3 Review(s)

About The Book: The Tarikh-i- Sorath, a history of the provinces of Sorath and Halar in Kathiawad, was compiled by Ranchodji Amarji, Divan or prime minister of Junagadh, about 1825, and gives a pretty circumstantial account of the factions and broils that disturbed these provinces during the lifetime of the .author and his father. As a genuine native history, written by a man who took a leading part in most of the events he describes, and who was quite independent of English influence, it ought to possess some interest for all classes of readers. About The Author: Ranchhodji Diwan (1768-1841) was an author and the chief minister of Junagadh state. Ranchhodji was a son of Amarji Diwan, the chief minister of Junagadh state. Upon death of his father, he was appointed the chief minister. Although a Nagar Brahmin by caste, he had mastered the profession of arms. He had fought battles with states of Jamnagar and Cutch. In 1805, British agent Colonel Walker met Nawab of Junagadh state and it became British protectorate under East India Company in 1807. Thus Ranchhodji retired from battlefields and started writing poetry. He assisted the state in abolishing the practices of Sati and female infanticide. He was a follower of Shakti. Like some other natives of Junagadh, he had contracted a dislike of Pushtimarg, the Vallabh form of Vaishnavism, and he went so far as not to name any member of his family with a name which would have even a remote tinge of that cult. Ranchhodji knew Gujarati, Sanskrit and Persian languages. In Persian he has written the Tarikh-i-Sorath va Halar, a history of Sorath and also the Rukat-i-Gunagun (various letters). He has translated into Braj Bhasha, a work called the Sivarahasya, besides a number of other works.