Patiala State

Patiala was a princely state of India. It was one of the Phulkian States that acceded to the Union of India upon Indian independence and partition in 1947. It was founded as a kingdom by Ala Singh in 1762. During the reign of MaharajaKaram Singh from 1813 to 1845, Patiala was the second-largest Sikh state in Punjab. After the collapse of the Sikh Empire, Patiala emerged in the mid-19th century as a powerful state, leading to greater revenue and territory, with the patronage of the arts. The state's ruler, the Maharaja of Patiala, was entitled to a 17-gun salute and held precedence over all other princes in Punjab during the British Raj. The state was ruled by Jat Sikhs of the Sidhu clan.

The kingdom's imperial troops also fought in World War I and World War II on behalf of the British Indian Empire.