The Hill States of India were
princely states lying in the northern border regions of the
British Indian Empire
The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent,
*
* lasting from 1858 to 1947.
*
* It is also called Crown rule ...
. The historic terms ''Punjab Hills'' and ''Pahari Hills'' were used to describe the foothills of the Western Himalayan-range prior to the independence of India in 1947.
History
Punjab Hills
Prior to the late 1940s, the region that is now classified as
Jammu
Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...
and
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...
was termed the "Punjab Hills".
The Punjab Hills are around 483 kilometres (300 miles) long and 161 kilometres (100 miles) wide.
It consisted of a range of foot-hills, known as the
Shivalik Range, meeting the Punjab Plains.
The hills of the region are stony and rough.
The term "Punjab Hills" is now only generally used in the present-era to describe painting styles produced in the courtly settings of Mankot, Guler, Kangra, Kulu, Mandi and Basohli states.
The Punjab Hills are not to be confused with the Punjab Plains (i.e. the Punjab proper, being the plains-region with five rivers running through it).
There were thirty-five states located in the Punjab Hills.
Early history
The term
Dogra
__NOTOC__
Dogras, or Dogra people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic community of Pakistan and India.
Dogra, Dogras or Dogri may also refer to:
* Dogra dynasty, a Hindu dynasty of Kashmir
* Dogri language, a language spoken by Dogras and other ethnic commu ...
is thought to derive from ''Durgara'', the name of a kingdom mentioned in an eleventh century copper-plate inscription in
Chamba. According to Mira Seth, the Durgara region was situated between the outer hills located between the
Ravi
Ravi may refer to:
People
* Ravi (name), including a list of people and characters with the name
* Ravi (composer) (1926–2012), Indian music director
* Ravi (Ivar Johansen) (born 1976), Norwegian musical artist
* Ravi (rapper) (born 1993), a Sou ...
and
Chenab
The Chenab River is a major river in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, the Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul region of Himac ...
rivers and was derived from a tribal name.
In medieval times the term became ''Dugar'', which later turned into Dogra. Kalhana's ''
Rajatarangini
''Rājataraṅgiṇī'' (Sanskrit: Devanagari, राजतरङ्गिणी, IAST, romanized: ''rājataraṅgiṇī'', International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: Help:IPA/Sanskrit, �ɑː.d͡ʑɐ.t̪ɐˈɾɐŋ.ɡi.ɳiː ) is a metrical legend ...
'' makes no mention of a kingdom by this name, but it could have been referred to by its capital (either ''Vallapura'', modern Balor, or ''Babbapura'', modern Babor). In modern times, the term Dogra turned into an ethnic identity, claimed by all those people that speak the
Dogri language
Dogri (Devanagari: ; Name Dogra Akkhar: ; Nastaliq: ; ) is an Indo-Aryan language of the Western Pahari group, primarily spoken in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir, India, with smaller groups of speake ...
.
Prior to the arrival of the Dogras in the region, the local inhabitants of the Durgara region were likely
Khasas
Khasas (Sanskrit: खश, ) were an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe and a late Janapada kingdom from Himalayan regions of northern Indian subcontinent mentioned in the various historical Indian inscriptions and ancient Indian Hindu and Tibetan litera ...
and
Kanets, who originally inhabited the Western Himalayan-range.
Migrations of Dogri-speaking peoples later followed.
The Dogras claim descent from migrants who originated from the present-day regions of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
,
Bihar
Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
, and
Bengal
Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...
prior to the
Islamic invasions of the Indian subcontinent.
Most of the ruling families of the Pahari Hill States traditionally trace their ancestry back to
Ayodhya
Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...
, claiming descent from Sumitra, who was the last descendant of the
Suryavanshi lineage of
Rama
Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...
.
An ancestor named Jambu Lochan is said to have first moved to the
Jammu region
The Jammu division (; ) is a revenue and administrative division of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kash ...
, where he established the settlement of
Jammu
Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...
.
According to local mythology, Jambu decided to construct a settlement at Jammu after he witnessed a wild goat and lion drinking from the same water-hole in a forest that was located at the site, being impressed by how two species of predator and prey could peacefully co-exist.
From there onwards, branches of the family spread-out to conquer the surrounding mountainous areas of the region, establishing their own dynasties.
In around the year 850, the Dogras came to power in Jammu, being established by Raja Bhuj or Bhuj Dev.
The centres of power for the Dogra rulers at this era were Bahu, Babbapura (Babor), and Jammu.
