Kathiyawadi Horse Association

Role of Kathiyawadi Horses In India

HISTORICAL REFERENCES TO THE HORSE IN INDIA
A research of the history of the horse in India, with a focus on the Kathiawari breed
Priyvrat Gadhvi- August, 2017

The Horse has played a hugely significant role in the rich history of India, and indeed much of the world. It finds significant mention in the Vedas, the writings of the Ramayan, Mahabharata and various Puranas (the ‘Uchchasrava’ related to the first horse believed to have risen from the sea). Infact the horse is accorded greater importance in these than the cow, perhaps! Even if we confine ourselves to various writings of the past millennium, there is a wealth of reference and admiration to be found for indigenous breeds of India, in particular the Kathiawari.

Over the past 700 years or so Persian biographers or historians of the Mughals and earlier rulers have left excellent records. It is true the horse has been written about in previous Indian literature, cultural, historical and religious, in Sanskrit and other native languages, a lot of which has either been lost to the vagaries of history or is buried in the obscure

Before beginning with specific references from historical works, a note is due on perhaps the most famous horse of Indian history- Maharana Pratap’s chetak.

According to popularly held folk-view and backed by historical logic, Chetak was a Kathiawari stallion, presented as a young foal to Rana Pratap along with his older sibling Natak by Danti charan traders. Chetak was believed to be bred at the Kathi darbar’s place in Bhimora village, in Chotila taluka of Surendranagar district. The Danti Charan traders were originally from village Khod near Chotila and subsequently were given grants of villages Gadhwada and Bhanol in Mewar. Till very recently, their descendants in these villages must have been well aware of this history. There is a story, perhaps apocryphal, of Rana Pratap selecting Chetak based on the spirit displayed by Natak when he was tested for swiftness of response

Chetak was either presented to Kunwar Pratap, or he wasn’t a full grown stallion at the time of his demise after the battle of Haldighati (1576). Rana pratap assumed the throne in February, 1572 and the battle was fought on 18 June, 1576. If Chetak was brought as a young foal to Pratap after he became king in 1572, he would have been but 4 to 4.5 years old at the time of the battle- a young stallion. Chetak was most probably a Grullo coloured stallion (the blue tinge, “ho neela ghora ra aswar” reference)- a primitive colour found in Kathiawaris, or was a Grey (‘rojo’ in vernacular)

Incidental information on the above- Many heroes of the Battle of Haldighati were originally Kathi rajputs- such as Jhala Man singh of Badi Sadri, Dodiya Bhim Singh of Lava (originally from Shardulgarh near Girnar). Influx of the Kathiawari into Mewar was historically older, and apart from Charan traders regularly trading horses (a sub-class of Charans are known as ‘sauda’ barhats, such as those from Soniyana village in Mewar), a big example of the coming of Kathiawari horses into Mewar and beyond is the episode of the help provided by the Charan devi Aai Varvadi to Rana Hammir singh of the Sisodiya clan when he reclaimed Chittor from Maldev of Jalore (under whom it was placed by Alauddin Khilji after sack of Chittor), by sending an army of 500 Kathiawari cavalry under her son Baruji to assist Hammir Singh in retaking Chittor. This was in early 14th century

It is to be noted that usage of language and names for regions was much different 500 years ago than it is today- hence the Kathiawari horse did not go by the name ‘Kathiawari’ until about 200 years ago, it rather goes by the name of Cachhi or Kachi (from Kutch) horse. The Jam rulers came into Kathiawar from Kutch in the 13th and 14th centuries. Same with the Marwari, usage of the name ‘Marwari’ to refer to the horse breed only emerged in the last 120-150 years at the maximum. This also stands true for the Arab horse- - the best came from Iraq, again divided into two (Iraq-i-Arab and Iraq-i-Ajam)- subsections existed within what we can club today as the Arabian horse.

HISTORICAL REFERENCES:

1-Ain-i-Akbari: One of the most detailed historical write-up to come across is Abu Fazl’s (court historian of Emperor Akbar) Akbarnama, within which specifically the Ain-i-Akbari (this is the Volume III of the Akbarnama and details the administrative systems of governance etc), published around the year 1599-1600. It details not only horses, but also specific allowances of food for particular horse breeds as well as detailed information on caretaking of the horses- such detail on the subject is not encountered elsewhere in works of this kind Here are extracts from the Ain-i-Akbari on the Horse.

