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Nurpur kingdom in the Himalayan foothills of India was founded in 1064 A.D at north-eastern
Bari Doab Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Ital ...
between the Ravi and the
Beas Beas is a riverfront town in the Amritsar district of the Indian state of Punjab. Beas lies on the banks of the Beas River. Beas town is mostly located in revenue boundary of Budha Theh with parts in villages Dholo Nangal and Wazir Bhullar. ...
rivers at the fusion of Kangra, Duggar,
Majha Majha (Punjabi: ਮਾਝਾ (Gurmukhi), (Shahmukhi); ''Mājhā'') is a region located in the central parts of the historical Punjab region split between India and Pakistan. It extends north from the right banks of the river Beas, and reaches ...
, Dharab and
Chamba Chamba may refer to: People *Gilberto Chamba (born 1961), Ecuadorian serial killer *Jessica Chamba (born 1981), European activist Places Ghana * Chamba, a town in the Northern Region India * Chamba (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Himachal Pradesh * ...
areas which ended in 1815. The remainants of Nurpur kingdom exists as ruined forts, restored temples, water bodies and canals in
Nurpur Nurpur may refer to: * Nurpur, Fenchuganj, a village in Sylhet, Bangladesh * Nurpur, Comilla, village in Comilla Bangladesh * Nurpur, Himachal Pradesh, a city and municipal council in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India * Nurpur, Jalandhar, a v ...
tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its adminis ...
, Fatehpur tehsil,
Pathankot Pathankot is a city and the district headquarters of the Pathankot district in Punjab, India. Pathankot is the 6th most populous city of Punjab, after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala and Bathinda. Its local government is a municipal co ...
tehsil,
Dhar Kalan Dhar Kalan is a village and administrative headquarter of Dhar Kalan tehsil in Pathankot district of Punjab, India, Punjab States and territories of India, State, India. It is located about from district headquarter Pathankot and from state ca ...
tehsil, Jawali tehsil,
Indora Indora is town that serves as a tehsil headquarter in the Kangra district at the borders of Himachal Pradesh, India along the dried Beas rivulet, to which Pathankot is a nearer city in plains of Punjab, while Nurpur, a town in Himachal, is farth ...
tehsil Bhattiyat tehsil, and Sihunta tehsil.Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 19, p. 232.
/ref>


