THE PANJÁB NATIVE STATES
1. _The Phulkian States_
[Sidenote: Area, 7599 sq. m.
Pop. 1,928,724.
Rev.
Rs. 118,00,000
= £786,666.]
~Phulkian States.~--The three Phulkian States of Patiála, Jínd, and
Nábha form a political agency under the Panjáb Government. They occupy,
with Baháwalpur and Hissár, the bulk of that great wedge of light loam
and sand which Rájputána, physically considered, pushes northwards
almost to the Sutlej. In the Phulkian States this consists of two
tracts, the Powádh and the Jangal Des. The former, which occupies the
north and north-east of their territory, possesses a light fertile loam
soil and a very moderate natural water level, so that well irrigation is
easy. The Jangal Des is a great tract of sandy loam and sand in the
south-west. Water lies too deep for the profitable working of wells, but
the harvests are far less insecure than one would suppose looking to the
scantiness of the rainfall. The soil is wonderfully cool and
drought-resisting. The dry cultivation consists of millets in the
Autumn, and of gram and mixed crops of wheat or barley and gram in the
Spring, harvest. The three states have rather more than a one-third
share in the Sirhind Canal, their shares _inter se_ being Patiála 83·6,
Nábha 8·8, and Jínd 7·6. Portions of the Powádh and Jangal Des are
irrigated. In the case of the Powádh there has been in some places over
irrigation considering how near the surface the water table is. The
Nirwána _tahsíl_ in Patiála and the part of Jínd which lies between
Karnál and Rohtak is a bit of the Bángar tract of the south-eastern
Panjáb, with a strong loam soil and a naturally deep water level. The
former receives irrigation from the Sirsa, and the latter from the
Hánsi, branch of the Western Jamna Canal. The outlying tracts to the
south of Rohtak and Gurgáon, acquired after the Mutiny, are part of the
dry sandy Rájputána desert, in which the _Kharíf_ is the chief harvest,
and the millets and gram the principal crops. In addition Patiála has an
area of 294 square miles of territory immediately below and in the Simla
Hills. The territory of the Phulkian States is scattered and intermixed,
and they have islands in British districts and _vice versa_, a natural
result of their historic origin and development.
[Illustration: Fig. 116. Mahárája of Patiála.]
Phul was the sixth in descent from Baryám, a Sidhu Ját, to whom Bábar
gave the _Chaudhráyat_ of the wild territory to the south-west of Delhi,
making him in effect a Lord of the Marches.
_Tree showing relationship of the three Houses_.
Phul
|
+-------+-------------+
Tiloka Ráma
+------+------+ |
Gurditta Sukhchen Raja Ála Singh
| | of Patiála
| |
Suratya Raja Gajpat Singh
| of Jínd
|
Raja Hamír Singh
of Nábha
The century and more which elapsed between the grant and Phul's death in
1652 were filled with continual fighting with the Bhattís. Phul's second
son Ráma obtained from the Governor of Sírhind the _Chaudhráyat_ of the
Jangal Des. When Ahmad Sháh defeated the Sikhs near Barnála in 1762,
Ráma's son, Ála Singh, was one of his prisoners. He was a chief of such
importance that his conqueror gave him the title of Rája and the right
to coin money. But Ála Singh found it prudent to join next year in the
capture of Sirhind. From the division of territory which followed the
separate existence of the Phulkian States begins. The manner in which
they came in 1809 under British protection has already been related. The
Rája of Patiála was our ally in the Gurkha War in 1814, and received the
Pinjaur _tahsíl_. The active loyalty displayed in 1857 was suitably
rewarded by accessions of territory. The right of adoption was
conferred, and special arrangements made to prevent lapse, if
nevertheless the line in any state failed.
[Sidenote: Area, 5412 sq. m.
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.]
~Patiála~ occupies five-sevenths of the Phulkian inheritance The
predominant agricultural tribe is the Játs, 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 canals. In an area extending with breaks from Simla to the
Rájputána desert the variations of agriculture are of course extreme.
The state is excellently served by railways.
