The Jethwa Dynasty of Saurashtra

The Jethwa dynasty, also rendered Jethva, was an old Rajput ruling house of the Saurashtra coast in present-day Gujarat, long associated with the region of the Barda hills and the western shore of the peninsula. Belonging to the wider world of the Rajput ruling houses described in our guide to the Rajputs, the Jethwas were a regional dynasty whose rulers held the title of Rana, and whose history is bound up with the celebrated ruins of Ghumli, with its famous Navlakha temple, and later with the coastal town of Porbandar. The dynasty is remembered as one of the old houses of Saurashtra, with a long and distinctive history on the western coast, enduring through the medieval and modern periods until the accession of its state to India after 1947. Because several early dates and details of the dynasty rest on tradition and local record, this guide keeps to general terms where the account is uncertain, while presenting the well-established outlines of the Jethwa house and its heritage.

Key Takeaways

• The Jethwa dynasty, also rendered Jethva, was an old Rajput ruling house of the Saurashtra coast in present-day Gujarat.
• The dynasty is long associated with the region of the Barda hills and the western shore of the peninsula.
• The rulers of the Jethwa house held the title of Rana.
• The early history of the dynasty is bound up with the celebrated ruins of Ghumli and its famous Navlakha temple.
• In its later history the dynasty is associated with the coastal town of Porbandar on the Saurashtra coast.
• The Jethwa state endured through the medieval and modern periods until its accession to India after 1947.

Read on for the history, culture, and legacy in detail.

Quick Facts

What Was the Jethwa Dynasty?

The Jethwa dynasty, also rendered Jethva, was an old Rajput ruling house of the Saurashtra coast in present-day Gujarat, long associated with the region of the Barda hills and the western shore of the peninsula. Belonging to the wider world of the Rajput ruling houses, the Jethwas were a regional dynasty whose rulers held the title of Rana, and whose history is bound up with the celebrated ruins of Ghumli and later with the coastal town of Porbandar. The dynasty is remembered as one of the old houses of Saurashtra, with a long and distinctive history on the western coast, enduring through the medieval and modern periods until the accession of its state to India after 1947. As one of the notable Rajput houses of Gujarat, the Jethwas hold an important place in the history of Saurashtra. Their story spans the long history of the coast from the ancient ruins of Ghumli to the later town of Porbandar.

Where Did the Jethwas Rule?

The Jethwas ruled on the Saurashtra coast in present-day Gujarat, in the region of the Barda hills and the western shore of the peninsula, a land of coast, hills and plains on the edge of the Arabian Sea. The Saurashtra peninsula, also known as Kathiawar, is a region of historic towns and states, and the Jethwas held their place on its western and coastal parts, associated with the Barda hills and the coast around Porbandar. The early seat of the dynasty lay at Ghumli, in the region of the Barda hills, while in later history the rulers were associated with the coastal town of Porbandar. This geography of hill and coast shaped the history, trade and fortunes of the Jethwa house. The position of the dynasty on the western coast placed it in contact with the sea routes of the Arabian Sea. The Saurashtra coast and the Barda hills thus formed the enduring setting of the Jethwa dynasty.

What Are the Names Jethwa and Jethva?

The dynasty is known by the names Jethwa and Jethva, alternative renderings of the name of this old Rajput house of the Saurashtra coast. The two forms refer to the same clan and ruling house, and the variation reflects the different ways the name has been recorded and transmitted over time. The name Jethwa denotes both the ruling house and the clan associated with it, a distinctive Rajput house of the western coast of Saurashtra. Recognising these variant spellings helps readers identify the dynasty across the different sources and accounts in which it appears. As with many such names, the precise origin and preferred form are matters of tradition and scholarly discussion rather than firm record. The names Jethwa and Jethva thus both denote the same old Rajput house, remembered as one of the distinctive dynasties of the Saurashtra coast and the Barda hills.

Who Were the Jethwa Rajputs?

