169-550: Faridkot State was a self-governing princely state of Punjab ruled by Brar Jats outside British India during the British Raj period in the Indian sub-continent until Indian independence. The state was located in the south of the erstwhile Ferozepore district during the British period. The former state had an area of around 1649.82 square kilometres (637 sq mi). It population in 1941
338-509: A chief can neither attack his neighbour nor fall out with a foreign nation, it follows that he needs no military establishment which is not required either for police purposes or personal display, or for cooperation with the Imperial Government. The treaty made with Gwalior in 1844, and the instrument of transfer given to Mysore in 1881, alike base the restriction of the forces of the State upon
507-533: A choice between conversion to Islam and death, he chose to die rather than compromise his principles and was executed. Guru Gobind Singh assumed the guruship in 1675 and to avoid battles with Sivalik Hill rajas moved the guruship to Paunta . There he built a large fort to protect the city and garrisoned an army to protect it. The growing power of the Sikh community alarmed the Sivalik Hill rajas , who attempted to attack
676-536: A descendant of Guru Nanak , conducted the coronation. The formation of the empire was followed by the progressive expulsion of Afghans from Punjab by capitalizing off Afghan decline in the Afghan-Sikh Wars , and the unification of the separate Sikh misls. Ranjit Singh rose to power in a very short period, from a leader of a single misl to finally becoming the Maharaja of Punjab. He began to modernise his army, using
845-409: A falling-out with his eldest daughter Amrit Kaur due to her marrying against his wishes. Two of Harinder's children, Harmohinder Singh and Maheepinder Kaur, died without leaving an heir. Harmohinder Singh had died in 1981 in a car accident. Harinder Singh later reconciled with his daughter Amrit Kaur before his death. After the death of the last ruler of Faridkot State, Harinder Singh, in 1989, his will
1014-400: A familial association with a famous Sikh martyr, Baba Deep Singh . The wedding occurred at Shahzadpur. This marriage produced a son named Harinder Singh. Brij Indar Singh was a devout Sikh. During World War I, he provided monetary assistance, supplies (such as high-quality horses and camels), and troops to the British cause on different occasions over a period of three years. Up to 1 lakh rupees
1183-513: A few particular titles, such as Sardar , Mankari , Deshmukh , Sar Desai, Istamuradar, Saranjamdar , Raja Inamdar, etc. The most prestigious Hindu rulers usually had the prefix "maha-" ("great", compare for example " grand duke ") in their titles, as in Maharaja, Maharana, Maharao , etc. This was used in many princely states including Mewar , Travancore and Cochin . The state of Travancore also had queens regent styled Maharani , applied only to
1352-667: A high-quality upbringing by his father. In 1879, his education was expanded to include the learning of Persian and English. Balbir Singh befriended Babu Amarnath, who helped him with learning English. Balbir carried-out his higher-level studies at Mayo College in Ajmer. In 1885, while still a student at the college, Balbir got married, which was an expensive ceremony. Balbir Singh married the daughter of Raja Bhagwan Singh of Manimajra State . The wedding took place in Ambala district. After graduating from college, Balbir Singh delved into statecraft within
1521-569: A letter that commanded all Sikhs to join him. After two years of gaining supporters, Banda Singh Bahadur initiated an agrarian uprising by breaking up the large estates of Zamindar families and distributing the land to the poor peasants who farmed the land. Banda Singh Bahadur started his rebellion by defeating the Mughal armies at the Battle of Samana , establishing the First Sikh State in 1709. This
1690-661: A level of Maharaja was used. There were also compound titles, such as (Maha)rajadhiraj, Raj-i-rajgan, often relics from an elaborate system of hierarchical titles under the Mughal emperors . For example, the addition of the adjective Bahadur (from Persian, literally meaning "brave") raised the status of the titleholder one level. Furthermore, most dynasties used a variety of additional titles such as Varma in South India. This should not be confused with various titles and suffixes not specific to princes but used by entire (sub)castes. This
1859-515: A nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule , subject to a subsidiary alliance and the suzerainty or paramountcy of the British crown . In 1920, Congress (party) under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi declared swaraj (self-rule) for Indians as its goal and asked
SECTION 10
#17328694477432028-562: A policing system, with each division having its own police station with their own inspectors. Wazir Singh also initiated a system of recording land statistics, which had not been done before. This led to the land of the polity being measured, with the Nambardars (village headmen) being consulted for calculating the total hectare amounts. This land surveying project was called Moti Ram Bandobast and documentation related to Sajra, Khushrah, Khatoni , and Khevad were created. He also made reforms to
2197-409: A population of slightly over 4 million. At the other end of the scale, the non-salute principality of Lawa covered an area of 49 km (19 sq mi), with a population of just below 3,000. Some two hundred of the lesser states even had an area of less than 25 km (10 sq mi). The princely states at the time of Indian independence were mostly formed after the disintegration of
2366-432: A quarter of the total – had the status of a salute state , one whose ruler was entitled to a set number of gun salutes on ceremonial occasions. The princely states varied greatly in status, size, and wealth; the premier 21-gun salute states of Hyderabad and Jammu and Kashmir were each over 200,000 km (77,000 sq mi) in size. In 1941, Hyderabad had a population of over 16 million, while Jammu and Kashmir had
2535-698: A regional power based in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent . It existed from 1799, when Ranjit Singh captured Lahore , to 1849, when it was defeated and conquered by the British East India Company in the Second Anglo-Sikh War . It was forged on the foundations of the Khalsa from a collection of autonomous misls . At its peak in the 19th century, the empire extended from Gilgit and Tibet in
2704-469: A result of their states' contributions to the war effort. It was also not unusual for members of princely houses to be appointed to various colonial offices, often far from their native state, or to enter the diplomatic corps. The gun salute system was used to set unambiguously the precedence of the major rulers in the area in which the British East India Company was active, or generally of
2873-497: A rule the majority of gun-salute princes had at least nine, with numbers below that usually the prerogative of Arab Sheikhs of the Aden protectorate , also under British protection. There were many so-called non-salute states of lower prestige. Since the total of salute states was 117 and there were more than 500 princely states, most rulers were not entitled to any gun salute. Not all of these were minor rulers – Surguja State , for example,
3042-560: A ruler to appoint his own heir. The doctrine of lapse was pursued most vigorously by the Governor-General Sir James Ramsay , 10th Earl (later 1st Marquess) of Dalhousie . Dalhousie annexed seven states, including Awadh (Oudh), whose Nawabs he had accused of misrule, and the Maratha states of Nagpur , Jhansi , Satara , Sambalpur , and Thanjavur . Resentment over the annexation of these states turned to indignation when
3211-568: A semi-promotion. The states of all these rulers (about 120) were known as salute states . After Indian Independence , the Maharana of Udaipur displaced the Nizam of Hyderabad as the most senior prince in India, because Hyderabad State had not acceded to the new Dominion of India , and the style Highness was extended to all rulers entitled to 9-gun salutes. When the princely states had been integrated into
3380-550: A simple border policy where it did not allow uninvited foreigners into the state. The purpose of this border policy was to dissuade potential foreign spies from entering the country. An example of the policy in-action is the case of Captain Arnold Mathews, who snuck into the Sikh Empire in circa 1808 to spy under the guise of being a tourist headed towards Kashmir but was intercepted and brought to Lahore. The Sikh court observed
3549-411: A special assembly meeting on 21 April 1863. In the aftermath of the 1857 rebellion, the British stopped their expansionist policies and the surviving princely states were assured of their protection under certain conditions. The British appointed a resident at the court of the larger princely states, enacting indirect control over them. However, Faridkot State was a small state, and thus no British resident
SECTION 20
#17328694477433718-535: A springboard to advance on the Sikh-held region of Multan, eventually resulted in conflict with the British. After Ranjit Singh's death in 1839, the empire was severely weakened by internal divisions and political mismanagement. This opportunity was used by the British East India Company to launch the First Anglo-Sikh War . The Battle of Ferozeshah in 1845 marked many turning points, the British encountered
