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Chamba State

Coordinates: 32°34′12″N 76°7′48″E / 32.57000°N 76.13000°E / 32.57000; 76.13000
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Champa.

Chamba State
चम्बा रियासत
~550[1]–1948
Flag of Chamba
Flag
Coat of arms of Chamba
Coat of arms
1911 map of the Princely States of the Shimla Hills showing the boundaries of Chamba State.
1911 map of the Princely States of the Shimla Hills showing the boundaries of Chamba State.
CapitalChamba
History 
• Established
~550[1]
1948
Area
18928,329 km2 (3,216 sq mi)
Population
• 1892
115,773
 Succeeded by
India
Today part ofHimachal Pradesh, India
Chamba Princely State
Painting of an early 18th century Chamba princess
Gopal Singh, Raja of Chamba (ruled 1870–1873)

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

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Detail of the main, continuous tract of territory of Chamba State from a map of the various Hill States of the Punjab Hills region, copied in 1852.

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

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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

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The rulers of Chamba princely state belonged to the Suryavanshi Mushana(मूषाण) Rajput Dynasty.[5]

Rajas

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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:

The Akhand Chandi palace in Chamba town. This erstwhile palace of the rulers of Chamba state is presently used as a government college.
Rajas of Chamba State
Ruler Portrait 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 1589–1641
Raja Prithvi Raj Singh 1641–1664
Raja Chattar Singh 1664–1694[6]
Raja Udai Singh 1694–1720
Raja Ugar Singh 1720–1735
Raja Dalel Singh 1735–1748
Raja Umed Singh 1748–1764
Raja Raj Singh 1764–1794
Raja Jit Singh 1794–1808

Demographics

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Religious groups in Chamba State (British Punjab province era)
Religious
group 		1901[7] 1911[8][9] 1921[10] 1931[11] 1941[12]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Hinduism [a] 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

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Further reading

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  • 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

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  1. ^ 1931-1941: Including Ad-Dharmis

References

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  1. ^ or "6th century" https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V10_136.gif
  2. ^ "Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 10, page 130 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library". Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  3. ^ Hindu Hill Kingdoms Archived 30 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine V&A Museum.
  4. ^ "Indian Princely States A-J". Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  5. ^ Abhinay Rathore. "Chamba". Rajput Provinces of India. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  6. ^ Bharti, K. R. (2001). "The Historical View". Chamba Himalaya: Amazing Land, Unique Culture. Indus Publishing. pp. 60–61. ISBN 9788173871252.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1911. p. 27. JSTOR saoa.crl.25393788. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  9. ^ Kaul, Harikishan (1911). "Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II". p. 27. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables". 1921. p. 29. JSTOR saoa.crl.25430165. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1931. p. 277. JSTOR saoa.crl.25793242. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab". 1941. p. 42. JSTOR saoa.crl.28215541. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
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32°34′12″N 76°7′48″E / 32.57000°N 76.13000°E / 32.57000; 76.13000

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