Hill States of India

Prior to the late 1940's, the region that is now classified as Jammu and Himachal Pradesh was termed the "Punjab Hills".^[1] The Punjab Hills are around 483 kilometres (300 miles) long and 161 kilometres (100 miles) wide.^[1] It consisted of a range of foot-hills, known as the Shivalik Range, meeting the Punjab Plains.^[1] The hills of the region are stony and rough.^[1]

The term Dogra 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 and Chenab rivers and was derived from a tribal name.^[2] In medieval times the term became Dugar, which later turned into Dogra. Kalhana's Rajatarangini 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.^[3]

Prior to the arrival of the Dogras in the region, the local inhabitants of the Durgara region were likely Khasas and Kanets, who originally inhabited the Western Himalayan-range.^[4] Migrations of Dogri-speaking peoples later followed.^[4] The Dogras claim descent from migrants who originated from the present-day regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal prior to the Islamic invasions of the Indian subcontinent.^[4] Most of the ruling families of the Pahari Hill States traditionally trace their ancestry back to Ayodhya, claiming descent from Sumitra, who was the last descendant of the Suryavanshi lineage of Rama.^[5] An ancestor named Jambu Lochan is said to have first moved to the Jammu region, where he established the settlement of Jammu.^[5] According to local mythology, Jambu decided to construct a settelement 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.^[6] From there onwards, branches of the family spread-out to conquer the surrounding mountainous areas of the region, establishing their own dynasties.^[5]

In around the year 850, the Dogras came to power in Jammu, being establshed by Raja Bhuj or Bhuj Dev.^[7] The centres of power for the Dogra rulers at this era were Bahu, Babbapura (Babor), and Jammu.^[7] 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 (r. 920–940).^[7]

The earliest type of administration in the region consisted of reigns by feudal cheiftains, referred to as a thakur or rana.^[8] This form of government gradually shifted to one that was hereditary based on primogeniture, leading to the formation of dynasties.^[8] 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.^[8] By the tenth century, the following prominent Dogra states arose in the Pahari Hills region of the Western Himalayas:^[8]

There is a mention in Kalhana's Rajatarangini of three Dogra rulers, namely Kirti and Vajradhara of Babbapura and Umadhara.^[7] All three of these rulers are also mentioned in the Vansavali (genealogy) of the Jammu ruling house, albeit with minor variations.^[7] The Jammu rulers were close with the Kashmiri rulers, such as during the reign of Kalasa and Bhikshachara.^[8] The Dogra-ruler Vajradhara is said to have allied with Trigarta (Kangra), Vallapura (Balaor), Vartula (Batal), and Thakkuras of the Chandrabhaga Valley, to pledge alliegance to Bhikshachara of Kashmir.^[7] Bhikshachara asceded to the throne of Kashmir in 1120.^[7]

The Mughals were aggressive toward the small states of the Western Himalayas, with Akbar declaring himself as their sovereign ruler.^[8] Twenty-two of the hill states recognized the sovereignty of Akbar and each dispatched a local prince to the Mughal court.^[8] The princes would effectively be hostages to ensure that the small hill states would act courteous to the Mughal authority.^[8] 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.^[8] During the reign of Akbar 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.^[7]

During the 17th, 18th, and early 19th century, there were thirty-five feudal states located in the Punjab Hills.^[1] Each state was ruled by a Rajput ruler.^[1] Around two-thirds of the states were patrons of painting.^[1] The following were some of the polities (kingdoms and principalities) located in the Punjab Hills region during the pre-colonial period:^[1]

The Punjab Hills could be further subdivided into three areas:^[1]

1. 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.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[1] The third row was deeper into the mountains and contained the hill states of Bhau, Chanehni, Bhadrawah, and Kashtwar.^[1] 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.^[1]
2. Central area – located to the southeast of the northwest sub-region mentioned above.^[1] Two of Punjab's rivers, the Ravi and Beas, flows through this sub-region.^[1] The hill states that were located in this area were: Nurpur, Guler, Kotla, Chamba, Siba, Datarpur, Kangra, Kutlehr, Jaswan, and Bangahal.^[1] The most powerful states of this sub-region were Chamba and Kangra states, who dominated the area.^[1]
3. Southeast area – located to the southeast of the central sub-region mentioned above.^[1] It contains nine hill states (not including the Shimla Hills): Kulu, Mandi, Suket, Kahlur (Bilaspur), Baghal (Arki), Hindur (Nalagarh), Sirmur (Nahan), Bashahr, and Garhwal.^[1] This was the largest sub-region and it contained around half the total area of the Punjab Hills.^[1] Kulu and Bashahr states were the furthest away from the Punjab Plains, with them bordering the high Himalayan mountain-ranges beyond.^[1]

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, 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 and were later divided between India's constituent states of Punjab (proper), Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

28 princely states (including feudatory princes and zaildars) in the promontories of the western Himalaya were named after Shimla as the Simla Hill States.^[9] These states were ruled mainly by Hindu Rajputs.^[10][11]

Three quarters of the about 4,800 square miles (12,000 km²), on both sides of the Sutlej river, was the territory of the Raja (earlier Rana) of Bashahr. 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
• the Rana of Bhaji /Bhajji
• a prince of Bhagat
• 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 zaildars (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
• the Thakur of Kunihar
• the Rana of Kuthar
• the Thakur of Mahlog
• the Rana of Mangal
• the Raja of Nalagarh
• 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.

Some nearby Hindu and Sikh states include :

• the Maharaja of Kangra,
• the Raja (Saheb) of Chamba, entitled to an 11 gun salute
• 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.

• Indian Princely States website
• Punjab State Gazetteer [then Punjab was much larger], vol. VIII, Gazetteer of the Simla Hill States 1910
• Himachal Pradesh State's official website and various links therefrom (click on map or names) to official sites of the state's districts