The first historical mention to a Pahari ruler relates to two
copper-plate inscription dated to the years 1056 and 1066 that eulogize the feats of Raja Sahilavarman of
Chamba State
Chamba State was one of the oldest princely states in present-day Republic of India, having been founded during the late 6th century. It was part of the States of the Punjab Hills of the Punjab Province (British India), Punjab Province in Br ...
(r. 920–940).
The earliest type of administration in the region consisted of reigns by feudal chieftains, referred to as a ''
thakur'' or ''
rana
Rana may refer to:
Astronomy
* Rana (crater), a crater on Mars
* Delta Eridani or Rana, a star
Films
* Rana (2012 film), an Indian Kannada-language action drama
* Rana, a 1998 Telugu-language action film directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy
* R ...
''.
This form of government gradually shifted to one that was hereditary based on primogeniture, leading to the formation of dynasties.
These states often warred with one another, absorbing or being absorbed by other states, with the winner usually being the stronger state and the loser the smaller one.
By the tenth century, the following prominent Dogra states arose in the Pahari Hills region of the
Western Himalayas
The Western Himalayas are the western half of the Himalayas, in northwestern India and northern Pakistan. Four of the five tributaries of the Indus River in Punjab ( Beas, Chenab, Jhelum, and Ravi) rise in the Western Himalayas; while the fi ...
:
* Jammu – ruled by the Jamwal clan
*
Mankot
Mankot is a Village situated in Bageshwar district in the State of Uttarakhand, India. It is located at a distance of from Bageshwar on the National Highway 309A. Mankot is a medium-sized village with total 118 families residing.
History
M ...
– ruled by the Mankotia clan
*
Jasrota
Jasrota kingdom in the Himalayan foothills of India was founded in 1064 A.D at south-eastern Jammu between the Ravi and the Ujh rivers which ended in 1815. The remainants of Jasrota kingdom exists as ruined forts, restored temples, water bodi ...
– ruled by the Jasrotia clan
*
Lakhanpur – ruled by the Lakhanpuria clan
* Samba – ruled by the Sambial clan
* Tirikot – ruled by the Tiri Kotia clan
*
Akhnur
Akhnoor is a town and Municipal governance in India, municipal committee, near city of Jammu in Jammu district of Indian National Congress, Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It lies 28 km awa ...
– ruled by the Akhnuria clan
* Riasi – ruled by the Riasial clan
* Dalpatpur – ruled by the Dalpatia clan
* Bhau – ruled by the Bhauwal clan
* Bhoti – ruled by the Bhatial clan
* Chenehni – ruled by the Hantal clan
*
Bandralta – ruled by the Bandral clan
*
Basholi
Basohli (formerly Vishwasthali) is the name of tehsil and town in Kathua district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is situated on the right bank of the River Ravi, at an altitude of 1876 ft. The town was founded by Raja ...
– ruled by the Balauria clan
*
Bhadrawaha – ruled by the Bhadrawahia clan
* Bhadu – ruled by the Bhaduwal clan
*
Kashtwar – ruled by the Kashtwaria clan
*
Punch – ruled by the Manjwal clan
*
Kotli
Kotli ( Pahari-Pothwari / ; ) is a city and headquarters of the Kotli District in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir. The city lies along the Poonch River, which is known for its natural secenary and waterfalls. According to the 2017 Census ...
– ruled by the Mangral clan
*
Rajauri – ruled by the Jaral clan
There is a mention in
Kalhana
Kalhana (c. 12th century) was the author of '' Rajatarangini'' (''River of Kings''), an account of the history of Kashmir. He wrote the work in Sanskrit between 1148 and 1149. All information regarding his life has to be deduced from his own wri ...
's ''
Rajatarangini
''Rājataraṅgiṇī'' (Sanskrit: Devanagari, राजतरङ्गिणी, IAST, romanized: ''rājataraṅgiṇī'', International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: Help:IPA/Sanskrit, �ɑː.d͡ʑɐ.t̪ɐˈɾɐŋ.ɡi.ɳiː ) is a metrical legend ...
'' of three Dogra rulers, namely Kirti and Vajradhara of Babbapura and Umadhara.
All three of these rulers are also mentioned in the ''Vansavali'' (genealogy) of the Jammu ruling house, albeit with minor variations.
The Jammu rulers were close with the
Kashmiri rulers, such as during the reign of Kalasa and Bhikshachara.
