Kingdom of Jhalavad

Kingdom of Jhalavad was a kingdom present in the Kathiawar region of Gujarat. The kingdom came to be known as the Dhrangadhra State after it became a 13-gun salute (15-guns personal) princely state in the nineteenth century. The town of Dhrangadhra served as its capital. It was also known as Halvad-Dhrangadhra State. Halvad once had been the capital of this state. It was ruled by the Jhala clan of Rajputs.

The state was founded as Jhalawad/Zalawad in 1090 by Rajput ruler Harpadeva. He was succeeded by his son Sodhoji, who was appointed 'Mahamandaleshwara' (the great provincial Governor) by Jayasimha Siddharaja. Sodhoji succeeded by his son, Durjansalji , who was appointed as Grihadyaksha (guard of the queen Naikidevi and the two infant sons Mulraja and Bhim), Ran-su-ran (chief of nobles) and Mahamandaleshwara of the Chaulukya dynasty by Ajaypala Solanki, he fought the Battle of Kasahrada on behalf of young Mularaja and defeated the Ghurids led by Muhammad Ghuri.

Santaldev found a new capital Santalpur in 1304, named after him.

Ranmalsinhji I resigned from 1392-1408, he was imprisoned by the Rathores of Barmer in Kotra fort, released by his son Shatrusal dev who brought a large army with him in 1394, later he ploughed up entire kotra with large number of donkeys and burnt down entire Kotra Barmer. Ranmal Sinh I was succeeded by his son Shatrusaldev (also called Satarsalji and Sultanji) in 1408. Shatrushaldev shifted his capital to Mandal. As mentioned in Mirat-i-Sikandri and Tabakát-i-Akbari rebelled 3 times against the Sultan of Gujarat, Ahmed Shah I.

In 1486, Khalil Khan marched against Rana Vaghoji, as he was rebellious. A battle took place between them near Saidpur, 6 km north of Dhrangadhra where Jhalas gained a decisive victory and Khalil Khan was captured, later released. Mahmud Begada accordingly marched towards Kuva (now Kankavati), the capital of Jhalas then. Rana Vaghoji assembled his vassals in his fort and prepared for battle. During the battle Rana Vaghoji's flag fell and his Rani's misunderstood that he is no more. So Vaghoji's 8 queens along with 750 women committed Jal Jauhar by jumping into a well.

Rana Vaghoji on knowing that his all his wives committed Jauhar, full of grief decided to die in the battlefield with his men. On Rana Vaghoji's death, Mahmud Begada sacked and destroyed the fort of Kuva, the day is known as Kuva-no-ker (disaster of Kuva).

After the death of Vaghoji, his son Raidharji established Halvad as Jhalavad's new capital in 1488. Raidharji died in 1499, succeeded by his son Ajajji (or Ajay singh), who was betrayed and deposed by his step brother Ranoji (Ranigdev) with the help of Thakore of Muli. Ajajji along with his brother Sajoji sought asylum in Mewar, as he was married to Rana Raimal's daughter from his Chauhan wife and had his sister Ratan kunwar married to Rana Raimal. Ajajji was granted the title of Raj Rana and thikanas of Ajmer and Bari Sadri. He died fighting in the battlefield of Khanwa against Babur.

In 1523, Ranoji was killed by Malik Shajiv of Dasada, whose father, Malik Bakhan had been killed by Ranoji. Ranoji was succeeded by his son, Mansinhji I (also called Man Singh I). To avenge his father's death, Mansinhji killed Malik Shahjiv, the son of Malik Bakhan, and captured Dasada.