-“Merchants bring to court good horses from 'Iráq i 'Arab and 'Iráq i 'Ajam, from Turkey, Turkestan, Badakhshán, Shirwán, Qirghiz, Thibet, Kashmír, and other countries. Droves after droves arrive from Túrán and I´rán, and there are now-a-days twelve thousand in the stables of His Majesty. And in like manner, as they are continually coming in, so there are others daily going out as presents, or for other purposes.” (There is no doubt that horses were brought into Hindustan in the thousands, hundreds of thousands from many places over centuries and so possibility of admixture cannot be denied-)

“Skilful, experienced men have paid much attention to the breeding of this sensible animal, many of whose habits resemble those of man; and after a short time Hindustan ranked higher in this respect than Arabia, whilst many Indian horses cannot be distinguished from Arabs or from 'Iráqí breed” (important statement- Hindustan ranked higher in this respect than Arabia, especially because of the Kathiawari, as next statement suggests)

The Ain-i-Akbari singles out the Kathiawari horse for fulsome praise

“There are fine horses bred in every part of the country; but those of Cachh excel, being equal to Arabs. It is said that a long time ago an Arab ship was wrecked and driven to the shore of Cachh; and that it had seven choice horses, from which, according to the general belief, the breed of that country originated” (The story of the ship-wreck may be apocryphal, but here Abu fazl singles out the Kathiawari for praise amongst all horse breeds of India- also important is to note that horses were bred in many parts of the country)

He continues.

“In the Panjáb, horses are bred resembling 'Iráqís, especially between the Indus and the Bahat (Jhelum): they go by the name of Sanújí” (in discussing indigenous breeds of India, this is an interesting reference- some other manuscripts have ‘satuji’)

“so also in the district of Patí Haibatpúr, Bajwárah, Tahárah, in the Súbah of A´grah, Mewát, and in the Súbah of Ajmír, where the horses have the name of pachwariyah” (this reference is the only one to be found in this work pertaining to horse-breeding being practiced in what is present-day Rajasthan)

The Ain continued.

“In the northern mountainous district of Hindustan, a kind of small but strong horses is bred, which are called gúṭ; and in the confines of Bengal, near Kúch Bahár (in Bengal), another kind of horses occurs, which rank between the gúṭ and Turkish horses, and are called táng'han: they are strong and powerful.” (This is possible reference to the present-day Bhutia or Zanskari)’

In another chapter, he talks of the Saurastra peninsula- divided into 9 ‘districts’ according to their rulers. After discussing the 9th district (ruled by the Charans/Gadhvis), he talks of Kutch….”On the west is a large separate territory called Kachchh (Cutch) 250 kos in length by 100 kos in breadth. Sind lies to the west of Cutch. The physical aspect of the country is barren and sandy. There is an excellent breed of horses believed to be of Arabian race, and there are good camels and goats. The chief of this country is of the Yadu race and his tribe is now known as Járéjas.(Jadeja) (Here again the virtues of the Kathiawari are extolled, although their relation to the Arabian is probably erroneous as in the above statement in my opinion- see under Biological aspects below)

There is also a good reference to the Balochi horse while talking about the areas that formed present-day Balochistan

Reference to a sub-breed: While talking of Girnar area and the area of Junagadh, he writes ”This tract is called Gir. Near the village of Túnkágósha, the river Bhádar falls into ocean. Its fish are so delicate that they melt when exposed to the sun. Good camels are here obtainable and a breed of horses somewhat larger than the Gúṭ (Gúnṭh). (This is a reference to a sub-breed, discussed separately from the Kathiawari)

Reference from Akbarnama to Kathiawaris being sent as peshkash, keeping in mind rulers would always send the best gifts, also vice-versa, to the emperor “A petition from the Prince-Royal was laid before H.M. The gist of it was that he had met the noble lady (Selīma Begam) two stages off and paid his respects to her. He also expressed in the petition a wish for the horses which the Persian ambassador had brought as peshkash. Kharram the Khān Ā'zam produced twenty Kachī horses (from Cutch) which had been sent from Jūnagarh as peshkash).

