The Panjab, North-West Frontier Province, and Kashmir Part 18

Cultd area, 4515 sq. m.

Pop. 1,407,659; 40 p.c. H.

38 p.c. S.

22 p.c. M.

Rev.

Rs. 82,00,000 =546,666.]

~Patiala~ occupies five-sevenths of the Phulkian inheritance The predominant agricultural tribe is the Jats, over three-fourths of whom are Sikhs. The cultivated area is four-fifths of the total area. Over one-fourth of the former is irrigated, 27 p.c. from wells, and the rest from the two ca.n.a.ls. In an area extending with breaks from Simla to the Rajputana desert the variations of agriculture are of course extreme.

The state is excellently served by railways.

~Nizamats.~--There are five _nizamats_ or districts, Pinjaur, Amargarh, Karmgarh, Anahadgarh, and Mohindargarh. Their united area is equivalent to that of two ordinary British districts. The Pinjaur _nizamat_ with headquarters at Rajpura covers only 825 square miles. Of its four _tahsils_ Pinjaur contains the submontane and hill tract, part of the latter being quite close to Simla. The other three _tahsils_ Rajpura, Bannur, and Ghanaur are in the Powadh. The Amargarh _nizamat_ with an area of 855 square miles comprises the three _tahsils_ of Fatehgarh, Sahibgarh, and Amargarh. The first two are rich and fertile well tracts.

Amargarh is in the Jangal Des to the south-west of Sahibgarh. It receives irrigation from the Kotla branch of the Sirhind Ca.n.a.l. The Karmgarh _nizamat_ with an area of 1835 square miles contains the four _tahsils_ of Patiala, Bhawanigarh, Sunam, and Nirwana. The headquarters are at Bhawanigarh. The first three are partly in the Powadh, and partly in the Jangal Des. Nirwana is in the Bangar. There is much irrigation from the Sirhind and Western Jamna Ca.n.a.ls. The Anahadgarh _nizamat_ lies wholly in the Jangal Des. It has an area of 1836 square miles, and is divided into three _tahsils_, Anahadgarh, Bhikhi, and Govindgarh. The headquarters are at Barnala or Anahadgarh. The Mohindarpur _nizamat_ lies far away to the south on the borders of Jaipur and Alwar (see map on page 226). Its area is only 576 miles and it has two _tahsils_, Mohindargarh or Kanaud and Narnaul. Kanaud is the headquarters.

The history down to 1763 has already been related. Raja ala Singh died in 1765 and was succeeded by his grandson Amar Singh (1765-1781), who was occupied in continual warfare with his brother and his neighbours, as became a Sikh chieftain of those days. His son, Sahib Singh (1781-1813), came under British protection in 1809. Karm Singh (1813-1845), his successor, was our ally in the Gurkha War. Maharaja Narindar Singh, K.C.S.I. (1845-1862), was a wise and brave man, who gave manful and most important help in 1857. His son, Maharaja Mohindar Singh (1862-1876), succeeded at the age of ten and died 14 years later. His eldest son, Maharaja Rajindar Singh (1876-1900), was only four when he succeeded and died at the age of 28. Another long minority, that of the present Maharaja Bhupindar Singh, only came to an end a few years ago.

In the last fifty years Patiala has in consequence of three minorities been governed, and as a rule successfully governed, for long periods by Councils of Regency. The State in 1879 sent a contingent of 1100 men to the Afghan War. It maintains an Imperial Service Force consisting of two fine regiments of infantry and one of cavalry. Maharaja Rajindar Singh went with one of these regiments to the Tirah Expedition.

[Sidenote: Area, 1259 sq. m.

Cultd area, 1172 sq. m.

Pop. 248,887; 78 p.c. H. and J.[15]

14 p.c. M.

8 p.c. S.

Rev.

Rs. 19,00,000 = 126,666.]

~Jind.~--A third of the population of Jind consists of Hindu and Sikh Jats. There are two _nizamats_, Sangrur and Jind, the latter divided into the _tahsils_ of Jind and Dadri (map on page 226). The Sangrur villages are interspersed among those of the other Phulkian States, and form a part of the Jangal Des. Jind is in the Bangar, and Dadri, separated from Jind by the Rohtak district, is partly in Hariana and partly in the sandy Rajputana desert. The rainfall varies from 17 inches at Sangrur to ten inches at Dadri. Sangrur is irrigated by the Sirhind, and Jind by the Western Jamna, Ca.n.a.l. Dadri is a dry sandy tract, in which the Autumn millets are the chief crop. The revenue in 1911-12 was 19 _lakhs_ (126,700). For imperial service Jind keeps up a fine battalion of infantry 600 strong. The real founder of the state was Gajpat Singh, who was a chief of great vigour. He conquered Jind and in 1774 deprived his relative, the chief of Nabha, of Sangrur. He died in 1789. His successor, Raja Bhag Singh, was a good ally of the British Government. He died after a long and successful career in 1819. His son, Fateh Singh, only survived him by three years. Sangat Singh succeeded to troublous times and died childless in 1834. His second cousin, Raja Sarup Singh, was only allowed to inherit the territory acquired by Gajpat Singh, from whom he derived his claim. But the gallant and valuable services rendered by Raja Sarup Singh in 1857 enabled him to enlarge his State by the grant of the Dadri territory and of thirteen villages near Sangrur. He died in 1864. His son Raghubir Singh (1864-1887) was a vigorous and successful ruler. He gave loyal help in the Kuka outbreak and in the Second Afghan War. His grandson, the present Maharaja Ranbir Singh, K.C.S.I., was only eight when he succeeded, and Jind was managed by a Council of Regency for a number of years. Full powers were given to the chief in 1899.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 117. Maharaja of Jind.]