History

The Nurpur kingdom, originally known as Dhameri (धमेरी/دھمیری/ਧਮੇਰੀ), was founded towards the middle of the 11th century by
Tomaras of Delhi The Tomara dynasty (also called Tomar in modern vernaculars because of schwa deletion) dynasty ruled parts of present-day Delhi and Haryana in India during 8th-12th century. Their rule over this region is attested to by multiple inscriptio ...
. Jhetpal the founder of Nurpur Kingdom in 1064 A.D was the younger brother of Anangpal II of
Tomara dynasty The Tomara dynasty (also called Tomar in modern vernaculars because of schwa deletion) dynasty ruled parts of present-day Delhi and Haryana in India during 8th-12th century. Their rule over this region is attested to by multiple inscriptions ...
from King
Arjuna Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
of Mahabharata fame, 2250 years before him. King
Vikramaditya Vikramaditya (IAST: ') was a legendary king who has been featured in hundreds of traditional stories including those in ''Baital Pachisi'' and '' Singhasan Battisi''. Many describe him as ruler with his capital at Ujjain (Pataliputra or Prati ...
who began the Vikrama Samvat era in 57 BCE after defeating the Shakas belonged to the same lineage. The principal era to which the luni-solar system is exclusively adapted is that of Vikramaditya, called Samvat. The prince from whom it was named was of the Tuár dynasty, and is supposed to have reigned at Ujjain (Ujjáyini). Tomar Raja Mahipal a k.a Kunwar Pāla (1021-1051) of Delhi in 1043 defeated
Mahmud of Ghazni Yamīn-ud-Dawla Abul-Qāṣim Maḥmūd ibn Sebüktegīn ( fa, ; 2 November 971 – 30 April 1030), usually known as Mahmud of Ghazni or Mahmud Ghaznavi ( fa, ), was the founder of the Turkic Ghaznavid dynasty, ruling from 998 to 1030. At t ...
's grandson
Mawdud of Ghazni Shahāb-ud-Dawla Mawdūd ( fa, شهاب‌الدوله مودود; died 1050), known as Mawdud of Ghazni (), was a sultan of the Ghaznavids from 1041 – 1050. He seized the throne of the sultanate from his uncle, Muhammad of Ghazni, in revenge f ...
and liberated the Nagarkot fort.
Mahmud of Ghazni Yamīn-ud-Dawla Abul-Qāṣim Maḥmūd ibn Sebüktegīn ( fa, ; 2 November 971 – 30 April 1030), usually known as Mahmud of Ghazni or Mahmud Ghaznavi ( fa, ), was the founder of the Turkic Ghaznavid dynasty, ruling from 998 to 1030. At t ...
's fifth son Abd al-Rashid (1049-1052) appointed Hastagin Hajib as the governor of Punjab and recaptured liberated Nagarkot fort in 1052 after the death of Raja Mahipal. Late Raja Mahipal's brother Jhetpal Tomar led an expeditionary force to protect Trigarta king Jagdish Chand of
Katoch Katoch is a Chandravanshi Rajput clan. Their traditional area of residence was in the Trigarta Kingdom, based at Jalandhar and at Kangra Fort in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. They descent from the Trigarta dynasty mentioned in the Maha ...
dynasty and successfully recaptured the Kangra fort in 1060 AD. In retaliation,
Ibrahim of Ghazna Ibrahim of Ghazna (b. 1033 – d. 1099) was sultan of the Ghaznavid empire from April 1059 until his death in 1099. Having been imprisoned at the fortress of Barghund, he was one of the Ghaznavid princes that escaped the usurper Toghrul's massacr ...
(1059-1099) sent his son, Mahmud, with an army of ''ghazis'' consisting of 40,000 cavalry to raid
Doab ''Doab'' () is a term used in South Asia Quote: "Originally and chiefly in South Asia: (the name of) a strip or narrow tract of land between two rivers; spec. (with) the area between the rivers Ganges and Jumna in northern India." for the tract ...
of
Punjab region Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
, between 1063 and 1070. Due to these constant attacks
Trigarta Kingdom Trigarta kingdom was an ancient kingdom in northern Indian region of the Indian subcontinent with its capital at Prasthala (modern Jalandhar), Multan and Kangra. Trigarta was founded and ruled by the vrishni Dynasty. Mention in Mahabharata T ...
shifted its capital from
Doab ''Doab'' () is a term used in South Asia Quote: "Originally and chiefly in South Asia: (the name of) a strip or narrow tract of land between two rivers; spec. (with) the area between the rivers Ganges and Jumna in northern India." for the tract ...
Jalandhar to Kangra Fort in 1070 A.D. and to double secure Kangra Fort Jhetpal Tomar over powered the garrison of
Ghaznavid The Ghaznavid dynasty ( fa, غزنویان ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a culturally Persianate, Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic ''mamluk'' origin, ruling, at its greatest extent, large parts of Persia, Khorasan, much of Transoxiana and the northwest ...
Kiladar Kuzbak Khan stationed at Paithan Fort,
Pathankot Pathankot is a city and the district headquarters of the Pathankot district in Punjab, India. Pathankot is the 6th most populous city of Punjab, after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala and Bathinda. Its local government is a municipal co ...
which was the gateway to
Kangra Valley Kangra Valley is a river valley situated in the Western Himalayas.River Ravi The Ravi River () is a transboundary river crossing northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of five rivers associated with the Punjab region. Under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, the waters of the Ravi and two other rivers were ...
and River Beas from the plains of Badi doab. Raja Jhetpal, after the death of
Ibrahim of Ghazna Ibrahim of Ghazna (b. 1033 – d. 1099) was sultan of the Ghaznavid empire from April 1059 until his death in 1099. Having been imprisoned at the fortress of Barghund, he was one of the Ghaznavid princes that escaped the usurper Toghrul's massacr ...
in 1099 permanently stationed his garrison at Pathankot and the territorial surname
Pathania Pathania is a surname of Indian origin. It is also the name of a Rajput clan from northern India; the royal family of the Nurpur kingdom belonged to this clan. Notable people People with surname Pathania, who may or may not be affiliated wi ...
became surname of clan. Nurpur reached its peak between 1580 and 1613 during the reign of Raja Basu Dev who built an impressive fort that can still be seen today but his son Suraj Mal of Nurpur was driven away by Mughals in 1618. In 1620 the change of name from Dhameri to Nurpur was done by Raja Jagat Singh to honour Mughal emperor and empress as 'Nur' was a common prefix to their names Nur-ud-din Muhammad
Jahangir Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti. Ear ...
and Nur Jahan. Nurpur kingdom paid taxes after it came under Mughals. It rebelled when taxes were raised to 66% and the settlement took place after the War of Taragarh 1640–1642. Till 1739 kingdom remained a feudatory state of
Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
and became independent during
Campaigns of Nader Shah The campaigns of Nader Shah, or the Naderian Wars, were a series of conflicts fought in the early to mid-eighteenth century throughout Central Eurasia primarily by the Iranian conqueror Nader Shah. His campaigns originated from the overthrow of ...
. During Indian campaign of Ahmad Shah Durrani from (1747-1767) Raja Fateh Singh survived the invader but Raja Prithvi Singh (1770-1805) expelled Muslim branch of
Pathania Pathania is a surname of Indian origin. It is also the name of a Rajput clan from northern India; the royal family of the Nurpur kingdom belonged to this clan. Notable people People with surname Pathania, who may or may not be affiliated wi ...
(1650-1781) based at Shahpurkandi Fort near
Shahpurkandi dam project The Shahpurkandi Dam project is located on the Ravi River in Pathankot district, Punjab, India, downstream from the existing Ranjit Sagar Dam. The power houses will be constructed on Hydel Channel, which is downstream from Shahpurkandi Dam. Th ...
colony, they migrated to Pakistan in 1947. Also, Prithvi Singh forced his brother Inder Singh (
Rey Rey may refer to: *Rey (given name), a given name *Rey (surname), a surname * Rey (''Star Wars''), a character in the ''Star Wars'' films *Rey, Iran, a city in Iran * Ray County, in Tehran Province of Iran * ''Rey'' (film), a 2015 Indian film *The ...
branch) whom he considered as claimant of Nurpur kingdom to take exile in 1779 at Mahal Moriyan Fort Kangra State (presently at Mehal Khas, Bhoranj, Hamirpur), they later migrated to
Rey Rey may refer to: *Rey (given name), a given name *Rey (surname), a surname * Rey (''Star Wars''), a character in the ''Star Wars'' films *Rey, Iran, a city in Iran * Ray County, in Tehran Province of Iran * ''Rey'' (film), a 2015 Indian film *The ...
in 1823 after the death of
Sansar Chand Sansar Chand (c. 1765 – 1824) was a Rajput ruler of the erstwhile state of Kangra-Lambagraon, Kangra in what is now the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Early life Sansar Chand was a scion of the Katoch dynasty which had ruled Kangra for cen ...
,
Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...
appointed Inder Singh's son Ishri Singh as courtier in the Lahore durbar and awarded
Rey Rey may refer to: *Rey (given name), a given name *Rey (surname), a surname * Rey (''Star Wars''), a character in the ''Star Wars'' films *Rey, Iran, a city in Iran * Ray County, in Tehran Province of Iran * ''Rey'' (film), a 2015 Indian film *The ...
jagir. Ishri Singh was also brother-in-law of
Dhian Singh Raja Dhian Singh (22 August 1796 – 15 September 1843) was the longest serving wazir of the Sikh Empire, during the reign of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, and four of his successors. He held the office for twenty five years, from 1818 up till his dea ...
, the longest reigning prime minister of
Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...
from 1818-1843. Raja Bhir Singh had to face threats from all sides bordering
Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The ter ...
, Gorkhas,
Katoch Katoch is a Chandravanshi Rajput clan. Their traditional area of residence was in the Trigarta Kingdom, based at Jalandhar and at Kangra Fort in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. They descent from the Trigarta dynasty mentioned in the Maha ...
and
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
. Ultimately after just 10 years of his reign
Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He ...
the final winner of the contest annexed Nurpur kingdom in 1815. Raja Bhir Singh retook the Nurpur in 1846 but died fighting at the gates of Nurpur Fort. His struggle was continued by his son Raja Jaswant Singh Pathania and his uncle's son 'Bansein Wazira' :hi:राम सिंह पठानिया, who resorted to
guerilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run ...
warfare but was captured by deceit from Lakhanpur, Jammu Fort by
Jammu and Kashmir (princely state) Jammu and Kashmir, officially known as the Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu, was a princely state during the Company rule in India from 1757 to 1858 as well as the British Raj in India from 1846 to 1952. The princely state was created aft ...
which was under British control. The state was annexed by the
British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
in 1849 and the last ruling monarch of Nurpur, was given Rs 5000/- financially compensated by the British for the loss of his state.


