Katoch
Katoch is a
They descend from the
Katoch Rajputs have five sub-clans Jaswal Dynasty, Sipaia Dynasty, Guleria Dynasty, Dadwal Dynasty and Chibhal Dynasty and also Kathait/Kathela Rawat in Garhwal and kumoan region of Uttarakhand are the descendent of Katoch who Migrated From kangra, Himachal Pradesh to Uttarakhand.[4]
Etymology
There are two possible origins for the word Katoch. Members of the clan say it comes from the words Kat (army) and uch (upper class)
History
The main branch of the Katoch clan were the rulers of the
The Kangra State was also known as Trigadh, a name derived from the ancient Trigarta Kingdom mentioned in the Mahabharata.[9] The tradition holds that the Katoch were the rulers of Kangra from the times of Mahabharata till the pre-independence era.[10]In the pre-modern period, the hill states of the modern Himachal Pradesh are said to have constantly warred with each other, despite relations of kinship and intermarriage. In 1333, under the reign of Raja Prithvi Chand, Mohammad Bin Tughlaq attacked Kangra with 100,000 men. Only 10 of them returned to Delhi and were executed by the emperor. The Mughal control was limited, however. The rulers of the states retained a fair degree of independence.
Multiple attacks by Katochs, Sikhs, and Marathas, led to the decline of the Mughal power. This led Raja Ghamand Chand (r. 1751–1774) to recover the fort and he also recovered most of the territory earlier ceded to the Mughals. His grandson, Maharaja Sansar Chand (r. 1775–1823) established the supremacy of Kangra over all the surrounding hill states and captured lands till Lahore(later lost to Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh). During his reign, Kangra became a major centre for the arts and several palaces were built.[8]
In the year 1805, the neighbouring hill states rebelled, with the aid of the Gurkha army. Raja Sansar Chand was forced to seek the help of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore. By the treaty [14] that followed, The Gurkha army was expelled by Maharajas Sansar Chand and Ranjit Singh. As part of the treaty, Kangra fort was gifted to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and also annexed the most fertile part of the Kangra valley, reducing the Katochs of Kangra to control all of Kangra except villages surrounding the fort.
After the
Clans and surnames
The Katoch clan one of the 14 ruling clans of the Himachal Pradesh and Jammu region in the medieval times.[15][16]
Katochs suffixed 'Chandra' to their names until the rise of the Sikh dynasty in Punjab, after which some clan members started suffixing 'Singh' also. However, most clan members today, including in the sub-clans, suffix Chand.[17]
Until the reforms of 1930s, the Katoch women were only married westward, generally to the Pathania and Jamwal/Jamuwal men and vice-versa. The higher the sub-clan rated its own status, the farther away towards the west they tended to marry.[18]
Regions ruled by the clan
In past centuries, the clan and its branches ruled several
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "Kangra Fort, Nagarkot, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh". The Better India. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ Munish Chandel (2018). HP Naib Tehsildar Exam. Surya Foundation. p. 140.
- ISBN 978-81-7387-163-4
- ISBN 812-12-4842-6.
- ISBN 978-0-19563-354-2.
KATOCH They derive their nomenclature from the word Kat (army) and uch (upper class)
- ^ ISBN 9788173871047.
The Kangra fort is situated at a peculiar strategical situation overlooking deep furrows leading to wide spanned stream. The fort, now in ruins, once commanded respect among the hill chieftains... It was popularly known as Nagarkot or Kot Kangra. Kot denotes a fort and Nagar denotes a town, so collectively it meant the fort of the town. The clan who ruled Kot Kangra was named Katoch after Kot. In fact, this fort was so peculiar in its situation and formidable features that it became a unique structure among the prevailing forts. So the clan ruling this fort was known as Katoch.
- ISBN 978-81-7062-268-0
- ^ ISBN 978-1-136-54585-6
- ^ Chakrabarti, Dilip K.; Hasan, S. Jamal (1984), The antiquities of Kangra, Munshiran Manoharlal, p. 7
- ISBN 9788173871047.
- ISBN 978-8124105221.
- ISBN 978-81-7387-104-7.
- ISBN 8121911451.
- ISBN 9788173870897.
- ISBN 9788120609426.
- ISBN 9788173870828.
- ISBN 9788173870828.
These rajput clans suffixed their family names after their proper names for instance Katoch rajas suffixed Chandra. Chambials suffixed Varman, Suketias suffixed Sen while as Jaswal and Sibials suffixed Chand.
- ISBN 9781-1-3654-585-6.
- ISBN 9788173871047.
Trigarta, meaning land of three rivers. The three rivers referred are the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej
- ^ Charak, Sukh Dev Singh. History and Culture of Himalayan States, Vol. 1 (1978 ed.). pp. 134–136.