3887-455: A suspicious person to the point until he is able not to prove himself as an innocent man. In reward for good services, I believe in promoting the person to the next level. You should believe that the service of a worker is acceptable to the point when he is able to offer his services along with believing in the Waheguru and having no other ill thoughts." ... "you have mentioned my ancestors. And this
4056-412: A total of over 200,000 sq mi (520,000 km ) at its zenith. Another more conservative estimate puts its total surface area during its zenith at 100,436 sq mi (260,124 km sq). The following modern-day political divisions made up the historical Sikh Empire: Jamrud District ( Khyber Agency , Pakistan) was the westernmost limit of the Sikh Empire. The westward expansion was stopped in
4225-467: A veterinary hospital and dispensaries were opened in Faridkot city. Additionally, Harinder Singh invested into roadbuilding, so the local people could travel to the mandis more easily. Wells were also constructed during his reign. In 1934, Harinder Singh established a secretariat that made all the offices of the state come under the courts, with a high-court being established. Furthermore, a judicial committee
4394-634: Is almost analogous to Singh title in North India. The actual importance of a princely state could not be read from the title of its ruler, which was usually granted (or at least recognized) as a favor, often in recognition for loyalty and services rendered to the British Raj . Although some titles were raised once or even repeatedly, there was no automatic updating when a state gained or lost real power. In fact, princely titles were even awarded to holders of domains (mainly jagirs ) and even taluqdars and zamindars , which were not states at all. Most of
4563-404: Is even more commendable. The wise men say that a good ruler is one who accepts his responsibility. There is no ambiguity in this fact that those ancestors would understand their responsibilities clearly and only then could make efforts to fulfill them. They truly were in love with humanity. They were a mine of gold and every person participates according to his destiny. He feels sad in the sadness of
4732-477: Is organised for the defence not merely of British India , but of all the possessions under the suzerainty of the King-Emperor. In addition, other restrictions were imposed: The treaties with most of the larger States are clear on this point. Posts in the interior must not be fortified, factories for the production of guns and ammunition must not be constructed, nor may the subject of other States be enlisted in
4901-514: The 19th most populous country at the time ), it was the last major region of the Indian subcontinent to be annexed by the British Empire . The formation of the empire began with the capture of Lahore from its Durrani ruler, Zaman Shah Durrani . Ranjit Singh was proclaimed as Maharaja of the Punjab on 12 April 1801 (to coincide with Vaisakhi ), creating a unified political state. Sahib Singh Bedi,
5070-418: The Battle of Ferozeshah , the British were accepting their defeat and stepped-back, but the Sikh forces under Lal Singh and Tej Singh had also done the same, leaving valuable weaponry behind such as cannons and other resources at the battleground. After witnessing this, Pahar Singh reported to the British general Bradford about the situation. Due to the request of Pahar Singh, they were able to take posessions of
5239-555: The Battle of Jamrud , in which the Afghans managed to kill the prominent Sikh general Hari Singh Nalwa in an offensive, though the Sikhs successfully held their position at their Jamrud fort. Ranjit Singh sent his General Sirdar Bahadur Gulab Singh Powind thereafter as reinforcement and he crushed the Pashtun rebellion harshly. In 1838, Ranjit Singh with his troops marched into Kabul to take part in
Faridkot State - Misplaced Pages Continue
5408-541: The Cis-Sutlej States and also in territory under the British East India Company's rule. Other vakil emissaries of the Sikh court were sent to Rajputana , the Marathas , and Nepal on complimentary missions. Western/European officers from various backgrounds, including Britishers, Frenchmen, Germans, Italians, Spaniards, Americans, and Russians, also rose to high levels within the Sikh court in many instances. However,
5577-591: The Dussehra celebrations, a durbar (court) would be held at Faridkot. In the 3 October 1900 event of the Dussehra court session at Faridkot, which was Balbir Singh's first session, two addresses had been given by the state officials and the subjects to the state government and the answers Balbir offered in-response are as follows: "… you should have by the short duration of my rule that according to my principles, no innocent person would be criminalized. I believe in trusting
5746-650: The Eastern States Agency , Punjab States Agency , Baluchistan Agency , Deccan States Agency , Madras States Agency and the Northwest Frontier States Agency . The Baroda Residency was combined with the princely states of northern Bombay Presidency into the Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency . Gwalior was separated from the Central India Agency and given its own Resident, and
5915-578: The Indian independence movement led by the Congress , Akali Dal , and Ghadar parties, the movement was attaining a following within Faridkot State. A Praja Mandal movement was launched against the Patiala State rulers, with a Mandal Committee being organized after that held regular meetings on important matters. Proponents of the independence movement were tortured by the police of Faridkot State. Also,
6084-531: The King-Emperor to provide a forum in which the rulers could voice their needs and aspirations to the government. It survived until the end of the British Raj in 1947. By the early 1930s, most of the princely states whose agencies were under the authority of India's provinces were organised into new Agencies, answerable directly to the governor-general, on the model of the Central India and Rajputana agencies:
6253-563: The Koh-i-Nor diamond for Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He served as governor of Kashmir and Hazara and established a mint on behalf of the Sikh empire to facilitate revenue collection. His frontier policy of holding the Khyber Pass was later used by the British Raj . Nalwa was responsible for expanding the frontier of Sikh empire to the Indus River . At the time of his death, the western boundary of
6422-464: The Maharaja of Patiala and the Maharaja of Travancore – were entitled to 19-gun salutes. The most senior princely ruler was the Nizam of Hyderabad , who was entitled to the unique style Exalted Highness and 21-gun salute . Other princely rulers entitled to salutes of 11 guns (soon 9 guns too) or more were entitled to the style Highness . No special style was used by rulers entitled to lesser gun salutes. As paramount ruler , and successor to
6591-857: The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India and the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire . Women could be appointed as "Knights" (instead of Dames) of these orders. Rulers entitled to 21-gun and 19-gun salutes were normally appointed to the highest rank, Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India. Many Indian princes served in the British Army , the Indian Army , or in local guard or police forces, often rising to high ranks; some even served while on
6760-511: The Punjab Army , opening with a gun-duel in which the Sikhs "had the better of the British artillery". As the British made advances, Europeans in their army were specially targeted, as the Sikhs believed if the army "became demoralized, the backbone of the enemy's position would be broken". The fighting continued throughout the night. The British position "grew graver as the night wore on", and "suffered terrible casualties with every single member of
6929-521: The Sikh court at Lahore of the empire's ruling government. However, the term "Lahore Darbar" only gained currency around the time of Ranjit Singh's death, with it not being found in British sources until then. The empire's own Persian chronicles refers to its ruling government as the Sarkar Khalsaji . The foundation of the Sikh Empire can be traced to as early as 1707, the year of Aurangzeb 's death and
Faridkot State - Misplaced Pages Continue
7098-483: The zamindars who held princely titles were in fact erstwhile princely and royal states reduced to becoming zamindars by the British East India Company. Various sources give significantly different numbers of states and domains of the various types. Even in general, the definition of titles and domains are clearly not well-established. In addition to their titles, all princely rulers were eligible to be appointed to certain British orders of chivalry associated with India,
7267-614: The Brar tribe as one of his very own communities as he had wrote and dispatched the Zafarnama epistle from Dina. In his later years, Wazir Singh took his congregation ( sangat ) along with him to visit religious sites in Haridwar, Calcutta, Allahabad, and Patna. He constructed a Sikh shrine called Gurdwara Sangat Sahib at one of these locations. Wazir Singh died in 1874, he was succeeded by his son, Bikram Singh (r. 1874–98). After Bikram Singh rose to