2) Now, relevant extracts from the Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri, written by Emperor Jahangir himself

While on a visit to Gujarat, Jahangir is presented a Kathiawari horse by a local ruler, and has this to say “..He presented a Kachhī horse. It was a very handsome animal, and pleasant to ride. Till I came to Gujarat no one had presented me with so fine a horse. Its value was 1,000 rupees.” (It was rare for Mughals to singularly praise native Indian things above the rest...)

While talking of meeting the Jam sahib, he has this to say “On Thursday, the 18th, I marched 2 1/2 kos and halted on the bank of the Mahī. On this day the Jām zamindar had the good fortune to kiss the ground. He presented 50 horses, 100 muhrs, and 100 rupees. His name is Jassā, and Jām is his title. Whoever succeeds is called Jām. He is one of the chief zamindars of Gujarat, and, indeed, he is one of the noted rajas of India. His country is close to the sea. He always maintains 5,000 or 6,000 horse, and in time of war can supply as many as 10,000 or 12,000. There are many horses in his country; Kachhī horses fetch as much as 2,000 or 3000 rupees. I gave him a dress of honour.

3) Mirat-i-Ahmadi of Mohammed Ali Khan (Diwan of Gujarat), written in 1762 presents history of Gujarat over the preceding centuries

On the Kathiawari horse, the author has this to say: “The Kach horses possess activity; and are so well proportioned in their make as to bear a comparison with those of Arabia and Irák.” (It is important here to note the emphasis placed on proportion, not size or height. The Kathiawari is praised for being well proportioned)

4) In J.Brigg’s translation of the Tarikh-i-Ferishta, the works of 16th-century historian Mohammed hindu shah Ferishta, there is a reference to the Kathiawari thus: “The country of the Jam Raja is situated near to Guzerat. When the King of Guzerat is powerful, the Jam Raja pays tribute, otherwise he refuses to do so. His country is ill supplied with water, and his subjects are not only in want of clothing, but frequently suffer from the absence of food. They subsist, for the most part, on the milk of camels and buffaloes. Fine horses are procured in abundance in that country, and the Arabians which are brought to India are imported through Kutch, and pay a considerable revenue to the government.” The translator, J Briggs, adds interestingly a footnote: “The finest horses produced in India are bred in Kattywar (Kathiawar), and it is to the circumstance of crossing them with Arabian blood to which alone we can refer the great superiority of these animals over the other horses of the country” (No doubt some admixing and crossing did occur with Gujarat being the transit point for horses coming in and going out of the country, but the translator is probably mistaken in his overall observation)

An interesting observation in the Tarikh-i-ferishta is this : “The Raja of Jeselmere is also a great prince: his country lies between Guzerat and Sind. This tract abounds in fearful deserts and forests, and is very deficient in water. Its resources are chiefly derived from breeding horses and camels; for, like the countries of Kutch and Sind, it suffers for want of water, and the cultivation, therefore, is very limited.” (One of the very few references to horse–breeding in any part of what is today Rajasthan- note that Jaisalmer bordered Kutch and Sindh)

In the same book, there is a reference to a famous breed of horses in what is present day Punjab (Pakistan side): “Gheias-ood-Deen Bulbun (Ghiasuddin Balban), after these transactions, marched his army towards the mountains of Jood (Jud), where he employed them for the space of two years in taking forts, and reducing the inhabitants to obedience. This country was famous for its breed of horses, many thousands of which were brought back to Dehly” (Note that the time of Balban was late 13th century, western Punjab was famous for its breed of horses- I would include these in the breeds that are lost to knowledge now)

5) The Tabakat-i-Nasiri, written in 1260 by Siraj juzjani is one of the oldest books written that recorded Islamic rulers who came and ruled India at the beginning of the millennium has this to say on the conquest of Kannauj and adjoining area by a general (Ulugh Khan) during the reign of the son of sultan Altamsh: “There was in this neighbourhood a Rána who (orá) was called Dalakí wa Malakí. He had many dependants, countless fighting men, great dominions and wealth, fortified places, and hills and defiles extremely difficult of access. All these he (Ulugh Khán) ravaged. He took prisoners the wives, sons, and dependants of that accursed one, and secured great booty. He secured 1500 horses of a peculiar breed, which he brought in for the use of the army.” (Dalaki , Malaki are probably Dalkeshwar and Malkeshwar, who ruled in Rewa in present-day M.P- thus here we encounter description of a breed of horses bred in central India- central and North-central India, Kanauj, Ujjain and other places in general would have been some of the earliest in breeding horses, for here is where history of ancient India centred- do we have any idea of central Indian horse breeds?)

