Kalsia

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Kalsia State
Princely State of British India
1763–1948
Coat of arms emblem of Kalsia State (1763-1948).jpg
Coat of arms
Kalsia-Punjab-Districts 1911.png
Kalsia (in red) in a 1911 map of Punjab
Capital Chhachhrauli
Area 
• 1901
435 km2 (168 sq mi)
Population 
• 1901
67,132
History 
• Established
1763
1948
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Sikh flag.jpg Singh Krora Misl
India Flag of India.svg
Today part of Punjab & Haryana, India

Kalsia was a princely state in Punjab, British India, one of the former Cis-Sutlej states. It was founded by Gurbaksh Singh Kalsia in 1760. After India's independence, it was included in PEPSU and later in the Indian East Punjab after the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. The area of Kalsia is now located in the modern day Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. In 1940 the population of Kalsia was 67,393. [1] Kalsia was ruled by Jat Sikhs. [2]

Contents

Geography

The area of Kalsia was 435 km2 (168 sq mi), consisting of 20 detached pieces of territory in the Ambala and Ferozepur districts, lying mainly between 30° 12 and 30° 25 N and 77° 21 and 77° 35 E. [3] It was divided into 3 major parts: two tehsils, Chhachhrauli and Basi, and a sub-tehsil named Chirak, in Ferozepur district. It had contained 181 villages in 1903. The capital of Kalsia state was Chhachhrauli.

History

The state of Kalsia was founded by Gurbaksh Singh in 1760. He joined the Kroria Misl of the Sikh Confederacy. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had granted the estate of Chhachhrauli to Raja Gurbaksh Singh, a commander of his troops and a resident of Kalsia village. Maharaja Goorbaksh Singh named the state "Kalsia" and Chhachhrauli became its capital city.

Raja Gurbaksh Singh was not famous, but his successor and son, Jodh Singh was an able person. At that time the area of Kalsia state comprised the territory between the Yamuna and the Markanda stream. Jodh Singh captured Dera Basi from Sardar Khajan Singh and also acquired territories of Lohal and Achrak. When Maharaja Ranjit Singh attacked and occupied Naraingarh in the Shivaliks in 1807, Jodh Singh was with him. In recognition of his services, Ranjit Singh presented him territories of Badala, Kameri and Chhabbal.

Painting of Hira Singh Kalisiya (Hira Singh of Kalsia State or alternatively spelt as 'Heera Singh of Kalsia State'), from the Tazkirat al-umara, written for Col. James Skinner, ca.1830 Painting of Hira Singh Kalisiya (Hira Singh of Kalsia State or alternatively spelt as 'Heera Singh of Kalsia State'), from the Tazkirat al-umara, written for Col. James Skinner, ca.1830.jpg
Painting of Hira Singh Kalisiya (Hira Singh of Kalsia State or alternatively spelt as 'Heera Singh of Kalsia State'), from the Tazkirat al-umara, written for Col. James Skinner, ca.1830
Detail of the main tracts of territory of Kalsia State from a map created by the British East India Company, ca.1829-1835. Detail of the main tracts of territory of Kalsia State from a map created by the British East India Company of the Malwa region of Punjab showing the various polities, borders, and settlements of the area, ca.1829-1835.jpg
Detail of the main tracts of territory of Kalsia State from a map created by the British East India Company, ca.1829–1835.

Jodh Singh died in Multan in 1818. After his death, his son Sobha Singh assumed charge of Kalsia state and held it until his death in 1858. Lahna Singh, his successor sided with the British in crushing the revolt of 1857.

After 1858, a period of peace started. When Lahna Singh assumed power, the Kalsia territory was intact as a British protectorate. The state's annual income was nearly Rs 300,000 per annum, and the population was around 62,000. After Lahna Singh, came Ranjit Singh Kalsia, then his son Ravi Sher Singh, and finally Ravi Karan Singh. Ravisher Singh in 1916 gave himself the title of Raja. The Kalsia rajas held their estate until 1947, when it was merged with the Indian Union.

