After the Muslim conquest of Tharad, the wife of Rana Punjaji, a Sodhi by caste, fled with her infant son to her father's house at Parkar. On growing up, her son Vajoji, returning to Tharad in 1244 built a stepwell, "vav", and, successfully beating off the attacks of the Multanis, took the title of Rana, and, after his well, called his town Vav. His descendants rule there till British period. Compared with that of the Multani family, the cause of the Vav Rana was popular, and though for fear of drawing on themselves the army of the Patan governor, they dared not attempt to win back Tharad, they slowly spread their rule over many of the smaller holdings, and built up a fairly powerful chiefdom. Their cadets gradually won back many of the Tharad holdings, turning out the Gohil Suvar and Kalma Rajputs, but continuing to hold their estates from Tharad whose ruler they probably propitiated with gifts, "nazarana"s. In this way most of the smaller Tharad fiefs fell into the hands of Nadola Chauhans, cadets of the Vav house or of the old Ranas of Tharad by whom they are still held.