6) Ruk’at-i-Alamgiri- This is a collection of letters Aurangzeb wrote to his sons. In one of these letters, addressed to his 3rd son Md. Azam shah Bahadur, he thanks him for presenting what seems to me to be a Kathiawari horse, thus: “Exalted son, I am much pleased with riding the ambling horse which you sent to me this time. The horse reminds me of the sympathy felt for the old father by the fortunate son. Owing to great joy I have named him ‘Khūsh-Kharám’ (walking smartly). As you are perfectly skilled in finding out an appropriate name for everything, (I hope) you will give an appropriate name to each of my favourite horses and then write to me about it. A list of these horses along with the details of their colour and breed will be (shortly) supplied to you by the head groom.” (I could not find this list, which undoubtedly must have had very interesting information about breeds and colours) (Important in this letter is a footnote written by J. Bilimora, the translator, who opines that this letter was probably written to Azam shah when he was governor of Gujarat (1703 – 1705), hence, together with the special mention of the ambling gait, it points strongly to the possibility of this being a Kathiawari horse

Writings from the British era:

A number of references were found on the Kathiawari and Marwari horses in reports, articles and books written by officers and others of the British government. I reproduce the same below:

The British Government set-up a commission on horse-breeding commission in 1900-1901 at Ambala, as mentioned in Sir Walter Gilbey’s book ‘Horse breeding in England and India’, 1906. An extract from the same: “ In certain states of India there exist breeds of horses which are pure, which the natives strive to maintain pure, and, are in the judgement of the commissioners, well worth preserving in their purity. They say “The Kathiawari, Marwari, Baluchi and Unmol breeds are pure, and may be used as safely and hopefully as Arabs”. “The people of Kathiawar, Marwar, Baluchistan and northern Punjab should be encouraged to breed horses, and the Indian government should purchase the best stallions of these breeds for stud purposes. (This is interesting for two points- one it places the ‘Anmol’ breed as a pure breed native to Punjab, and further in the write-up, it is mentioned that mixing thoroughbred blood in these breeds would have negative results)
The same commission visited Rajputana and Kathiawar to study the Marwari and Kathiawari horses. The following is an extract from their report: “ The commission, previous to visiting the Kathiawar and Rajputana states, had little expectation of seeing any animals worthy of note. They were, however, agreeably surprised to find the opposite the case, and they state that among the Kathiawari and Marwari breeds the general conformation and shape of head are strongly suggestive of the Arab. This shows that in their opinion the excellence of a breed is in proportion to its approach to the Arab, which further appears by their statement that in the young stock of the Rajput stud were several individuals of very high merit got by the direct cross of Arab on Kathiawari mares. The report also states that Jim’s coat (thoroughbred) and Hector (Arab stallion) seem to have done excellent work in breeding with the native mares. There are also two very good stallions by Arab sires out of Kathiawari mares, and so good were they it raises the question whether in this combination there may not be a possible regeneration of the Kathiawari breed (These lines have significant importance. It is shown here that horses called ‘Marwari’ were achieved by crossing Arabs with Kathiawaris. It also shows that already by 1900, there was a decline in the Kathiawari breed, and a desire to regenerate it. As we move from medieval history to British-era history, it seems that the gold standard of indigenous breeds shifts from pure Kathiawaris to Arab, perhaps this was due to the socio-economic and socio-political conditions of the time)
Proceedings of the 3rd meeting of the Animal husbandry wing, 1939 has some interesting information:
With regard to the breed, now almost unknown, called ‘Anmol’(priceless), this information is found. Horse-lovers from Punjab will certainly be interested.