7436-569: The British Raj (the "Indian Empire") consisted of two types of territory: British India and the native states or princely states . In its Interpretation Act 1889 , the British Parliament adopted the following definitions: (4.) The expression "British India" shall mean all territories and places within Her Majesty's dominions which are for the time being governed by Her Majesty through
7605-510: The British and Indian Armed Forces. Those ranks were conferred based on several factors, including their heritage, lineage, gun-salute (or lack of one) as well as personal character or martial traditions. After the First and Second World Wars, the princely rulers of several of the major states, including Gwalior , Patiala , Nabha , Faridkort , Bikaner , Jaipur , Jodhpur , Jammu and Kashmir and Hyderabad, were given honorary general officer ranks as
7774-406: The British awarded him with the maharaja title. Brij Indar Singh had a short reign after he was given full control, dying on 22 October 1918. He was succeeded by his son, Harinder Singh. Raja Harinder Singh (r. 1918–48) was the successor of Raja Brij Indar Singh. He would be the last ruler of Faridkot State. Harinder Singh was born on 29 January 1915. Similar to Brij Indar Singh, Harinder Singh
7943-674: The British during the Second Anglo-Afghan War , with him sending troops. Due to this, the British awarded Bikram Singh with the Farzandeshaadat Nishan Hazrat-e-Kesar-e-Hind title. The Illustrated Weekly of India , page no. 12 reported that when Duleep Singh departed from England en-route for India on 31 March 1886, he was stopped at a port in Aden and the British did not allow him to continue on-wards to India. In-response, Duleep Singh dispatched secret letters to
8112-463: The British over the Sikh Empire as they believed it would take a long time for the British to overcome them while they were threatened by immediate annexation from the Sikh Empire. Due to the rise of Napoleon back in Europe, the British temporarily ceased their territorial advancements in India. In 1808, the British began to take an interest in Punjab affairs again as their fears of a Franco-Russian attack via
8281-737: The Chinese and Tibetans. The Cis-Sutlej states were a group of Sikh states in the Punjab region lying between the Sutlej River to the north, the Himalayas to the east, the Yamuna River and Delhi district to the south, and Sirsa District to the west. These states fell under the suzerainty of the Maratha Empire after 1785 before the Second Anglo-Maratha War of 1803–1805, after which
8450-520: The Governor General's staff either killed or wounded". Nevertheless, the British army took and held Ferozeshah. British General Sir James Hope Grant recorded: "Truly the night was one of gloom and forbidding and perhaps never in the annals of warfare has a British Army on such a large scale been nearer to a defeat which would have involved annihilation." The reasons for the withdrawal of the Sikhs from Ferozeshah are contentious. Some believe that it
8619-476: The Governor-General of India or through any governor or other officer subordinate to the Governor-General of India. (5.) The expression "India" shall mean British India together with any territories of any native prince or chief under the suzerainty of Her Majesty exercised through the Governor-General of India, or through any governor or other officer subordinate to the Governor-General of India. In general
SECTION 50
#17328694477438788-634: The Indian Union their rulers were promised continued privileges and an income (known as the Privy Purse ) for their upkeep. Subsequently, when the Indian government abolished the Privy Purse in 1971, the whole princely order ceased to be recognised under Indian law, although many families continue to retain their social prestige informally; some descendants of the rulers are still prominent in regional or national politics, diplomacy, business and high society. At
8957-533: The Indian railway was extended to connect with Faridkot, linking the city with Lahore, Kotkapura, Sarsa, Hisar, Revari, and Mumbai by rail. Bikram Singh was one of the founders of the Amritsar Singh Sabha organization in 1873. Bikram Singh took an interest in educational pursuits, with him sponsoring the construction of schools. In 1875, he was one of the founders of Mohindra College in Patiala, he had assisted
9126-542: The Indian subcontinent, apart from thousands of zamindari estates and jagirs . In 1947, princely states covered 40% of the area of pre-independence India and constituted 23% of its population. The most important states had their own British political residencies: Hyderabad of the Nizams , Mysore , Pudukkottai and Travancore in the South, Jammu and Kashmir , and Indore in Central India. The most prominent among those – roughly
9295-462: The Lahore Darbar and the diwan of Lahore , coveted the state and wished to absorb it. Pahar Singh developed friendly ties with the British in-light of this. During the First Anglo-Sikh War in 1845 the chief, Raja Pahar Singh , was allied with the British, and was rewarded with an increase of territory. Pahar Singh had provided the British valuable assistance during the Battle of Mudki . During
9464-492: The Maharaja when their father, Ghulam Muhiuddin, a physician, was summoned by him to treat an eye ailment soon after his capture of Lahore. The other Fakir brothers were Imamuddin, one of his principal administration officers, and Nuruddin, who served as home minister and personal physician, were also granted jagirs by the Maharaja. Every year, while at Amritsar, Ranjit Singh visited shrines of holy people of other faiths, including several Muslim saints, which did not offend even
9633-485: The Marathas lost control of the territory to the British East India Company . The Cis-Sutlej states included Kalsia , Kaithal , Patiala State , Nabha State , Jind State , Thanesar , Maler Kotla , Ludhiana , Kapurthala State , Ambala , Ferozpur and Faridkot State , among others. The Sikh Empire of Ranjit Singh occupied Faridkot State in 1807. However, control was restored to Gulab Singh of Faridkot in 1809 due to
9802-518: The Mughal empire. Many Princely states had a foreign origin due to the long period of external migration to India. Some of these were the rulers of Hyderabad ( Turks ), Bhopal ( Afghans ) and Janjira ( Abyssinian ). Among the Hindu kingdoms, most of the rulers were Kshatriya . Only the Rajput states and a scattering of South Indian kingdoms could trace their lineage to the pre-Mughal period. India under
9971-414: The Mughals and their administrators , the Mughal-allied Hindu hill-rajas of the Sivalik Hills , and hostile local Muslims siding with other Muslim forces. The Sikhs of the Dal Khalsa eventually formed their own independent Sikh administrative regions, Misls , derived from a Perso-Arabic term meaning 'similar', headed by Misldars . These Misls were united in large part by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. After
10140-462: The Mughals at the Battle of Muktsar . In 1707, Guru Gobind Singh accepted an invitation by Aurangzeb's successor Bahadur Shah I to meet him. The meeting took place at Agra on 23 July 1707. In August 1708, Guru Gobind Singh visited Nanded . There he met a Bairāgī recluse, Madho Das, who converted to Sikhism, rechristened as Banda Singh Bahadur . A short time before his death, Guru Gobind Singh ordered him to reconquer Punjab region and gave him
10309-463: The Mughals, the British King-Emperor of India, for whom the style of Majesty was reserved, was entitled to an 'imperial' 101-gun salute—in the European tradition also the number of guns fired to announce the birth of an heir (male) to the throne. There was no strict correlation between the levels of the titles and the classes of gun salutes, the real measure of precedence, but merely a growing percentage of higher titles in classes with more guns. As
SECTION 60
#173286944774310478-406: The Nawab of Oudh . There were also certain estates of British India which were rendered as political saranjams , having equal princely status. Though none of these princes were awarded gun salutes, princely titles in this category were recognised as a form of vassals of salute states, and were not even in direct relation with the paramount power. A controversial aspect of East India Company rule
10647-423: The Punjab, allowing him to divert most of his focus on internal politics and projects. Wazir Singh established an administrative division system in the state, where he divided the polity into Faridkot, Deep Singh Wala, Kotakpura, and Bhagta, into separate administrative entities. Faridkot and Kotkapura divisions had tehsils established within them, with a tehsildar being appointed for each tehsil. He also established
10816-405: The Raj Mahal, Victoria Memorial, Ghanta Ghar, and the Anglo Vernacular Middle School in Faridkot. One of the buildings constructed, the Raj Mahal, became the new residence for the royal family. Prior to the construction of the Raj Mahal, the Faridkot royal family resided in the Faridkot Fort. There exists an oil painting of Balbir Singh, whom is dressed completely in European dress in it. Balbir Singh
10985-413: The Sikh Empire was the Khyber Pass. The Namgyal dynasty of Ladakh paid regular annual tribute to the Sikh Empire starting 1819 until 1834. The tribute was paid to the local Sikh governors of Kashmir. The Namgyal kingdom would later be conquered by the Dogras , under the leadership of Zorawar Singh. The domain of the Maqpon kingdom of Baltistan, based in Skardu, under the rule of Ahmad Shah Maqpon,