The Jethwas are a Rajput clan, part of the wider world of the Rajput communities of western India, who established their rule on the Saurashtra coast and in the region of the Barda hills. As a Rajput clan, the Jethwas shared in the martial traditions, codes of honour and heritage of the Rajputs, while developing their own distinctive history as a regional house of the western coast. The clan is associated above all with the rule of the territory around Ghumli and later Porbandar, where the Jethwa rulers bore the title Rana. The traditions of the clan’s origins and early history are preserved in local accounts and are treated with scholarly care and respect. The Jethwas are counted among the old Rajput houses of Saurashtra and Gujarat. As the ruling clan of their coastal territory, the Jethwas gave their state its dynasty and its place in the history of the Rajputs of western India.

What Was the Title Rana?

The rulers of the Jethwa dynasty bore the title of Rana, a princely title by which the sovereigns of the house were known. The title Rana denoted the ruler as the head of the state and the chief of the Jethwa clan, carrying the dignity and authority of a princely sovereign in the tradition of the Rajputs of western India. Through the long history of the dynasty, the rulers held this title as they governed their territory on the Saurashtra coast, presiding over its administration, its defence and its cultural life. The title reflects the standing of the Jethwa rulers among the Rajput houses of the region. In the later period, under British paramountcy, the rulers of the state continued to hold their title within the framework of the princely states. The title Rana thus denoted the sovereign authority of the Jethwa rulers, the princely heads of their state and clan on the Saurashtra coast.

What Is Ghumli?

Ghumli is a celebrated historic site in the region of the Barda hills in Saurashtra, long associated with the early seat of the Jethwa dynasty and famous for its ruins and temples. In the early history of the dynasty, Ghumli served as a principal seat of the Jethwa rulers, and it preserves a notable heritage of ancient and medieval structures, including the renowned Navlakha temple. The ruins of Ghumli, set amid the Barda hills, bear witness to the antiquity and importance of the site in the history of the region and the dynasty. Ghumli remains an important heritage and archaeological site of Saurashtra today, bound up with the memory of the Jethwa house. The details of its history as a seat of the dynasty are drawn from the record of the region and described in general terms. Ghumli thus stands as the celebrated early seat of the Jethwa dynasty and a notable heritage site of the Barda hills.

What Is the Navlakha Temple at Ghumli?

The Navlakha temple at Ghumli is one of the most celebrated monuments of the Barda hills region, a large and notable temple bound up with the heritage of Ghumli and the Jethwa dynasty. Built in the tradition of the temple architecture of western India, the Navlakha temple is renowned for its scale and its carving, and it stands among the notable examples of the medieval temple tradition of Saurashtra. The temple forms part of the celebrated ruins of Ghumli and bears witness to the importance of the site in the history of the region. The name Navlakha is associated in tradition with such great temples of the region, and the monument is counted among the principal heritage sites of the Barda hills. The details of its history and features are drawn from the record of the region and described in general terms. The Navlakha temple at Ghumli thus stands as a celebrated monument of the heritage of Saurashtra and the Jethwa dynasty.

Why Did the Jethwas Move Their Seat?

The Jethwas moved their seat in the course of their long history, shifting from the early centre at Ghumli to other seats and ultimately to the coastal town of Porbandar, in keeping with the changing fortunes of the dynasty. According to the traditions and the history of the region, the dynasty experienced the vicissitudes of the medieval age, including conflicts and the rise and fall of fortunes that led the rulers to establish new seats over time. The movement of the seat from the inland site of Ghumli toward the coast reflected the history of the house and its adaptation to the conditions of the region. This history of shifting seats is characteristic of the long and eventful story of many regional dynasties. The details of these changes rest in part on tradition and local record and are described in general terms. The movement of the Jethwa seat thus reflects the changing fortunes of the dynasty across its long history on the Saurashtra coast.

What Is the Connection to Porbandar?