“Unmol: The various families of this breed are known as Harna, Morna, Hazziz and Sheehan, all of which are referred to as ' Unmol ' meaning priceless ' the name being attributed to the great value and preference put upon this breed. These animals were bred in the districts of Shahpur, Jhang, Rawal- pindi, Jhelum and Pindi Gheb. The type is described as being very strong, elegant and shapely and possessing a long mane and a compact body. The popular colours are Bay and Grey. The height is given as 15 hands and 1 inch and the body weight between 800 to 900 Ib. The tradition is that the ancestors of this breed were brought by Alexander the Great when he invaded India. Inspite of all the efforts made some years ago by the Army Remount Department to resuscitate this breed, it is now practically extinct and although various Maliks of the Punjab States maintain some ' Unmols ' possibly none of them are pure and contain to varying degrees the blood of imported Thorough-breds and Arabs.”

(In this same write-up it is said that Baluchi, Unmol, Spiti, Marwari and Kathiawari horses were found in Punbaj, Marwari and Kathiawari in Rajputana) (More information must be researched about the Morna breed)
There is a “Report on the political administration of the Rajputana states”, 1903 which has the following information:
“The Arab stallion “Quit” was sent to Babugarh on the 20th September 1903, The number of mares covered by him was 14. Nothing has yet been done towards replacing the Arab stallion by a Marwari, Kathiawari, or Australian stallion” (It shows how common admixing was at the turn of the last century. The same report also mentions ‘Mewari’ horses being offered at Pushkar fair, that are high priced. I haven’t encountered ‘Mewari horses’ elsewhere)
The book “The western Rajputana states” by Archibald Adams, published in 1899 mentions this on the Marwari horse: “Horses are extensively bred in Marwar, and the breed is celebrated for hardiness, beauty, and ease of pace. Marwari horses grow to a good height, and although they are light boned, they will carry heavy weights. Like the camel of the desert, they can cover long distances without food or water. The Rathore is so attached to the equine species that he will often stint himself to feed his horse, which is housed under the same roof, and which, like the Arab's steed, is considered a member of the family from his birth. A smaller horse than the Marwari is bred in Jaisalmir; this animal is also hand- some and hardy, but horses are not in such general use in that State, where camels are found more serviceable. In Sirohi the Marwari horse is in high favour and general use (Interesting to note the observation that Jaisalmer area had a smaller breed of horses than the Marwari, not sure how accurate this statement is. There is a picture of a Marwari horse in this book- given that it is from 1899, it must be one of the earliest photographs of the Marwari horse)
A 1920 speech by Lord Chelmsford, Viceroy of India at a state banquet at Jodhpur, mentions the Marwari horse thus: “In the Marwari horse you possess a breed which equals, if it does not surpass, any of the indigenous breeds in India ; while I need only mention the famous Nagore and Mallani breeds of cattle to show how rich are your pastoral resources. I understand that an attempt is now being made to improve the breed of horses in the State and to develop the pure Marwari type.
(It is interesting to note that HH Umaid Singhji of Jodhpur was already attempting to ‘purify’ the Marwari breed by the 1920s)
- The famous naturalist Richard Lydekkar in his 1912 book “The horse and its relatives” has the following lines on the Kathiawari while writing on the Tarpan, a type of wild horse“The tarpan has also had a share in the production of the Turkoman horses of Turkestan, which undoubtedly have been produced by crossing Mongolian ponies with Arabs. In fact, the Turkoman horse passes insensibly through the Persian into the Arab. A very similar pedigree may be assigned to the well-known dun-coloured ponies of the Kathiawar district of North-western India, which frequently show transverse dark barrings on the legs, accompanied in some cases by traces of shoulder-stripes, and always by a narrow dark spinal stripe. The limbs are long and slender, and the ears large, with a decided tendency to turn inwards at the tips. In the opinion of Professor Ridgeway, ^ " There can be no doubt that the Kathiawar horse is a cross between the dun-coloured horse of Upper Asia and the Arab ; " there being historical evidence to show that so early as the commencement of the Christian era large numbers of the dun horses of Northern Asia and Europe had been imported into the districts on the east side of the lower part of the Indus valley. The striping in the Kathiawar ponies, which is most marked in the best examples of the breed, appears to be a reversion to the ancestral type, as the result of crossing.