[Sidenote: Area, 928 sq. m.

Cultd area, 806 sq. m.

Pop. 248,887; 51 p.c. H. and J.

31 p.c. S.

18 p.c. M.

Rev.

Rs. 17,00,000 = 113,300.]

~Nabha~ consists of twelve patches of territory in the north scattered among the possessions of Patiala, Jind, and Faridkot, and two other patches in the extreme south on the border of Gurgaon. The northern section of the state is divided into the eastern _nizamat_ of Amloh in the Powadh and the western _nizamat_ of Phul in the Jangal Des. Both now receive irrigation from the Sirhind Ca.n.a.l. The Bawal _nizamat_ is part of the arid Rajputana desert. Jats, who are mostly Sikhs, const.i.tute 30 p.c. of the population.

The State is well served by railways, Nabha itself being on the Rajpura-Bhatinda line. The Maharaja maintains a battalion of infantry for imperial service. Hamir Singh, one of the chiefs who joined in the capture of Sirhind, may be considered the first Raja. He died in 1783 and was succeeded by his young son, Jaswant Singh. When he grew to manhood Jaswant Singh proved a very capable chief and succeeded in aggrandising his State, which he ruled for 57 years. His son, Deoindar Singh (1840--47), was deposed, as he was considered to have failed to support the British Government when the Khalsa army crossed the Sutlej in 1845. A fourth of the Nabha territory was confiscated. Bharpur Singh, who became chief in 1857, did excellent service at that critical time, and the Bawal _nizamat_ was his reward. He was succeeded by his brother, Bhagwan Singh, in 1863. With Bhagwan Singh the line died out in 1871, but under the provisions of the _sanad_ granted after the Mutiny a successor was selected from among the Badrukhan chiefs in the person of the late Maharaja Sir Hira Singh. No choice could have been more happy.

Hira Singh for 40 years ruled his State on old fashioned lines with much success. Those who had the privilege of his friendship will not soon forget the alert figure wasted latterly by disease, the gallant bearing, or the obstinate will of a Sikh chieftain of a type now departed. His son, Maharaja Ripudaman Singh, succeeded in 1911.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 118. Maharaja Sir Hira Singh.]

2. _Other Sikh States_

[Sidenote: Area, 630 sq. m.

Cultd area, 424 sq. m.

Pop. 268,163.

Rev.

Rs. 14,00,000 = 93,333, exclusive of Rs. 13,00,000 = 86,666 derived from the Oudh estates.]

~Kapurthala.~--The main part consists of a strip of territory mostly in the valley of the Bias, and interposed between that river and Jalandhar.

This is divided into the four _tahsils_ of Bholath, Dhilwan, Kapurthala, and Sultanpur. There is a small island of territory in Hoshyarpur, and a much larger one, the Phagwara _tahsil_, projecting southwards from the border of that district into Jalandhar. Two-thirds of the area is cultivated and the proportion of high-cla.s.s crops is large. The chief agricultural tribes are the Muhammadan Arains and the Jats, most of whom are Sikhs.

The real founder of the Kapurthala house was Sardar Ja.s.sa Singh Ahluwalia, who in 1763, when Sirhind fell, was the leading Sikh chief in the Panjab. He captured Kapurthala in 1771 and made it his headquarters, and died in 1783. A distant relative, Bagh Singh, succeeded. His successor, Fateh Singh, was a sworn brother of Ranjit Singh, with whom he exchanged turbans. But an alliance between the weak and the strong is not free from fears, and in 1826 Fateh Singh, who had large possessions south of the Sutlej, fled thither and asked the protection of the British Government. He returned however to Kapurthala in 1827, and the Maharaja never pushed matters with Fateh Singh to extremities. The latter died in 1836. His successor, Nihal Singh, was a timid man, and his failure to support the British in 1845 led to the loss of his Cis-Sutlej estates. In 1849 he took the English side and was given the t.i.tle of Raja. Randhir Singh succeeded in 1852. His conspicuous services in the Mutiny were rewarded with the grant of estates in Oudh. The present Maharaja, Sir Jagatjit Singh Bahadur, G.C.S.I., is a grandson of Randhir Singh. He was a young child when he succeeded in 1877. The State maintains a battalion of infantry for imperial service.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 119. Maharaja Sir Jagatjit Singh Bahadur, G.C.S.I.]

[Sidenote: Area, 642 sq. m.

Pop. 130,925.

Rev.

Rs. 11,50,000 = 76,666.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 120. Raja Brijindar Singh.]

