Bilaspur State (princely state)
Bilaspur State Kahlur Riyasat Kahlur (कहलूर) | |||||||
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697CE (approx)–1948 | |||||||
Status | Princely state of Hills. | ||||||
Capital | Bilaspur, Sunhani[1] | ||||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||||
History | |||||||
• Established | 697CE (approx) | ||||||
• Disestablished | 1948 | ||||||
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Today part of | Himachal Pradesh, India |
Bilaspur State or Kahlur State, sometimes Kahloor Riyasat, was a kingdom (697–1849) and later princely state (1849–1948) in the Punjab Province ruled by a separate branch of Chandravanshi Chandel rajput dynasty. Raja Bir Chand 697–730 was the founder of the state but it was named Kahlur only after the Construction of Kahlur Fort by Raja Kahal Chand around 890–930CE and Raja Anand Chand the 44th Raja was the last ruler.
The state was earlier known as
Bilaspur State remained
In the pre-partitioned Punjab, the Raja of Kahlur (Bilaspur) elevated the Kolis to the status of Kshatriya and he wanted them to serve in his army and Raja did so.[4]
History
According to local oral tradition and records during the reign of Raja Harihar Chand, a new state was founded around 697 CE by his son First Ruler Raja Bir Chand. After Raja Kahal Chand had built Kahlur Fort the state was named Kahlur (probably from Kahal-pur) and the ruling Chandel Dynasty of Kahlur was also Known as Kahluria. Initially the capital of the state was at a place named Jandbari — now in Hoshiarpur district — and then it was transferred to Kahlur Fort, but was later moved permanently to present town Bilaspur[2] by Dip Chand, the 32nd Raja of Kahlur (reigned 1663–1665)
Raja
When RajaBilaspur State came under
From 26 January 1950 Bilaspur was administered by the
Demographics
Religious group |
1921[9] | 1931[10] | 1941[11] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
Hinduism [a] | 96,000 | 97.96% | 99,023 | 98.05% | 108,375 | 98.22% |
Islam | 1,559 | 1.59% | 1,458 | 1.44% | 1,498 | 1.36% |
Sikhism | 437 | 0.45% | 507 | 0.5% | 453 | 0.41% |
Christianity | 4 | 0% | 6 | 0.01% | 7 | 0.01% |
Jainism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 0% |
Zoroastrianism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
Buddhism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
Judaism | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
Others | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
Total population | 98,000 | 100% | 100,994 | 100% | 110,336 | 100% |
Note: British Punjab province era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases.
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The Family
Chandel in Bilaspur belong to different branches of the ruling family. These families are numerous, and all enjoyed jagir pensions from state amounting in aggregate to Rs. 40,000 a year in 1933. The chief names are:
- Ajmerchandia
- Kaliyanchandia
- Tarachandia
- Sultanchandia
Rajas
- Bir Chand, founder; (r. 697–730)
- Udhran Chand
- Jaskarn Chand
- Madanbrahm Chand
- Ahl Chand
- Kahal Chand, 6th Raja;(r. 890–930)
- Slar Chand
- Men Chand
- Sen Chand
- Sulkhan Chand
- Kahn Chand, 11th Raja. Conquered Hindur, which he created as a separate realm for his second son.
- Ajit Chand, 12th Raja (son of Khan Chand)
- Gokul Chand
- Udai Chand, (r. 1133–1143)
- Gen Chand
- Pruthvi Chand
- Sangar Chand, (r. 1197–1220)
- Megh Chand, (r. 1220–1251)
- Dev Chand
- Ahim Chand
- Abhisand Chand, (r. 1302–1317)
- Sampurn Chand (r. 1317–1355)
- Rattan Chand (r. 1355–1406)
- Narandar Chand
- Fath Chand
- Pahar Chand
- Ram Chand
- Uttam Chand
- Gyan Chand (r. 1518–1555)
- Bikram Chand (r. 1555–1593)
- Sultan Chand (r. 1593–1600)
- Kalyan Chand (r. 1600–1636)
- Tara Chand (r. 1636–1653)
- Dip Chand (r. 1653–1665)
- Bhim Chand (Kahlur) (r. 1665–1692)
- Ajmer Chand (r. 1692–1728)
- Devi Chand (r. 1738–1778)
- Mahan Chand (r. 1778–1824)
- Kharak Chand (r. 1824 – March 1839)
- Jagat Chand (r. March 1839 – 1850)
- Hira Chand (r. March 1850 – January 1883)
- Amar Chand (r. January 1883 – January 1889)
- Bijai Chand (r. 3 February 1889 – 18 February 1927)
- Anand Chand (r. 18 February 1927 – 12 October 1983)
Currency
No coins from Bilaspur State have been found, and the state may have simply been too small and remote, with little demand for currency, to mint its own. There was little long-distance trade that required currency. Any coins that did circulate in the area were probably originally from elsewhere, such as the Delhi Sultanate. After the British gained influence in the region in the mid-1800s, the British system based on the rupee predominated. For everyday transactions, though, barter was the main way that most people exchanged goods and services.[12]: 37, 222
Notes
- ^ 1931-1941: Including Ad-Dharmis
References
- ^ http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/0208_PART_B_DCHB_BILASPUR.pdf page 11
- ^ a b States before 1947 A-J
- ^ a b Social, cultural, and economic history of Himachal Pradesh By Manjit Singh Ahluwalia
- ISBN 978-81-7648-170-0.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link - OCLC 49259.
- ISBN 9788173871634.
- V&A Museum.
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 634.
- JSTOR saoa.crl.25430165. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- JSTOR saoa.crl.25793242. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- JSTOR saoa.crl.28215541. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ Mamgain, M.D. (1975). Himachal Pradesh District Gazetteers: Bilaspur. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
Further reading
- Hutchinson, J. & J. PH Vogel (1933). History of the Panjab Hill States, Vol. II. 1st edition: Govt. Printing, Pujab, Lahore, 1933. Reprint 2000. Department of Language and Culture, Himachal Pradesh. Chapter XIII Bilaspur State, pp. 494–518.
- Media related to Bilaspur State at Wikimedia Commons