ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SIKH STATES</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="SIKH,STATES"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279SIKH STATES, Political conditions in eighteenth-century India fostered the rise of diverse contenders for power and the creation of new forms of organization. The emergence of Sikh-ruled territorial units was a specially notable development during this period. The Mu<u>gh</u>al authority was withering throughout India and it had many ambitious successors in Punjab. Besides the Mu<u>gh</u>al agents trying desperately to reassert imperial authority, they included Persians led by N&#257dir Sh&#257h, Af<u>gh</u>&#257ns having the backing and support of Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299, some Mar&#257&#7789h&#257 chieftains moving northwards, and eventually a number of European freebooters such as George Thomas. In this political maelstrom where they had many enemies and few possible allies, the Sikhs organized themselves for self-protection into <i>jath&#257s</i> or small armed bands and, by the mid-eighteenth century, into a confederacy of twelve <i>misls. Misl</i> as a word means a rank, file or a group of equals and in actuality it was a voluntary army recruited from a political area. Gradually, the <i>misls</i> extended their protection and domination over specific tracts in return for financial considerations and came to assume a position of political sovereignty over their clients, who sometimes were not Sikhs. Eleven of the <i>misls</i>, the &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257, Bh&#257&#7749g&#299, &#7692allev&#257l&#299&#257, Faizullapur&#299&#257 (Si&#7749ghpur&#299&#257), Kanhaiy&#257, Karo&#7771si&#7749gh&#299&#257, Naka&#299, Nish&#257nv&#257l&#299&#257, R&#257mga&#7771h&#299&#257, Shah&#299d, and the Sukkarchakk&#299&#257 originated in the M&#257jh&#257 area or the B&#257r&#299 Do&#257b between the Be&#257s and the R&#257v&#299 rivers while the twelfth, the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749, settled in the M&#257lv&#257 area south of the Sutlej river.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In January 1764, the Sikhs crossed the Sutlej under the command of Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257 and pushed their arms up to Sirhind, accurst from its association with the execution of the two infant sons of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh. The Af<u>gh</u>&#257n governor, Zain <u>Kh</u>&#257n, was killed in battle and the town given up to plunder. The Sikhs now had a free run of the country and they ranged abroad unchecked obtaining the surrender of far-flung provinces. In the aftermath of the campaign, members of the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 <i>misl</i> soon established their claims to statehood. They included &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, Ham&#299r Si&#7749gh of N&#257bh&#257, Gajpat Si&#7749gh of J&#299nd, and Des&#363 Si&#7749gh of Kaithal. Some of the trans-Sutlej <i>misls</i> also gained a foothold south of the Sutlej from the spoils of conquest. Many <i>misls</i> had their most extensive expansion during the latter decades of the eighteenth century, but the aggrandizement increasingly took place at the expense of one another rather than from a domestic or foreign Muslim overlord. The almost continuous warfare corroded the <i>misl</i> form of organization and weakened the ideal of a Sikh commonwealth. At this disheartening juncture a Sikh <i>sard&#257r</i> with a broader political vision, Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh of the Sukkarchakk&#299&#257 <i>misl</i>, emerged. In 1799, he entered Lahore and then began to extend outward his kingdom of Punjab, at first largely with the estates of other Sikh <i>misld&#257rs</i> and then with the possessions of non-Sikhs. In the trans-Sutlej region, the &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257 state of Kap&#363rthal&#257 continued in uneasy existence as a close ally of Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh while most other <i>misls</i> became extinct. The cis-Sutlej Sikh states of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, N&#257bh&#257, J&#299nd, Kaithal, Far&#299dko&#7789, and Kals&#299&#257 generally maintained friendly relations with the gradually encroaching Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh but slowly began to fear his ambition despite his gifts of crumbs of territory from his nearby annexations. Several began negotiations with the rising British power to the south and, in 1809, Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, N&#257bh&#257, J&#299nd, Kaithal, Far&#299dko&#7789, and Kals&#299&#257 secured their future under British protection in return for pledges of military assistance when needed. Eventually in 1826, Sard&#257r Fateh Si&#7749gh of Kap&#363rthal&#257 also received British protection for his cis-Sutlej estates while those across the river remained under the guarantee of Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh and his successors. Meanwhile, in 1843, most of the Kaithal state escheated to the British upon the death without issue of its chief, Bh&#257&#299 Udai Si&#7749gh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The first significant test of the alliance with the British came with the Anglo-Sikh war in 1845-46. When confronted with the demand to support a foreign power against brother Sikhs, the response of the Sikh states varied. Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, J&#299nd, Far&#299dko&#7789 and Kals&#299&#257 promptly committed their resources to the British while N&#257bh&#257, Kap&#363rthal&#257 and L&#257&#7693v&#257 hesitated or fought along with the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257. The loyalists were rewarded with honours and grants of captured territory while the others, like L&#257&#7693v&#257, forfeited all their privileges or lost part of their territory like Kap&#363rthal&#257 and N&#257bh&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1849, the British formally annexed the kingdom of the Punjab and all the trans-Sutlej <i>misls</i> lost their remnants of political sovereignty, though not necessarily their social, religious, or economic prestige. When the British were next challenged militarily in the revolt of 1857 the conspicuous aid of the Sikh princes was most helpful in holding the newly appended Punjab and in recovering the historical locus of imperial authority at Delhi. Now the British finalized their relationship with their Sikh client princes for the next century. Queen Victoria renounced any further annexation and later granted to them the right to adopt heirs so that none of them would suffer the fate of L&#257&#7693v&#257 or Kaithal. Moreover, the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 rulers of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, N&#257bh&#257, and J&#299nd received the distinctive boons of consultation in the selection of an heir from the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 family if any one of them died without utilizing his right of adoption and in the formation of the council of regency when one of their states was under minority rule. More immediate signs of favour were titles, honorary orders, remissions of tribute payments, monetary rewards and land. Since the new estates were usually confiscated from British opponents, they only campounded the dispersion of state territories. Kap&#363rthal&#257 received estates in Oudh, and Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, N&#257bh&#257 and J&#299nd acquired districts in Hary&#257&#7751&#257. Until 1947, the Sikh states of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, N&#257bh&#257, J&#299nd, Far&#299dko&#7789, Kap&#363rthal&#257 and Kals&#299&#257 would continue as internally autonomous islands in the sea of British Indian Punjab and would serve as reservoirs of military personnel and material whenever the British <i>r&#257j</i> was threatened on its northwestern frontier or during the wars in China, Africa, and Europe.