Chamba State
Chamba State चम्बा रियासत | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
~550[1]–1948 | |||||||
![]() Flag ![]() Coat of arms | |||||||
![]() 1911 map of the Princely States of the Shimla Hills showing the boundaries of Chamba State. | |||||||
Capital | Chamba | ||||||
History | |||||||
• Established | ~550[1] | ||||||
1948 | |||||||
Area | |||||||
1892 | 8,329 km2 (3,216 sq mi) | ||||||
Population | |||||||
• 1892 | 115,773 | ||||||
| |||||||
Today part of | Himachal Pradesh, India | ||||||
Chamba Princely State |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Princess_with_a_Hawk_LACMA_M.76.2.36.jpg/260px-Princess_with_a_Hawk_LACMA_M.76.2.36.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Gopal_Singh%2C_Raja_of_Chamba_%28ruled_1870-1873%29..jpg/259px-Gopal_Singh%2C_Raja_of_Chamba_%28ruled_1870-1873%29..jpg)
Chamba State[2] 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 in India from 1859 to 1947. Its last ruler signed the instrument of accession to the Indian Union of 15 April 1948.
Geography
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Detail_of_the_main%2C_continuous_tract_of_territory_of_Chamba_State_from_a_map_of_the_various_Hill_States_of_the_Punjab_Hills_region%2C_copied_in_1852.jpg/220px-Detail_of_the_main%2C_continuous_tract_of_territory_of_Chamba_State_from_a_map_of_the_various_Hill_States_of_the_Punjab_Hills_region%2C_copied_in_1852.jpg)
Chamba is situated in the bosom of the Himalaya Mountains, and its boundaries are on the northwest, west, and northeast by Kishtwar and Doda district of Jammu region; on the east, Lahaul; and on the southeast and south, the districts of Kangra and Gurdaspur.
The Ravi River flows through this district, and many hydroelectric generating stations have been developed here.
History
According to tradition, the ancient name of Chamba was Champa, and its predecessor state was known as Brahmpur. This site later became Bharmour around 550 AD when Raja Maru Verman came from Kalpagram to the Chamba Hills. Around 920 CE, the capital was shifted from Bharmour to present day Chamba Town. The rulers of Chamba State patronized artists of the Pahari painting style.[3] Between 1809 and 1846 Chamba was tributary to Jammu. In 1821, Chamba annexed Bhadrawah State. On 9 Mar 1846, Chamba State became a British protectorate.[4]
Rulers
The rulers of Chamba princely state belonged to the Suryavanshi Mushana(मूषाण) Rajput Dynasty.[5]
Rajas
Raja Shahil Verman, around 920 AD, shifted his capital from Bharmaur to present-day Chamba Town. It is believed that King Shahil Varman ruled until 940 AD. From then onwards the State of Chamba continued to be ruled by different kings of the Mushana Rajput Dynasty from their capital at Champavati, which later came to be known as Chamba. Following are some of more famous kings of Chamba in Himachal Pradesh:
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Old_Palace_of_Chamba_%286132621207%29.jpg/260px-Old_Palace_of_Chamba_%286132621207%29.jpg)
Ruler | Timeline |
---|---|
Raja Maru | ~550 AD |
Raja Jaistambh | After Maru’s death |
Raja Shahil Varman | Beginning of 10th century AD |
Raja Yugakar Verman | After 940 AD |
Raja Vidagdha Verman | After Yugakar Verman |
Raja Dodaka Verman | After Vidagdha Verman |
Raja Vichitra Verman | After Dodaka Verman |
Raja Dhariya Verman | After Vichitra Verman |
Raja Salavahana Verman | After Dhariya Verman |
Raja Soma Varman | After Salavahana Verman |
Raja Asata Varman | After Soma Varman |
Raja Jasata Verman | After Asata Varman |
Raja Dhala Verman | After Jasata Verman |
Raja Udayan Varman | After Dhala Verman |
Raja Anand Verman | After Udayan Varman |
Raja Ganesa Verman | After Anand Verman |
Raja Pratap Singh Verman | 1559 to 1586 |
Raja Vir Vahnu Verman | 1586 to 1589 |
Raja Balbhadra Verman | 1589 to 1641 |
Raja Prithvi Raj Singh | 1641 to 1664 |
Raja Udai Singh | 1694 to 1720 |
Raja Ugar Singh | 1720 to 1735 |
Raja Dalel Singh | 1735 to 1748 |
Raja Umed Singh | 1748 to 1764 |
Raja Raj Singh | 1764 to 1794 |
Raja Jit Singh | 1794 to 1808 |
Demographics
Religious group | 1901[6] | 1911[7][8] | 1921[9] | 1931[10] | 1941[11] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Hinduism ![]() | 119,327 | 93.35% | 126,269 | 92.93% | 130,489 | 91.98% | 135,254 | 92.09% | 155,910 | 92.3% |
Islam ![]() | 8,332 | 6.52% | 8,750 | 6.44% | 10,529 | 7.42% | 10,839 | 7.38% | 12,318 | 7.29% |
Sikhism ![]() | 80 | 0.06% | 141 | 0.1% | 242 | 0.17% | 112 | 0.08% | 107 | 0.06% |
Christianity ![]() | 70 | 0.05% | 81 | 0.06% | 63 | 0.04% | 94 | 0.06% | 190 | 0.11% |
Buddhism ![]() | 22 | 0.02% | 627 | 0.46% | 541 | 0.38% | 568 | 0.39% | 383 | 0.23% |
Jainism ![]() | 3 | 0% | 5 | 0% | 3 | 0% | 3 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
Zoroastrianism ![]() | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
Judaism ![]() | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
Total population | 127,834 | 100% | 135,873 | 100% | 141,867 | 100% | 146,870 | 100% | 168,908 | 100% |
Note: British Punjab province era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases. |
See also
Further reading
- The Princely and Noble Families of the Former Indian Empire: Himachal Pradesh V. 1, by Mark Brentnall. Published by Indus Publishing, 2006. ISBN 81-7387-163-9.
Notes
- ^ 1931-1941: Including Ad-Dharmis
References
- ^ or "6th century" https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V10_136.gif
- ^ "Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 10, page 130 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library". Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ Hindu Hill Kingdoms Archived 30 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine V&A Museum.
- ^ "Indian Princely States A-J". Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ Abhinay Rathore. "Chamba". Rajput Provinces of India. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ "Census of India 1901. [Vol. 17A]. Imperial tables, I-VIII, X-XV, XVII and XVIII for the Punjab, with the native states under the political control of the Punjab Government, and for the North-west Frontier Province". 1901. p. 34. JSTOR saoa.crl.25363739. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ "Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1911. p. 27. JSTOR saoa.crl.25393788. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ Kaul, Harikishan (1911). "Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II". p. 27. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ "Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables". 1921. p. 29. JSTOR saoa.crl.25430165. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ "Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1931. p. 277. JSTOR saoa.crl.25793242. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ "Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab". 1941. p. 42. JSTOR saoa.crl.28215541. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
External links
Media related to Chamba State at Wikimedia Commons
- "Chamba" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
- v
- t
- e
- List of princely states of British India (alphabetical)
- Salute state
32°34′12″N 76°7′48″E / 32.57000°N 76.13000°E / 32.57000; 76.13000