~Nizámats.~--There are five _nizámats_ or districts, Pinjaur, Amargarh,
Karmgarh, Anáhadgarh, and Mohindargarh. Their united area is equivalent
to that of two ordinary British districts. The Pinjaur _nizámat_ with
headquarters at Rájpura covers only 825 square miles. Of its four
_tahsíls_ Pinjaur contains the submontane and hill tract, part of the
latter being quite close to Simla. The other three _tahsíls_ Rájpura,
Bannur, and Ghanaur are in the Powádh. The Amargarh _nizámat_ with an
area of 855 square miles comprises the three _tahsíls_ of Fatehgarh,
Sáhibgarh, and Amargarh. The first two are rich and fertile well tracts.
Amargarh is in the Jangal Des to the south-west of Sáhibgarh. It
receives irrigation from the Kotla branch of the Sirhind Canal. The
Karmgarh _nizámat_ with an area of 1835 square miles contains the four
_tahsíls_ of Patiála, Bhawánigarh, Sunám, and Nirwána. The headquarters
are at Bhawánigarh. The first three are partly in the Powádh, and partly
in the Jangal Des. Nirwána is in the Bángar. There is much irrigation
from the Sirhind and Western Jamna Canals. The Anáhadgarh _nizámat_ lies
wholly in the Jangal Des. It has an area of 1836 square miles, and is
divided into three _tahsíls_, Anáhadgarh, Bhikhi, and Govindgarh. The
headquarters are at Barnála or Anáhadgarh. The Mohindarpur _nizámat_
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 _tahsíls_,
Mohindargarh or Kánaud and Narnaul. Kánaud is the headquarters.
The history down to 1763 has already been related. Rája Ála 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, Sáhib Singh
(1781-1813), came under British protection in 1809. Karm Singh
(1813-1845), his successor, was our ally in the Gurkha War. Mahárája
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, Mahárája Mohindar Singh
(1862-1876), succeeded at the age of ten and died 14 years later. His
eldest son, Mahárája Rajindar Singh (1876-1900), was only four when he
succeeded and died at the age of 28. Another long minority, that of the
present Mahárája Bhupindar Singh, only came to an end a few years ago.
In the last fifty years Patiála 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 Afghán War. It maintains an Imperial Service Force consisting of two
fine regiments of infantry and one of cavalry. Mahárája 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.]
~Jínd.~--A third of the population of Jínd consists of Hindu and Sikh
Játs. There are two _nizámats_, Sangrúr and Jínd, the latter divided
into the _tahsíls_ of Jínd and Dádrí (map on page 226). The Sangrúr
villages are interspersed among those of the other Phulkian States, and
form a part of the Jangal Des. Jínd is in the Bángar, and Dádrí,
separated from Jínd by the Rohtak district, is partly in Hariána and
partly in the sandy Rájputána desert. The rainfall varies from 17 inches
at Sangrúr to ten inches at Dádrí. Sangrúr is irrigated by the Sirhind,
and Jínd by the Western Jamna, Canal. Dádrí is a dry sandy tract, in
which the Autumn millets are the chief crop. The revenue in 1911-12 was
19 _lákhs_ (£126,700). For imperial service Jínd 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 Jínd and in
1774 deprived his relative, the chief of Nábha, of Sangrúr. He died in
1789. His successor, Rája Bhág 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, Rája
Sarúp 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 Rája Sarúp Singh in 1857 enabled him to
enlarge his State by the grant of the Dádrí territory and of thirteen
villages near Sangrúr. He died in 1864. His son Raghubír Singh
(1864-1887) was a vigorous and successful ruler. He gave loyal help in
the Kúka outbreak and in the Second Afghán War. His grandson, the
present Mahárája Ranbir Singh, K.C.S.I., was only eight when he
succeeded, and Jínd was managed by a Council of Regency for a number of
years. Full powers were given to the chief in 1899.
[Illustration: Fig. 117. Mahárája of Jínd.]
[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.]
~Nábha~ consists of twelve patches of territory in the north scattered
among the possessions of Patiála, Jínd, and Farídkot, and two other
patches in the extreme south on the border of Gurgáon. The northern
section of the state is divided into the eastern _nizámat_ of Amloh in
the Powádh and the western _nizámat_ of Phul in the Jangal Des. Both now
receive irrigation from the Sirhind Canal. The Báwal _nizámat_ is part
of the arid Rájputána desert. Játs, who are mostly Sikhs, constitute 30
p.c. of the population.
