Patiala

Flag of Patiala

The Rulers of Patiala were the head of the Phulkian Houses (all descended from Chaudhary Phul a Sidhu Jat of Brar sept). The ancestors of Phul were rulers of Bidowal. Rao Shri Paur the ancestor of the Phulkians rebelled against his brother Rao Shri Dhur, the ruler of Bhatinda(see Faridkot) and received the territory of Bidowal.

Sanghar, a fifth-generation descendant of Paur became very powerful. He helped Babar in 1524 CE at Lahore, when Babar defeated Ibrahim Lodi on 21st April 1526, in which Sanghar was killed at the battle of Panipat. In recognition of his service, Babar gave the Chaudhriyat of the waste country to the southwest of Delhi to Sanghar’s son, whose name he changed to Bariam, meaning, Buhadar. This office was confirmed on Bariam by Humayun, Babar’s son and successor. Bariam lived at Neli and rebuilt Bidowal. He and his grandson Suttoh were killed in a battle with the Bhattis in about 1560 CE. Bariam left two sons, namely, Mehraj or Maharaj, and Garaj. Suttoh, son of Maharaj, had three sons, namely, Pukko, Lukko, and Chaho. Pukko was killed in a battle with the Bhatties but left two sons, Habbal and Mohan. Mohan had two sons, Rup Chand and Kala. Rup Chand had two sons, Sandali and Phul. Mohan defeated the Bhatties at Bhidowal and received the Chaudhriyat. Under the advice of Guru Har Govind, the sixth of the Sikh prophets, he founded the village Mehraj or Maharaj. Twenty two villages have grown out of this village and their descendants are called Maharaj kian Sidhus. Mohan and his son Rup Chand were killed in a battle with the Bhatties in about 1618 CE. Then, Kala succeeded to the Chaudhriyat and the guardianship of Phul and Sandali. Soon after Mohan’s death, Guru Har Govind visited Bhidowal andblessed Sandali and Phul that the boys shall feed thousands and Phul shall bear many blossoms.

Phul’s mother was Mai Umbi, a Jat woman. He was taught by a fakir and learned the art of feigning death by holding his breath. In the year 1627, he founded a village after his name. He received a deed of grant from Emperor Shah Jahan confirming the Chaudhriyat office upon him. Phul had seven children and many descendants fulfilling the prophecy of Guru Har Govind. By his first wife, Bali, the daughter of a zamindar of Dilami in Nabha, he had three sons, Tiloka, Rama, and Rughu, and one daughter, Rami or Ram Kaur, also known as Fatoh. Ram Kaur was married to a Sardar of Ram Das. The houses of Nabha, Jhind, and Badrukhan have descended from Tilokha. The houses of Bhadour, Patiala, and Malaud descend from Rama. The Sikhs of Jiundan descend from Rughu. Phul had a second wife Raj ji from Sidhani. From this marriage he had three sons, Channu, Jhandhu, and Takhat Mal.

The descendant Channu and Takhat Mal are known as Laudhgharian Sikhs of the village Gumti. Jhandhu had no children. Phul died in the village of Phul in 1652 CE. Tilokha received the office of the Chaudhriyat. Tilokha and Rama founded the village Bhai Rupa in Nabha territory, about eight miles north-west of Phul, in about1680 CE.Rama or Ram Chand expanded his dominions over the Bhatti territories and became a superintendent of the jungle ilaka. He was killed at Kotla in 1714 CE over the dispute of this jungle ilaka, nearly at the age of eighty. Rama had married Sabi, the daughter of a Bhuttar zamindar of Nanun, from whom he had six sons, namely, Dunna, Ala Singh, Ram Singh, Bakhta, Ladha, and Budha. Duna established the Bhadour family. Subha and his only son Jodh Singh both died in 1729 CE and his village Hodiana came in the possession of Ala Singh. Bakhta was the ancestor of the Malaudh family. Ram Singh, Ladha and Budha stayed together. Ala Singh was born in about 1691 CE and his father was killed when Ala Singh was twenty-three years old.

