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

Formation of Solan District

• Solan district, in its present form, consists of the former princely states of Bhagal, Bhagat, Kunihar, Kuthar, Mangal, Beja, Mehlog, Nalagarh, and parts of Keonthal and Koti.
• It also includes the hilly areas of composite Punjab, merged with Himachal Pradesh on 1st November 1966 after the reorganization of Punjab on a linguistic basis.
• Solan district was formed by merging Solan and Arki tehsils from the erstwhile Mahasu district and Kandaghat and Nalagarh tehsils from the Shimla district.

Bhagat (Baghat) State

• The name Bhagat is derived from the hilly word "Bhau" meaning many and "ghat" meaning a pass.
• Initially, the headquarters of Bhagat state was in Bhoch, but it was later shifted to Solan after the construction of a cantonment.

Founding of Bhagat State

• The ruling family was founded by Basant Pal (or Hari Chand Pal), a Panwar Rajput from Dharnagiri in the Deccan.
• He settled in a place called Basantpur, now known as Bassi, near the Jiaonaji temple.
• Basant Pal wrested the Keonthal Pargana from Mawis, laying the foundation of Bhagat state.
• His son, Bakhsh Pal, annexed the Parganas of Basal, Bhuchali, and Gharoli.

Expansion of Bhagat State

• In the 16th generation, Rana Inder Pal added the Parganas of Basal, Ghar, and Taksal to the state.
• The state was named Bhagat during his reign.

Rana Mahendra Singh (Gurkha Period)

• During the 12-year rule of the Gurkhas, Rana Mahendra Singh remained undisturbed due to his alliance with the Bilaspur Raja, who had invited the Gurkhas.
• He died in 1839 without an heir, leading to the state's lapse to the government.

Vijay Singh

• He gained the throne in 1842 but also died without male heirs.
• The state was annexed by the British under Lord Dalhousie’s "Doctrine of Lapse."

Umed Singh

A cousin of Vijay Singh, Umed Singh claimed the lost kingdom, and his claim was accepted in 1862 upon the recommendation of Lord Canning.

Durga Singh

• Ruled from 1911 to 1948.
• Elected as a member of the Chamber of Princes in 1933.
• In 1942, the British took over Kasauli Pargana, where the cantonment was established.

History of Baghal State

Founding of Baghal

• The princely state of Baghal was founded by Aje De, a Panwar Rajput who came from Ujjain and settled in the village of Sairi.
• The original capital of the state was Damras, later shifted to Darla by Aje De's son, Nand Dev.

Rana Sabha Chand (1643)

Rana Sabha Chand made Arki the capital of Baghal state in 1643.

Mehr Chand

• Mehr Chand was a patron of painters.
• The paintings from his time are notable for featuring an aquiline nose, a distinctive characteristic of the Arki royal family.

Jagat Singh (1778-1828)

• During his reign, Arki became the headquarters of the Gurkhas, who fought against the British and Sikh forces.
• Rana Jagat Singh lived in exile in Nalagarh for seven years.
• After the Gurkha campaign, the British restored Baghal to him, with conditions to assist troops during wars and maintain the state's roads.

Rajinder Singh

The last Raja of Baghal state, ruling from 1945 to 1948.

History of Kunihar, Kuthar, Mehlog, Beja, and Mangal States

Kunihar

• Founded by Abhoj Deo from Akhnur in Jammu in 1154 A.D.
• The state covered an area of approximately 7 square miles.
• Descendants of Abhoj Deo were known for their warrior skills and often assisted Nalagarh and Bilaspur rulers in wars, mainly against Kullu.
• The state began to decline during the rule of Keso Rai in 1600 A.D. due to his weak and indolent leadership, leading neighboring states to seize parts of the territory.
• Rana Hardeo Singh was the last ruler, reigning from 1905 to 1948.

Kuthar

• Founded by Surat Chand, who came from Kishtwar and acquired the state through conquest.
• The state consisted of five parganas: Rihani, Ghar, Shil, Dharuth, and located opposite Sabathu in the Kuthar river valley.
• During the Gurkha invasion, Kuthar was a tributary to Keonthal and ruled by Rana Gopal Chand.

Mehlog

• The ruling family traces its origins to Bir Chand, a Raja from Ayodhya, who established the kingdom after expelling Mawis from Bhawana on his return from a pilgrimage to Man Sarovar Lake, following Lord Shiva's directions in a dream.
• The capital of the state was at Patta, located at the foot of the Kasauli hills.

Beja

• A small state of 4 square miles on the western slopes of the Kasauli Hills.
• The ruling family belonged to the Tunar Got of Rajputs, with the lineage beginning from Raja Dhol Chand.
• The state was a tributary to Bilaspur for many years but gained independence in 1790.

Mangal

• Known as the most inaccessible of the hill states, it was located on the banks of the Satluj near Bilaspur.
• Founded by an Attri Rajput who came from Marwar and served the Raja of Kehlur.
• The state was named after Mangal Singh, son of the founder.
• It remained a tributary to Bilaspur until the end of the Gurkha War, when it gained independence.
• On 15th April, Mangal was merged with Arki and became part of Himachal Pradesh.

History of Nalagarh (Hindur)

Founding of Nalagarh (Hindur)

Nalagarh, also known as Hindur, was founded by Ajit Chand, the younger brother of Ajay Chand, who was the ruler of Kahlur (Bilaspur) state.

Vijay Chand

• Ascended the throne as an infant, at only four months old, after his father's death.
• His mother, Rani, took control of the administration and successfully suppressed a revolt by the Kanets.

Laxman Chand

Became the ruler at the age of eleven.

Alam Chand

• During his reign in 1398, Taimur Lang invaded India.
• Raja Alam Chand supported Taimur during his raids across Delhi, Meerut, Haridwar, Kiar-Da-Doon, and eventually Hindur.

Raja Narayan Chand (1477-1522)

• The Raja of Nurpur proposed marriage between his daughter and the Raja of Hindur, but Narayan Chand refused.
• The Raja of Nurpur then allied with the Raja of Kehlur (Bilaspur) and provoked him to attack Hindur, resulting in the capture of Satgarh Fort by Kahlur.

Ram Chand (1572-1668)

• A great lover of architecture, he built the Ramgarh Fort and made Ramshahr the summer capital.
• In 1630, Kalian Chand, the Raja of Bilaspur, built a fort on the border of Hindur, leading to a battle in which the Raja of Hindur was killed.
• The Rani, along with her infant, sought protection from Kalian Chand.

Raj Ram Saran (1788-1848)

• Allied with Sansar Chand of Kangra and assisted him during the Gurkha invasion.
• His power was broken by the joint forces of the Raja of Kahlur and the Gurkhas, resulting in the loss of Ramshahr.
• He relocated to Palas until the British under General Ochterlony defeated the Gurkhas at the Malaon fort, where the Gurkha commander Bhakti Thapa was killed.

Raja Surender Singh

• The last Raja, ruling from 1946 to 1948.
• On 2nd May 1948, Nalagarh and Kalsia states were merged with the Eastern Punjab States Union (PEPSU).
• On 15th July 1948, Nalagarh officially became part of PEPSU.
• In 1966, Nalagarh was merged with Himachal Pradesh and became part of the Solan district.