The Princely State of Kangra Lambagraon was a former princely estate during the rule of the British Empire in India. During the early 19th century, the region was appointed as one of the princely states of India under the indirect rule of the British administration. The state is located in the modern day Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The ancient Katoch dynasty reigned over the region. The state was earlier known as Jalandhar, Trigarta Kingdom and Multan. The territory consisted of around 437 villages in the year 1947 and covered a total area of 324 sq km.
History of Princely state of Kangra Lambagraon
The Katoch dynasty ruled the region of Kangra and its neighborhood since the early times. As the Mughal Empire declined, several former Mughal officers took independent charge of their territories of control. In the year 1783, Raja Sansar Chand and his army overpowered other surrounding princely states and obligated the rulers for submission. The native ruler reigned over the area, in modern Himachal Pradesh, for almost 2 decades. He eventually conflicted with the Gorkhas, who allied with the hill states to invade Kangra in 1806. The ruler was defeated and did not occupy any province beyond the immediate vicinity of the fortress of Kangra that he managed to retain with the help of Sikh force, sent by Ranjit Singh to his aid.
The Raja treated with Ranjit Singh at Jawalamukhi in the year 1809. Raja Sansar Chand submitted his state to Ranjit Singh by that treaty, in return for a substantial fief which was to be held under the suzerainty of Ranjit Singh. The native ruler of the princely state held several styles and titles, such as Rajanaka (supreme king), Katoch (best in swordmanship), Bada Raja (big king), Mian (a Muslim honorific), Maharaja (great king), Dharam Rakshak (protector of the Hindu faith), Nizam i-Jaladhra (Governor of Jalandhar), Chattarpati Naresh (king), Bahadur (brave), Companion of the Star of India (CSI), Knight Commander of the Indian Empire (KCIE), Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), Dharam Rattan (jewel of righteousness), Alha Malik (high master), Himachal Ratan (jewel of the Himalayas) and others.
After the First Anglo Sikh War in 1846, the region between the Ravi River and the Sutlej River, including the hill states, were ceded to the HEIC by the Sikhs. Lambagraon was put under the authority of the British Government of India. It was among the feudatory states that were placed under the Shimla Hill States Superintendency. In respect to the association of the ruling family with the Kangra town, the estate was renamed as Kangra Lambagraon.
After the independence of India in the year 1947, the last ruler of the princely state of Kangra Lambagraon acceded the territory to the Dominion of India, also known as the Union of India. The next year, the state was merged with its sister states of the former Shimla superintendency in order to form the province of Himachal Pradesh, which was to be administered by a Chief Commissioner.