  (I would agree on the hypothesis that the Kathiawari emerged out of wild horses of the type of the Tarpan, however the said professor seems to be mistaken on his point of the Arab crossing)
- There is a novel published in 1879 by Robert Armitage Sterndale called “The Afghan Knife” In one part, where a character is looking for a horse to buy in Mirzapur, there is the following: “….There is a fine batch of Cabulis here just now, and a dun Kathiawar horse that can go like the wind and never tires. His price is long ; but the Darogah is my very good friend and customer, so you shall have him at the lowest possible figure without any profit to myself…. “…a fine-looking horse, full of bone and sinew, with a large lean head, bright full eyes, largish nervous ears, rather hollow in the back, but with power- fiil quarters; in colour, a yellowish dun with a dark stripe running down the back- bone…”
  (In other paragraphs, the Kathiawari is extolled in this story- although this is fiction, it is shown to indicate the prestige that Kathiawari horses were held in)
- In the picture-book “India as seen in 1887 by Robert Wallace, there is a photograph of a Kathiawari horse- being from 1887, this would be one of the earliest pictures of the Kathiawari- although the specimen is weak, getting recovered from an ailment, the picture shows the proportion and conformation of a Kathiawari)
- In the 1904 book “ Beast and man in India”, John Lockwood Kipling states the below on the Kathiawari and Marwari “The Kathiawar horse is interesting on account of his markings, which include the asinine stripe along the back, and occasionally zebra-like stripes on the legs. Marwari horses are prized especially by native chiefs for their size and form” (There is a sketch of a Marwari charger in this book)
- In the 1902 book “Forests of upper India and their inhabitants”, Thomas Webber mentions riding a Kathiawari on open plains of Jalaun district (UP) while out hunting, thus: “Having sighted some bucks with fine horns through the glasses, we stroll carelessly across the land, a syce leading the Kathiawar horse, which is a fast, smart mount for such occasions. He is a beauty, with black tail and mane, about 15 hands, of a light dun colour with stripe down back, and very sure-footed in a gallop across the cracked cotton soil.
- An Important and much-cited work, “The Cyclopedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, Volume III, published in 1885 by Edward Balfour (Surgeon-General) as well as Encyclopedia Asiatica in 1884 by the same author, has much valuable information to offer: “The prevailing belief amongst the Europeans in India, is that the native breeds of horses have decreased under British rule. Up to the beginning of the 19th century, there were several horse fairs in Rajputana, especially those of Bhalotra and Poshkur, to which the horses of Cutch and Kattyawar, the Lakhi jungle, and Multan, were brought in great numbers. Valuable horses were then bred on the western frontier, on the Looni, those of Rardurro being in high estimation. But after the successes of the British over the Mahrattas and the Pindara, the breeding studs of Rardurro, Cutch, and the jungle became almost extinct, and the horses from the west of the Indus were carried to the Sikhs.”
  (Here several observations are made. According to this and other British literature I consulted, the fairs of Pushkar, Balotra and Tilwara are atleast around 200 years old- a great tradition. It is also observed that Kathiawari horses were brought to these fairs in great numbers, and contributed to the onward breeding of the Marwari. Jungles of Lakhi are in Punjab, close to Mukhtsar. It is to be noted that credit is due to the Thikana or Luni and Rardurro (in Marwar) for the refinement of the Marwari breed) In the same book.
  