The Dogra-ruler Vajradhara is said to have allied with
Trigarta
Trigarta (also known as Kangra and Jalandhara) was an ancient Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan Monarchy, kingdom based in the region of modern day Punjab. The focal point of its administration was situated in Jalandhar. However at its zenith i ...
(
Kangra), Vallapura (Balaor), Vartula (Batal), and Thakkuras of the Chandrabhaga Valley, to pledge alliegance to Bhikshachara of Kashmir.
Bhikshachara asceded to the throne of Kashmir in 1120.
Mughal vassalage
The Mughals were aggressive toward the small states of the Western Himalayas, with Akbar declaring himself as their sovereign ruler.
The Punjab Hill states became tributaries to the Mughals around the reign of Akbar (r. 1556–1605).
With the capture of the
Kangra Fort by the Mughal forces under Jahangir (r. 1605–1627), it allowed Mughal-influence to more effectively permeate into the Punjab Hills.
The Mughals maintained regional influence through a ''kilahdar'' (fort-keeper) that was stationed at Kangra and hostages from more rebellious hill states were kept at the Mughal court.
Twenty-two of the hill states recognized the sovereignty of Akbar and each dispatched a local prince to the Mughal court.
The princes would effectively be hostages to ensure that the small hill states would act courteous to the Mughal authority.
The Pahari hill states in-reality were ''
de facto'' quite independent from the Mughals, even with this arrangement.
This relative independence allowed the hill states freedom regarding their internal affairs and also allowed them to war against each-other without reference to the Mughal emperor.
Usually when two hill states warred with one another, the defeated state often appealed to the regional Mughal viceroy and the Delhi court to assist them against their rival.
However, the hill states often resisted the Mughals and rose up in rebellion against them, such is the case with
Jammu State, which rose in insurrection against the Mughals on three separate instances during this time: the first between the years 1588–9, the second between 1594–5, and the third from 1616–17.
During the reign of
Akbar
Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...
between the years 1594–95, the Jammu ruler Raja Parasram Dev teamed-up with fellow Pahari rulers Rai Pratap of Jasrota and Rai Balbhadra of Lakhanpur in a rebellion against the Mughals, which raged from Kangra to the Jammu Hills.
Decline of the Mughals and rise of the Sikhs
Due to the
invasion of northern India by the Persians in 1738–39 under
Nader Shah
Nader Shah Afshar (; 6 August 1698 or 22 October 1688 – 20 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, ruling as shah of Iran (Persia) from 1736 to 1747, when he was a ...
, and the
subsequent invasions by the Durrani Afghans under the leadership of
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (; ; – 4 June 1772), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the first ruler and founder of the Durrani Empire. He is often regarded as the founder of modern Afghanistan.
Throughout his reign, Ahmad Shah fought ov ...
, central
Mughal authority collapsed, which allowed the
Sikhs to rise in the Punjab Plains and the Pahari Rajput states to re-cement their independence in the Punjab Hills.
With the Pahari Rajput states gaining their true independence again, Kangra State was one of the hill states that greatly benefited from the changed times, as Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra State took-over the Kangra Fort in 1786, with him being the first Katoch raja to-do so in 166 years.
By 1794, Kangra State had bested the adjacent states of Guler (in 1786), Mandi (in 1792), and Chamba (in 1794).
By the closing years of the 18th century, the Sikh leader
Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839) was the founder and first maharaja of the Sikh Empire, in the northwest Indian subcontinent, ruling from 1801 until his death in 1839.
Born to Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia M ...
had emerged as the hegemonic ruler of much of the Punjab Plains, with his influence shortly after reaching the hill states.
In 1803–04, a conflict occurred in
Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur () is a city and a Municipal corporations in India, municipal corporation in Hoshiarpur district in the Doaba region of the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the ...
between the
Sikh Empire
The Sikh Empire was a regional power based in the Punjab, Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. It existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahore, to 1849, when it was defeated and conquered by the East India Company, Br ...
and Kangra State, with Kangra being bested and their expansionary ambitions being foiled by the Sikhs.
In 1806, the
Gurkhas
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with the endonym Gorkhali ( Nepali: गोर्खाली ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of North India.
The Gurkha units consist of Nepali and ...
conquered Kangra State and occupied it for a period of three years, with the Kangra ruler requesting Sikh-assistance to oust the occupying Nepalis from the territory.
With the Sikhs obliging and successfully dislodging the Nepalis, the Kangra State ceased to become independence and assumed vassalage status to the Sikh Empire, with Ranjit Singh being given control over the Kangra Fort (Kot Kangra) as well.