11154-431: The Sikh court and nobles also wearing yellow clothing on the day. During Basant, the officials bore gifts for the sovereign ruler, with the ruler in-turn bestowing robe-of-honours to the officials based on their rank and status. During celebrations of Dussehra, the Sikh court assembled itself at Amritsar and the jagirdari troops of the empire's military were paraded and inspected by the maharaja. The Sikh Empire spanned
11323-424: The Sikh court was filled with elaborately garbed and decorated members. Only three individuals were permitted to be seated on chairs within the durbar, them namely being heir-apparent Kharak Singh, kanwar Sher Singh, and Raja Hira Singh. Three sides of the hall of the durbar were covered with golden-pillars, with shawl carpets that were embroidered with golden and silver, and inset with precious stones, decorating
11492-484: The Sikh court was wary of the Westerners within the court, and kept them therefore under strict regulation. These foreign Western members of the court were persuaded by the state to integrate themselves by marrying a local woman, settling down within the empire, and adopt the cultural customs of the locals, such as growing out a beard or wearing a turban. The Western members of the court were also banned from publicly consuming beef or smoking . The Sikh Empire did enact
11661-408: The Sikh court were treated with respect and hospitality, with many contemporary accounts of foreign visitors to the court noting the good-treatment afforded to them by the state. When a foreign visitor arrived, they would be greeted by a protocol officer, who would arrange for their temporary residence, which was based upon the status of the visitor. The state government paid for the expenses regarding
11830-514: The Sikh victory at Sirhind . He ruled the territory between the Sutlej river and the Yamuna river , established a capital in the Himalayas at Lohgarh and struck coinage in the names of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. In 1716, his army was defeated by the Mughals after he attempted to defend his fort at Gurdas Nangal . He was captured along with 700 of his men and sent to Delhi , where they were all tortured and executed after refusing to convert to Islam . The period from 1716 to 1799
11999-468: The Sutlej ferries, and destroyed a rebel stronghold. He also sent an army of troops to meet the Deputy Commissioner of Ferozepore. Revolutionaries arrested by the Faridkot forces were handed-over to the British. Due to his actions during the war, the British awarded Wazir Singh with the title of Brar Vansh Raja Bahadur . The British also upgraded the amount of honourary cannons for Faridkot from seven to eleven. These rewards were declared by Queen Victoria in
12168-531: The administrators of India's provinces. The agents of five princely states were then under the authority of Madras , 354 under Bombay , 26 of Bengal , two under Assam , 34 under Punjab , fifteen under the Central Provinces and Berar and two under the United Provinces . The Chamber of Princes ( Narender Mandal or Narendra Mandal ) was an institution established in 1920 by a royal proclamation of
12337-532: The advancing Sikh Empire was thanks to intervention by the British. However, the British after this point lost interest in the Faridkot region as it was not a good source of revenue for them. Faridkot was one of the Cis-Sutlej states , which came under British influence in 1809. It was bounded on the west and northeast by the British district of Ferozepore , and on the south by Nabha State . Gulab Singh died in 1826, being succeeded by his only son Attar Singh. However,
12506-414: The affairs of the states. In the same year, Gandhi played a major role in proposing a federation involving a union between British India and the princely states, with an Indian central government. In 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru observed that no princely state could prevail militarily against the army of independent India. At the time of the British withdrawal, 565 princely states were officially recognized in
12675-472: The age of 37. Balbir Singh had no issue so the throne passed onto the late Rajinder Singh's son, Brij Indar Singh. Balbir Singh was followed by Raja Brij Indar Singh (r. 1906–18). Brij Indar Singh was only 10-years-old when he came to the throne, thus state affairs were controlled by a council of regency between 1906–16 during the childhood rule of Brij Indar Singh. The council of regency was headed by Sardar Bahadur Rasaldar Partap Singh until 1909, thereafter
12844-407: The age of 50. Both Deep Singh and Anokh Singh had died in childhood, leaving Wazir Singh behind as the rightful heir to the Faridkot throne. Pahar Singh's successor, Wazir Singh, continued the pro-British policies and relations. Wazir Singh involved himself in statecraft even at a young age, which helped improve his ability to rule later-on. Wazir Singh inherited the throne during a period of peace in
13013-461: The beginning of the 20th century, relations between the British and the four largest states – Hyderabad , Mysore , Jammu and Kashmir, and Baroda – were directly under the control of the governor-general of India , in the person of a British resident . Two agencies, for Rajputana and Central India , oversaw twenty and 148 princely states respectively. The remaining princely states had their own British political officers, or Agents, who answered to
13182-453: The broad ground of protection. The former explained in detail that unnecessary armies were embarrassing to the State itself and the cause of disquietude to others: a few months later a striking proof of this was afforded by the army of the Sikh kingdom of Lahore. The British Government has undertaken to protect the dominions of the Native princes from invasion and even from rebellion within: its army
13351-483: The cannons and other items left behind at the abandoned battlefield. Pahar Singh was bestowed with the raja title by the British in 1846 as a reward for the helped he provided them. Pahar Singh married Chand Kaur, who was the daughter of Samand Singh of Deena Wale. Chand Kaur gave birth to a son, Wazir Son. Pahar Singh would marry another woman who was from a Muddki royal lineage. His second-wife would give birth to princes Deep Singh and Anokh Singh. Pahar Singh died at
13520-615: The city, but Guru Gobind Singh 's forces routed them at the Battle of Bhangani . He moved on to Anandpur and established the Khalsa , a collective army of baptised Sikhs, on 30 March 1699. The establishment of the Khalsa united the Sikh community against various Mughal-backed claimants to the guruship. In 1701, a combined army of the Sivalik Hill rajas and the Mughals under Wazir Khan attacked Anandpur. The Khalsa retreated but regrouped to defeat
13689-419: The community and finds himself happier in the happiness of the people." Furthermore, Balbir Singh discussed animals during his speech and made an announcement that additional mandis would be established. Balbir Singh was a Europhile and had a strong interest in architecture, with him constructing three gothic-style structures in the state before 1902. Some of the buildings constructed under his watch include
13858-435: The complete list of princely states in 1947, see lists of princely states of India . Central India Agency , Gwalior Residency , Baluchistan Agency , Rajputana Agency , Eastern States Agency Gwalior Residency (two states) Other states under provincial governments Madras (5 states) Bombay (354 states) Central Provinces (15 states) Punjab (45 states) Assam (26 states) The armies of
14027-440: The construction efforts of the college. Whilst Bikram Singh's father, Wazir Singh, had divided the dominion into four administrative divisions, Bikram Singh reformed this to only be two divisions. Deep Singh Wala division was absorbed into Faridkot division whilst Bhagta division was combined into Kotkapura division. Chunkis were established in the former Deep Singh Wala and Bhagta divisions instead of police stations. Bikram Singh
14196-480: The council was headed by Dayal Singh Maan until 1914. During the rule of the council, many forward-thinking changes were implemented within the polity, such as new schemes, the construction of buildings (such as schools, hospitals, and police stations). Queen Suraj Kaur Hospital for women was constructed during the rule of the council, as was the Barjindra High School. During Dayal Singh Maan's tenure as head of
14365-487: The council, a documentation project of the state was carried-out again. A new piece of legislation, called the Panchayat Act , was enacted at the time. After 1914, the council was abolished and a superintendent was appointed in its place. The late ruler Balbir Singh had ensured that Brij Indar Singh was given a good education, with his English studies being under the purview of E. S. Atkinson whilst his religious instruction
14534-401: The court include high-level civil and military appointments, reports from the provincial satraps and kardars . When matters of the court were read-out, royal decrees made orally were transferred into writing for final approval. Tributes and nazaranas were also exchanged or bestowed within the court. Supplicants to the court were dismissed with khill'ats (robes) or monetary gifts. When