~Faridkot~ is a small wedge of territory which almost divides the Ferozepore district in two. The population is composed of Sikhs 42-1/2, Hindus and Jains 29, and Musalmans 28-1/2 p.c. Sikh Jats are the strongest tribe. The country is flat. In the west it is very sandy, but in the east the soil is firmer and is irrigated in part by the Sirhind Ca.n.a.l. The Chief, like the Phulkians, is a Sidhu Barar Jat, and, though not a descendant of Phul, unites his line with the Phulkians further back. The present Raja, Brijindar Singh, is 17 years of age, and the State is managed by a Council of Regency.

[Sidenote: Area, 168 sq.m.

Pop. 55,915.

Rev.

Rs. 221,000 = 14,733.]

~Kalsia~ consists of a number of patches of territory in Ambala and an enclave in Ferozepore known as Chirak. The founder of the State was one of the Jats from the Panjab, who swept over Ambala after the capture of Sirhind in 1763, and carved out petty princ.i.p.alities, of which Kalsia is the only survivor (page 180). The capital is Chachrauli, eight or nine miles north-west of Jagadhri. The present Chief, Sardar Ravi Sher Singh, is a minor.

3. _The Muhammadan States_

[Sidenote: Area, 15,917 sq. m.

Cultd area, 1853 sq. m.

Pop. 780,641; 84 p.c. M.

Rev.

Rs. 35,00,000 = 233,333.]

~Bahawalpur~ is by far the largest of the Panjab States. But the greater part of it is at present desert, and the population, except in the river tract, is very spa.r.s.e. Bahawalpur stretches from Ferozepore on the north to the Sindh border. It has a river frontage exceeding 300 miles on the Sutlej, Panjnad, and Indus. The cultivated area in 1903-4 was 1451 square miles, and of this 83 p.c. was irrigated and 10 p.c. flooded. The rainfall is only five inches and the climate is very hot. South and east of the rivers is a tract of low land known as the "Sindh," which widens out to the south. It is partly flooded and partly irrigated by inundation ca.n.a.ls with the help of wells. Palm groves are a conspicuous feature in the Sindh. Behind it is a great stretch of strong loam or "_pat_," narrow in the south, but widening out in the north. It is bounded on the south-east by a wide depression known as the Hakra, probably at one time the bed of the Sutlej. At present little cultivation is possible in the _pat_, but there is some hope that a ca.n.a.l taking out on the right bank of the Sutlej in Ferozepore may bring the water of that river back to it. South of the Hakra is a huge tract of sand and sand dunes, known as the Rohi or Cholistan, which is part of the Rajputana desert. There are three _nizamats_, Minchinabad in the north, Bahawalpur in the middle, and Khanpur in the south. The capital, Bahawalpur, is close to the bridge at Adamwahan by which the N.W.

Railway crosses the Sutlej. The ruling family belongs to the Abbasi Daudpotra clan, and came originally from Sindh. Sadik Muhammad Khan, who received the t.i.tle of Nawab from Nadir Shah, when he invaded the Derajat in 1739, may be considered the real founder of the State. The Nawab Muhummad Bahawal Khan III, threatened with invasion by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, made a treaty with the British Government in 1833. He was our faithful ally in the first Afghan War, and gave valuable help against Diwan Mulraj in 1848. The next three reigns extending from 1852 to 1866 were brief and troubled. Nawab Sadik Muhummad Khan IV, who succeeded in 1866, was a young child, and for the next thirteen years the State was managed by Captain Minchin and Captain L. H. Grey as Superintendents.

The young Nawab was installed in 1879, and henceforth ruled with the help of a Council. In the Afghan War of 1879-1880 Bahawalpur did very useful service. The Nawab died in 1899. A short minority followed during which Colonel L. H. Grey again became Superintendent. The young Nawab, Muhammad Bahawal Khan V, had but a brief reign. He was succeeded by the present Chief, Nawab Sadik Muhummad Khan V, a child of eight or nine years. The State is managed by a Council aided by the advice of the political Agent. From 1903 to 1913, the Agent for the Phulkian States was in charge, but a separate Agent has recently been appointed for Bahawalpur and Faridkot. An efficient camel corps is maintained for imperial service.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 121. Nawab Sadik Muhammad Khan.]

[Sidenote: Area, 167 sq. m.

Pop. 71,144.

Rev.

Rs. 900,000 = 60,000.]

~Malerkotla~ consists of a strip of territory to the south of the Ludhiana district. The capital is connected with Ludhiana by railway.

The Nawab keeps up a company of Sappers and Miners for imperial service.

He is an Afghan, and his ancestor held a position of trust under the Moghal Empire, and became independent on its decline. The independence of his successor was menaced by Maharaja Ranjit Singh when Malerkotla came under British protection in 1809.

~Pataudi, Dujana, and Loharu.~--The three little Muhammadan States of Loharu, Dujana, and Pataudi are relics of the policy which in the opening years of the nineteenth century sought rigorously to limit our responsibilities to the west of the Jamna. Together they have an area of 275 square miles, a population of 59,987 persons, and a revenue of Rs.