Muli, Gujarat

Muli is a town as well as a subdivision (called taluka) that falls in Surendranagar district in the Saurashtra region of Indian Gujarat. While Muli town has a population of 9,191, while Muli subdivision (taluka) has 58 inhabited villages with a population of 118,902.[3] The name "Muli" may also refer to an erstwhile Muli Princely state of the same name.

Muli is famous for a battle over a wounded partridge. Stone Memorials at Muli commemorate the event when two communities fought over a partridge leading to the death of an estimated 140 persons.

The chain of events had started off on a mundane manner when a partridge, despite being injured, escaped a group of hunters. The Chabad tribal hunters found it in the custody of Rajmata Jombai, mother of Lakhdhirji, the chief of the Sodha Parmar Rajputs, who were camping at Muli. She had found the bird in her tent, behind the image of Mandavraiji, a symbol of the Sun God and the Parmar's presiding deity.

She refused to hand it over, arguing that the bird had sought sanctuary and she could not go against the Kshatriya custom of providing protection to living beings that sought it. She and her younger son Munjoji offered to compensate the hunters with cows and goats. But the Chabads wouldn't listen.

All hell broke loose and a battle began. The Sodha Parmar Rajputs had Brahmins, Rabaris (cowherds) on their side. Around 140 of them, Munjoji included, died, but not before felling more than 500 rivals in order to save the bird.

Stone memorials in Muli, built for each person who died in the battle, testify to the folly and the moral integrity of that day. The caste identity of those who died fighting on the Parmar side is depicted on each stone palli.

From that day on, Muli's Parmars vowed never to kill a partridge and accorded it a divine standing. Even during times when partridge hunting was rampant and was a favourite pastime among the royals, killing it was banned in Muli.

Muli is also known for bounteous king Sachoji Parmar who had given lion alive to charan by the favor of God mandavraiji. This incident is also penned by well-known writer Jhaverchand Meghani in 'Saurashtrani rasdhar'.

muli prince lakhdhirji given the shelter to some outer cast and saved their daughter from the sumra king of Sindh province who wanted possession of her.

Former Union Minister Jaisukh Lal Hathi was born in Muli.

• www.ssgd.org
• "Saurashra ni Rasdhar" by Zawerchand Meghani (in Gujarati)