14703-502: The courts of the princely states existed under the authority of the respective rulers of those states. The Indian rulers bore various titles including Maharaja or Raja ("king"), Sultan , Nawab , Emir , Raje , Nizam , Wadiyar (used only by the Maharajas of Mysore , meaning "lord"), Agniraj Maharaj for the rulers of Bhaddaiyan Raj, Chogyal , Nawab ("governor"), Nayak , Wāli , Inamdar , Saranjamdar and many others. Whatever
14872-584: The customary law of the districts and socio-ethnic groups, and were open to all who wanted to be governed by customary religious law, whether Hindu, Sikh, or Muslim. One of Ranjit Singh's first acts after the 1799 capture of Lahore was to revive the offices of the hereditary Qazis and Muftis which had been prevalent in Mughal times. Kazi Nizamuddin was appointed to decide marital issues among Muslims, while Muftis Mohammad Shahpuri and Sadulla Chishti were entrusted with powers to draw up title-deeds relating to transfers of immovable property. The old mohalladari system
15041-457: The death of Jahangir in 1627. The succeeding son of Jahangir, Shah Jahan , took offence at Guru Hargobind's "sovereignty" and after a series of assaults on Amritsar forced the Sikhs to retreat to the Sivalik Hills . The next guru, Guru Har Rai , maintained the guruship in these hills by defeating local attempts to seize Sikh land and playing a neutral role in the power struggle between two of
15210-407: The doctrine, it was discontinued with the end of Company rule and the British Parliament 's assumption of direct power over India. By treaty, the British controlled the external affairs of the princely states absolutely. As the states were not British possessions, they retained control over their own internal affairs, subject to a degree of British influence which in many states was substantial. By
15379-491: The dynasty ceased to govern the Faridkot region. Faridkot State was established in 1763 by Hamir Singh (died 1782), with Faridkot as its capital. Faridkot State was founded by Brar Jats . The ruling family of Faridkot State claimed descent from Jaisal . Kotkapura used to be the capital but Hamir Singh shifted the capital to Faridkot. The successive rulers of Faridkot would come from Hamir Singh's lineage. The Sikh Empire of Ranjit Singh occupied Faridkot State in 1807, whom
15548-483: The empire was from the Punjab region to Khyber Pass in the west, to Kashmir in the north, Sindh in the south, and Tibet in the east. In 1799, Ranjit Singh moved the capital to Lahore from Gujranwala , where it had been established in 1763 by his grandfather, Charat Singh . Ranjit Singh annexed the Sial State , a local Muslim-ruled chieftaincy, after invading Jhang in 1807. The basis for this annexation
15717-525: The empire's existing territory south of the Sutlej), following attempts by Ranjit Singh to wrest control of these states from the British between 1806 and 1809 The Sikh crossing of the Sutlej, following British militarization of the border with Punjab (from 2,500 men and six guns in 1838 to 17,612 men and 66 guns in 1844, and 40,523 men and 94 guns in 1845), and plans on using the newly conquered territory of Sindh as
15886-515: The farms of Faridkot State, which helped improved the advancement of agriculture in the state. Trade in the state was boosted in 1884 with the connection of a railway line to Faridkot and Kot-Kapura with other regions of India. With the improvement of the state's funds due to the advancements made in agriculture and trade, the rulers were able to dedicate funds to the construction of architectural projects. The rulers of Faridkot State constructed many gothic-style buildings in their erstwhile state, due to
16055-410: The festivals of Vaisakhi , Dussehra , Basant , Holi , and Diwali . Vaisakhi was considered an especially auspicious celebration within the Sikh court, with it giving and distributing gifts of money, gold, silver, cows, horses, elephants, gold-bangles, and food to Brahmins and the poor. During Basant celebrations, the military troops of the empire were paraded donning yellow uniforms, with members of
16224-491: The floor. The maharaja was seated on a golden throne , with Ranjit Singh preferring to sit cross-legged on it. The member of the court allowed to be seated behind the maharaja was Raja Dhian Singh. The rest of the members of the court were seated as per their rank and status. The colours of the Sikh court were yellow and green. Thus, most of its members donned yellow-coloured dressings made from Kashmiri silk or woollens. However, there existed no strict categorization scheme of
16393-557: The happenings of surrounding regions, including remote parts of its territory and foreign countries, the Sikh court received reports from the waqa'nawis (news-writers) located in the empire's provinces ( subas ). The reports were dispatched to the Lahore Darbar at regular intervals. Furtheremore, the vakils (agents) of foreign countries were associated with the Sikh court on a reciprocal basis. The Sikh court had news-writers located in Afghanistan and also had its own vakil emissaries in
16562-456: The heirlooms of the Maharajas of Nagpur were auctioned off in Calcutta. Dalhousie's actions contributed to the rising discontent amongst the upper castes which played a large part in the outbreak of the Indian mutiny of 1857 . The last Mughal badshah (emperor), whom many of the mutineers saw as a figurehead to rally around, was deposed following its suppression. In response to the unpopularity of
16731-563: The influence of the British and the gothic revival . Gothic architecture reached Faridkot through the railway, commencing in 1884. The gothic style incorporated indigenous elements. Balbir Singh constructed three gothic-styled buildings: the Raj Mahal, the Victoria Clock Tower, and Kothi Darbarganj, with all of them being built before 1902. The gothic-style clock tower was erected in 1901 in-memory of Queen Victoria who had died on 22 January
16900-488: The land for development. A canal branch linking to the Sutlej was constructed, which provided valuable irrigation to the state. However, this initially built canal eventually dried-up and there was an inadequate amount of funds in the state's treasury for the construction of a new one. Therefore, Pahar Singh assisted the local zamindars (landlords) with the construction of a well instead. The relations between Faridkot State and Lahore State were cold. Diwan Mohkam Chand of
17069-519: The langar and the Mughals did not have any conflict with Sikh gurus until his death in 1605. His successor Jahangir , saw the Sikhs as a political threat. He ordered Guru Arjan , who had been arrested for supporting the rebellious Khusrau Mirza , to change the passage about Islam in the Adi Granth . When the Guru refused, Jahangir ordered him to be put to death by torture. Guru Arjan's martyrdom led to
17238-550: The latest training as well as weapons and artillery . After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the empire was weakened by the British East India Company stoking internal divisions and political mismanagement. Finally, in 1849, the state was dissolved after the defeat in the Second Anglo-Sikh War. The empire is also referred to as the Lahore State , such as in contemporary British maps. The term Lahore Darbar refers to
17407-581: The literal meaning and traditional prestige of the ruler's actual title, the British government translated them all as "prince", to avoid the implication that the native rulers could be "kings" with status equal to that of the British monarch. More prestigious Hindu rulers (mostly existing before the Mughal Empire, or having split from such old states) often used the title " Raja ", or a variant such as Raje, Rai , Rana , Babu , Rao , Rawat, or Rawal . Also in this 'class' were several Thakurs or Thai ores and
17576-661: The local farmers of Faridkot State were banned from selling their produce at other mandis . The landlord class was heavily exploited by the state despite the state's rich treasury. Also, the cost for attending educational institutions within the state was high. Due to these factors, a Praja Mandal struggle took-place in Faridkot State as well. Faridkot State was merged into P.E.P.S.U. (Patiala and East Punjab States Union) on 20 August 1948. Five princely states of Punjab, namely Faridkot, Patiala, Jind, Nabha, and Kapurthala states, were combined into PEPSU at this time and were disintegrated as independent dominions. Then-ruling Harinder Singh
17745-493: The local forces. ... They must allow the forces that defend them to obtain local supplies, to occupy cantonments or positions, and to arrest deserters; and in addition to these services they must recognise the Imperial control of the railways, telegraphs, and postal communications as essential not only to the common welfare but to the common defence. The Imperial Service Troops were routinely inspected by British army officers and had
17914-615: The maharaja was travelling, the court ceased to be static and was held at whatever location the ruler's retinue decided to hold-up at, often under a tree or whilst moving on horseback. The ruler would dictate orders to provincial governors whilst inspecting their troops or even in the midst of battle. Noble members of the court, including relatives of the royal family, resided in palatial haveli structures and donned expensive clothing and accessories (such as jewelry). The Sikh princes, and also Raja Dhian Singh, were permitted to hold their own miniature durbars (courts). Foreign visitors to