The State is well served by railways, Nábha itself being on the
Rájpura-Bhatinda line. The Mahárája maintains a battalion of infantry
for imperial service. Hamír Singh, one of the chiefs who joined in the
capture of Sirhind, may be considered the first Rája. 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 Nábha territory was confiscated. Bharpur Singh,
who became chief in 1857, did excellent service at that critical time,
and the Báwal _nizámat_ was his reward. He was succeeded by his brother,
Bhagwán Singh, in 1863. With Bhagwán 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 Badrúkhan chiefs in the person of
the late Mahárája 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, Mahárája Ripudaman Singh, succeeded in 1911.
[Illustration: Fig. 118. Mahárája 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.]
~Kapúrthala.~--The main part consists of a strip of territory mostly in
the valley of the Biás, and interposed between that river and Jalandhar.
This is divided into the four _tahsíls_ of Bholath, Dhilwan, Kapúrthala,
and Sultánpur. There is a small island of territory in Hoshyárpur, and a
much larger one, the Phagwára _tahsíl_, projecting southwards from the
border of that district into Jalandhar. Two-thirds of the area is
cultivated and the proportion of high-class crops is large. The chief
agricultural tribes are the Muhammadan Arains and the Játs, most of whom
are Sikhs.
The real founder of the Kapúrthala house was Sardár Jassa Singh
Ahluwália, who in 1763, when Sirhind fell, was the leading Sikh chief in
the Panjáb. He captured Kapúrthala in 1771 and made it his headquarters,
and died in 1783. A distant relative, Bágh Singh, succeeded. His
successor, Fateh Singh, was a sworn brother of Ranjít 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 Kapúrthala in 1827, and the
Mahárája never pushed matters with Fateh Singh to extremities. The
latter died in 1836. His successor, Nihál 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
title of Rája. Randhír Singh succeeded in 1852. His conspicuous services
in the Mutiny were rewarded with the grant of estates in Oudh. The
present Mahárája, Sir Jagatjít Singh Bahádur, G.C.S.I., is a grandson of
Randhír Singh. He was a young child when he succeeded in 1877. The State
maintains a battalion of infantry for imperial service.
[Illustration: Fig. 119. Mahárája Sir Jagatjít Singh Bahádur, G.C.S.I.]
[Sidenote: Area, 642 sq. m.
Pop. 130,925.
Rev.
Rs. 11,50,000
= £76,666.]
[Illustration: Fig. 120. Rája Brijindar Singh.]
~Farídkot~ 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
Játs 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
Canal. The Chief, like
the Phulkians, is a Sidhu
Barár Ját, and, though not
a descendant of Phul, unites
his line with the Phulkians
further back. The present
Rája, 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 Ambála and an
enclave in Ferozepore known as Chirak. The founder of the State was one
of the Játs from the Panjáb, who swept over Ambála after the capture of
Sirhind in 1763, and carved out petty principalities, of which Kalsia is
the only survivor (page 180). The capital is Chachraulí, eight or nine
miles north-west of Jagádhrí. The present Chief, Sardár Ráví 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.]
~Baháwalpur~ is by far the largest of the Panjáb States. But the greater
part of it is at present desert, and the population, except in the river
tract, is very sparse. Baháwalpur 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 canals 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
canal 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 Rohí or Cholistán, which is part of
the Rájputána desert. There are three _nizámats_, Minchinábád in the
north, Baháwalpur in the middle, and Khánpur in the south. The capital,
Baháwalpur, is close to the bridge at Adamwáhan by which the N.W.
Railway crosses the Sutlej. The ruling family belongs to the Abbásí
Dáudpotra clan, and came originally from Sindh. Sadik Muhammad Khán, who
received the title of Nawáb from Nádir Sháh, when he invaded the Deraját
in 1739, may be considered the real founder of the State. The Nawáb
Muhummad Baháwal Khan III, threatened with invasion by Mahárája Ranjít
Singh, made a treaty with the British Government in 1833. He was our
faithful ally in the first Afghán War, and gave valuable help against
Diwán Mulráj in 1848. The next three reigns extending from 1852 to 1866
were brief and troubled. Nawáb Sadik Muhummad Khán 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 Nawáb was installed in 1879, and henceforth ruled with the
help of a Council. In the Afghán War of 1879-1880 Baháwalpur did very
useful service. The Nawáb died in 1899. A short minority followed during
which Colonel L. H. Grey again became Superintendent. The young Nawáb,
Muhammad Baháwal Khán V, had but a brief reign. He was succeeded by the
present Chief, Nawáb Sadik Muhummad Khán 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
Baháwalpur and Farídkot. An efficient camel corps is maintained for
imperial service.