In its later history, the Jethwa dynasty is associated above all with the coastal town of Porbandar, which became the principal seat of the house and the capital of its state in the modern period. Porbandar, a town on the western coast of Saurashtra on the Arabian Sea, grew as the seat of the Jethwa rulers and the centre of their state, with associated seats in the region such as Chhaya and Ranavav bound up with the history of the house. As a coastal town, Porbandar was linked to the maritime life and trade of the western coast, and it became the heart of the Jethwa state in its later history. The town is also widely known in modern times as the birthplace of a great figure of modern India. The details of this later history are drawn from the record of the region and described in general terms. Porbandar thus stands as the principal later seat of the Jethwa dynasty on the Saurashtra coast.

How Was the Dynasty Governed?

The Jethwa state was governed by its ruler, the Rana, supported by ministers, officials and the nobility of the clan, within the framework of a Rajput house of the Saurashtra coast. The Rana held the sovereign authority of the state, governing from the seat of the house and presiding over its administration, defence and relations with neighbours and, later, with the British. The government of the state managed the affairs of its coastal and hill territory, overseeing its revenue, its land and its communities, in the manner of the Rajput states of the region. The administration developed over the long history of the house and adapted to the framework of British paramountcy in the later period. The details of the government are drawn from the record of the region and described in general terms. The system of rule enabled the state to endure as a self-governing princely state until its accession to India. The governance of the Jethwa state thus rested on the Rana and the institutions of the house.

What Was the Religion and Culture?

The religion and culture of the Jethwa state reflected the heritage of Saurashtra and the wider traditions of Gujarat, expressed in the temples, religion, festivals and arts of the region. The dynasty is associated with the celebrated temples of Ghumli and the Barda hills, bearing witness to the devotion and the temple tradition of the region, and with the religious life of its later seat at Porbandar. The culture of the state drew on the rich heritage of Saurashtra, with its folk traditions, crafts, festivals and the life of a coastal region linked to the sea. The temples and monuments of the dynasty reflect the taste and devotion of the house across its long history. The details of this culture are drawn from the heritage of the region and described in general terms. The religion and culture of the Jethwa state thus combined the temple heritage of Ghumli with the wider traditions of Saurashtra and the coast, giving the dynasty its distinctive character.

What Is the Barda Hills Region?

The Barda hills region is the area of hills on the western part of the Saurashtra peninsula with which the early history of the Jethwa dynasty is closely associated, the setting of the celebrated ruins of Ghumli. The Barda hills form a distinctive upland in the coastal region of western Saurashtra, a land of hills, forest and historic sites set back from the shore of the Arabian Sea. The region was the heartland of the early Jethwa rule, centred on Ghumli with its temples and ruins, before the seat of the dynasty moved toward the coast. The Barda hills preserve a notable heritage of ancient and medieval sites bound up with the history of the region and the dynasty. The details of this geography are drawn from the record of the region and described in general terms. The Barda hills region thus formed the early heartland of the Jethwa dynasty and a land of rich heritage on the Saurashtra coast.

How Did the State Relate to the British?

The Jethwa state related to the British as one of the princely states of Saurashtra, entering into arrangements with British power by which the state retained its internal self-government under British paramountcy. As the British established their authority across India, the state of the Jethwas, like the other princely states of the peninsula, came under the overarching framework of paramountcy while the Rana continued to govern the state from Porbandar. Under these arrangements the dynasty preserved its rule and the internal administration of the state, within the wider framework of British power in India. The state took its place among the many princely states of Kathiawar in this period. The details of these arrangements are drawn from the record of the period and described in general terms. The relationship of the Jethwa state with the British thus combined the preservation of the dynasty with the acknowledgement of British paramountcy, until the end of British rule in India.

How Did the State Join India?

