famous as the scene of the great battle of November t, 1803, ,Whirh
germinated in the utter defeat of the Marathas by the British under
the command of General (afterwards Lord) Lake. The battle is thus
described by Marshman :-
He [General Lake] had received an unfounded report that the
Maratha army was endeavouring to avoid him, and, with his usual
impetuosity, started at midnight in search of it, with his cavalry
alone, leaving orders 'for the infantry to follow. He came 'up with the
encampment of the enemy at daybreak on November 1, at the village
of Laswari, and found them, as usual, entrenched in a formidable
position, with their guns drawn up in the front. The general lend has
cavalry up in person to the attack; a fearful discharge of grape and
double-headed shot mowed down column after column, and rendered '
the fiery valour of the troops useless. To prevent their' utter extinc-
tion, the general was obliged to withdraw them from the conflict, and
await the arrival of the infantry, who had marched 65 miles in the
preceding forty-eight hours, and 25 miles since midnight. After a brief
rest and a hasty meal, they were launched on the enemy's guns and
battalions. The engagement was the severest in which the Company's
troops had ever been engaged, not excepting that of Assaye. Sindhia's
sepoys fought as natives had never fought before. They defended
their position to the last extremity, contesting every point inch by inch;' _
and refusing to give way while a single gun remained in their posses
sion. But they were at length overpowered, and lost their ammunition
and camp equipage, together with 71 pieces of cannon. It was even
reported that one-half their number was left on the field, killed or
wounded. On the British side, the casualties amounted to 824, cone;
fourth of which belonged to the 76th Regiment, which bore the brunt
of the action.'
[See also Appendix IV, pp. 302-9 of The Rdjputana Gazetteer,
vol. iii (Simla, 1880).]
Lathi State.-State in the Kathiawar Political Agency, Bombay,
lying between 21° 41' and z1° 45' N. and 71° 2 fand 71° 3z' E., with
an area of 42 square miles. The populatioi2~'. in 1go1 was 8,831,
residing in nine villages. The revenue in x903-4 was Rs. 1,37,500,
and 33 square miles were cultivated. The State ranks as a fourth-class
State in Kathiawar: The Lathi chiefs are descended from Sarangjt,
one of the sons of the Gohel Sejakji, the common ancestor of the
Bhaunagar, Palitana, and Lathi houses. One of the Thakurs of Lathi
wedded his daughter to Damaji Gaikwar and gave the estate--of
Chabharia, now called Damnagar, in dowry, being exempted from
tribute in return. He now offers a horse yearly. In 1807 the Gaikwar
became security for the Thakur's engagements to keep order in his
territory.
Lr,thi-Town.-Chief town of the State of the same name in Kathi-
awar, Bombay, situated in 2 1° 43' N. and 7 1° 2 8! E., on the, Bhavnag,*
|
![[Digital South Asia Library]](/graphics/thirdlevel.gif)