While Sansar Chand tried to negotiate with the Sikh-ruler to obtain more freedoms, he was ignored by Ranjit Singh and the Kangra ruler died in 1823.
Ranjit Singh tried to continue controlling the Katoch ruling family by setting up the daughter of Sansar Chand to be wedded to the Dogra official Raja Hira Singh.
However, the Kangra-ruler Raja Anirudh Chand (r. 1823–28) left the Kangra estate in 1828 and brought his sisters with him to prevent such a marriage from taking-place.
The daughter eventually was married to Raja Sudarshan Shah of
Tehri-Garhwal State.
During the 17th, 18th, and early 19th century, there were thirty-five feudal states located in the Punjab Hills.
Each state was ruled by a Rajput ruler.
Around two-thirds of the states were
patrons of painting, with twenty-three of the states specifically being known patrons of art.
The following were the thirty-five polities (kingdoms and principalities) located in the Punjab Hills region during the pre-colonial period:
*
Baghal (Arki)
* Bandralta (Ramnagar)
* Bangahal
* Bashahr
* Basohli
* Bhadrawah
* Bhadu
* Bhau
* Bhoti
*
Chamba
* Chanehni
* Dalpatpur
*
Datarpur
* Garhwal
*
Guler
* Hindur (Nalagarh)
* Jammu
* Jasrota
*
Jaswan
*
Kahlur (Bilaspur)
*
Kangra
* Kashtwar
* Kotla
*
Kullu (Kulu)
*
Kutlehr
* Lakhanpur
*
Mandi
* Mankot
*
Nurpur
* Punch (Poonch)
* Samba
*
Siba
*
Sirmur (Nahan)
*
Suket
* Tirikot
Subdivisions
The Punjab Hills could be further subdivided into three areas:
# Northwest area (loosely termed the "Jammu" area) – located on the northwest end of the hill range, containing sixteen hill states in three parallel rows, contained around one-fifth of the total area of the Punjab Hills.
The first row of hill states of this sub-region was adjoined to the Punjab Plains region and contained the states of Lakhanpur, Jasrota, Samba, Tirikot, Dalpatpur, and Jammu states.
The second row was located around 32 kilometres into the hills and were bounded by mountain ranges, it consisted of five hill states, namely Basohli, Bhadu, Mankot, Bandralta (Ramnagar), and Bhoti.
The third row was deeper into the mountains and contained the hill states of Bhau, Chanehni, Bhadrawah, and Kashtwar.
Punch State was technically outside of the region as it lay to the west of the Tawi river but is still included for practical reasons.
# Central area – located to the southeast of the northwest sub-region mentioned above.
Two of Punjab's rivers, the Ravi and Beas, flows through this sub-region.
The hill states that were located in this area were:
Nurpur,
Guler, Kotla,
Chamba,
Siba,
Datarpur,
Kangra,
Kutlehr,
Jaswan, and Bangahal.
The most powerful states of this sub-region were
Chamba and
Kangra states, who dominated the area.
# Southeast area – located to the southeast of the central sub-region mentioned above.
It contains nine hill states (not including the Shimla Hills):
Kullu (Kulu),
Mandi,
Suket,
Kahlur (Bilaspur),
Baghal (Arki), Hindur (Nalagarh),
Sirmur (Nahan), Bashahr, and Garhwal.
This was the largest sub-region and it contained around half the total area of the Punjab Hills.
Kullu (Kulu) and Bashahr states were the furthest away from the Punjab Plains, with them bordering the high Himalayan mountain-ranges beyond.
Colonial period
During the colonial
Raj period, two groups of princely states in direct relations with the
Province of British Punjab became part of the British Indian Empire later than most of the former
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
, in the context of two wars and an uprising.
For its princely rulers the informal term Hill Rajas has been coined. It does not apply to other native hill country princes such as the Rawat of
Rajgarh.
After the independence and split-up of British India, the Hill States
acceded to the new
Dominion of India
The Dominion of India, officially the Union of India,
*
* was an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations existing between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950. Until its Indian independence movement, independence, India had be ...
and were later divided between
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
's constituent states of Punjab (proper),
Haryana
Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...
and
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...
.
List of hill states during the British Raj
Simla Hills
Simla hill State also called Punjab Hill state. By 1941, the term "Punjab Hill States" had replaced "Shimla Hill States" in formal usage — particularly in census tables, reports, and statistical summaries.