Both Ranjit Singh Kalsia and Ravi Sher Singh built several public utility buildings, including a charity hospital and schools. Raja Ravi Sher Kalsia Hospital was inaugurated in 1910 by Lt Governor of the Punjab, Sir Luis William Daney. The old court building still exists at Chhachhrauli. The dewan of the state used to live in a building known as ‘Janak Niwas’. The Kalsias were undoubtedly staunch Nanakpanthis.

In volume XIX (Part 1) of the Census of India 1891, E. D. Maclagan, the Provincial Superintendent of Census Operation, records: "Some eighty years ago (i.e., in 1811 AD) the grandfather of the present Lambardar of Jainpur village was carried off by the Sikh chief of Kalsia, and had all his fingers burnt off, because he refused to acknowledge that Nanak was the true Guru." [4]

The state was under the political control of the commissioner of the Delhi division. Kalsi is gotra of Dhiman and Ramgharia casts.

Ravisher Singh of Kalsia was the first ruler of Indian to purchase an aeroplane for himself. [5] He flew his aircraft at a speed of 161 kph (100 mph). [5]

Demographics

Religious groups in Kalsia State (British Punjab province era)
Religious
group		1901 [6] 1911 [7] [8] 1921 [9] 1931 [10] 1941 [11]
Pop. %Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%Pop.%
Hinduism Om.svg [lower-alpha 1] 38,62630,64028,76928,83229,866
Islam Star and Crescent.svg 21,92118,82020,39421,79725,049
Sikhism Khanda.svg 6,4536,2588,0149,03512,235
Jainism Jain Prateek Chihna.svg 181160190162188
Christianity Christian cross.svg 03142255
Zoroastrianism Faravahar.svg 00000
Buddhism Dharma Wheel (2).svg 00000
Judaism Star of David.svg 00000
Others00000
Total population67,18155,90957,37159,84867,393
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.

List of rulers

The rulers of Kalsia State bore the title of 'Sardar', and 1916 they adopted the title of 'Raja', including the last head of the state. [12]

No.Name

(Birth–Death)

PortraitReignRef.
Sardars
1Gurbakhsh Singh
(died 1785)		 Posthumous painting of Gurbakhsh Singh, founder of Kalsia State.jpg 1763 – 1785
2Jodh Singh
(1751 – 1818)		 Detail of a painting depicting Jodh Singh of Kalsia, ca.1850.jpg 1785 – 1818
3Sobha Singh
(died 1858)		1818 – 14 February 1858
4Lahna Singh
(died 1869)		1858 – 19 February 1869
5Bishen Singh
(1854 – 1883)		 Photograph of Bishen Singh of Kalsia State, ca.1877.jpg 1869 – 10 July 1883
6Jagjit Singh
(1880 – 1886)		1883 – 1886
7Ranjit Singh
(1881 – 1908)		 Photograph of Ranjit Singh of Kalsia State.jpg 28 August 1886 – 1908 [5]
8Ravisher Singh
(1902 – 1947)		 Painting of Ravi Sher Singh of Kalsia State.jpg 25 July 1908 – 1916 [5]
Rajas
–Ravisher Singh
(1902 – 1947)		 Painting of Ravi Sher Singh of Kalsia State.jpg 1916 – 1947 [5]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1931-1941: Including Ad-Dharmis

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References

  1. ↑ Columbia-Lippincott Gazetteer, p. 900
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 14, p. 320.
  4. ↑ A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North-West, H.A. Rose, 1997, 532 pages, p. 340, web: BooksG-Th: notes "carried off by the Sikh chief of Kalsia, and had... fingers burnt off, because he refused to acknowledge...Nanak".
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Dhillon, Virender Singh (25 August 2018). "The 'flying' Sikh Raja of Chhachhrauli estate". The Tribune. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  6. ↑ "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.
  7. ↑ "Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1911. p. 27. JSTOR   saoa.crl.25393788 . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  8. ↑ Kaul, Harikishan (1911). "Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II". p. 27. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  9. ↑ "Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables". 1921. p. 29. JSTOR   saoa.crl.25430165 . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  10. ↑ "Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1931. p. 277. JSTOR   saoa.crl.25793242 . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  11. ↑ "Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab". 1941. p. 42. JSTOR   saoa.crl.28215541 . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  12. ↑ Princely States of India

30°15′N77°22′E / 30.25°N 77.37°E / 30.25; 77.37

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