Kathiawar
The name Kathiawad seems to have been derived from the early settlements of Kathikas or Kathis who entered Gujarat from Sindh in early centuries of the Common Era. This linguistic root anchors the region's identity in ancient migration patterns that shaped its cultural fabric. The name "Saurashtra" itself is from Sanskrit, the vrdhi form of a root word meaning "good nation." Such etymological roots reveal how local populations named their homeland long before modern borders existed. Historical records mention this region since the Mahabharata and Vedic period, showing deep antiquity. In the first century CE, it appears as Surastrene or Saraostus in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. The Junagadh Rock inscription dating 150 CE attributes governance to Rudradaman I during that era.
After India's independence in 1947, 217 princely states of Kathiawar were merged to form the state of Saurashtra on the 15th of February 1948. Initially, it was named United State of Kathiawar, which was renamed to Saurashtra State in November 1948. The exercise took up a lot of Shri Vallabhbhai Patel's time to convince the local princes and petty subas totaling 222 in Saurashtra alone. However, Maharaja Krishnakumar Sinhji of Bhavnagar State readily extended to offer his large and royal empire of Bhavnagar / Gohilwar to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Bhavnagar became the first in the country to be merged into the union of India. The capital of Saurashtra was Rajkot. Uchharangray Navalshankar Dhebar, who later went on to become President of the Indian National Congress between 1955 and 1959, became Saurashtra's first Chief Minister. He was succeeded by Rasiklal Umedchand Parikh on the 19th of December 1954. On the 1st of November 1956, Saurashtra was merged into Bombay state.
The peninsula is bound on the south and south-west by the Arabian Sea, on the north-west by the Gulf of Kutch and on the east by the Gulf of Khambhat. From the apex of these two gulfs, the Little Rann of Kutch and Khambhat, waste tracts half salt morass half sandy desert, stretch inland towards each other and complete the isolation of Kathiawar. Only one narrow neck connects it on the north-east with the mainland of Gujarat. It is crossed by two belts of hill country and is drained radially by nine rivers which have little natural flow aside from in monsoon months. Thus dams have been built on some of these rivers to manage water scarcity. The region has gone through several droughts especially during the 20th century. Water resources and its related dynamics have influenced the region and its agro-economy to a certain extent. Ashvin A. Shah conducted a survey in 1998 showing 700,000 dugwells existed in the region indicating extensive groundwater aquifers throughout the area.
Gir National Park and its surroundings host the last remaining Asiatic lion population. Other national parks in Kathiawar are Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar on the Gulf of Cambay, and Marine National Park, Gulf of Kutch, near Jamnagar. The natural vegetation on most of the peninsula is xeric scrub. A range of low hills known as the Gir Hills occupies the south-central portion of the peninsula. The highest of these is Girnar. The hills are home to an enclave of tropical dry broadleaf forest. These ecosystems support unique species adapted to arid conditions. The presence of such biodiversity makes conservation efforts critical for maintaining ecological balance. Local communities often interact with wildlife while managing agricultural lands adjacent to protected zones.
The first postage stamps of the state were issued for Princely State of Junagadh in 1864. They consisted of three lines of Hindi script in colourless letters on black, and were produced by hand-stamping with watercolor ink. A second issue in 1868 used coloured letters, printed in black or red on several colours of paper. The issue of 1877 was the first to include Latin letters; the circular design included the inscription "SORUTH POSTAGE" at the top, and "ONE ANNA OF A RUPEE" (or "FOUR ANNAS...") at the bottom. Some of these were surcharged in 1913, 14, followed by redesigned stamps in 1914. A set of eight stamps in 1929 included pictures of Junagadh, the Gir lion, and the Kathi horse in addition to the nawab. In 1937 the one anna value was reissued reading "POSTAGE AND REVENUE." The Indian province of Saurashtra did not design any of its own stamps but before adopting the stamps of India, it issued a court fee stamp overprinted for postal use.
Amri Saurashtra went through severe droughts over the years to the extent that people could no longer grow crops, nor did they have drinking water available. There has been in recent times a campaign to take up rain water harvesting. Significantly, the Check dam campaign from the late 1990s brought almost a drastic change resulting in raising water tables in Saurashtra. However, in 2019, the region was hit with a severe drought, affecting 20 districts in Gujarat, and water had to be brought in by tanker from the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River. Ashvin A. Shah's survey showed there is one well for fewer than 20 people or one well every 300 metres. Despite these efforts, groundwater depletion remains a persistent challenge requiring continuous monitoring and community engagement to ensure sustainable water management practices across the peninsula.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
How did the name Kathiawar originate?
The name Kathiawad seems to have been derived from the early settlements of Kathikas or Kathis who entered Gujarat from Sindh in early centuries of the Common Era. This linguistic root anchors the region's identity in ancient migration patterns that shaped its cultural fabric.
When was the state of Saurashtra formed after India's independence?
After India's independence in 1947, 217 princely states of Kathiawar were merged to form the state of Saurashtra on the 15th of February 1948. Initially, it was named United State of Kathiawar, which was renamed to Saurashtra State in November 1948.
Where is the last remaining Asiatic lion population located within Kathiawar?
Gir National Park and its surroundings host the last remaining Asiatic lion population. Other national parks in Kathiawar are Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar on the Gulf of Cambay, and Marine National Park, Gulf of Kutch, near Jamnagar.
What geographical features bound the Kathiawar peninsula?
The peninsula is bound on the south and south-west by the Arabian Sea, on the north-west by the Gulf of Kutch and on the east by the Gulf of Khambhat. Only one narrow neck connects it on the north-east with the mainland of Gujarat.
Which year did the first postage stamps for Princely State of Junagadh appear?
The first postage stamps of the state were issued for Princely State of Junagadh in 1864. They consisted of three lines of Hindi script in colourless letters on black, and were produced by hand-stamping with watercolor ink.