Jath State,[1] also spelled Joth, was one of the non-salute princely states of British India, under the Bombay Presidency, and later the Deccan States Agency. It was one of the southern Maratha Jagirs. With the small state of Daphlapur, which is an integral part of it, it formed the Bijapur Agency, under the collector of Bijapur District.
Its Hindu ruling family were Maratha Chavans, descendants of Lakhmajirao Yeldojirao Chavan, the Patil of Daphlapur. These chavans are actually Hindu Kshatriya Chauhan from (Chauhamana) dynasty, Rajasthan.He entered the service of King Ali Adil Shah of Bijapur, and received a Desmukhi Watan of four Mahals in 1672. The Jagirs of Jath and Karajagi were conferred on his son in 1680. Emperor Aurangzeb confirmed these estates to the family in 1704. The male line failed four times during the state's history. Consequently, the state was either vested in widowed Ranis or ruled for them by regents for a total of seven decades.
Regarded as something of a model ruler, Vijaysinhrao, the last sovereign ruler received the hereditary title of Raja in 1936. He formed a very effective partnership with his younger brothers, introducing far reaching educational, health and administrative reforms. He was also a noted cricket player. The Raja took up politics and represented his people in both the provincial and national parliaments after Indian Independence in 1947.
Jath state (including Daphlapur) covered an area of 980 square miles (2,500 km2), and had a population of 68,665 in 1901, while the population of the town itself was 5,414 in that year. In 1911, the state enjoyed a revenue estimated at £24,000 and paid a tribute to the British Raj of £700. Its flag was an orange rectangle with a four-pointed star in the upper left hand corner.
Lt. Commander Shrimant Raja Vijaysinghrao Ramrao Babasaheb Dafle was the last ruler of Jath. Jath joined the Dominion of India on March 8, 1948 and is currently a part of the Sangli District in the state of Maharashtra.
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