Simla Hill State or Punjab Hill state till Survived 1947
The
Punjab States Agency
The Punjab States Agency was an agency of the British Raj. The agency was created in 1921, on the model of the Central India Agency and Rajputana Agency, and dealt with forty princely states in northwest India formerly dealt with by the Prov ...
, in the 1941 Census, recorded 16 Punjab States &18 Simla or Punjab Hill State Noted in 1941 Census
#
Bashahr
Bushahr, also spelt as 'Bashahr' and 'Bussahir' or 'Bushair' was a Rajput princely state in India during the British Raj. It was located in the hilly western Himalaya promontory bordering Tibet.
Bushahar was eighty four miles long, sixty two m ...
, title Raja, Personal 9 guns-salute(Personal) Punjab Hill state
#
Baghal, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Baghat, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
# Balsan, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Beja, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Bhajji, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Darkoti, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Dhami, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Jubbal, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Keonthal, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Kumharsain, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Kunihar, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Kuthar, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Mahlog, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Mangal, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Sangri, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
# Tharoch, Non Salute Punjab Hill state
#
Nalagarh
Nalagarh is a city and a municipal committee, near the city of Solan in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Nalagarh is a gateway to Himachal Pradesh in North India, from Shimla, from Delhi and from Chandigarh.
Hist ...
(Hindur), Non Salute Punjab Hill state
The
Punjab States Agency
The Punjab States Agency was an agency of the British Raj. The agency was created in 1921, on the model of the Central India Agency and Rajputana Agency, and dealt with forty princely states in northwest India formerly dealt with by the Prov ...
, in the 1941 Census, recorded 18 Punjab Hill States and 16 Punjab States. Of these 16 Punjab States, 5 were also located in the hilly region.
#
Chamba, title Raja, Hereditary salute of 11-guns
#
Mandi, title Raja, Hereditary salute of 11-guns
#
Sirmur (Nahan), title Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 11-guns
#
Suket (Sundarnagar), title Raja, Hereditary salute of 11-guns
#
Bilaspur (Kahlur), title Raja, Hereditary salute of 11-guns (till 1911 its part of shimla hill state later transfer)
after 1947 these all state joined
Dominion of india
The Dominion of India, officially the Union of India,
*
* was an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations existing between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950. Until its Indian independence movement, independence, India had be ...
, all Hill state (expect
Nalagarh
Nalagarh is a city and a municipal committee, near the city of Solan in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Nalagarh is a gateway to Himachal Pradesh in North India, from Shimla, from Delhi and from Chandigarh.
Hist ...
) & these 5 Punjab State 4 (expect
Bilaspur State
Bilaspur State or Kahlur State, sometimes Kahloor Riyasat, was a kingdom (697–1849) and later princely state (1849–1948) in the Punjab Province ruled by a separate branch of Chandravanshi Chandel rajput dynasty. Raja Bir Chand 697–73 ...
) Become part of Himachal in 1948 while
Nalagarh
Nalagarh is a city and a municipal committee, near the city of Solan in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Nalagarh is a gateway to Himachal Pradesh in North India, from Shimla, from Delhi and from Chandigarh.
Hist ...
become Part of
PEPSU. later
Bilaspur become part in 1954 of Himachal &
Nalagarh
Nalagarh is a city and a municipal committee, near the city of Solan in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Nalagarh is a gateway to Himachal Pradesh in North India, from Shimla, from Delhi and from Chandigarh.
Hist ...
Become Part of
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...
in 1966.
Simla Hills in Details
28
princely states (including
feudatory
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerai ...
princes and
zaildar
Zaildar was an officer in charge of a Zail which was an administrative unit of group of villages during the Sikh Empire, British Indian Empire in Punjab and Dogra dynasty rule in Jammu and Kashmir (princely state). The Settlement Officer, with ...
s) in the promontories of the western
Himalaya
The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 pea ...
were named after
Shimla
Shimla, also known as Simla ( the official name until 1972), is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India. After independence, the city ...
as the Simla Hill States. These states were ruled mainly by
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
Rajput
Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...
s.
Three quarters of the about , on both sides of the
Sutlej
The Sutlej River or the Satluj River is a major river in Asia, flowing through China, India and Pakistan, and is the longest of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. It is also known as ''Satadru''; and is the easternmost tributary of t ...
river, was the territory of the Raja (earlier Rana) of
Bashahr
Bushahr, also spelt as 'Bashahr' and 'Bussahir' or 'Bushair' was a Rajput princely state in India during the British Raj. It was located in the hilly western Himalaya promontory bordering Tibet.
