The state included 45 villages, over an area of 13km2 or 5mi2 which yielded an average revenue of Rs. 2000 in 1901, and was one of the 18 Simla Hill States, under the authority of Punjab States Agency. It is situated just below Kasauli to the west and is bordered by Mahlog, Patiala State, Kuthar and the Bharauli tract of Simla District around Sabathu. The last ruler of the state, Thakur Lakshmi Chand, signed the merger agreement acceding to the Indian Union on 15 April 1948.
History
The Beja State was founded around the year 1350 CE by Thakur Govardhan Chand, a descendant of Dhul Pal a scion of the Tomar Rajput Dynasty of Delhi. This lineage connects Beja to the broader history of Rajput rule in northern India.
Palace cum Fort of Beja Princely State, Simla Hill States, Himachal Prades, IndiaSh. Laxmi Chand last emperor of Beja Hill State along with his wife, Himachal Prades, India
Beja remained a small but autonomous hill state for several centuries. In 1790, it gained independence from its status as a tributary to Bilaspur, asserting its sovereignty among the Simla Hill States. It was a semi-sovereign kingdom of India (Himachal Pradesh). The state's capital was the town of Beja, also known as Kot Beja, located near Kasauli in present-day Solan district, Himachal Pradesh. The ruling family held the title of Thakur.[1] and their descendants continue to reside in the region.
Beja is one of the original constituent members of the Chamber of Princes, a number of smaller states indirectly represented by 12 princes whom they periodically elected.[2]
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