The Hill States of India were
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
s lying in the northern border regions of the
British Indian Empire
The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Q ...
.
History
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 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 ...
, 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,* Quote: “The first collective use (of the word "dominion") occurred at the Colonial Conference (April to May 1907) when the title was conferred upon Canada and Australia. New Zealand and N ...
and were later divided between
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
's constituent states of Punjab (proper),
Haryana
Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ar ...
and
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
.
Simla Hills
![Chamba Kangra Bilaspur Mandi Kulu 1911](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Chamba_Kangra_Bilaspur_Mandi_Kulu_1911.jpeg)
28
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
s (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 suzerain. W ...
princes and
zaildar
Zaildar was the title of the grand jagirdars (landlords) of the area, who were in charge of a Zail which was an administrative unit of group of villages during the British Indian Empire. The Settlement Officer, with the advice of the Deputy Co ...
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 planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
were named after
Shimla
Shimla (; ; also known as Simla, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Himachal Pradesh, the official name until 1972) is the capital and the largest city of the States and union territories of India, northern Indian state of Himachal Prade ...
as the Simla Hill States. These states were ruled mainly by
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
s.
Three quarters of the about , on both sides of the
Sutlej
The Sutlej or Satluj River () is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroads region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. The Sutlej River is also known as ''Satadru''. It is the easternmost tributary of the Ind ...
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 in the northern part of colonial Punjab region.
...
. The direct tributaries of Bashahr were :
* the Thakur of Khaneti
* the Thakur of Delath
Initially both Khaneti and Delath were feudatory of
Kumharsain
Kumarsain (; ), also known as Kumharsain, is a sub-division, a tehsil and a village in Shimla District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Formerly under the British Raj, it was the capital of princely state of Kumharsain, which was one of ...
.
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
Kumarsain (; ), also known as Kumharsain, is a sub-division, a tehsil and a village in Shimla District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Formerly under the British Raj, it was the capital of princely state of Kumharsain, which was one of ...
. 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
Bhagat is a term used in the Indian subcontinent to describe religious personalities who have obtain high acclaim in their community for their services and devoutness.It is also one of the clan in Mahar caste with clan totem as King Cobrahttp:/ ...
* the Raja of
Bilaspur (formerly
Kahlur
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 dynasty.Raja Bir Chand 697-730 was the fou ...
/
Kehloor
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 dynasty.Raja Bir Chand 697-730 was the fou ...
), entitled to an 11-guns salute
* the Rana of
Darkoti
Darkoti State was one of the Princely states of India during the period of the British Raj. Its last ruler signed the accession to the Dominion of India on 15 April 1948. Currently, it is part of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
History
Acc ...
* the Rana (Shri) of
Dhami
* the Raja (formerly Rana) of
Jubbal
Jubbal is a tehsil, town and a nagar panchayat in Shimla district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh which shares its boundary with the state of Uttrakhand towards south-east. Jubbal is recognised as a major apple producing area in Shimla ...
, 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
Keonthal State, covering an area of 482 km2, was one of the Princely states of India during the period of the British Raj. Its capital was Junga. Keonthal acceded to India on 15 April 1948. Currently, it is part of the Indian state of Himachal ...
, where the feudal pyramid included five
zaildar
Zaildar was the title of the grand jagirdars (landlords) of the area, who were in charge of a Zail which was an administrative unit of group of villages during the British Indian Empire. The Settlement Officer, with the advice of the Deputy Co ...
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's just 26 km from state capital Shimla. First settlements were in 1902.
Demographics/History
India census, Theog ...
* the Thakur of
Kunihar
Kunihar is a valley town in the Solan district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, which is also known as "Hatkot" and "Choti Vilayat." Kunihar is situated, alongside Kuni Rivulet,a small river or Khad in shape of garland or Har so is th ...
* the Rana of
Kuthar
* the Thakur of
Mahlog
Mehlog or Mah(i)log was a princely state of India before and during the colonial British Raj. In 1940 it had a population of 8,631 and an area of . The capital city was Patta.
On 15 April 1948 Mahlog acceded to the Indian Union. Later it was ...
* the Rana of
Mangal
Mangal Rajgan (or Manghal, Mangla) is a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
People with the given name
*Mangal (singer), Afghan singer
*Mangal Bagh (born 1973), Pakistani militant leader
*Mangal Dhillon, Indian actor ...
* 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.
Geography
Nalagarh is a gateway to Himachal Pradesh in North India, from Shimla, from Delhi and from Chandigar ...
* 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 (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
.
States of the Punjab Hills
Some nearby Hindu and Sikh states include :
* the Maharaja of
Kangra,
* the Raja (Saheb) of
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 ...
, 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
Mandi may refer to:
Places
* Mandı, Azerbaijan
India
* Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir
* Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh
** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
,
* the Raja of
Suket,
* the Raja of
Siba Siba or SIBA may refer to:
Places
* Siba, Luocheng County, Guangxi, China, a town
* Siba State, a princely state of India until 1947
* Siba subdistrict, Basra Governorate, Iraq
* Šiba, a village in Bardejov District, Slovakia
* Siba Castle, ...
, 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.
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 Himachal Pradesh
History of Punjab
History of Punjab, India
History of Haryana