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Nabha State

Coordinates: 30°22′N 76°09′E / 30.37°N 76.15°E / 30.37; 76.15
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Nabha State
Princely State
1763–1947
Flag of Nabha
Flag
Coat of arms of Nabha
Coat of arms

Nabha State in a 1911 map of Ludhiana district
Area 
• 1901
2,502 km2 (966 sq mi)
Population 
• 1901
297,949
Historical eraNew Imperialism
• Established
1763
• Accession to the Dominion of India
1947
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Mughal Empire
Phulkian Misl
Dominion of India
Today part ofIndia
Sir Hira Singh, Raja of Nabha

Nabha State,[1] with its capital at Nabha, was one of the Phulkian princely states of Punjab during the British Raj in India.[2] Nabha was ruled by Jat Sikhs of the Sidhu clan.[3]

History

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Origin

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Detail of the main, continuous tract of territory of Nabha State from a map created by the British East India Company, ca.1829–1835 (the state also held many exclave territories that can be seen in the full-map).

The ruling house of Nabha belonged to the Phulkian dynasty, sharing a common ancestor named Tiloka with the Jind rulers. Tiloka (r. 1652–1687) was the eldest son of Phul Sidhu of the Phulkian dynasty.[a][4] The Nabha rulers descend from Gurditta (Gurdit Singh; r. 1687–1754), the elder son of Tiloka.[4] Gurditta was the founder of the localities of Dhanaula and Sangrur. Sangrur was the headquarters of the state till it was captured by Jind State. Gurditta died in 1754.[4] His only son Surat (or Suratya) Singh had died two years earlier in 1752, leaving his grandson, Hamir Singh, as the next in line.[4] Hamir Singh was the founder of the locality of Nabha and the first ruler of Nabha State.[5]

Foundation of the locality and state

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The locality of Nabha was founded by Hamir Singh of the Phulkian dynasty in 1755, whilst the state itself was founded slightly after in 1763 by Hamir Singh.[6] The state at that period of time was composed of twelve scattered territories.[6] Hamir Singh died in 1783 and was succeeded by Jaswant Singh.[4] However, a regency was in-place between 1783–1790.[4] Jaswant Singh assumed full control on 1790 and ruled until 1840.[4]

Alliance with the British

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Between 1807–08, the ruler of Nabha was afforded British protection from the threat posed by Ranjit Singh and his encroaching Lahore State.[6] Nabha State was loyal to the British during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, earning territory grants as a reward due to this.[6] In 1911, Hira Singh took-on the maharaja title.[4] Ripudaman Singh abdicated the throne of Nabha on 8 July 1923.[4]

Dissolution

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In the happenings of Indian independence in 1947, Nabha was one of the five Phulkian states that merged to become P.E.P.S.U., which itself was gradually merged into Punjab state.[6]

State forces

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The Nabha State Force consisted of a 500-strong infantry unit, including the Nabha Akal Infantry.[7]

List of rulers

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No. Name

(Birth–Death)

Portrait Reign Enthronement Ref.
Sardars
1 Hamir Singh
(died 1783) 		1763 – 1783 ? [5][6][4]
Rajas
2 Jaswant Singh
(1775 – 22 May 1840) 		1783 – 1840 ? [5][4]
3 Devinder Singh
(5 September 1822 – 14/15 November 1865) 		1840 – 1846 15 October 1840 [5][4]
4 Bharpur Singh
(5 October 1840 – 9 November 1863) 		1846 – November 1863 ? [5][4]
5 Bhagwan Singh
(30 November 1842 – 31 May 1871) 		1863 – 1871 17 February 1864 [5][4]
Maharajas
6 Hira Singh
(19 December 1843 – 24 December 1911) 		1871 – 1911 10 August 1871 [5][4]
7 Ripudaman Singh
(4 March 1883 – 14 December 1942) 		1911 – 1923 24 January 1912 [5][4]
8 Pratap Singh
(21 September 1919 – 22 July 1995) 		1923 – 1948 [5][4]

Demographics

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Religious groups in Nabha State (British Punjab province era)
Religious
group 		1901[8] 1911[9][10] 1921[11] 1931[12] 1941[13]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Hinduism [b] 160,553 53.89% 126,414 50.79% 133,870 50.84% 132,354 46.02% 146,518 43.09%
Sikhism 78,361 26.3% 76,198 30.62% 78,389 29.77% 97,452 33.89% 122,451 36.01%
Islam 58,550 19.65% 46,032 18.5% 50,756 19.27% 57,393 19.96% 70,373 20.7%
Jainism 476 0.16% 238 0.1% 278 0.11% 309 0.11% 480 0.14%
Christianity 7 0% 5 0% 41 0.02% 66 0.02% 221 0.06%
Zoroastrianism 2 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Buddhism 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% 1 0%
Total population 297,949 100% 248,887 100% 263,334 100% 287,574 100% 340,044 100%
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.
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  • Photograph of Gurdwara Siropa Sahib in Nabha state, where historical Sikh relics and artefacts were kept for safe-keeping, published in Mahan Kosh (1930), c.1920s.
    Photograph of Gurdwara Siropa Sahib in Nabha state, where historical Sikh relics and artefacts were kept for safe-keeping, published in Mahan Kosh (1930), c.1920s.
  • Photograph of the Hira Mahal building in Nabha state, published in Mahan Kosh (1930), c.1920s.
    Photograph of the Hira Mahal building in Nabha state, published in Mahan Kosh (1930), c.1920s.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Tiloka's personal name is alt. latinized as 'Tilokha'.
  2. ^ 1931-1941: Including Ad-Dharmis

References

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  1. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 18, p. 271.
  2. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Nabha" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 147.
  3. ^ Bates, Crispin (26 March 2013). Mutiny at the Margins: New Perspectives on the Indian Uprising of 1857: Volume I: Anticipations and Experiences in the Locality. SAGE Publishing India. ISBN 978-81-321-1589-2.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Truhart, Peter (2017). Regents of Nations: Asia, Australia-Oceania, Part 2 (Reprint ed.). Walter de Gruyter. p. 1398. ISBN 9783111616254.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Singh, Bhagat (1993). "Chapter 14 - The Phulkian Misl". A History of the Sikh Misals. Publication Bureau, Punjabi University.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Nabha | Princely State, Maharaja, Punjab | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  7. ^ "X. Nabha State Forces". Nabha Administration: A Review of Recent Years. Council of Regency of Nabha State. 1939. p. 29.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1911. p. 27. JSTOR saoa.crl.25393788. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  10. ^ Kaul, Harikishan (1911). "Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II". p. 27. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables". 1921. p. 29. JSTOR saoa.crl.25430165. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1931. p. 277. JSTOR saoa.crl.25793242. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab". 1941. p. 42. JSTOR saoa.crl.28215541. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
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30°22′N 76°09′E / 30.37°N 76.15°E / 30.37; 76.15

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