Sirmur State

History

Origin

According to Mian Goverdhan Singh in Wooden Temples of Himachal Pradesh, the principality of Sirmaur was founded in the 7th to 8th century by Maharaja of Parmar Rajputs, and Rathore noble.

Nahan State

Nahan, the predecessor state of Sirmur, was founded by Soba Rawal in 1095 AD who assumed the name Raja Subans Prakash.

Near the end of the 12th century in the year 1195, a flood of the Giri River destroyed the old capital of Sirmaur-Tal, which killed Raja Ugar Chand. A ruler of Jaisalmer, Raja Salivahana, thought this was an opportune time to attack the state as it was in a state of disarray due to the natural disaster and death of its ruler, so he sent his son Sobha to conquer the state. The attack was successful and a new dynasty headed by Bhati Rajputs was established. Sirmur was invaded by invader Jasrath's army, who also invaded fragments of Punjab and Jammu.

Sirmur State

Karm Prakash founded the city of Nahan in 1621, and it became the new capital. Karm was succeeded by Mandhata Prakash, who aided Khalil-ullah, a general of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, in an invasion of Garhwal, and in return for this aid Kotaha was given to Sobhag Prakash, who had succeeded Mandhata. Further Mughal attacks on Garhwal were launched by Aurangzeb, and Sobhag would again join them, receiving yet more land in return. Sobhag's reign also saw great developments of Sirmur's agricultural resources. He was succeeded by Budh Prakash, who recovered Pinjaur for Aurangzeb's foster-brother. In 1684, Mat Prakash succeeded Budh, and the next year he gave asylum to Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, and allowed him to fortify Paonta, near which the Guru would defeat a combined Hill State force under the Rajas Bhim Chand of Kahlur and Fateh Shah of Garhwal, at the Battle of Bhangani; however, in 1750, Kirat Prakash, after having defeated the Raja of Garhwal, captured Sikh territories, including Naraingarh, Morni and Pinjaur, and entered into multiple alliances, aiding Raja Amar Singh of Patiala, helping in suppressing a rebellious vizier. Kirat also aided the Raja of Khalur against Ghulam Kadir, when the latter invaded Kahlur. Kirat similarly allied with the Raja of Garhwal against invading Gurkhas, and, despite being abandoned by his ally, Kirat managed to force the Gurkhas to agree to have the Ganges serve as the border between their kingdom and Garhwal.

Kirat was succeeded by Dharm Prakash, who repulsed attacks by the chief of Nalagarh and the Raja of Garhwal before dying in single combat against Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra, who had invaded Kahlur in 1793. Dharm was succeeded by his brother Karm Prakash, who faced a revolt that placed Ratn Prakash on the throne, and called upon the aid of the Gurkhas to suppress it. The Gurkhas successfully removed Ratn Prakash from the throne, but refused to restore Karm Prakash to it. The queen, a princess of Goler, issued an appeal to the British in restoring Karm to the throne. The appeal coincided with the British declaration of war on the Gurkhas, and the British sent a force to expel the Gurkhas from Sirmur, although they too did not restore Karm to the throne, instead placing his son Fateh Prakash, a minor, on it and annexing part of Sirmur territory, some later being returned in 1833 for a fee of 50,000 rupees. The Raja aided the British with a loan during the First Anglo-Afghan War, and joined the British in the First Anglo-Sikh War, with a Sirmur contingent seeing action at Hari-ke Pattan. Shamsher Prakash succeeded Fateh in 1856, and oversaw a modernization of Sirmur; forced labour was abolished, roads were constructed, revenue and forest surveys were carried out and a foundry, dispensaries, a post office and a telegraph office were built. Shamsher supported the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and sent a contingent to aid the British in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. In 1897, Shamsher's second son, Major Bir Bikram Singh, led the Sirmur Sappers and Miners as they accompanied the Tirah expedition. Shamsher was succeeded by Surindar Bikram Prakash remodelled the courts of Sirmur, and was a member of the Imperial Legislative Council.