their arrival we have no accurate information. We learn
that Ra Khengar (A.D. 1044-1067) had a number of
Kathis in his army, and later we learn that Khawadji,
one of the sons of Harpal Deva, the founder of the Jhala
family, married a Kathi woman and founded the Khawad
Kathis. But we possess no earlier records of the tribe
which, because of its fighting qualities, afterwards gave
its name to the entire province.

The Kathis are generally supposed to have migrated
from Sind to Kachh, where they settled at Pavar, and
afterwards to have settled in Saurashtra at Than, where
they became known as fine fighting men with a special
propensity for stealing cattle. The last of the race in
Kachh were driven out by Jam Abda, in the fifteenth
century. They believe themselves to be descended from
the Kaurawas, who in the distant ages before history
may be said to have begun, induced Sakuni, King of
Gandhara, to gamble with Yadhisthira, the eldest of the
five Pandawa brothers. Yadhisthira lost everything,
including his kingdom, and the five brothers were com-
pelled to pass a year in seclusion. Duryodhan tried to
find them by taking away cattle, which he was unable to
do himself on account of his being a Kshatrya. So
Kama struck the earth with a stick and immediately a
man sprang up where the blow was made. He was given
the name " Kathi," which also means " stick," and his
descendants ever afterwards took pride in cattle-lifting
and plundering. So much for mythical history. It is
believed that at the time of Alexander the Great's invasion
the Kathis inhabited a portion of the Punjab, and that

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