Lakhpatji

Lakhpatji
Ceremonial Horseback Portrait of Prince Lakhpatji of Kutch with Four Attendants. Kutch or Nagaur, c.1750
Maharaja of Kutch
Reign	1741-1752 (regent), 1752-1760
Predecessor	Deshalji I
Successor	Godji II
Born	1717
Died	1760
Issue	Godji II
Dynasty	Jadeja Rajput
Father	Deshalji I

Rao Lakhpatji, also known as Lakhaji, was the Rao of Cutch belonging to Jadeja Rajput dynasty, who ruled Princely State of Cutch as a regent from 1741 to 1752. Later succeeded his father Deshalji I in 1752 and ruled until his death in 1760.

Lakhpatji was an only son of Deshalji I, Rao of Cutch State. He was freehanded and spent the money freely. He was denied the share of power and was advised to reduce his expenses. Lakhpatji left Bhuj, and threatening to take service with the king of Udaipur, forced his father to yield to some of his demands. Though to appearance satisfied, Lakhpatji secretly continued to scheme to bring the government into his hand. His first step was to get rid of the minister Devkarn, whom he hated as the cause of his exclusion from a share of power, and whose close intimacy with his mother he is said to have had strong reason for believing to have been criminal. Accordingly, in 1738, he raised a disturbance in front of the minister's house, who, coming out to restore order, was attacked and slain by a hired assassin. At first indignant at the loss of his favourite minister, the Rao was by degrees won by Lakhpatji's submission to grant him forgiveness, and in token of their friendship agreed to be present at an entertainment in Lakhpatji's house. The Rao brought with him most of his chief officers, and to show respect to his father, Lakhpatji had all his attendants in waiting. There was much delay in serving the feast, and the young chief, after many impatient messages, himself left the room to hurry on the banquet. As he left every opening from the room was closed, and the Rao and his officers were quietly secured. Placing his father in confinement, Lakhpatji began to rule, receiving the submission of the commandants of all the forts in the province except Mandvi. When Lakhpatji was settled in power, he allowed his father a suitable establishment and greater freedom. And his officers and personal friends were released and sent to distant parts of the country. In 1751, Rao Desalji I died at the age of seventy.

In 1741, when he placed his father in confinement and assumed the rule of Cutch, Lakhpatji was thirty-four years old. At the same time many of the Jadejas were displeased at Lakha's treatment of his father, and one of them, Sumraji, Thakor of Tera, Kutch, spoke with open scorn of his conduct. When firmly settled in the government, Lakhpatji determined to wipe out this affront. Collecting the Bhayat, he sent a force against Tera, and as the guns were served by men drawn from British territory, the fort suffered severely. After a few days, the chiefs taking thought that on an equally slight pretext the Rao might destroy all their forts, warned the gunners that, if they continued to damage the fort, they should pay for it with their lives. After this the firing caused little injury, and failing to breach the walls, after a three months' siege, the army withdrew.