The Jethwa state joined the Indian union after independence in 1947, when the princely state, like the other princely territories, acceded to India with the end of British paramountcy. The accession integrated the historic state into the new nation, bringing to a close its long history as a self-governing princely state under the Jethwa rulers. In the reorganisation of the country that followed, the region came to form part of the larger state of Gujarat within the Indian union, together with the other territories of Saurashtra. The rulers, like the other princes, took their place within the new order as the princely states were integrated into India. The details of this accession belong to the broadly recorded history of the period and are described in general terms. The joining of the Jethwa state to India thus marked the transition of the historic house into the modern nation, while the heritage of the dynasty endured.

Why Is the Jethwa Dynasty Significant?

The Jethwa dynasty is significant as one of the old Rajput houses of the Saurashtra coast, a regional dynasty with a long history stretching from the ancient ruins of Ghumli to the later town of Porbandar. Its early seat at Ghumli, with the celebrated Navlakha temple, bears witness to the antiquity and the temple heritage of the dynasty and the Barda hills region. The title of Rana borne by its rulers, and its endurance through the medieval and modern periods, mark it among the notable Rajput houses of Gujarat. The association of the dynasty with Porbandar links it to a town of wide renown in modern Indian history. For students of Indian history, the Jethwa dynasty offers a vivid example of an old regional Rajput house of the western coast. The Jethwa dynasty thus holds its place among the distinctive ruling houses of Saurashtra and the Rajputs of western India.

The Jethwa Dynasty Today

The Jethwa dynasty is remembered today through the celebrated ruins of Ghumli with the Navlakha temple, the heritage of the Barda hills, and the coastal town of Porbandar associated with the later history of the house. The ruins of Ghumli and the Navlakha temple stand as notable heritage and archaeological sites of Saurashtra, drawing students of history and heritage to the region of the Barda hills. The town of Porbandar, the later seat of the dynasty, preserves the memory of the Jethwa house and is widely known in modern times for its place in Indian history. The temple heritage, crafts and traditions of Saurashtra continue to enrich the life of the region. Scholars and communities continue to study and celebrate the history and heritage of the Jethwa dynasty. For readers of Indian history, the Jethwa dynasty offers a striking example of an old Rajput house of the Saurashtra coast, whose legacy endures in the ruins of Ghumli and the heritage of the region.

Sources & Further Reading

• Archaeological Survey of India (asi.nic.in).
• Ministry of Culture, Government of India (indiaculture.gov.in).
• Department of Tourism, Government of Gujarat.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Jethwa dynasty?

The Jethwa dynasty, also rendered Jethva, was an old Rajput ruling house of the Saurashtra coast in present-day Gujarat, long associated with the Barda hills and the western shore of the peninsula. Its rulers held the title of Rana, and its history is bound up with the ruins of Ghumli and later with Porbandar.

Where did the Jethwas first rule from?

The early seat of the Jethwa dynasty was at Ghumli, in the region of the Barda hills in Saurashtra, a celebrated historic site famous for its ruins and the Navlakha temple. In later history the rulers were associated with the coastal town of Porbandar.

What is the Navlakha temple at Ghumli?

The Navlakha temple at Ghumli is a large and celebrated medieval temple of the Barda hills region, renowned for its scale and carving and bound up with the heritage of Ghumli and the Jethwa dynasty. It is one of the principal heritage sites of the area.

What title did the Jethwa rulers hold?

The rulers of the Jethwa dynasty held the title of Rana, a princely title denoting the sovereign of the state and the chief of the Jethwa clan. They continued to hold the title under British paramountcy in the later period.

What is the connection between the Jethwas and Porbandar?

In its later history the Jethwa dynasty is associated above all with the coastal town of Porbandar, which became the principal seat of the house and the capital of its state in the modern period. Porbandar is also widely known as the birthplace of a great figure of modern India.

When did the Jethwa state join India?

The Jethwa state acceded to the Indian union after independence in 1947, with the end of British paramountcy. In the later reorganisation of the country, the region came to form part of the state of Gujarat.