Bushahar was eighty four miles long, sixty two m ...
. The direct tributaries of Bashahr were :
* the Thakur of Khaneti
* the Thakur of Delath
Initially both Khaneti and Delath were feudatory of
Kumharsain.
The other, all far smaller, princely states, including a few with some petty dependencies of their own, were further south, on the left bank of the Sutlej :
* the Rana (also styled as Rana Saheb) of
Kumharsain. Tributaries of Kumharsain until 1815 were:
** the Rana of Balsan
** the Thakur of Madhan
** the Thakur of Bharauli
* the Thakur of
Beja State
Beja State was a small Princely State in India during the British Raj, in the region that is now Himachal Pradesh. Its capital was at Beja.
The state included 45 villages, over an area of 13 km2 or 5 mi2 which yielded an average reve ...
* the Rana of
Bhaji /Bhajji
* a prince of
Bhagat
Bhagat is a term used in the Indian subcontinent to describe religious figures who have obtained high acclaim in their communities for their acts and devotion. It is also a term ascribed to one of the clans in the Mahar caste, with their clan ...
* the Raja of
Bilaspur (formerly
Kahlur/
Kehloor), entitled to an 11-guns salute
* the Rana of
Darkoti
* the Rana (Shri) of
Dhami
* the Raja (formerly Rana) of
Jubbal, which had two tributaries:
** the Thakur (sahib) of Dhadi State, initially tributary to Tharoch, then to Bashahr and finally in 1896 to Jubbal.
** (title?) Rawin = Rawingarh
* the Raja (formerly Rana) of
Keonthal, where the feudal pyramid included five
zaildar
Zaildar was an officer in charge of a Zail which was an administrative unit of group of villages during the Sikh Empire, British Indian Empire in Punjab and Dogra dynasty rule in Jammu and Kashmir (princely state). The Settlement Officer, with ...
s (
jagirdars collecting a special tax) :
** a Jagirdar Gundh
** a Jagirdar Madhan = Kiari
** the Rana Sahib of
Koti (since 1815)
** the Thakur Saheb (also styled as Rana) of Ratesh (popularly known as Kot, 'fortress')
** the Rana of
Theog
Theog is a town and a municipal committee as well as a tehsil in Shimla district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is 30 km from state capital Shimla and 37 km from ISBT Shimla. First settlements were in 1902.
Demographics
Ind ...
* the Thakur of
Kunihar
* the Rana of
Kuthar
* the Thakur of
Mahlog
* the Rana of
Mangal
* the Raja of
Nalagarh
Nalagarh is a city and a municipal committee, near the city of Solan in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Nalagarh is a gateway to Himachal Pradesh in North India, from Shimla, from Delhi and from Chandigarh.
Hist ...
* the Thakur (or Rai Mian) of
Sangri State
* the Thakur (originally titled Rana up to the occupation by the Gurkhas; Thakurs from 1815 to 1929) of Tharoch = Tiroch
*
''NB'' - For various of the entities above, the authentic title of the chieftain is missing. While some of the lowest ranking may have had none, for the princes that can merely be due to insufficient sources available
The princely states of the Simla Hills all ultimately became part of the modern Indian state of
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...
.
States of the Punjab Hills
Some nearby Hindu and Sikh states include :
* the Maharaja of
Kangra,
* the Raja (Saheb) of
Chamba, entitled to an 11
gun salute
A gun salute or cannon salute is the use of a piece of artillery to fire shots, often 21 in number (''21-gun salute''), with the aim of marking an honor or celebrating a joyful event. It is a tradition in many countries around the world.
Histo ...
* the Raja of
Mandi,
* the Raja of
Suket,
* the Raja of
Siba, no salute, as Siba was not fully part of the British Indian Empire, only Siba Jagir (Jagir of Mian Devi Singh) up to Kotla.
* etc.
Demographics
Shimla Hill States
Notes
References
Sources and external links
Indian Princely States website* Punjab State Gazetteer
hen Punjab was much larger vol. VIII, ''Gazetteer of the Simla Hill States 1910''
Himachal Pradesh State's official websiteand various links therefrom (click on map or names) to official sites of the state's districts
{{Princely states of the Punjab and Simla Hills
Princely states of Punjab
Princely states of Himachal Pradesh
History of Haryana