[Illustration: Fig. 121. Nawáb Sadik Muhammad Khán.]
[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
Ludhiána district. The capital is connected with Ludhiána by railway.
The Nawáb keeps up a company of Sappers and Miners for imperial service.
He is an Afghán, 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 Mahárája Ranjít Singh when Malerkotla
came under British protection in 1809.
~Pataudí, Dujána, and Loháru.~--The three little Muhammadan States of
Loháru, Dujána, and Pataudí 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.
269,500 (£18,000). The Chief of Loháru, Nawáb Amír ud dín Ahmad Khán,
K.C.I.E., is a man of distinction.
4. _Hindu Hill States_
[Sidenote: Area, 1200 sq. m.
pop. 181,110.
Rev.
Rs. 500,000
= £33,333.]
~Mandí~ is a tract of mountains and valleys drained by the Biás. With
Suket, with which for many generations it formed one kingdom, it is a
wedge thrust up from the Sutlej between Kángra and Kulu. Three-fifths of
the area is made up of forests and grazing lands. The _deodár_ and blue
pine forests on the Kulu border are valuable. At Guma and Drang an
impure salt, fit for cattle, is extracted from shallow cuttings. A
considerable part of the revenue is derived from the price and duty. The
chiefs are Chandarbánsí Rájputs. The direct line came to an end in 1912
with the death of Bhawání Sen, but to prevent lapse the British
Government has chosen as successor a distant relative, Jogindar Singh,
who is still a child.
[Illustration: Fig. 122.]
[Sidenote: Area, 420 sq. m.
Pop. 54,928.
Rev.
Rs. 200,000
= £13,333.]
~Suket~ lies between Mandí and the Sutlej. Its Rája, Ugar Sen, like his
distant relative, the Rája of Mandí, came under British protection in
1846. His great-grandson, Rája Bhim Sen, is the present chief.
[Sidenote: Area, 1198 sq. m.
Pop. 138,520.
Rev.
Rs. 600,000
= £40,000.]
[Illustration: Fig. 123. The late Rája Surindar Bikram Parkásh, K.C.S.I.,
of Sirmúr.]
~Sirmúr~ (~Náhan~) lies to the north of the Ambála district, and
occupies the greater part of the catchment area of the Girí, a tributary
of the Jamna. It is for the most part a mountain tract, the Chor to the
north of the Girí rising to a height of 11,982 feet. The capital, Náhan
(3207 feet), near the southern border is in the Siwálik range. In the
south-east of the State is the rich valley known as the Kiárda Dún,
reclaimed and colonized by Rája Shamshér Parkásh. There are valuable
_deodár_ and _sál_ forests. A good road connects Náhan with Barára on
the N.W. Railway. In 1815 the British Government having driven out the
Gurkhas put Fateh Parkásh on the throne of his ancestors. His troops
fought on the English side in the first Sikh War. His successors, Rája
Sir Shamsher Parkásh, G.C.S.I. (1856-98), and Rája Sir Surindar Bikram
Parkásh, K.C.S.I. (1898-1911), managed their State with conspicuous
success. The present Rája, Amar Parkásh, is 25 years of age. In the
second Afghán War in 1880, Sirmúr sent a contingent to the frontier, and
the Sappers and Miners, which it keeps up for imperial service,
accompanied the Tirah Expedition of 1897.
[Sidenote: Area, 3216 sq. m.
Pop. 135,989.
Rev. 4 _lákhs_
= £26,700.]
~Chamba~ lies to the N. of Kángra from which it is divided by the
Dhauladhár (map, p. 284). The southern and northern parts of the State
are occupied respectively by the basins of the Ráví and the Chandrabhágá
or Chenáb. Chamba is a region of lofty mountains with some fertile
valleys in the south and west. Only about one-nineteenth of the area is
cultivated. The snowy range of the Mid-Himálaya separates the Ráví
valley from that of the Chandrabhágá, and the great Zánskár chain with
its outliers occupies the territory beyond the Chenáb, where the
rainfall is extremely small and Tibetan conditions prevail. The State
contains fine forests and excellent sport is to be got in its mountains.
There are five _wazárats_ or districts, Brahmaur or Barmaur, Chamba,
Bhattoyat, Chaura, and Pángí.