Kings

The rulers of Nurpur bore the title '
Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested ...
'. * Raja Jhet Pal * 12th century – 1313 Uncertain number of successors * 1313 – 1353 Jas Pal * 1353 – 1397 Kailas Pal * 1397 – 1438 Nag Pal * 1438 – 1473 Prithi Pal * 1473 – 1513
Bhil Pal Raja Bhil Pal (1473–1513 CE) was a Rajput ruler of the kingdom of Nurpur, in the Himalayan foothills. He was a contemporary of Sikandar Lodi of Delhi (1488–1516), and assisted him in his wars and therefore increased his own territory. The Punj ...
* 1513 – 1558
Bakht Mal Raja Bakht-Mal Pathania (1513–1558) was a King of Nurpur, who succeeded Raja Bhil Pal in 1513 who was in good terms with the Lodi dynasty of Delhi. During the conquest of India by Babar in 1526 the Nurpur kingdom became an ally to Babur's conqu ...
* 1558 – 1580 Pahari Mal * 1580 – 1613 Basu Dev * 1613 – 1618
Suraj Mal Suraj Mal (13 February 1707 – 25 December 1763) was a Jat ruler of Bharatpur in present-day state of Rajasthan. Under him, the Jat rule covered the present-day districts of Agra, Aligarh, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Etawa, Hathras, Mainpuri, ...
* 1618 – 1646 Raja Jagat Singh * 1646 – 1661 Rajrup Singh * 1661 – 1700 Mandhata Singh * 1700 – 1735 Dayadatha * 1735 – 1770 Fateh Singh * 1770 – 1805 Prithvi Singh * 1805 – 1815 Bhir Singh * 1846 – 1849 Jaswant Singh (state annexed by the British) (d. 1898)