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The remarkable longevity of these Sikh states may be attributed to their geographical location between a series of opposing political forces and their symbolic role and value as a Sikh political power. These states first served as a buffer between the Mu<u>gh</u>als at Delhi, the invading Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s and the M&#257jh&#257 Sikh <i>misls</i> and then between the British and Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After India became independent, all the Sikh states were grouped together, along with the Muslim state of M&#257lerko&#7789l&#257 and the Hindu state of N&#257l&#257ga&#7771h, to form the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU). In 1956, PEPSU was merged with East Punjab but this consolidated state was further realigned in 1966 when Punjab and Hary&#257&#7751&#257 were created as separate Punjabi and Hindi-speaking units.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The states whose individual histories are delineated in the following section are referred to as Sikh states primarily because their rulers were Sikhs. With the exception of Far&#299dko&#7789, they never contained an absolute Sikh majority population. Like the British Indian province of the Punjab, the Sikh states registered a steady increase in Sikh population during the twentieth century. In the premier Sikh state of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 a comparison of the census figures from 1881 to 1931 reveals that the Hindu population declined from 50.1% in 1881 to 38.2 % in 1931 and the Muslim minority remained steady, being 21.9 % in 1881 and 22.4 % in 1931.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Sikh princes allied themselves with a wide spectrum of political and social factions within Sikh revivalism during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The first Sikh ruler to be involved prominently was R&#257j&#257 Bikram Si&#7749gh of Far&#299dko&#7789. He participated in the Amritsar Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 and contributed generously to various Sikh educational projects. While the Far&#299dko&#7789 R&#257j&#257 supported the more conservative Amritsar Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257, Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 H&#299r&#257 Si&#7749gh of N&#257bh&#257 and Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 R&#257jinder Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 sustained Sikh newspapers which were associated with the rival Lahore Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257. All the Sikh princes donated substantially to the establishment of <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College at Amritsar and were rewarded with seats on the college council and managing committee and honorary posts like the Chancellorship. In the twentieth century, the heirs of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 H&#299r&#257 Si&#7749gh and Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 R&#257jinder Si&#7749gh, Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ripudaman Si&#7749gh of N&#257bh&#257 and Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Bh&#363pinder Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, expanded their involvement in Sikh political, religious, and cultural activities but also used these spheres to contest their state and personal rivalries.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;PA&#7788I&#256L&#256, the first Sikh state to acquire symbols of political sovereignty, eventually outlasted all of its formidable rivals to emerge as the premier Sikh state of India. In 1931, its population of 16,25,520, its area of 5,942 square miles and its annual revenues of almost one and a half crores were more than the combined totals in these categories of the other five Sikh states of J&#299nd, N&#257bh&#257, Far&#299dko&#7789, Kap&#363rthal&#257, and Kals&#299&#257. Part of its prestige was also attributable to its leading position in the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 <i>misl</i> which had been fortuitously located between the advancing armies of Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh and the British East India Company. In the twentieth century, its prominence had been further enhanced by the ubiquity of father and son, Mah&#257r&#257j&#257s Bh&#363pinder Si&#7749gh and Y&#257davinder Si&#7749gh, in Sikh affairs and in all-India politics.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 <i>misl</i> traced its ancestry to Jaisal, a Bha&#7789&#7789&#299 R&#257jp&#363t, who founded Jaisalmer state in AD 1180. Ph&#363l (d. 1652), from whose name the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 house (Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, N&#257bh&#257, J&#299nd), derived its appellation, was the first member of the family to come into recorded contact with Sikhism. He was blessed with power and plenty by Gur&#363 Har R&#257i, the Seventh Sikh Gur&#363, during his travels in the M&#257lv&#257. Ph&#363l, whose name means flower, had seven sons by two wives. The first was Tilok Si&#7749gh (Tilok&#257) who was the ancestor of the houses of N&#257bh&#257 and J&#299nd, and the second was R&#257m Si&#7749gh (R&#257m&#257) who was the forefather of the rulers of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;R&#257m Si&#7749gh and Tilok Si&#7749gh were devoted disciples of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh who had called upon them by a <i>hukamn&#257m&#257</i> of 2 August 1696 for a detachment of cavalry and had blessed their houses as his own ---<i>ter&#257 ghar mer&#257 asai</i>. They helped Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur, the first Sikh ruler (1710-16), with men and money in his early exploits. B&#257b&#257 &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh (1696-1765), the third son of R&#257m Si&#7749gh, was a brave soldier and a shrewd politician, and was successful in carving out the principality of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 During much of his early career, he was engaged in intermittent warfare with the Bha&#7789&#7789&#299s and the Af<u>gh</u>&#257ns. By 1732, he had conquered a vast territory around Barn&#257l&#257 which served as his headquarters. In the forties and fifties during the Durr&#257n&#299-Mu<u>gh</u>al clashes in the Punjab, &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh extended his hold over a number of villages in the <i>sark&#257r</i> of Sirhind and had occupied important towns like Sun&#257m, Sam&#257&#7751&#257, Sanaur