A Short History of Gondal (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889 Excerpt: ...four years to improve matters. He died in St. 1895. He was an honest and well-meaning man. It was his aim to bring some of the villages of SarsaM into a flourishing condition; but he died before his design could be carried into execution. The place of Karbhari was filled by Vachhraj Pariachand, a Vanid of Dhoraji. He was a creature of Kdnji, to whom he showed his gratitude by fining him in the sum of sixty thousand rupees This was indeed retributive justice to a man who had sold his conscience Kdnji had been in great favour with Motibhai; but, when the days of his prosperity were numbered, this same Motibhai banished him from his State after subjecting him to a heafy fine. The turns of fortune are inscrutable. His accomplice, Kachra Khavds, an equally powerful man in the State, met with the same fate. Motibhai died in 1897, after a reign of twenty years. He had married two wives, Sunderba of Narichana, and Anopbd, of Vaniavadhar. He was a very handsome and well-built man. In religion he was a staunch follower of Shiva. Having died childless, he was succeeded by his brother Bhanabhai. BHANABHAI. On MotibhaTs death a rumour was set afloat that Anopba was in a state of pregnancy; but it turrited out to be groundless. Bhanabhai received in legacy a State-debt of twenty lakhs of koris. In order to pay the tribute seventyfive thousand rupees had to be borrowed from Mehta Nathuram Amarji, who was appointed Karbhari for five years on Government security. It was no easy work to rule a State on the brink of bankruptcy. The Darbdr expenses had to be considerably retrenched; the Chief was obliged to live upon a limited grant; and was so much hampered in expenditure, that he was often heard to complain that he had been a far happier man as a cadet than a Chief. In St....