Forts


Nurpur (Dhameri) Fort

Fortified by Raja Vasudev after Pathankot was overtaken by Akbar in the 16th century. It was sacked in 1618 and 1640 by Mughals and remained the main seat of the royal family till 1849.


Taragarh Fort

This fortress was captured by Raja Jagat Singh Pathania from Chamba state and was secretly fortified by him and his sons in preparation for his infamous rebellion against Mughals(1640–42). This fort was never seized or captured. However, Raja Jagat Singh Pathania was persuaded to stop the war against the
Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
.
Shahjahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...
knew that Jagat Singh could not be browbeaten and he could use his help in times of war. Therefore, he sent for a compromise on mutually agreed terms. The folklore associated with the siege of fort goes that the Mughals forces cordoned the fort for such longtime that they planted mango plants which fruited before the end of siege (this place near taragarh fort today is called ''Amb ka Bagh'' literally meaning Mango orchard). Yet this long siege could not break the will of Raja jagat Singh and his men whose ration had diminished. According, to folklore the men of Raja Jagat Singh one day to fool cordoning forces used milk of female dog (who had given litter inside fort but fed in Mughal camp) to prepare a ''kheer'' (milk pudding) and threw it out side the fort. When the cordon commander of Mughal forces saw this he died of shock and the news reached the Mughal emperor who was forced to negotiate with Raja Jagat Singh Pathania.


Pathan Fort

The very first fort after which the Pathania became a surname is now in ruins. Today, Fort Road and Gulmohar Resthouse exists on a top of a small hill at that very location.


Temples


Brijraj Mandir Nurpur Fort

It is the biggest shrine representing the Nurpur kingdom. The temple inside the fort called Brij Raj Swami was built in the 16th century and is known to be one of the only places where both the idols of Lord Krishna and Meera Bai are worshiped. Ancient rulers of Nurpur patronised the Pahari painting style which has survived as frescoes in Diwan-i-Aam dates back to 1610 and Raja Mandhata's name is inscribed as restorer on the wall. It also houses statue of Krishan-Mira which is believed to be brought from Fort Chittorgarh when Raja Vasudev laid a siege to capture Rana of Mewar
Amar Singh I Maharana Amar Singh I, the Maharana of Mewar (March 16, 1559 – January 26, 1620), was the eldest son and successor of Maharana Pratap of Mewar. He was the 16th Rana of Mewar dynasty of Sisodia Rajputs and ruler of Mewar from January 19, 1597 ...
in 1613. In 1886 ASI discovered the ruins and in 1904 excavated the original temple where initially statues of Krishan-Mira were installed, built in the style of famous temples of Vrindavan and Mathura as the architecture was not found in Punjab hills. The shrine was safely buried in the pond in 1618 when the Fort was besieged and there were no chances of survival by Raja Suraj Mal of Nurpur. The shrine came into the dreams of Raja Mandhata (1671-1700) who drained the pond and restored shrine's former glory.


Kali Mata Mandir Nurpur Fort

Patronised by Raja Jagat Singh who practiced his battlefield strategies by playing chauper (chess) with Devi. The temple seems to be rebuilt at the old location.


Raja ka Bagh

On the foots of Fort Mau, established at a 'bauli' (natural spring) to honour a snake born along with Raja Nag Pal in 14th century. Descendants who believe their lineages from Nurpur kingdom offer the first hairs of their newly born sons.


Ratte Ghar Wali Mata

This temple is visible from some majorly parts of Nurpur, because it is located at high location. It is believe that this temple has the divine power, if someone pray for something then their wish is definitely fulfilled. For visiting this temple one should need go from a village named Baduhi, otherwise a backward road from Jassur town also keep you to this temple.


Gallery

File:Entrance to the Nurpur fort from inner view.jpg, Exit of the Nurpur Fort File:View of Ravi river from Nurpur fort.jpg, West view from Nurpur fort


See also

* Kangra painting


References

{{coord, 32.3, 75.9, region:IN-HP, display=title History of Himachal Pradesh