Rao Rayadhan III was the
Rao of Cutch belonging to
Jadeja Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
dynasty, who ascended the throne of
Princely State of Cutch in 1778
and ruled until 1786 when he was deposed. He again ruled as titular head under council of
Bar Bhayat ni Jamat from 1801 to 1813.
Reign
First reign (1778–1786)
Rayadhan III succeeded his father
Godji II, in 1778, at the early age of fifteen when the state was under disturbance and the revenues were exhausted due to battles. Under his mother's influence, he appointed Devchand, a
Lohana
Lohana, also referred to as Loharana, Thakkar and Lohrana, are an Indian trading or mercantile '' jāti''. Lohanas claim to be descendants of the Lava, son of Rama, and to descend from the Raghuvanshi dynasty.Lachaier, Pierre. "Cérémonies D'ho ...
by caste, as his minister who had managed the state under former reign. One day Devchand was arrested by the commander of the Rao's body-guard under suspicion, and, shortly after, his three brothers, who held Anjar, Mundra, and Rapar, were seized and brought to Bhuj, where the whole family, including Devchand were put to death. His mother died soon and the state fall into disturbance again. Rao appointed Sidi Merich, the governor of Bhuj, as his minister. Vagha Parekh, a Vania by caste, attacked the Jadeja chief of Patri and slaying him took his fort. This severity gave great offence, and Sidi Merich seeing that Vagha Parekh's conduct Rao Rayadhan III himself unpopular tried to assassinate him. The attempt failed and Vagha winning over the nobles and the ladies of the palace procured the banishment of the whole body of Sidi mercenaries. But Vagha's success was short-lived. One of the Sidis, Masud by name, who, as a personal favourite of the Rao's was allowed to remain, before long succeeded in bringing about his imprisonment and death.
About this time (1783) the Raja of
Jodhpur
Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the ...
, at the head of an army, passed through Kutch on his way to Sindh to restore Abdul Nabbi Khan, who had been driven from his kingdom by the
Talpuras. The Raja tried to persuade the Rao to help him. But affairs at Bhuj were in too great disorder to allow of ready aid, and, before anything could be done, the Jodhpur army, after a contest with Mir Fateh Ali at Chobari, were forced to retire in disorder. Rayadhan was disliked due to his conducts and his minister Vagha Parekh, suddenly brought a body of troops from Anjar into th