An Overview of Himachal Pradesh district Kangra - Part IV

 An Overview of Himachal Pradesh district Kangra Part IV .

Brief History Continued 

Brajeshwari Mata Temple at Kangra Himachal Pradesh 

Brief  History of district Kangra  :-

Period Between 1700 AD to 1747 AD :- 

Raja Hamir Chand :- 

Hamir Chand was son of Raja Alam Chand II , he became Raja in 1700 AD and  ruled till 1747 AD. Raja Hamir Chand built Hamirgarh fort and founded Hamirpur town . Hamirpur town is named after the name of Raja Hamir Chand .

View of Kangra Fort 

Period Between 1747AD to 1750 AD.

Raja Abhey Chand : -

After the death of Raja Hamir Chand his brother Raja Abhey Chand seated on the thorne in 1747 AD and ruled the state till 1750 AD

 . Raja Abhey Chand built Riyal Tira Fort , Abhymanpur and  Thakurdwara  temple in Sujanpur Tihra .

Period Between 1750 to 1751AD 

Raja Ghamir Chand  :- 

Raja Ghamir Chand brother of Raja Hamir Chand became Raja of Kangra in 1750 and ruled till 1751 .He died in 1751AD .

Raja Shringar  Chand :- 

Raja Shringar Chand became Raja Kangra in 1751 but deposed in 1751 .

Period Between 1751 to 1774 AD  :-

View of Kangra Fort 

Raja Ghamand Chand  :-

Raja Ghamand Chand became Raja of Kangra in 1751 AD and ruled till 1774 A D .

Raja Ghamand Chand rebuilt the fort of Pathihar . In 1758 Raja Ghamand Chand was appointed as Nazim of Jalandhar Dawaba .

Period Between 1774 to 1775 AD

  Raja Tegh Chand :-

Raja Tegh Chand became Raja Kangra in 1774 AD  and died in  1775 AD 

Period Between 1775 AD to 1823AD

Raja Sansar Chand II :- 

Raja Sansar Chand II became Raja Kangra in 1775AD and ruled till 1823 A D 

Raja Sansar Chand II had assumed the titles of "Naresh " and "Chhatrapati ."

Raja Sansar Chand II was merely 10 years old when he seated on Gaddi in 1775 AD.

View of Brajeshwari Mata Temple Kangra.

According to Puranas and Panini 's Ashtadhyai in Mahabharata period the Hamirpur , Una and Kangra were parts of Trigarta Empire. It was a part of Jalandhar . The area between between Ravi and Satluj was ruled by Katoach dynasty .

Old Palace at Sujanpur Tihra 

Ancient Period :-  

During the ancient period it is said that Gupta dynasty had set up its sovereignty in this part and ruled the area .

Middle Ages :- 

Later on during the middle ages this part of land came under the control of Mohammad Gazani , Timurlung and there after Sultanas ruled over this part of land . With the passage of time all these rulers gone away .

Period Between 1700 A.D. to 1747A. D . :- 

This was the period when all these rulers gone away and the entire area was being ruled by feudal hill chiefs called Rana's.

  These Rana's were always in fight against each other. The Katoch dynasty ruler Hamir Chand made it possible to control these Rana's to form a orderly society .Hamir Chand ruled the Kingdom from 1700A.D. to 1747A.D. Raja Hamir Chand built Fort at  Hamirpur . The present town has  named after his name .

View of Mehal Morian at Hamirpur.

The Period From 1775A.D. to 1823 A.D.

Raja Sansar Chand II made Sujanpur Tihra as capital and he built palaces and temples here .He ruled the Kingdom from 1775 A. D. to 1823 A .D.  He was having a vision to establish the old empire of his ancestors Jalandhar - Trigarta , he tried it twice but remained unsuccessful as Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the hurdles on his way .

View of Palace at Sujanpur Tihra 

Which he remained unsuccessful in establishing Old Empire Jalandhar Trigarta due to Maharaja Ranjit Singh he diverted his attention towards hill chiefs and attached Mandi state , Raja Ishwari Sen of Mandi was kept in imprisonment at Nadaun for 12 years , Raja Suket was also managed to pay annual tribute  and some Parts of Bilaspur on the right bank of Satluj river were also attached

 Sikh Era Mural on Walls 

Battle of Mehal Morian :-

On this uncontrolled movement of Raja Sansar Chand all hill chiefs joined hands and invited Gurkhas to fight against Raja Sansar Chand . The combined Army of Hill Chiefs and Gurkhas fought the battle at Mehal Morian in Hamirpur .But Raja Sansar Chand gave a crushing defeat to the combined Army and compelled them to go back to the left bank of Satluj . This was the first battle of Mehal Morian .

In the meantime a General Gulam Mohammad of Raja Sansar Chand advised him to replace the existing army with Rohillas on some economic grounds and it was implemented . This weakend the strength of Raja Sansar Chand 's forces . When the combined forces of Hill Chiefs and Gurkhas came to know about the weakness of Katoach dynasty 's forces ,they again planned a second battle of Mehal Morian .

Then combined forces attacked the forces of Raja Sansar Chand at Mehal Morian and in 1806 A .D.Raja Sansar Chand was badly defeated and he along with his family took shelter in Kangra Fort and had to loose Hamirpur .

The Gurkha forces also took Kangra Fort in their possession and looted the forts at Kangra and Mehal Morian and destroyed the villages . This continued for three years till 1809 A.D. Raja Ishwari Sen was made free from Nadaun Jail .

In 1809 A .D. Raja Sansar Chand requested Maharaja Ranjit Singh to help him and on his request , Maharaja Ranjit Singh lodged a war against Gurkhas and in 1809 he defeated Gurkhas but Raja Sansar Chand had paid a heavy price for it . He lost Kangra Fort and other 66 villages and Sikh empire took possession of Kangra Fort and other 66 villages thus succeeded in setting up their sovereignty over Kangra and Hamirpur till 1846.

View of Kangra Fort 

Anglo Sikh War :- 

In the Anglo Sikh war the British Army defeated the Sikh empire in 1846 and brought Kangra under British Empire.

Raja Sansar Chand died and his grandson Raja Pramodh Chand with the help of Sikhs and other rulers tried to dislodge British but couldn't succeeded .

British Empire made Kangra with Hamirpur , Kullu and Lahaul Spiti as it's parts , Nadaun was made Tehsil headquarters later this settlement was revised in 1868 and tehsil headquarter was shifted to Hamirpur . 

During 1888 Palampur was made a Tehsil by merging some parts of Hamirpur and Kangra  Tehsils . Thus Hamirpur , Una and Kangra remained the part of Punjab till the reorganization of Punjab on 1st November 1966 when hilly areas of Punjab were merged in Himachal Pradesh .