Lakhpatji left Bhuj, and threatening to take service with the king of Udaipur, forced his father to yield to some of his demands.

His first step was to get rid of the minister Devkarn, whom he hated as the cause of his exclusion from a share of power, and whose close intimacy with his mother he is said to have had strong reason for believing to have been criminal.

Accordingly, in 1738, he raised a disturbance in front of the minister's house, who, coming out to restore order, was attacked and slain by a hired assassin.

Placing his father in confinement, Lakhpatji began to rule, receiving the submission of the commandants of all the forts in the province except Mandvi.

At the same time many of the Jadejas were displeased at Lakha's treatment of his father, and one of them, Sumraji, Thakor of Tera, Kutch, spoke with open scorn of his conduct.

Collecting the Bhayat, he sent a force against Tera, and as the guns were served by men drawn from British territory, the fort suffered severely.

[2] On the accession of the Rao, Devkarn's son Punja was appointed minister, and so long as he was able to find funds he remained in favour.

At the end of five years, by a course of unbounded extravagance, Lakhpatji had wasted his father's treasure, and, finding his income too small for his wants, he dismissed Punja and set a Vania, Rupshi Sha, in his place.

About this time, a certain Shah Madanji, a very rich merchant, died in Mundra, and to his funeral ceremonies some of the wealthiest men in Cutch came.

Acting on his Jamadar's advice, Godji, who was badly off for funds, shut the city gates and refused to let the merchants go till they paid large sums of money.

The province was at peace with its neighbours, and the only internal disturbance, due to some encroachments on the part of the Dhamarka chief, ended in the Rao's favour, and in the capture and destruction of the Thakor's town.