and &#7788oh&#257&#7751&#257. In 1763, he laid the foundation of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 Fort, the present Qil&#257 Mub&#257rak, around which Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 town grew up in due course. &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh was a close associate of Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257 in the conquest of Sirhind in 1764, and purchased the town from Bh&#257&#299 Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 Si&#7749gh to whom it was assigned by the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257. Q&#257z&#299 N&#363r Muhammad tells us in his <i>Ja&#7749g N&#257m&#257</i> that during his seventh invasion (1764-65), Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299 summoned &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh to his presence, treated him with respect and bestowed upon him a drum and a banner, <i>Tabl-o-'Alam</i>, as insignia of royalty. B&#257b&#257 &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh died in August 1765 and was succeeded by his grandson, Amar Si&#7749gh (1748-81) who received the title of R&#257ja-i-R&#257jg&#257n from the Durr&#257n&#299 king. He formed a number of alliances and fought a wide variety of opponents and so expanded Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 that it became the most powerful state between the Jamun&#257 and the Sutlej. After his death in February 1781, Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Amar Si&#7749gh was succeeded by his seven-year-old son, S&#257hib Si&#7749gh (1772-1813). The weak administration of the minor chief encouraged internal refractories and external adventurers to exploit the situation. It was, however, saved by his heroic sister, B&#299b&#299 S&#257hib Kaur, who for some time, took the reins of the government into her hands. She was an able administrator and a brave soldier. It was through her personal dash and daring that she was able to save Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and its neighbourhood from the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s at a critical moment when, in 1794, they crossed the Jamun&#257, subdued a number of small chiefs and moved in the direction of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257. After S&#257hib Kaur's death, the real power in the state passed on to R&#257&#7751&#299 &#256s Kaur, the wife of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257. Like S&#257hib Kaur, she too saved the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 state from extinction in its critical years.. She steered the administration in a wise manner during her husband's last years and the minority of her son, Karam Si&#7749gh (1798-1845), who succeeded his fattier in 1813. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Karam Si&#7749gh helped the British in 1814 in opposing the Gurkh&#257 expansion in the Punjab hills and secured a large tract in the Himalayan foothills. He was an able ruler who not only set his own house in order, but also made up the mutual differences between the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 chiefs ---Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, N&#257bh&#257 and J&#299nd, and Bh&#257&#299 Udai Si&#7749gh of Kaithal by an agreement signed at Bhav&#257n&#299ga&#7771h in May 1834. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Karam Si&#7749gh paid special attention towards Sikh historical places and saw that every Sikh <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> in the state had a good building and a proper <i>j&#257g&#299r</i> attached to it.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Narinder Si&#7749gh (1824-1862), who succeeded his father Karam Si&#7749gh on his death in 1845, aided the British with supplies and carriage during the first Anglo-Sikh war and was amply rewarded with estates from N&#257bh&#257 and a house from L&#257&#7693v&#257. Once the Sikh Darbar at Lahore was extinguished in 1849, the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 ruler came to be acknowledged as a political spokesman for the Sikh community. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Narinder Si&#7749gh cemented his alliance with the British by his ready support of guns, carriage, loans, and troops in 1857. Once again Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 was compensated with new titles, honours, estates, and a seat on the newly enlarged Viceroy's Legislative Council (1862) for its ruler. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Narinder Si&#7749gh was a great builder and also a patron of art and literature. He set up in 1861 an <i>akh&#257&#7771&#257</i> of Nirmal&#257 Sikhs which is known as Dharam Dhuj&#257. He also raised a beautiful <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> at the site associated with the visit of Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur just opposite Moti B&#257<u>gh</u> Palace. Narinder Si&#7749gh died on 13 November 1862 and was succeeded by his ten-year-old son, Mohinder Si&#7749gh (1852-76). Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Mohinder Si&#7749gh is known for his patronage of learning, works of public utility and for measures connected with the improvement and general well-being of his people. He spent millions of rupees on the Sirhind Canal project, contributed seventy thousand rupees to the University College in Lahore, and established Mohindra College in Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 in 1875, providing free education to all who studied in that college. His noble work was continued by his son R&#257jinder Si&#7749gh, who ascended the throne of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 after his father's death in April 1876 and died in November 1900 at the age of 28.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bh&#363pinder Si&#7749gh, born in October 1891, was only nine years old when he succeeded his father. He developed into a first class sportsman, an astute politician and an able administrator, and it was he who was mostly responsible for giving Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 a prominent place on the political map of India. He was practically a life-Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes. He attended the Imperial War Conference in 1918 as a representative of the Indian states. He was also chosen as one of the representatives of the Princes for the Round Table Conference in London in 1930. A great patron of art and literature, his collections of great historical, artistic and zoological interest were highly admired by all who happened to see them. His efforts for the development of Punjabi language deserve highest commendation. He was the only prince to raise it to the position of the court language. It was at his suggestion that the Remingtons invented the Gurmukh&#299 type script. In the field of sports, Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sir Bh&#363pinder Si&#7749gh was an international figure and was known all over the world for his polo and cricket.