  “Palanpur has a really good breed, the mares of which are justly and highly esteemed, and command considerable prices even among natives. In Rajputana, few of the princes have generally good horses in their territories. The Marwar horse contains apparently much Kattyawar blood, and, bred with great care in many places through-out the country by the thakurs and others, is a valuable animal in every respect.”
  
  (Again reinforces the statement that the Marwari has Kathiawari blood, also important to note here that Palanpur area (Banaskantha) offered good mares- it is an intermediary area between Gujarat and Rajputana, and may have developed breeding stocks due to this)
  
  In the same book: “The breed of horses in Jeypore is exceedingly poor, as little care has been taken to improve the country animal in any way. Some few of the thakurs possess and breed good animals. The horses of Shikawutti (Shekhawati) are said to be good. Bunni Singh, raja of Ulwar, founded a fine breeding stud, consisting of well-selected Arabs and Kattyawar horses, and in Ulwar the troopers were better mounted than native cavalry generally, and a better stamp of horses was met with than in any other Kajput state. The finest of his cavalry were, however, almost annihilated on meeting with the rebels in superior numbers in 1857.”
  
  (An example of how horses of even areas within the same vicinity, such as Jaipur, shekhawati,Alwar are not clubbed together as one breed. Further example of Kathiawari contributing to the development of the Marwari horse)
  
  In the same book, on the Kathiawari: “The Kathi or Kattyawar horse is a large and powerful blood animal. They have fine lean heads, and make admirable cavalry chargers, commonly of a Dun colour, with black points and black manes and tails. All have the shoulder stripe. It has been said, but not seemingly with correctness, that few of the Kattyawar horses of the present day are of real Kattyawar breed, being much crossed with Arabs or half breed sorts. The pure bred Kathi are fine powerful horses, with one great deficiency in shape, a want of bone below the knee, and a fiery screaming temperament. This breed is specially preferred by native chiefs, who give very large sums for handsome Kattyawars”
  
  (Make admirable cavalry chargers for sure, Chetak is a good example. It is also to be noted from the above that mixing concerns were present 150 years back also in the Kathiawaris. It would be interesting to observe in the Marwari, a breed originating from the Kathiawari, if the ‘deficiency’ of missing bone below knee is fixed)
- In the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), one of the oldest and most respected journals of natural science, in the October 1887 edition, in a discussion on wild horses, the Kathiawari is mentioned thus:
- A major document I found was the deposition of Major-General Sir jasper Nicolls to the Select Committee on the affairs of the East India company of the British Parliament (House of commons) in February, 1932. Several questions were asked to a host of officers having long experience in India. Noteworthy questions on the Horse in India and their answers given are reproduced below (this is close to 200 years ago)- Below are extracts from the same deposition, as asked to Colonel David Leighton, C.B.
- In the report of the Political Administration of the territories within the Central Indian Agency (M.P.) by H.D. Daly published in 1874, the following is said on the horses:
  “The Central India Horse Regiments relieve each other and are never moved out of Malwa : thus every facility for horse breeding is at hand with experienced officers, who know every Chief and Thakoor. One is at the head-quarters of the 1st Central India Horse at Goona, the other at the head-quarters, 2nd Central India Horse, at Augur. At Augur there are three stallions, two Arabs, and one stud-bred. Major Martin reports having lately obtained a pure bred Kattywar horse to replace a worn-out Arab ; he will be very popular in Malwa.
  
  The climate is favorable, and in times past, before the country was harried, the breed of horses was famous ; there are still fine mares to be seen, for the old taste is alive in the Rajpoots.”
  
  (The above shows that Central India, too, about 200 years ago was known to have good breeds of horses, & that the Kathiawari was coveted there too)
- In “The report upon the general condition, in the year 1842, of the province of Kattywar” by Captain LeGrand Jacob, acting political agent in Kattywar”, the following is written on the Kathiawari, including concerns on it’s decline:
  “The Kattywar breed of horses has long been celebrated in India. I find a letter from Government in the records, in which the superiority of the original Kattywar horse for cavalry purposes over every other breed in India, is stated as an established fact; and the opinions of Lieutenant- Colonel L. Stanhope and Officers of the 1 7th Dragoons are quoted, that this regiment (supplied chiefly from Kattywar) was in 1813 better mounted than any corps in His Majesty’s service. Since then, the breed seems to have deteriorated, partly from the changed habits of the Katty breeders, partly by the dreadful famine of 1812-13 which swept away thousands, and partly from the sale of horses, which are withdrawn from the country at an early age ; the Kattys, and indeed all the Chiefs of the peninsula, preferring mares for their personal use. Unless some active measures are taken by Government to prevent further deterioration, it is to be feared that the race will lose for ever its distinguishing character.”
- The Edinburgh review of July, 1873 by Sydney Smith laments the decline of horse-keeping in the British Indian cavalry thus:
  “…At the same time that these studs have so grievously failed in accomplishing the object for which they were instituted, they have had the collateral effect of stifling private enterprise. The once famous Bheema Thur- ree mare, and the Kattywar horse are almost extinct, and foreign supply is alone resorted to for filling up the ranks of the British cavalry…” (along with noting the decline of the Kathiawari towards end of the 1800s, we must pay attention to the ‘Bhimathadi’ breed mentioned here, which carried the Marathas to their conquests- a seemingly lost breed of Maharashtra)
- A similar comment is found in the Gazetter of the territories under the Government of India by Edward Thronton in 1854
  “Of domestic animals, the Kattywar horse was once celebrated, and considered superior, for military purposes, to any in India; but of late years the breed has much deteriorated.“
  
