History of Kinnaur | HPPSC HPAS Preparation - HPPSC HPAS (Himachal Pardesh) PDF Download

• The history of the Bushahr Princely State is narrated through three primary accounts of its founder:
  • First Account: According to this account, three divine beings (devtas) appeared in Mathura—Anna Purana, Vrindavan, and Deva Puran. While Anna Purana and Tapa Puran remained at Badrinath and Tehri Garhwal, Deva Puran traveled to Kamru in Kinnaur. There, Deva Puran defeated local rulers, including King Banasur of Sarhan. He then brought Pradhuman Singh, a Chandervanshi ancestor of Dashratha from Varanasi, and crowned him king at Kamru.
  • Second Account: This version claims that the Bushahr dynasty was established by Pradhuman, the son of Lord Krishna. Pradhuman came to marry Banasur's daughter, and as Banasur had no male heir, Pradhuman took over as the chief of Bushahr and Kinnaur.
  • Third Account: According to this story, Pradhuman, on a pilgrimage to the Bhimakali temple at Sarahan from Kanchannapur in the south, arrived when the throne was vacant due to the Raja's sudden death. Pradhuman was blessed by Goddess Bhimakali and declared king by the people, with Kamru becoming the first capital of the state.
• By the end of the 7th century, Raja Shital Pal of Kullu sought refuge in Bushahr after being attacked by Chamba Raja Meru Verman.

Jarsehwar Pal

Around 780-800 AD, Jarsehwar Pal helped recover the Kullu state from Chamba with Bushahr's assistance when Chamba was invaded by the Kiras (Tibet).

Raja Chatter Singh

• The 110th descendant of Pradhuman, Raja Chatter Singh, is known for conquering areas south of Sarahan and Kinnaur. 
• He shifted the capital of Bushahr from Kamru to Sarahan (Shonitpur) at the beginning of the 10th century.

Raja Kehri Singh

• Raja Kehri Singh, the son of Chattar Singh, was noted for his extraordinary physical ability, being able to touch his knee while standing upright, similar to Ram Chandra. During a Darbar held by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Raja Kehri Singh was accompanied by a small cloud, resembling an umbrella, which provided him shade. 
• When Aurangzeb inquired about this phenomenon, Raja Kehri Singh explained that it was the favor of the goddesses of his land, protecting him from the heat of the plains, which he was unaccustomed to. This impressed the emperor greatly, who bestowed upon him the title of "Chhatrapati."
• Raja Kehri Singh was a contemporary of Grajayadoke, the ruler of Tibet, and his commander Guldenchhen, whom Kehri Singh defeated in battle. Following the battle, a treaty was signed establishing the Kailash mountain as the boundary between Kinnaur and Tibet.
• In 1681, a conflict erupted between Tibet and Ladakh, with Ladakh supported by the Mughals and Tibet by Raja Kehri Singh. A treaty was also signed in the 17th century between Kehri Singh and the Tibetan government led by Dalai Lama VI, which allowed free trade between Tibet and Kinnaur without taxes. This arrangement continued until the international border was sealed in 1962 after the India-China war.
• Raja Kehri Singh received the Hangrang Valley from Tibet as a jagir. He was succeeded by his sons Vijay Singh and Udai Singh.

Raja Ram Singh

• Raja Ram Singh moved the capital from Sarahan to Rampur. 
• During his rule, the Raja of Kullu, Bidhi Chand, invaded Bushahr and annexed the Kothis of Dhawal, Kot Kandi, and Balramgarh in outer Seraj.

Uger Singh

• Before Uger Singh's reign, there was ongoing hostility between Sirmaur and Bushahr. To mend relations, Raja Uger Singh married a daughter from the Sirmaur royal family. 
• He also had another wife from Dhami, with whom he had a son named Mohinder Singh. Uger Singh passed away in 1811 and was succeeded by his eight-year-old son, Mohinder Singh.
• During Mohinder Singh’s minority, the Gurkhas invaded Bushahr, forcing the young Raja and his mother to flee to the forests of Kinnaur. When the British attacked the Gurkhas in 1814, Bushahr’s Wazirs, Tikka Ram and Badri Dass, provided strong leadership to the local army and supported the British. Under their guidance, a significant battle was fought at Chholtu Bridge, which was a major setback for the Gurkhas.
• After liberating the state from the Gurkhas, the British granted a sanad (a formal grant) to Raja Mohinder Singh. Most of the territory was restored to him, except for Rawin and Kotgarh, which were later exchanged with the British for Shimla and transferred to the Keonthal state.