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sir Y&#257davinder Si&#7749gh (1913-74), who succeeded his father on his death in 1938, had his education at Aitchison College, Lahore, and was an enlightened ruler with varied interests. He did a lot for the welfare of his people and was a guiding light in the politics of the Princely order. He became the Pro-Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes in 1943. He took a leading part in the negotiations with the Cabinet Mission in 1946. He moulded the views of the ruling Princes in line with the progressive leaders of the country. His greatest service to India was in having saved it from further division into Hindust&#257n and one or more R&#257j&#257sth&#257ns (in addition to Pakistan). He not only opposed this balkanization of India but gathered around him a number of patriotic princes and strengthened the hands of the Indian National Congress in opposing the machinations of anti-national elements. He himself was one of the first princes who acceded to the Union of India and helped in integration of the country with the formation of State Union on the lines of British Indian provinces. The Covenant of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and East Punjab States Union was signed on 5 May 1948. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Y&#257davinder Si&#7749gh served as R&#257jpramukh of PEPSU until 1956 when PEPSU and Punjab were merged. Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 city then lost its place as a capital but retained certain institutions like the Punjab State Archives and gained new ones like the National Institute of Sports and Punjabi University.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;J&#298ND, one of the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 states, was the creation of Gajpat Si&#7749gh (1738-89) who was the middle son of Sukhchain Si&#7749gh (d. 1751), the younger brother of Gurdit Si&#7749gh, of the ruling family of N&#257bh&#257. In 1764, Gajpat Si&#7749gh joined the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Dal under Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257 and took part in the conquest of Sirhind. He then seized the districts of J&#299nd and Saf&#299do&#7749 and overran P&#257n&#299pat and Karn&#257l. Unlike other Sikh chiefs, he continued his relation with the Mu<u>gh</u>al court in Delhi also and paid revenue to the emperor. He obtained the title of R&#257j&#257 under a royal <i>farm&#257n</i> from Emperor Sh&#257h &#256lam II in February 1772. From this time Gajpat Si&#7749gh assumed the style of an independent chief and coined money. He was on war with the N&#257bh&#257 chief and had seized Amloh, Bh&#257dso&#7749 and Sa&#7749gr&#363r in 1774. Amar Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and chiefs of Bha&#7749g&#299 and Kanhaiy&#257 <i>misls</i> compelled him to relinquish the first town to N&#257bh&#257 but Gajpat Si&#7749gh retained Sa&#7749gr&#363r which eventually became the capital of J&#299nd state. The daughter of R&#257j&#257 Gajpat Si&#7749gh, R&#257j Kaur, was married to Mah&#257&#7749 Si&#7749gh of the Sukkarchakk&#299&#257 <i>misl</i> and she was the one who gave birth to Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gajpat Si&#7749gh died in 1789 and was succeeded to the <i>gadd&#299</i> by his elder son, Bh&#257g Si&#7749gh (1768-1819), the younger, Ka&#7749var, Bh&#363p Si&#7749gh, taking the estate of Ba&#7693rukkh&#257&#7749. Like his father, R&#257j&#257 Bh&#257g Si&#7749gh was also a close ally of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257. He joined the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 army under B&#299b&#299 S&#257hib Kaur in 1794 against the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s, who were repulsed by her from Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 state. He was mainly responsible for the check to the advance of George Thomas towards the Sikh territories and later on of General Perron of the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257 service. He maintained friendly relations with the British government and accompanied Lord Lake up to River Be&#257s in pursuit of Jasvant R&#257o Holk&#257r. He also invited Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh to settle disputes among the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 chiefs. A wise politician, he gained in territory both from the British and the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;R&#257j&#257 Bh&#257g Si&#7749gh died in 1819 and was succeeded by his son, Fateh Si&#7749gh. R&#257j&#257 Fateh Si&#7749gh died in 1822 and his place was taken by Sa&#7749gat Si&#7749gh who died childless in 1834. Then followed a protracted debate among the British government and the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 chiefs and <i>j&#257g&#299rd&#257rs</i> over whether the state should escheat to the British and who had the best claim to succeed if it did not. After rejecting the claims of N&#257bh&#257 and Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, the British decided in 1837 in favour of Sar&#363p Si&#7749gh (1812-64) of Baz&#299dpur and declared that he would inherit only those portions, namely J&#299nd, Sa&#7749gr&#363r arid Saf&#299do&#7749, which had been acquired by R&#257j&#257 Gajpat Si&#7749gh from whom he claimed descent. The remainder of J&#299nd state which had been received as grants from Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh would be divided between the British and Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh with the former taking all estates granted before the treaty of 1809 and the latter resuming grants made afterwards. It was by this decision that the British obtained Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257. R&#257j&#257 Sar&#363p Si&#7749gh was very tall and physically well-built. Sir Lepel Griffin, writes in his <i>The R&#257j&#257s of the Punjab</i> : "In person and presence he was eminently princely and the stalwart Sikh race could hardly show a taller or stronger man. Clad in armour, as he loved to be, at the head of his troops there was perhaps no other Prince in India who bore himself so gallantly and looked so true a soldier." Sar&#363p Si&#7749gh had cordial relations with the British and was rewarded with D&#257dr&#299 in Hary&#257&#7751&#257, and thirteen more villages near Sa&#7749gr&#363r, a house at Delhi, and an eleven-gun salute.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sar&#363p Si&#7749gh died in 1864 and was succeeded by his son, Raghb&#299r Si&#7749gh (1832-87) who rebuilt the town of Sa&#7749gr&#363r on the model of Jaipur. He helped the British with men and money during the second Af<u>gh</u>&#257n war in 1878-80 and was rewarded with the title of R&#257j&#257-i-R&#257jg&#257n in perpetuity. Upon his death in 1887, his eight-year-old grandson, Ranb&#299r Si&#7749gh (1879-1948) succeeded him as his only son, Balb&#299r Si&#7749gh, had predeceased him. Ranb&#299r Si&#7749gh was invested with ruling powers in 1899. Deaf from a relatively early age, Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ranb&#299r Si&#7749gh lived until 1948 and witnessed fifty momentous years from his <i>gadd&#299</i>. The Dh&#363r&#299-Jakhal and Jind-P&#257n&#299pat Railway lines were laid during his reign. He received the title of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 in 1911. Ra&#7751b&#299r Si&#7749gh died early in 1948 and was succeeded by his son, R&#257jb&#299r Si&#7749gh, during whose time the J&#299nd state joined the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and East Punjab States Union.