  - Other references from the National Archives of India, new Delhi (These files were found indexed but full access and study is pending)
  
  - Loan of Ahmadnagar Stud-Bred Kathiawari Stallions to the Kathiawar Agency for improving the breed of horses in Kathiawar. (Possibly shows that by the early 1900s, Kathiawar had lost much of its heritage in horses and they had to be brought-in from Maharastra to reinvigorate the breed in the region of its origin)
  
  - Another similar document is entitled “Operations of the agency for the improvement of the breed of horses in Kattyawar during 1872-73 (Potentially shows the government’s efforts at revitalizing the breed)
  
  - A file entitled “Breed of Horses in Kattywar”, 1871
  
  - A file entitled “ Horse breeding in Kattywar”, 1876
  
  - A file entitled “Report on breed of horses in Kattywar”, 1863
  
  - A file entitled “Letter regarding the breed of horses in Kattywar”, 1864
  
  - A file entitled “ Forwards letter from the late colonel G. Malet of the 3rd light cavalry regarding improvement of the breed of horses in Kattywar”, 1846
  
  - A file entitled “Agency for the improvement of breed of horses in Kattywar”, 1870
  
  (The above, although as yet not studied in detail, point to the British government’s focus on the Kathiawari horse, and efforts at reviving the breed which possibly suffered due to their own depradations)
- On a related note, in the search at the records of the National archives of India, several file titles were found on Horse-breeding in the Central provinces, Baluchistan, Punjab, Ajmer, Mewar, Oude (Awadh), North-west frontier provinces, Bombay Presidency, Rajputana etc, but not a single file titled on the ‘Marwari horse’ (having the Marwari horse in the searchable title)

Conclusions:

It is an incontrovertible fact that the Kathiawari was the flag-ship horse-breed of India and the pride of our nation through the past centuries, referred to a large and strong animal. It is a progenitor to many other indigenous breeds of India. The Marwari horse was developed using the Kathiawari horse as a base template and including potentially the Arab, Persian, Turkestan, Sindhi/Baluchi and/or other similar breeds, including other native breeds. The Marwari horse is a great refinement thus but still is a close relative of the Kathiawari horse. While allusions to the Kathiawari horse have been made through historic works in the last 800 years, I could not find a reference to the Marwari breed, older than 150 years. The detailed work of Abu Fazl in the Ain-i-Akbari, which noted deep details of horse-keeping in India, skips the Marwari in totality. In my opinion, the Marwari was hence developed in the past 180-200 years, based on the Kathiawari. It is not to say that the Marwari is not now an independent breed- DNA recombination and evolution allows a hybrid to gain a genetic identity of its own, which seems to have happened to the Marwari horse, a most-beautiful animal. I have not referenced Dingal literature on the same, although I expect the earliest Dingal works pertaining to the specific Marwari breed to be not more than 200 years old. The Kathiawari and Marwari are siblings, as are a lot of darbars of Kathiawar and Marwar. Combined efforts should be made to revive and sustain these two most beautiful breeds of India, and emphasis must be made on proportion, not size, of the animals, since it was for proportion and performance that these animals were celebrated in history

REFERENCES

- British-era archives at the National Archives of India, New Delhi (assortment of British-era government reports, writings and research articles)

- The Ain-i-Akbari of Abu Fazl (late 16th century)

- The Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri of Emperor Jahangir (17th century)

- The Mirat-i-Ahmadi of Mohammed Ali Khan (17th century)

- The Tarikh-i-firishta of Md. Hindu shah Firishta (early 17th century)

- The Tarikh-i-Nasiri of Siraj Juzjani (13th century)

- The Ruk’at-i-Alamgiri of Aurangzeb (early 18th century)

- Historical documents as preserved on archival sites on the internet

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Role of Kathiyawadi Horses In India