Feudatory States in Haryana | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Introduction

• India's Independence in 1947: A total of 565 Native Feudatory States, such as Alwar, Bamra, Barwani, Bhopal, Bhor, Bijawar, Bundi, Bussahir, Charkhari, Cochin, Dhar, Duttia, Faridkot, Hyderabad, Idar, Indore, Jaipur, Jammu and Kashmir, Jasdan, Jhalawar, Jind, Kishangarh, Las Bela, Morvi, Nandgaon, Nowanuggur, Orchha, Poonch Rajasthan, Rajpeepla, Sirmoor, Soruth, Travancore, Travancore-Cochin, Wadhwan.
• "Haryana's Feudatory States: Internal Postage Service exclusive to their territories during British Empire, limited stamp validity within state boundaries. Haryana - One of India's 28 States"
• "Earliest Postage Stamps from Hyderabad State: The Half-Anna 1871 Stanley Gibbons Ser 4, and Orchha State's Two Anna Red-Brown 1916 Stamp"
• "An Anchal Petty Post Box, dating back to the Travancore period, is still in use in Kerala".

The Evolution of the Indian Postal System from 1837 to Present Day

• India had numerous feudatory states, but not all of them issued postal stamps or stationery. The following were the feudatory states that issued stamps and the corresponding dates of stamp issuance:
• Postal systems in India were established long before the arrival of Europeans, specifically for efficient military and governmental communication. When the Portuguese, Dutch, French, Danish, and British began to supplant the Marathas, who had already defeated the Mughals, their postal systems coexisted with those of many relatively independent states. 
• As the British East India Company gradually replaced other powers, they established a British administrative system over most of India, which required official and commercial mail systems to be established and maintained.
• The Indian Post Office was established in 1837, but it was not until Sir Bartle Frere, the administrator of the province of Sind for the British East India Company, introduced Asia's first adhesive stamp, the ScindeDawk, in 1852 that the postal system really took off. 
• Following the model postal system implemented by Rowland Hill in England, the Indian postal service grew into an extensive and reliable network that connected almost all parts of India, Burma, the Straits Settlements, and other territories controlled by the British East India Company.
• The Imperial Posts operated alongside the postal systems maintained by various Indian states, some of which issued stamps for use within their own territories, while British Indian postage stamps were needed to send mail beyond those boundaries. Telegraphy and telephony were initially integrated into the Posts before becoming separate departments.
• Thanks to its low cost and efficiency, the postal service played a crucial role in the commercial, military, and administrative operations of the British East India Company and its successor, the British Raj. After India gained independence in 1947, the Indian postal service continued to operate throughout the country and still provides valuable, affordable services to the public.
• During the British Empire, postage stamp duty was an important aspect of Haryana district, particularly Ambala district.
• In the Mughal era, the zamindars, who were nobility, played a significant role in the local histories of the subcontinent. One notable example is the confederation formed by 12 zamindars in the Bhati region in the 16th century, which gained a reputation for successfully repelling Mughal invasions through naval battles, according to the Jesuits and Ralph Fitch. 
• The confederation was led by a zamindar-lord named Isa Khan and included both Muslims and Hindus, such as Pratapaditya. The zamindars were also patrons of the arts, and the Tagore family, who were zamindars, produced India's first Nobel laureate in literature in 1913, Rabindranath Tagore, who often resided in his ancestral home. Additionally, the zamindars promoted neoclassical and Indo-Saracenic architecture.
• Pelkha is a town located 10 km northwest of Shamli in the district of Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is situated in the ancient land of Kuru, which is now western Uttar Pradesh, one of the most fertile and agriculturally advanced regions of India along with Punjab and Haryana. Geographically, it is located in the upper Doab, the area between the two great rivers, Ganges and Jamuna.
• In 1793, the East India Company introduced the permanent settlement system when Lord Cornwallis entered into an agreement with landowners to increase the company's revenue. The East India Company entered into this permanent settlement with landlords who owned large pieces of land, with the aim of expanding their business. 
• Under the settlement, the landlords were declared full owners of large areas of land, creating a permanent interest in the land, and the responsibility of collecting rent from the farmers was also entrusted to them for which they received a commission. Over time, these landlords became the intermediaries between the cultivators and the State.
• The Zamindari System had numerous flaws. It granted unlimited powers to the Zamindars to collect as much rent as they desired. It also allowed them to share the produce without participating personally in the productive process. 
• As a result, the actual cultivator was left with no surplus to invest in better tools, nor was there any additional incentive for him to increase agricultural production and efficiency.
• Prior to the partition of India in 1947, there were 565 princely states, and in most states, the zamindari system was largely abolished in India. The first amendment to the Indian Constitution was created to amend the Right to Property Act.

The Pehowa Inscription and the Tomara Dynasty

• The Pehowa Inscription is the earliest known written record mentioning the Tomara dynasty. It was issued during the reign of the Pratihara ruler Mahendrapala I, but the exact date of the inscription is unknown. 
• According to the inscription, Jaula of the Tomara family became prosperous by serving an unnamed king. His relatives included Vajrata, Jajjuka, and Gogga. The inscription suggests that Gogga was a vassal of Mahendrapala I. 
• It also mentions the construction of three Vishnu temples by Gogga and his stepbrothers Purna-raja and Deva-raja, which were located at Prithudaka on the banks of the Sarasvati river.
• The available historical records do not provide any information about the immediate heirs of Gogga. According to the Pehowa inscription, this particular Tomara clan was established in the Karnal region. 
• However, F. Kielhorn suggested that the Tomara family actually resided in Delhi and might have visited Pehowa as pilgrims, where they constructed a temple.