The authentic history of this Súrajbansí Rajput principality goes back
to the seventh century. It came into the British sphere in 1846. During
part of the reign of Rája Shám Singh (1873-1904), the present Rája, Sir
Bhure Singh, K.C.S.I., C.I.E., administered the State as Wazír, filling
a difficult position with loyalty and honour. He is a Rájput gentleman
of the best type. The Rája owns the land of the State, but the people
have a permanent tenant right in cultivated land.
[Illustration: Fig. 124. Rája Sir Bhure Singh, K.C.S.I., C.I.E.]
~Simla Hill States.~--The Deputy Commissioner of Simla is political
officer with the title of Superintendent of nineteen, or, including the
tributaries of Bashahr, Keonthal, and Jubbal, of 28 states with a total
area of 6355 square miles, a population of 410,453, and revenues
amounting to a little over ten _lákhs_ (£66,000). The States vary in
size from the patch of four square miles ruled by the Thákur of Bija to
the 388r square miles included in Bashahr. Only four other States have
areas exceeding 125 square miles, namely, Biláspur (448), Keonthal
(359), Jubbal (320), and Hindúr or Nalagarh (256). Excluding feudatories
the revenues vary from Rs. 900 (or a little over £1 a week) in Mangal to
Rs. 190,000 (£12,666) in Biláspur. The chiefs are all Rájputs, who came
under our protection at the close of the Gurkha War.
The watershed of the Sutlej and Jamna runs through the tract. The range
which forms the watershed of the Sutlej and the Jamna starts from the
Shinka Pass on the south border of Bashahr and passes over Hattu and
Simla. In Bashahr it divides the catchment areas of the Rupín and Pábar
rivers, tributaries of the Tons and therefore of the Jamna, from those
of the Báspa and the Noglí, which are affluents of the Sutlej. West of
Bashahr the chief tributary of the Jamna is the Girí and of the Sutlej
the Gámbhar, which rises near Kasaulí. In the east Bashahr has a large
area north of the Sutlej drained by its tributary the Spití and smaller
streams. In the centre the Sutlej is the northern boundary of the Simla
Hill States. In the west Biláspur extends across that river. The east of
Bashahr is entirely in the Sutlej basin.
[Sidenote: Area, 448 sq. m.
Pop. 93,107.
Rev. Rs. 190,000
= £12,666.]
~Biláspur.~--This is true also of Biláspur or Kahlúr (map, p. 284),
which has territory on both banks of the river. The capital, Biláspur,
is on the left bank only 1455 feet above sea level. The present Rája
Bije Chand, C.S.I., succeeded in 1889.
[Sidenote: Area, 3881 sq. m.
Pop. 93,203.
Rev. Rs. 95,000
= £6233.]
~Bashahr.~--The chain which forms the watershed of the Sutlej and Jamna
rises from about 12,000 feet at Hattu in the west to nearly 20,000 feet
on the Tibet border. Two peaks in the chain exceed 20,000 feet. Further
north Raldang to the east of Chíní is 21,250 feet high, and in the
north-east on the Tibet border there are two giants about 1000 feet
higher. Generally speaking the Sutlej runs in a deep gorge but at Chíní
and Saráhan the valley widens out. The main valley of the Pábar is not
so narrow as that of the Sutlej, while the side valleys descend in easy
slopes to the river beds. The Báspa has a course of 35 miles. In the
last ten miles it falls 2000 feet and is hemmed in by steep mountains.
Above this gorge the Báspa valley is four or five miles wide and
consists of a succession of plateaux rising one above the other from the
river's banks. Bashahr is divided into two parts, Bashahr proper and
Kunáwar. The latter occupies the Sutlej valley in the north-east of the
State. It covers an area of about 1730 square miles and is very sparsely
peopled. In the north of Kunáwar the predominant racial type is
Mongoloid and the religion is Buddhism. The capital of Bashahr, Rámpur,
on the left bank of the Sutlej is at an elevation of 3300 feet. The
Gurkhas never succeeded in conquering Kunáwar. They occupied Bashahr,
but in 1815 the British Government restored the authority of the Rája.
The present chief, Shamsher Singh, is an old man, who succeeded as long
ago as 1850. He is incapable of managing the State and an English
officer is at present in charge.
[Illustration: Fig. 125. Bashahr.]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 15: J.=Jain.]