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;J&#299nd, which consisted of the three dispersed <i>niz&#257mats</i> of Sangr&#363r, J&#299nd and D&#257dr&#299, ranked second among the Sikh states in area (1,299 square miles) and population (3,24,676 in 1931). Its revenues in the 1930's averaged around twenty-five lakhs annually which placed it fourth behind Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, Kap&#363rthal&#257 and N&#257bh&#257, and reflected the arid character of D&#257dr&#299, the largest district of the state, near the R&#257jasth&#257n desert. Its Sikh population was only 10% of the total in 1931 while Hindus and Muslims were 75 % and 14% respectively.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;N&#256BH&#256 STATE, founded by Ham&#299r Si&#7749gh, a descendant of B&#257b&#257 Ph&#363l through his eldest son, Tilok Si&#7749gh (d. 1687), belonged to the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 family. Ham&#299r Si&#7749gh added considerably to the estates of Kap&#363rga&#7771h and Sa&#7749gr&#363r which he had inherited from his grandfather, Gurdit Si&#7749gh. He founded the town of N&#257bh&#257 in 1755. In 1764 he joined B&#257b&#257 &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Dal in the conquest of Sirhind and received the <i>pargan&#257</i> of Amloh as his share of the spoil. He then declared his independence and exercised the right of coining money.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On his death in December 1783, Ham&#299r Si&#7749gh was succeeded by his son, Jasvant Si&#7749gh, under the guardianship of his stepmother, R&#257&#7751&#299 Deso, a very resourceful woman. R&#257&#7751&#299 Deso secured the military aid of her son-in-law, S&#257hib Si&#7749gh Bha&#7749g&#299 of Gujr&#257t, and Jai Si&#7749gh of the Kanhaiy&#257 <i>misl</i>, and recovered much of the territory that had been seized by R&#257j&#257 Gajpat Si&#7749gh of J&#299nd. R&#257j&#257 Jasvant Si&#7749gh improved his relations with the J&#299nd chief and succeeded in checking the exploits of the Irish adventurer, George Thomas, with the help of General Perron of the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257 service. He entered into an alliance with Lord Lake in the beginning of the nineteenth century and was formally taken under British protection in May 1809. He helped the British in the Gurkh&#257 war in 1814 and also in the K&#257bul campaign in 1838.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jasvant Si&#7749gh in 1840 and was succeeded by his son, R&#257j&#257 Devinder Si&#7749gh (1822-65). During the first Anglo-Sikh war of 1845-46, Devinder Si&#7749gh whose sympathy was with the Lahore Darb&#257r did not help the British and, in consequence of his conduct, nearly one-fourth of his possessions were confiscated and he was removed from his state, the succession passing to his eldest son, Bharp&#363r Si&#7749gh, then a boy of seven years. Bharp&#363r Si&#7749gh who helped the British in the suppression of the mutiny of 1857 was rewarded with the grant of the division of B&#257wal and K&#257&#7751&#7789&#299, with permission, later on, to purchase a portion of Kanaud sub-division of Jhajjar. Like other Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 chiefs, he was granted the right of adoption, the power of life and death over his subjects and the promise of non-interference by the British in the internal affairs of his state. On his death in 1863, he was succeeded by his brother; Bhagv&#257n Si&#7749gh, who too died eight years later, leaving no son. As there was no near relative to claim the <i>gadd&#299</i> of N&#257bh&#257, H&#299r&#257 Si&#7749gh of the Ba&#7693rukkh&#257&#7749 branch of the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 family was selected in 1871 by the two Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 chiefs of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and J&#299nd and a representative of the British government to be the new ruler.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sir H&#299r&#257 Si&#7749gh (1843-1911) ruled for forty years and did much to improve the image of N&#257bh&#257 with the British and the Sikh community. His contribution of contingents of state troops to fight in most of the major frontier campaigns was duly rewarded by the British government with many honours including the hereditary titles of R&#257j&#257-i-R&#257jg&#257n and Mah&#257r&#257j&#257. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 H&#299r&#257 Si&#7749gh contributed to the establishment of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College at Amritsar, and patronized liberally Max Arthur Macauliffe to write his monumental work, <i>The Sikh Religion</i>. He died in 1911 and was succeeded by his son, Ripudaman Si&#7749gh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ripudaman Si&#7749gh (1883-1942) was a wide-awake ruler. As &#7788ikk&#257 S&#257hib or heir apparent, he was appointed to the Imperial Legislative Council and there gained a certain reputation as a sympathizer with Indian Nationalism. Some disputes between the rulers of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and N&#257bh&#257 enabled the British to intervene and Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ripudaman Si&#7749gh was made to abdicate, in july 1923, the N&#257bh&#257 <i>gadd&#299</i> in favour of his minor son, Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh. His abdication accelerated an Ak&#257l&#299 campaign protesting first that the British had forced him to leave and then that state troops under British direction had interrupted the <i>akha&#7751&#7693 p&#257&#7789h</i> of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib at Jaito. The administration of the state during Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh's minority was entrusted to an administrator appointed by the Government of India. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Prat&#257p Si&#7749gh assumed full powers in 1938 and ruled the state up to August 1948, when it was merged into the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;N&#257bh&#257 was the third largest Sikh state with 947square miles of territory and had the same rank in revenues which were about twenty-eight lakhs but its population in 1931 was 2,87,574 and it ranked fourth behind Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, J&#299nd and Kap&#363rthal&#257. The religious composition of its population in 1931 was 46% Hindu, 34% Sikh and 20% Muslim. 'The state had three <i>niz&#257mats</i>, Ph&#363l, the tract most directly influenced by Sikhism and the centre of the Ja&#7789&#7789 Sikh population, Amloh, the most. fertile area, and B&#257val, the sandy appendage whose Hindus and Hindust&#257n&#299 reflected its position in southwest Hary&#257&#7751&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;KAP&#362RTHAL&#256, the only Sikh state which survived north of the Sutlej until 1947, was founded by Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257 (1718-83), a prominent leader of the Sikhs (hiring the eventful years of the eighteenth century. Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh was the right hand man of Naw&#257b Kap&#363r Si&#7749gh in the organization of the Dal Kh&#257ls&#257 and he took a leading part in the Sikh struggle against the Mu<u>gh</u>al governors of the Punjab, Zakar&#299y&#257 Kh&#257n, Y&#257h&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n and M&#299r Mann&#363. In March 1758, Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257 led the Sikhs against Sirhind when it was captured by the joint forces of the Sikhs and the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s, and also when they occupied Lahore a month later. Although Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299 re-established his influence in the winter of 1759, defeated the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s at P&#257n&#299pat in 1761 and inflicted a heavy loss upon the Sikhs in February 1762, the Sikhs under Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257 rose against him and in 1764 conquered Sirhind. In 1774, Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257 after defeating the Bha&#7789&#7789&#299 chief, R&#257i Ibr&#257h&#299m, acquired the present town of Kap&#363rthal&#257 and made it the capital of the &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257 family. By the time of his death in 1783, he had obtained a vast territory around present-day towns of Kap&#363rthal&#257 and Sult&#257npur Lodh&#299.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh died in 1783 without a male issue, the succession passed on to his second cousin, Bh&#257g Si&#7749gh (1745-1801), son of Laddh&#257 Si&#7749gh. He ruled the state for eighteen years and was succeeded on his death in 1801 by his son, Fateh Si&#7749gh (1784-1836). A great friend of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's, Fateh Si&#7749gh entered into offensive and defensive alliances with him shortly after his father's death, but was rather quickly demoted from the position of equal to that of a subordinate partner. Participating in many of Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's expeditions and military campaigns, Fateh Si&#7749gh gained estates scattered on both sides of the Sutlej from his ally. In 1826, he sought British protection for his cis-Sutlej estates. On his death in 1836, Fateh Si&#7749gh was succeeded by his son Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh (1817-52). Kap&#363rthal&#257 state had a number of <i>pargan&#257s</i> to the south of the River Sutlej. The British expected Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh to ally himself actively with them against the Sikh Darb&#257r during the Anglo-Sikh war of 1845-46. This he could not afford to do as his main territory lay to the north and Lahore-side of Sutlej. The result was that he lost his cis-Sutlej estates and had to pay an annual tribute of 1,38,000 rupees to retain his other estates.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh died in 1852 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Randh&#299r Si&#7749gh (1831-70), whose valuable services to the British during the mutiny of 1857 were rewarded with the title of R&#257j&#257-i-R&#257jg&#257n, the right of adoption and other concessions, and addition to his state of some territories in the United Provinces of &#256gr&#257 and Oudh. He died at Aden in 1870 on his way to England. His son, R&#257j&#257 Kha&#7771ak Si&#7749gh (1850-77), reigned for seven years and on his death, in 1877, was succeeded by his five year-old-son, Jagatj&#299t Si&#7749gh (1872-1949), who was invested with full powers of administration in November 1890, and who received the title of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 in 1911. He developed into a great scholar and traveller and was one of the most cultured princes of his day. He took keen interest in the prosperity of his state and made Kap&#363rthal&#257 a city of beautiful palaces and gardens. On the lapse of British paramountcy in August 1947, the Kap&#363rthal&#257 state acceded to the Indian Union and joined the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) on its formation in 1948, with His Highness Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sir Jagatj&#299t Si&#7749gh as its Up-R&#257jpramukh. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Jagatj&#299t Si&#7749gh was one of the two most widely travelled Indians of his day and India was best known to the outside world by these two names, i.e. Mah&#257tm&#257 G&#257ndh&#299 and Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Jagatj&#299t Si&#7749gh of Kap&#363rthal&#257. In a number of capitals of the world, the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 received a singular honour; i.e. a standing ovation by those present. He died in 1949 and was succeeded by his son, Paramj&#299t Si&#7749gh (1892-1955), who was in turn succeeded by his son Sukhj&#299t Si&#7749gh (b.1934).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Though its area was only 599 square miles and thus fifth among Sikh states, Kap&#363rthal&#257 was situated in fertile, well watered tracts and supported a population of 3,16,757 in 1931 and enjoyed annual revenues around thirty-three lakhs, including its Oudh estates. Its location might have influenced its population as Muslims constituted 57% while Sikhs were 23% and Hindus 17%. It was divided into five <i>tahs&#299ls</i> of Kap&#363rthal&#257, &#7692hilv&#257&#7749, Bholath, Phagw&#257&#7771&#257 and Sult&#257npur Lodh&#299, and Punjabi was the language of most of its inhabitants.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;FAR&#298DKO&#7788 STATE. The ruling house of Far&#299dko&#7789 claimed descent from Br&#257&#7771, the seventeenth in line from Jaisal, the Bha&#7789&#7789&#299 R&#257jp&#363t, from whom the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 rulers and the Bh&#257&#299s of Kaithal also traced their ancestry. Br&#257&#7771 has lent his name to the tribe of the Br&#257&#7771 Ja&#7789&#7789 Sikhs to which the Far&#299dko&#7789 family belongs. He was a contemporary of the Lodh&#299s, and Sa&#7749ghar, a descendant of his, of the Mu<u>gh</u>al emperors, B&#257bar and Hum&#257y&#363&#7749. Sa&#7749ghar is said to have helped Hum&#257y&#363&#7749 in his final victory against Sikandar Sh&#257h Sur in 1555. His son, Bhallan, was a contemporary of Akbar, and was always in armed conflict with the Bha&#7789&#7789&#299s. Bhallan is said to have served Gur&#363 Hargobind in one of his battles against the Mu<u>gh</u>als and received his blessings. He had no male. issue and was succeeded on his death in 1643 by his nephew, Kap&#363r&#257 (1628-1708), son of L&#257l&#257. During his long life, Kap&#363r&#257 had the rare honour of serving Gur&#363 Har R&#257i and Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh during their travels in his part of the country. He was a brave man and soon succeeded in consolidating the family possessions. He founded the town of Ko&#7789 Kap&#363r&#257 in 1661. Kap&#363r&#257 received the <i>p&#257hul</i> or the rites of <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 initiation at the hands of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh and came to be known as Kap&#363r Si&#7749gh. He was killed by '&#298s&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n Mañj who, in turn, fell at the hands of his revengeful sons. Kap&#363r Si&#7749gh was succeeded by son Sukh&#299&#257 Si&#7749gh, who was followed in 1732 by Jodh Si&#7749gh. The latter had strained relations not only with the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 chief but also with his own brothers, Ham&#299r Si&#7749gh and B&#299r Si&#7749gh, who complained against him to the leaders of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Dal. Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257 and Jha&#7751&#7693&#257 Si&#7749gh Bha&#7749g&#299 brought about a compromise among the brothers.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ham&#299r Si&#7749gh (d. 1782) succeeded his brother Jodh Si&#7749gh's son, &#7788ek Si&#7749gh. He built the fort of Far&#299dko&#7789 and made it his capital. His son, Mohar Si&#7749gh (d.1798) was deposed by Cha&#7771hat Si&#7749gh (d. 1804), who, in turn, was attacked and slain by his uncle, Dal Si&#7749gh. And Dal Si&#7749gh was assassinated by a cousin, Fauj&#257 Si&#7749gh, who acted as the guardian of the minor chief, Gul&#257b Si&#7749gh, son of Cha&#7771hat Si&#7749gh. The territory of Far&#299dko&#7789 was invaded and occupied by Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh in 1807. It was restored to Gul&#257b Si&#7749gh two years later in consequence of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257's treaty of 1809 with the British. Gul&#257b Si&#7749gh was murdered in November 1826 and was succeeded by his young son, Atar Si&#7749gh who died soon afterwards in August 1827. Pah&#257&#7771 Si&#7749gh, who succeeded Atar Si&#7749gh was succeeded by his son, Waz&#299r Si&#7749gh who, like other chiefs, placed his resources at the disposal of British government for the suppression of the mutiny of 1857 and was duly rewarded for his loyalty. He died in April 1874 and was succeeded by his son, Bikram Si&#7749gh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A dominant figure in Far&#299dko&#7789 history, R&#257j&#257 Bikram Si&#7749gh gave a good administration to the state. He beautified the town of Far&#299dkot with stately palaces and gardens and encouraged his people in agriculture and trade. He also played a significant role in the organization of the Amritsar <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n. It was he who took elaborate steps to get the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib translated into Punjabi prose with the help of a band of devoted Sikh scholars headed by Bh&#257&#299 Badan Si&#7749gh. He also gave liberal grants for the La&#7749gar at Darb&#257r S&#257hib, Amritsar, and electrification of the Golden Temple.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; R&#257j&#257 Balb&#299r Si&#7749gh (1869-1906) succeeded his father, Bikram Si&#7749gh, in 1898, and ruled for only eight years before being succeeded by his adopted son, Brijindar Si&#7749gh who was formally installed in March 1906. Brij&#299nder Si&#7749gh earned the title of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 by his whole-hearted support for the British during the First World War. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Harinder Si&#7749gh (1915-1989), the last autonomous Far&#299dko&#7789 prince, was educated at Aitchison College, Lahore, as his father had been. He was invested with full ruling powers in October 1934. He assiduously devoted himself to the economic prosperity of the state and educational advancement of his people. On the declaration of Indian independence, Far&#299dko&#7789 acceded to the Union of India and joined the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and East Punjab States-Union (PEPSU) on its formation in 1948.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With an area of 638 square miles, Far&#299dko&#7789 was divided into two <i>tahs&#299ls</i> of Far&#299dko&#7789 and Kot Kapur&#257, lying between Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 state and F&#299rozpur district. Its annual revenues during the 1930's were about eighteen lakhs and ranked fifth among the Sikh states. Still Far&#299dko&#7789 had the distinction of being the only Sikh state in which Sikhs had an absolute majority by 1931. In that year they constituted 57% of the population while Hindus were only 12% and Muslims were 30%.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;KALS&#298&#256 STATE, originally forming part of the territories of the Karo&#7771si&#7749gh&#299&#257 <i>misl</i> founded by Sh&#299am Si&#7749gh of N&#257rl&#299, and later on consolidated by Karo&#7771&#257 Si&#7749gh of Bark&#299 who lent his name to it. After Karo&#7771&#257 Si&#7749gh's death in the battle of Tar&#257o&#7771&#299 in 1761, he was succeeded by Baghel Si&#7749gh of Jhab&#257l who greatly extended his exploits and territories, both to the north and the south of the Sutlej with his headquarters at Hari&#257&#7751a in Hoshi&#257rpur district, and Chhalaud&#299 in Karn&#257l district. A prominent companion of Baghel Si&#7749gh was Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh, a Sandh&#363 Ja&#7789&#7789 of the village of Kals&#299&#257 in Kas&#363r <i>tahs&#299l</i> of Lahore district, now in Pakistan. When the Sikhs conquered Sirhind and occupied its territories in 1764, Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh also shared the exploits and conquest of the Karo&#7771si&#7749gh&#299&#257 <i>misl</i> and occupied the <i>pargan&#257s</i> of Chhachhraul&#299, Si&#257lb&#257, etc. Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh left his son, Jodh Si&#7749gh at Chhachhraul&#299 and himself settled down at Banbel&#299 in Hoshi&#257rpur district, where he died in 1775. The state formed around Chhachhraul&#299 came to be called Kals&#299&#257 after the ancestral village of the founders. Jodh Si&#7749gh made considerable additions to his otherwise small principality of Kals&#299&#257. After the death of Baghel Si&#7749gh in 1802, Jodh Si&#7749gh succeeded to the leadership of the <i>misl</i>. In 1807, he joined Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh in the latter's attack on Narai&#7751ga&#7771h in Amb&#257l&#257, and later fought for him in many a battle in the Punjab. The Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 granted him the tract of Ga&#7771hd&#299v&#257l&#257, in Hoshi&#257rpur district, as a reward for his services. Jodh Si&#7749gh's possessions at the height of his power are said to have yielded him over five lakhs annually. He died at Mult&#257n in 1818 of wounds received in the battle, and his son, Sobh&#257 Si&#7749gh, succeeded him who ruled the Kals&#299&#257 state for forty years until his death in 1858. Sobh&#257 Si&#7749gh's son, Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh who died in 1869, and was followed in the chiefship by his son, Bishan Si&#7749gh (d. 1883) and grandsons Jagj&#299t Si&#7749gh (d. 1886) and Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh (d.1908).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The chief figure in Kals&#299&#257 during the twentieth century was R&#257j&#257 Rav&#299 Sher Si&#7749gh (1902-47) who succeeded his father Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh on the <i>gadd&#299</i> in 1908. During his minority, a council of three ministers administered the state and completed the land settlement in 1915. Placing the entire resources of the state at the disposal of the British during World War I, the council earned the title of R&#257j&#257 for its ruler in 1916. Like many of his fellow Sikh princes, R&#257j&#257 Rav&#299 Sher Si&#7749gh was educated at Aitchison College and travelled abroad before being invested with ruling powers in 1922. Though Kals&#299&#257 was the only Sikh state not accorded a salute and therefore not eligible for membership in its own right in the Chamber of Princes, R&#257v&#299 Sher Si&#7749gh did serve as a representative member of non-salute states in the Chamber of Princes from November 1924 to March 1933. When R&#257j&#257 Rav&#299 Sher Si&#7749gh died in 1947, he was succeeded by his son, R&#257j&#257 Karan Sher Si&#7749gh (1931-61), who had been educated at the Doon School. