SAURASHTRA, an ancient name of the peninsula of Gujerat, which is supposed by Oeneral Cunningham to have been lost in A.D. 319, when the successors of the Salt kings were supplanted by the Vallabhas, and the capital efianged from Junagarli to Vallabia. In ancient times, however, the peninsula of Gujerat was only known as Saurashtra, and under this name it is mentioned in the Mahabliarata and in the Pursnas. It ia called Suraslitrene by Ptolemy and the author of the Periplus, and its people are most probably intended by Pliny under the cor rupt name of Suarataratte or Varetataa, properly Suratte.
Okaniandil is a sterile jungly tract in the extreme north-west of the Saurashtra peninsula, and contains about 13,000 inhabitants. These are the 1Vagher. Their only important places are the holy Hindu site of Dwaraka on the west coast, and Beyt, a small island a few iniles to the north, with shrines boasting of scarcely inferior holiness. Okamandil, as also Unireyli Kattyawar proper, and Korinar in South kattyawar, are under the direct rule of the Gaekwar. In 1803, 1858, and in October 1859, they repulsed British troops, but in 1860 they seemed entirely dispersed or surren dered. Kattyawar is rich in jungle fastnesses. On one occasion, the rapidity and severity of the vengeance, in the escalade of the stronghold of the Wagher pirates of Dwaraka by the British force under the Hon. Colonel Lincoln Stanhope, induced Singram, the chief of the 13adhail of Beyt, to sue for terms, and he agreed to surrender Beyt and to live at Aramra on a stipend furnished by his suzerain, the Gaekwar.
The 1Vagher of Dwaraka, who, with the 13adhail of Aramra, were so long the terror of these seas, are a spurious branch of the Jhareja family of Bhooj, one of whoin, called Abra, with the cognomen of Muchwal or the whiskered, from a tremendous pair of these adjuncts to the face, came from Cutch in the time of Rinna Sowa, in whose family he intermarried, and from whom he held in charge the tha'na or garrison of the castle of Goomti or Dwaraka. His son had offspring by a woman of impure caste, and they assinned the .name of Wagher, with the distinctive office of Manik or gem. The last four chieftains of this race were Mahap-Manik, Sadul-Manik, Sameah Manik, and Mulu-3Ianik, who, with all his kin and motley company of 1Vagher, Badhail, Arab, etc., after a desperate defence, was slain in the storm or attempted retreat. Throughout the sea-coast of Saurashtra, at Gogo and Mandavie, are seamen who call themselves Hindus, but who keep entirely distinct from all other classes. Some of them claim a descent from the mariners of the Arabian shores, but still as Hindus. The Badhail fixed themselves in the district of Oka (Oktunandala) on the migration of Seoji from Kauouj.—Ted's Travels, pp. 220, 440, 441 ; Rajasthan, b. p. 14.