18083-723: The most religious Sikhs of his administration. As relayed by Fakir Nuruddin, orders were issued to treat people of all faith groups, occupations, and social levels equally and in accordance with the doctrines of their faith, per the Shastras and the Quran , as well as local authorities like judges and panches (local elder councils), as well as banning forcible possession of others' land or of inhabited houses to be demolished. There were special courts for Muslims which ruled in accordance to Muslim law in personal matters, and common courts preceded over by judicial officers which administered justice under
18252-411: The needs of the civilians in the state and to provide him valuable advice. Some of the useful advisors that Pahar Singh employed were sardars Meenha Singh, Ghamand Singh, and Koma Singh. Furthermore, Pahar Singh awarded his brothers, Sahib Singh and Mehtab Singh, a jagir grant consisting of villages for them to rule-over. Under Pahar Singh, the jungles that surrounded Faridkot were deforested to clear
18421-424: The north of the river, and setting the Sutlej as the dividing boundary between the Sikh and British empires; negotiating with Dost Muhammad Khan during his unsuccessful attempt to retake Peshawar , and ensuring the succession of the throne during the Maharaja's last days in addition to caretaking after a stroke, as well as occasional military assignments throughout his career. The Fakir brothers were introduced to
18590-467: The north to the deserts of Sindh in the south and from the Khyber Pass in the west to the Sutlej in the east as far as Oudh ; holding the thrones of Punjab , Kashmir , and Jammu in personal union. It was divided into four provinces: Lahore , which became the capital; Multan ; Peshawar ; and Kashmir . Ethnically and religiously diverse, with an estimated population of 4.5 million in 1831 (making it
18759-458: The period from 1762 to 1799, Sikh commanders of the misls appeared to be coming into their own as independent. Sikhism began during the conquest of North India by Babur , the founder of the Mughal Empire . His grandson, Akbar , supported religious freedom and after visiting the langar of Guru Amar Das got a favourable impression of Sikhism. As a result of his visit, he donated land to
18928-418: The polity's land documented, so he hired the British officer Lala Daulat Rai to carry-out the work in 1886. However, in 1891, Lala Daulat Rai died so three other officers were hired to finish the land documentation work. Bikram Singh also carried-out judicial reforms, with him establishing both civil and criminal courts, with him appointing retired British officials. It was during Bikram Singh's reign in 1884 that
19097-472: The polity, developing his future ruling capabilities. Balbir Singh asceded to the Faridkot throne in 1898. Before his passing, Balbir's father Bikram Singh had given his younger son Dhaane in Hisar district. Balbir Singh was fond of his younger brother, who was named Rajinder Singh, but Rajinder would die at the young age of 21 in 1900. A while after his ascension, Balbir decided to tour his state to personally find out
19266-404: The positions of foreign minister of the empire and translator for the maharaja, and played important roles in such important events as the negotiations with the British, during which he convinced Ranjit Singh to maintain diplomatic ties with the British and not to go to war with them in 1808, as British troops were moved along the Sutlej in pursuance of the British policy of confining Ranjit Singh to
19435-470: The princely states were bound by many restrictions that were imposed by subsidiary alliances . They existed mainly for ceremonial use and for internal policing, although certain units designated as Imperial Service Troops, were available for service alongside the regular Indian Army upon request by the British government. According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907 , p. 85, Since
19604-537: The princes of India to establish responsible government. Jawaharlal Nehru played a major role in pushing Congress to confront the princely states and declared in 1929 that "only people who have the right to determine the future of the States must be the people of these States". In 1937, the Congress won in most parts of British India (not including the princely states) in the provincial elections , and started to intervene in
19773-399: The problems of the local inhabitants of his dominion so he could come-up with solutions to their problems. In a book written by Balbir Singh after his tour of his kingdom, he stated the following in the introductory section: "Whenever a king takes a tour of his kingdom, his aim should be the welfare of the nation as well as that of the population." As per the traditions of the state, during
19942-493: The provincial governments of British India under a governor, lieutenant-governor, or chief commissioner. A clear distinction between "dominion" and "suzerainty" was supplied by the jurisdiction of the courts of law: the law of British India rested upon the legislation enacted by the British Parliament, and the legislative powers those laws vested in the various governments of British India, both central and local; in contrast,
20111-411: The rankings of the constituent members of the Lahore Darbar, thus the rankings of its members was determined by the level of trust the maharaja held in them. The court also granted awards upon its members, with most of these essentially being bestowed titles in the form of honourifics, however some members were granted jagirs (estate grant). Laziness was heavily looked-down upon with the court, with
20280-559: The reign of Jassa Singh Ramgarhia , the Sikh Misls became divided and fought each other. A sort of 'Cold War' broke out with the Bhangi , Nakkai , Dalelwala and Ramgharia Misls verses Sukerchakia , Ahluwalia , Karor Singhia and Kaniyeha . The Shaheedan , Nishania and Singhpuria also allied but did not engage in warfare with the others and continued the Dal Khalsa. The Phulkian Misl
20449-428: The reign of Bikram Singh include the construction of dormitories, gardens (including orchids), bungalows, roads, and market places, and also social welfare efforts. Bikram Singh constructed mandis , which attracted businessmen to the area. He also built fortresses and constructed a palace within the confines of a fort. Before the time of Bikram Singh, the city of Faridkot was confined within the walls of Faridkort Fort, it
20618-492: The responsibility of the dewan, but there was mismanagement going-on under that scheme. Also, Wazir Singh established courts in the state, where the people could have their disputes solved through them. In-regards to business developments, Wazir Singh opened up the first bazaar market in the state in 1861, inviting businessmen from distant places to come there. In the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , Wazir Singh's forces guarded
20787-400: The rulers of Awadh , Gwalior , Kashmir , and other local rulers. Bikram Singh of Faridkot and Hira Singh of Nabha pledged their full-support for Duleep Singh in-response. Bikram Singh died in 1898 after over 24 years on the throne. He was succeeded by his son Balbir Singh. Raja Balbir Singh (r. 1898–1906) was the successor of Bikram Singh. Balbir Singh had been born in 1869 and was given
20956-535: The ruling maharaja , who was the "drum of the Khalsa". In-theory, the Sikh court was based on the Khalsa ideals propounded by Guru Gobind Singh yet the court was secular in-practice. As an example of this secularism, members of the court came from various religious background, including Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. Furthermore, the members also came from various ethnic, regional, and caste backgrounds, such as Dogras, Rajputs, Brahmins, Jats, and Europeans. Whilst Ranjit Singh himself preferred to dress modestly,
21125-692: The ruling maharaja often sending out the court's members on military or diplomatic missions. The business of the ruling government was carried out in Lahore, specifically the Musamman Burj located within the Lahore Fort . A public court was held from morning until noon in the Diwan-i-Aam ("hall of audience"), with the court being attended by important members of the court, including princes, ministers, nobles, and civil and military officers. Some matters discussed in
21294-634: The same equipment as soldiers in the British Indian Army . Although their numbers were relatively small, the Imperial Service Troops were employed in China and British Somaliland in the first decade of the 20th century, and later saw action in the First World War and Second World War . Lahore State The Sikh Empire , officially known as Sarkār-i-Khālsa and Khālasa Rāj , was
21463-402: The same year. The gothic-style fell into decline due to the introduction of new building materials and techniques. Architectural activity in the erstwhile state continued all the way up until its accession in 1948. (Birth–Death) (1731–1782) (1799 – April 1849) (1843–1898) (died 1906) Princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state ) was
21632-514: The signing of a treaty between the Lahore Darbar and the British East India Company. While these Sikh states had been set up by the Dal Khalsa , they did not become part of the Sikh Empire. There was a mutual ban on warfare following the treaty of Amritsar in 1809 (in which the empire forfeited the claim to the Cis-Sutlej States, and the British were not to interfere north of the Sutlej or in
