History of Shimla district can be traced back to the early nineteenth century, during the period of Anglo-Gurkha war. In the year 1804, the Gurkhas started damaging the hills and other regions of Shimla as a revenge of the battle of Kangra in which they were gravely defeated by the Sikhs. In the battle of Kangra, a number of Gurkhas were killed which greatly agitated this community.
Numerous forts were built by the Gurkhas around Shimla among which the Jagatgarh fortress served as the origin of a famous military cantonment, the modern Jutogh. Initially, the Gurkha invaders succeeded in capturing all of their target locations between the Jamuna and Sutlej in 1808. Arki served as their capital and from there they began ruling over the neighbouring regions in a ruthless manner. Their ruthlessness finally forced the people to appeal to the British government for help. Thereafter, a small British army was employed under the commandership of Major General "Sir David Ochterlony" to save the Gurkha hostages.
Almost all of the hill chiefs joined the British army to accomplish the same which led to a ferocious battle at Ramgarh fort situated in Nalagarh at an altitude of 3750 feet. The fort at Malaon was the witness of the final decisive battle where the Gurkhas were overpowered by the superior arms and ammunitions of the British. This battle took place on 15th May 1815 and put an end to the urge of Gurkhas to rule over the state. An official declaration followed this battle according to which all the Chieftains who joined hands with the British army against the Gurkhas were given back their lands with British protection. The maharaja of Patiala had major contributions in this battle and thus he was rewarded with a stretch of land in the adjoining region which is presently a part of Shimla. On the other hand, the Gurkhas signed the "Treaty of Sanjauli" after losing the battle and the forts of Kotgarh, Sandoch, Sabathu and Ramgarh were seized by the British.
Shimla district presently includes 19 former hill states namely Sangri, Ratesh, Rawingarh, Keothal, Jubbal, Dhami, Khaneti and Delath, Kumharsain, Tharoch and Dhadi, Darkoti, Bhaji and Koti, Bushahr and Balson. After Kashmir, Bushahr had the fame of being the most ancient hill states of in the Western Himalayas. Legends say that the son of Lord Krishna, Pradhuman, was the founder of the Bushahr dynasty. Pradhuman arrived in this region to marry the daughter the local chief of Shonitpur, Banasura. Pradhuman got involved in a battle with Banasura in which the later died and consequently, in the absence of any son of Banasura, Pradhuman installed himself as the chief of Bushar and Kinnaur regions. However, C. F. Kennedy stated that Danbar Singh who was a Rajput immigrant from Deccan founded Bushar in 1412 A.D. In 1914 Padam Singh was recognised by the British as the legitimate heir of the kingdom and was coronated as Raja of Rampur Bushahr. Rampur Bushahr was finally included as a part of province of Himachal Pradesh in March, 1948.
Another hill state, Jubbal, was initially a part of Sirmaur but later, after the Gurkha war, emerged as independent region. The state was founded by Raja Karam Chand. Post independence, Jubbal was merged with the Indian Union and it got became a part of the state of Himachal Pradesh in on 15th April, 1948. Dig Vijay Singh was the ruler of the state at the time of this merger.
The present form of Shimla district came in to being on 1st September 1972 after the reorganization of the districts of the state. This was following by the merger of a major portion of erstwhile Mahasu district with Shimla. The district however got its name from the town of Shimla which was the district headquarters and presently the capital of Himachal Pradesh.