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Y&#257davinder Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 served as regent for the teenage prince. The Kals&#299&#257 state acceded to the Indian Union on the lapse of British paramountcy in August 1947 and joined the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) in 1948. The town of Kals&#299&#257 and a number of small enclaves were transferred to Punjab and Him&#257chal Pradesh in 1950 in exchange of territories taken over by PEPSU from these states.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kals&#299&#257 was the smallest of the Sikh states with an area of 192 square miles, annual revenue of about four lakhs in the 1930's and a population of 59,848 in 1931, which included 48% Hindus, 36% Muslims and 15% Sikhs. Prior to 1857, Kals&#299&#257 had lost its trans-Sutlej estates, so that it came to be centred in Amb&#257l&#257 district in the two <i>tahsils</i> of Bas&#299 and Chhachhraul&#299, with an isolated tract at Chi&#7771ak in F&#299rozpur district.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;KAITHAL, ruling family descended from Bh&#257&#299 Bhagat&#363, a revered Sikh of the time of Gur&#363 Arjan, and claimed the same Bha&#7789&#7789&#299 R&#257jp&#363t origin as did the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 <i>misl</i>. One of Bh&#257&#299 Bhagat&#363's descendants, Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh, son of Bh&#257&#299 R&#257m Di&#257l, who had gained renown as a holy man, was a frequent ally of B&#257b&#257 &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 in the latter's conquests. Upon his death in 1764, his five sons, divided their father's estates among themselves. Des&#363 Si&#7749gh who was widely recognized as the most powerful of the Bh&#257&#299s or brothers, established an independent principality at Kaithal sometime between 1764 and 1768. His son, L&#257l Si&#7749gh, personified the stereotype of the defiant, ambitious younger son. In prison for rebellion at the death of his father in 1781, L&#257l Si&#7749gh managed to escape, to eliminate his elder brother, and to expand widely his possessions. When in 1809 the state became a protected state under the British, L&#257l Si&#7749gh, enjoying revenues of two and a quarter lakhs, ranked second to the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, who had revenue of six lakhs while N&#257bh&#257 was third among the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 <i>sard&#257rs</i> with revenues of one and a half lakhs. After reaching this pinnacle the fortunes of Kaithal rapidly declined. The last <i>sard&#257r</i>, Bh&#257&#299 Udai Si&#7749gh, had been bedridden for several years prior to his death on 15 March 1843. For much of his last decade, there were frequent raids on the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 Kaithal border which became a no man's land of deserted villages. However it was Bh&#257&#299 Udai Si&#7749gh, who had patronized the great poet, Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh who wrote the famous <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>, monumental history in verse of early Sikhism. Bh&#257&#299 Udai Si&#7749gh died without issue and the chiefship and part of the territory worth about one lakh annually devolved to a collateral, Bh&#257&#299 Gul&#257b Si&#7749gh of Arnaul&#299 while the major part of the state which earned about four lakhs annually and included the town of Kaithal escheated to the British. Kaithal became a district headquarters but, in 1849, was absorbed into Th&#257nesar district and then in 1862 was designated a <i>tahs&#299l</i> of Karn&#257l district.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"><i>The Phulkian States Gazetteer</i><BR> <li class="C1"> Griffin, Lepel, <i>The Rajas of the Punjab</i> [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Ganda Singh, <i>The Patiala and the East Panjab States Union : Historical Background</i>. Patiala, 1951<BR> <li class="C1"> Khushwant Singh, <i>A History of the Sikhs</i>, 2 Vols. Princeton, 1963/1966<BR> <li class="C1"> Kirpal Singh, <i>Life of Maharaja Ala Si&#7749gh of Patiala and His Times</i>. Amritsar, 1954<BR> <li class="C1"> Walia, Ramesh, <i>Praja Mandal Movement in East Punjab States</i>. Patiala, 1972<BR> <li class="C1"> Jones, Kenneth L., and W. Eric Gustafson, ed., "The Princely States of Panjab : A Bibliographical Essay" <i>Sources of Punjab History</i>. Delhi, 1975<BR> <li class="C1"><i>A History of the Khalsa College, Amritsar</i>. Amritsar, 1949<BR> <li class="C1"> Cashman, Richard, <i>Patrons, Players and the Crowd : the Phenomenon of Indian Cricket</i>. Bombay, 1980<BR> <li class="C1"> Menon, V.P., <i>The Story of the Integration of the Indian States</i>. Bombay, 1961<BR> <li class="C1"> Nayar, B.R., <i>Minority Politics in the Punjab</i>. Princeton, 1966<BR> <li class="C1"> Pavate, D.C., <i>My Days as Governor</i>, Delhi, 1974<BR> <li class="C1"> Richter, William and Ramusack, Barbara, "The Chamber and the Consultation : Changing Form of Princely Association in India," in <i>Journal of Asian Studies</i>, Vol XXXV (1975), pp. 755-66<BR> <li class="C1"> Ramusack, Barbara, "The Punjab States : Maharajas and Gurdwaras : Patiala and the Sikh Community" in <i>People, Princes and Paramount Power</i>. Delhi, 1978<BR> <li class="C1"> Sanyal, Saradindu, <i>Olympic Games and India</i>. Delhi, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Ganda Si&#7749gh, "The Role of Patiala in the Integration of India," in <i>Panjab Past and Present</i>, Vol. II, Part I, (1968), pp. 144-59<BR> <li class="C1"> Si&#7749gh, K. Natwar, <i>Curtain Raisers : Essays, Reviews, Letters</i>. Delhi, 1983<BR> <li class="C1"> Crown Representative Records, India Office Library, London, 1938-1946<BR> <li class="C1"> Durga Das, ed., <i>Sardar Patel's Correspondence 1945-50</i>. Ahmedabad,1974<BR> <li class="C1"> Collins, L and Lapierre, D., <i>Mountbatten and the Partition of India</i>. Delhi, 1982<BR> <li class="C1"><i>Keesing's Contemporary Archives</i>, 1947-1974<BR> <li class="C1"><i>Newsweek</i>. 20 June 1966<BR> <li class="C1"><i>The New York Times</i>. 19 June 1974<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh "How I became Head of the Sikhs--- From Mah&#257r&#257j&#257's Memoirs", in <i>The Sikh Sansar</i>, U.S.A., December, 1974<BR> <li class="C1"> Harba&#7749s Si&#7749gh, <i>Far&#299dko&#7789 ltih&#257s B&#257re</i>. Faridkot, n.d<BR> <li class="C1"> Ga&#7751&#7693&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>Sard&#257r Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257</i>. Patiala, 1969<BR> <li class="C1"> R&#257msukh R&#257o, <i>Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh Binod</i> (MS.)<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Barbara Ramusack<br>Ian Copland<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>