21801-741: The sister of the ruler in Kerala . Muslim rulers almost all used the title " Nawab " (the Arabic honorific of naib , "deputy") originally used by Mughal governors, who became de facto autonomous with the decline of the Mughal Empire, with the prominent exceptions of the Nizam of Hyderabad & Berar , the Wali / Khan of Kalat and the Wali of Swat . Other less usual titles included Darbar Sahib , Dewan , Jam , Mehtar (unique to Chitral ) and Mir (from Emir ). The Sikh princes concentrated at Punjab usually adopted titles when attaining princely rank. A title at
21970-462: The sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind , declaring Sikh sovereignty in the creation of the Akal Takht and the establishment of a fort to defend Amritsar . Jahangir attempted to assert authority over the Sikhs by jailing Guru Hargobind at Gwalior Fort , but released him after a number of years when he no longer felt threatened. The Sikh community did not have any further issues with the Mughal Empire until
22139-405: The sons of Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh , for control of the Mughal Empire. The ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur , moved the Sikh community to Anandpur and travelled extensively to visit and preach in defiance of Aurangzeb, who attempted to install Ram Rai as new guru. Guru Tegh Bahadur aided Kashmiri Pandits in avoiding conversion to Islam and was arrested by Aurangzeb. When offered
22308-492: The start of the downfall of the Mughal Empire . With the Mughals significantly weakened, the Sikh army, known as the Dal Khalsa , a rearrangement of the Khalsa inaugurated by Guru Gobind Singh , led expeditions against them and the Afghans in the west. This led to a growth of the army which split into different confederacies or semi-independent misls . Each of these component armies controlled different areas and cities. However, in
22477-518: The states and their dynasties. As heads of a state, certain princely rulers were entitled to be saluted by the firing of an odd number of guns between three and 21, with a greater number of guns indicating greater prestige. Generally, the number of guns remained the same for all successive rulers of a particular state, but individual princes were sometimes granted additional guns on a personal basis. Furthermore, rulers were sometimes granted additional gun salutes within their own territories only, constituting
22646-709: The states of Rampur and Benares , formerly with Agents under the authority of the United Provinces, were placed under the Gwalior Residency in 1936. The princely states of Sandur and Banganapalle in Mysore Presidency were transferred to the agency of the Mysore Resident in 1939. The native states in 1947 included five large states that were in "direct political relations" with the Government of India. For
22815-539: The subcontinent went away. The British sided with the Malwa states over the Lahore State. Control over Faridkot was restored to chief Gulab Singh on 3 April 1809 due to the signing of a treaty between the Lahore Darbar and the British East India Company . The Sikh Empire forfeited its claims over the Malwa states south of the Sutlej river, including its claim over Faridkot State. Therefore, the survival of Faridkot State against
22984-409: The taxation system, where as before payment was done in food grains, now payments must be done in legal tender (money). The taxation rate was 2 rupees per acre for barren land and 8 rupees per acre for irrigated land. Reforms to the financial system were also conducted by Wazir Singh, whom assumed direct control over it. But Wazir Singh taking control over the finances of the state, it had previously been
23153-620: The term " British India " had been used (and is still used) also to refer to the regions under the rule of the East India Company in India from 1774 to 1858. The British Crown 's suzerainty over 175 princely states, generally the largest and most important, was exercised in the name of the British Crown by the central government of British India under the Viceroy; the remaining approximately 400 states were influenced by Agents answerable to
23322-448: The throne in 1874, officials and rulers from other states, such as maharaja Mahendra Singh of Patiala State , came to visit him. Bikram Singh married twice (with the wedding of his second-marriage happening in Patiala ), with no children being born from his first-marriage but through his second-marriage, a son named Balbir Singh was born. Some of the projects that were carried-out during
23491-449: The throne. Many of these were appointed as an aide-de-camp , either to the ruling prince of their own house (in the case of relatives of such rulers) or to British monarchs. Many saw active service , both on the subcontinent and on other fronts, during both World Wars. Apart from those members of the princely houses who entered military service and who distinguished themselves, a good number of princes received honorary ranks as officers in
23660-637: The time of Indian independence, only five rulers – the Nizam of Hyderabad , the Maharaja of Mysore , the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir state , the Maharaja Gaekwad of Baroda and the Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior – were entitled to a 21-gun salute. Six more – the Nawab of Bhopal , the Maharaja Holkar of Indore , the Maharaja of Bharatpur , the Maharana of Udaipur , the Maharaja of Kolhapur ,
23829-497: The towns of Faridkot and Kot-Kapura with Lahore and with Delhi via Bathinda, Sirsa, Hissar, and Rewari. The annual state income of Faridkot was small. The main sources of revenue for the state was sourced from agriculture. Agriculture within the state relied upon rain water, as the region was arid. However in 1885, the British constructed a branch of the Sirhind Canal, sourcing its water from the Sutlej river, to provide irrigation to
23998-564: The value of education and therefore also opened new schools and colleges within the state, doing-so on an annual basis. At the time of Harinder Singh's ascension to the throne, there was only one high-school, five middle-schools, and 47 primary-schools within the state. Some of the places and programmes of education established under the purview of Harinder Singh includes Science College, B. T. Training Centre, agricultural classes, Bikram College of Commerce, J. V. Training College, and twelve high-schools and several primary-schools. Under Harinder Singh,
24167-513: The victory parade along with the British after restoring Shah Shoja to the Afghan throne at Kabul. The empire was divided into various provinces (known as Subas ), them namely being: The Sikh Empire allowed men from religions other than their own to rise to commanding positions of authority. The Fakir brothers were trusted personal advisors and assistants as well as close friends to Ranjit Singh, particularly Fakir Azizuddin , who would serve in
24336-406: The visitor's entertainment. There exists accounts of visitors being gifted by the state, with presents such as fruit, sweets, wines, and also money. Full displays of the empire's regalia and military forces were displayed during important ceremonial functions, such as the marriages of important nobles or when receiving high-level foreign diplomatic dignatories. In order to keep tabs and updated on
24505-582: The work took a longer time than initially anticipated due to the arduous nature of the task but three volumes of the Faridkot Tika was published between 1905–1906, being the first published commentary of the Guru Granth Sahib. Later-on, a fourth and fifth volume of the Faridkot Tika was published. However, the Faridkot Tika was soon overshadowed by later Sikh exegetical works on the primary scripture, never gaining pre-eminence. In 1878, Bikram Singh assisted
24674-417: The young Attar Singh would die shortly after in 1827. The successor to Attar Singh could have been either Attar Singh's uncle, Pahar Singh, or prince Sahib Singh. However, Pahar Singh was the one who succeeded Attar Singh, rather than Sahib Singh. Pahar Singh is noted for paying particular attention to the common-folk of his dominion, ensuring their welfare. Pahar Singh kept advisors around him to look-after
24843-474: Was a highly turbulent time politically and militarily in the Punjab region. This was caused by the overall decline of the Mughal empire that left a power vacuum in the region that was eventually filled by the Sikhs of the Dal Khalsa , meaning " Khalsa army" or " Khalsa party". In the late 18th century, after defeating several invasions by the Afghan rulers of the Durrani Empire and their allies, remnants of
25012-559: Was allowed to retain control over some of his assets, including hundreds of acres of land, forts, buildings, aircraft, vintage cars, and bank money, with these assets being dispersed in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi. Harinder Singh contributed to the development of the region by constructing railways and hospitals. After the dissolution of Faridkot State, the royal family moved to Shimla for several years. Harinder Singh died on 16 October 1989. Harinder Singh had four children, consisting of one son and three daughters. Harinder had
