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Where is Jamnagar ?
Jamnagar is in Gujarat state of India
You may also check out the "rough map" of Jamnagar
district, which shows some places of tourist interest:
History : The founder of the princely state of Jamnagar was the Great Jam Rawal, who descended on the northern coast of Kathiawar in 1535 A.D
Jam Rawals father Jam Lakhaji ruled in Terabanu in Kutch.
According to bardic chronicles, Jam Lakhaji had two cousins Tamachi Deda and
Hamirji Jadeja, they envied his reputation for valor. Their
envy was hightened by the fame of Jam Lakhaji at the siege of Pawagadh. So
largely did he contribute to its capture by Bahadurshah, the Emperor of Gujarat,
that he was bestowed 12 villages by him. As Jam Lakaji was going to take
possession of his new fef, he was treacherously killed by his cousins Tamachi
Deda and Hamirji Jadeja. Jam Lakhajis son Jam Rawal escaped and on growing up, took
vengance of his fathers murder in the same manner by killing Hamirji Jadeja.
Hamirjis two sons Khengarji and Sahibji fled to Delhi and after twelve months of waiting to meet the Great Moghul Emperor Humayun, they got the chance to join the crowd
goingalong with the Emperor for lion hunting.
During the lion hunt, they got the chance to kill the
lion just when it was going to attack the Emperor. As a reward, an army of 1,00,000 was sent
with them to regain back their kingdom.
When Jam Rawal heard of the two princes coming back to the Kutch with the imperial army, he started getting ready for the battle. On one night,
Goddess Ashapura came in his dream and told him that as he had broken the oath
taken on her name about not killing Hamirji, even though, he was the person
responsible for the death of his father. She should have punished him, but as
he had at all other times honored her. So he should no longer dwell in Kutch
but cross the sea and take Kathiawar as a
dwelling place.
Upon awakening he called his counselors and discussed the dream, they agreed
that he must leave Kutch and found for himself
a Kingdom across the Gulf. So Jam Rawal along with his soldiers and many
traders marched out. On the way he killed and conquered the territory of King Tamachi the other conspirator in the killing of his father, and he also conquered the
town of Dhrol and its dependencies and gave them
to his brother Hardholji, who was later killed in battle during that period,
and the State of Dhrol was given to his eldest son,
Jasoji.
Thus Jam Rawal made himself master of a great territory and the need for a
capital arose.
The story goes like this, that once on a hunting trip on the land of present
day Jamnagar, a
hare was found to be brave enough to turn on the hunting dogs and putting them
to flight. Deeply impressed by this, Jam Rawal thought that if this land can
breed such hares, if his capital was built on this land, the men born here
would be superior than other men.
He counsulted his astrologers and wise men, and the day chosen for laying the
foundation stone was the 7th day of the bright half of the month of srawan, VS
1956. (August 1540 AD) on the banks of two rivers Rangmati and Nagmati and
named it Nawanagar meaning new town.
Nawanagar eventually came to be known as Jamnagar meaning the town of the Jams.
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