25181-547: Was also a child when they ascended to the throne, thus state affairs were controlled by the council of administration between 1918–34 during the childhood rule of Harinder Singh. At the age of eight, Harinder Singh had to travel abroad for treatment due to a medical complication. Harinder Singh return to Faridkot from abroad in February 1924. Harinder Singh completed his higher-education at Chief's College, where he achieved high-grades on examinations. Due to his good test scores, Harinder
25350-729: Was an avid reader and writer, he founded a printing press for the state, called the Balbir Press . Some of the books published by his printing press include the travelogue of the Maharaja of Kapurthala State and the diary of the Maharani of Kapurthala State. In December 1902, the court history of the state, the Aina-i Brar Bans , was published. Balbir Singh also opened a public library that contained 2,000 books from fictional and factual genres (including works on subjects like law, history, science, and religion). Balbir Singh died in February 1906 at
25519-518: Was appointed for its court. Rather, Faridkot formed part of the provincial circle under a British representative. Wazir Singh also paid attention to religious affairs, as he was a believer of the Guru Ghar ("house of the Guru"). Wazir Singh gave service to Gurdwara Lohgarh in Dina (present-day Moga district). This location has a special meaning to the Brar community as it is here where Guru Gobind Singh declared
25688-478: Was around 199,000 thousand. The state's rulers had cordial relations with the British. The formation of a state of Faridkot took many years in the making, with various rulers governing the area with no single authority. It is said that Raja Mokalsi was the founder of the locality of Faridkot and he constructed a fort in Mohalkar in the 12th century. He was succeeded by various rulers of the same dynasty but at some point
25857-623: Was awarded Watson-Albel Singh Medal and the Gardley Medal. Harinder Singh married the daughter of sardar Bhagwant Singh of Bhareli Estate (jagir) in the Ambala district in 1933. The couple would later have one son and three daughters, with their names being Harmohinder Singh, Amrit Kaur, Deepinder Kaur, and Maheepinder Kaur. Harinder took full-control over Faridkot from the council of administrative in November 1834 when he reached adulthood. Much like his predecessors before him, Harinder Singh understood
26026-439: Was both larger and more populous than Karauli State , but the Maharaja of Karauli was entitled to a 17-gun salute and the Maharaja of Surguja was not entitled to any gun salute at all. A number of princes, in the broadest sense of the term, were not even acknowledged as such. On the other hand, the dynasties of certain defunct states were allowed to keep their princely status – they were known as political pensioners , such as
26195-568: Was conquered in 1839–40 and its local ruler was deposed. The Dogras at this time were under the suzerainty of the Sikh Empire. During the Sino-Sikh War of 1841, the forces of the empire invaded the Tibetan Plateau , which was then under the control of the Qing dynasty . However, this control was short-lived and the military of the empire was forced to retreat to Ladakh due to a counterattack by
26364-508: Was disputed by his surviving daughter Amrit Kaur, leading to a long court case. The court ruled that a will claimed to be of Harinder Singh had been a fabrication. Maheepinder Kaur died in 2001. In 2010, an 1885 oil painting of Balbir Singh kept in the Lal Kothi was stolen. The stolen painting was allegedly sold in London for Rs. 35 lakh. In 1884, the metre-gauge North-Western Railway line connected
26533-476: Was eager to conquer the Malwa states. The Sikh Empire's annexation over Faridkot State made the other Malwa states anxious as they were threatened by the encroaching Sikh Empire. However, the Malwa states were sandwiched between the Sikh Empire and also the advancing British East India Company, whom had annexed the Marathas and were closing in on the remaining frontier of the last remaining independent states in Punjab and Sindh. The Malwa states decided to side with
26702-696: Was excommunicated from the confederacy. Rani Sada Kaur of the Kanhaiya Misl rose in the vacuum and destroyed the power of the Bhangis. She later gave her throne to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The formal start of the Sikh Empire began with the unification of the Misls by 1801, creating a unified political state. All the Misl leaders, who were affiliated with the army, were the nobility with usually long and prestigious family backgrounds in Sikh history. The main geographical footprint of
26871-457: Was followed the next year by another Sikh victory at the Battle of Sadhaura . The rebellion culminated following their defeat at the Siege of Gurdaspur . During the rebellion, Banda Singh Bahadur made a point of destroying the cities in which Mughals had been cruel to the supporters of Guru Gobind Singh. He executed Wazir Khan in revenge for the deaths of Guru Gobind Singh's sons and Pir Budhu Shah after
27040-637: Was formed in Lahore as a direct representative of the British Crown . The empire's ruling court based out of Lahore is termed the Lahore Darbar or Khalsa Darbar . Faqir Saifuddin of the Fakir Khana Museum prefers to use the term Punjab Darbar rather than "Khalsa Darbar", owing to the large role Muslims played in Ranjit Singh's court. The ruling court was diverse and under the ultimate command of
27209-472: Was founded that consisted of appointed judges. These reforms improved the law-and-order situation of the state. There were 344 soldiers and 224 police officers in the state during the reign of Harinder Singh. Some of the titles rewarded to Harinder Singh by the British or that he had adopted by himself include: His Highness Farzande , Siyaasat Nishan Hazrat-e-Kesar-e-Hind , Brar Vansh Raja , Harinder Singh Sahib , Bahadur Ruler Faridkot , amid others. During
27378-471: Was given to the British for the war cause by Faridkot State. Many of the soldiers who fought on the side of the British forces during the war were young men who came from Faridkot State. Some of these Faridkot-origin soldiers in the war gained high-distinction, such as the case of 21 jawaans of the dominion whom were given state honours. As a reward for Brij Indar Singh's efforts during the First World War,
27547-624: Was reintroduced with each mahallah , or neighborhood subdivision, placed under the charge of one of its members. The office of Kotwal, or prefect of police, was conferred upon a Muslim, Imam Bakhsh. Generals were also drawn from a variety of communities, along with prominent Sikh generals like Hari Singh Nalwa , Fateh Singh Dullewalia, Nihal Singh Atariwala, Chattar Singh Attariwalla , and Fateh Singh Kalianwala; Hindu generals included Misr Diwan Chand and Dewan Mokham Chand Nayyar , his son, and his grandson; and Muslim generals included Ilahi Bakhsh and Mian Ghaus Khan; one general, Balbhadra Kunwar ,
27716-423: Was taught by sardar Inder Singh of Amritsar. Brij Indar Singh's higher education was done at Aitchison College in Lahore, where he earned a diploma degree in 1914. Eventually, full control and power was given to Brij Indar Singh in November 1916 when he came of age. Brij Indar Singh was married to the daughter of a rich man named Jeevan Singh, who came from a well-regarded and well-to-do Punjabi family that claimed
27885-486: Was that the local ruler of Jhang, Ahmad Khan Sial, was conspiring with Nawab Muzaffar Khan of Multan and had signed a secret treaty with the latter. Hari Singh Nalwa was Commander-in-Chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army from 1825 to 1837. He is known for his role in the conquests of Kasur , Sialkot , Multan , Kashmir , Attock and Peshawar . Nalwa led the Sikh army in freeing Shah Shuja from Kashmir and secured
28054-399: Was the doctrine of lapse , a policy under which lands whose feudal ruler died (or otherwise became unfit to rule) without a male biological heir (as opposed to an adopted son) would become directly controlled by the company and an adopted son would not become the ruler of the princely state. This policy went counter to Indian tradition where, unlike Europe, it was far more the accepted norm for
28223-466: Was the sponsor of the Faridkot Tika , a full commentary of the Guru Granth Sahib. The idea of compiling an authoritative commentary ( teeka ) of the entire Guru Granth Sahib arose in-response to the insulting partial translation of the Sikh scripture by Ernest Trumpp in 1877. In the same year, Bikram Singh commissioned Giani Badan Singh Sekhvan to carry-out the work of creating the commentary. However,
28392-501: Was through the construction of market-places outside the fort's walls that people began to settle outside of the walls. Bikrom Singh imposed a law called the Aabkar Act , which regulated alcohol in the state. The revenue of the state improved through Bikram Singh's efforts. A quirk about Bikram Singh is he had a habit of collecting money, with him saving up to 1 crore rupees (10,000,000 rupees) in his life. Bikram Singh wished to have all of
28561-411: Was treachery of the non-Sikh high command of their own army which led to them marching away from a British force in a precarious and battered state. Others believe that a tactical withdrawal was the best policy. The Sikh empire was finally dissolved at the end of the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849 into separate princely states and the British province of Punjab . Eventually, a Lieutenant Governorship
#742257