In 1718 CE, he left Bhadour to his elder brother Duna, and rebuilt Barnala and began to live there.Here he was attacked by the neighboring chiefs but was victorious. This victory gave a high status to Ala Singh to gather a large force around him. The Sikhs were warriors with courage but were civilized towards women and the captives. However, they were never a united people and this caused their defeat to the British government. Ala Singh obtained a victory over his Afghan neighbours by 1731 CE. He was imprisoned but was delivered by one of his loyal associates. He reduced some of the refractory villages to submission that had been taken over by Jodh Singh of Batinda. In 1749, he began building a Fort of Bhawanigarh. Three years later he conquered the district of Sanawar. This district had eighty-four villages with its capitol at Patiala. In 1753 CE, he built a fort in Patiala. He helped Bhai Gurbaksh Singh conquer Batthinda, Buloda and Buhai from the Bhatti chiefs. The district of Mung was next added to the Patiala territory, by Lal Singh, son of Ala Singh. Then Lal Singh and Ala Singh overran the districts of Sohana, Jamalpur, Dharsul, and Shikapur of Bhatti Chiefs in 1757 CE. Ahmad Shah Durani, monarch of Afghanistan, had made almost annual raids into India and in 1748, 1756, and 1761, had marched as far south as Sirhind and Delhi. In 1761, Ala Singh was captured by Durani but released by agreeing to pay attribute. In 1763, however, Ala Singh and other neighbouring Sikh Chiefs attacked Durani’s governors of Sirhind and captured it. Sirhind and its neighbouring villages were given to Ala Singh. Next year Durani attacked India again but had cordial relations with Ala Singh. Raja Ala Singh accompanied Ahmad Shah Durani as far as Lahore, and then returned to Patiala, where he died in August 1765 CE. Ala Singh had married only one wife named Fattoh, the daughter of Chaudhary Khana, a Subhran zamindar of Kaleke. He has three sons, Sardul Singh, Bhumian Singh, Lal Singh, and a daughter Bibi Pardhan. Sardul Singh, the eldest son of Ala Singh, married his first wife, the daughter of a Sardar of Bhikhe, who became the mother of Maharaja Amar Singh. His second wife was the widow of his first cousin Jodh Singh, whom he married according to the Sikh custom, by kareva or chaddar dalna. Sardul Singh died in1753 CE. Bhumian Singh, the second son, left one daughter, Bibi Rajinda, who was married to Tilok Chand, Chaudhri of Bhagwara. After Tilok Singh’s death, their property was claimed by her grandson Jodh Singh, a daughter’s son. Jodh Singh was killed by Chuhar Mal, Tilok’s brother and took over their property. The youngest son Lal Singh died childless.

Amar Singh, the second son of Sardul Singh, was born in 1747 CE and succeeded Ala Singh as the Patiala Chief. In 1766, Amar Singh captured the town of Payal, near Ludhiana with the help of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and other Sikh Chiefs. In 1767, Ahmad Shah Durani invaded India for the last time, but he advanced no further than Ludhiana. Durani cordially granted the title of Raja that was earlier given to Ala Singh. Later, Akbar bestowed the title of Maharaja on Amar Singh Amar Singh regained properties from Afghans of Maler Kotla, Gharib Das of Manimajara, Jodh Singh of Kot Kapura, and Govindgarh in 1771 CE. His elder step-brother Himmat Singh rebelled again took over the Patiala Fort but was forced to surrender with the help of neighbouring States. Himmat Singh died in 1774 CE and Ala Singh took over his estates of Bhawanigarh, Darbah, and Dhodrah. Amar Singh married his widow by Chaddar dalna custom. The same year his first wife, Rani RajKaur, gave birth to a son, Sahib Singh, who afterwards became a Maharaja. Next, Amar Singh captured the Sefabad Fort of Nawab Sef Khan, and then marched against the Bhatti of Fatahabad and Sirsa and conquerd them. The Delhi Empire had fallen in 1775 CE. In 1777 CE, Amar Singh overran Faridkot and Kot Kapura and in 1778 subdued the Chief of Mani with the help of his kinsmen. New minister at Delhi, Nawab Majd-ud-doulah Abd ul-ahd campaigned against the Sikh Chiefs but was repulsed in 1779. In February 1781, Raja Amar Singh died at age 35. Three months before his death, Ranjit Singh was born in Gujranwala, near Lahore. From hereon, the power of the Patiala State began to decay. Amar Singh was succeeded by his six year old son, Raja Sahib Singh. His sister’s name was Sahib Kaur, who was a very able warior. Through the influence of his grandmother, Rani Hukman, Diwan Naun Mal was appointed prime minister of the Patiala State. The Diwan, an Aggarwal Bannia of Sunam, was a man of great experience and honesty. He had served Raja Amar Singh well. However, revolts occurred in Bhawanigarh, Kot Sumer, and by Sir Ala Singh at Bhikhe. However, Naun Mal mustered a large force composed of Patiala, Jhind, Nabha, Maler Kotla, Bhadour, Ramgharia, and Rani Hukman to suppress these rebellions. In 1783 CE, there was a great famine in Northern India. Naun Mal trained his troops in western style and continued to regain his lost territories. Rani Hukman was killed, Naun Mal was wounded and imprisoned but Rani Rajinder of Phagwara, and first cousin of Amar Singh, marched to his aid and got him released and re-instates him. Naun Mal collaborated with Dhara Rao, a Mahratta leader and his associated Sikh rulers, to continue to put the rebellions down.

In 1787 CE, Raja Sahib Singh was married to Rattan Kaur, daughter of the late Ganda Singh Bhangi, whose grandson Gulab Singh was wellknown in Amritsar and its neighbourhood. Raja Sahib Singh was not strong enough to face the danger grom Ranjit Singh, Marahrattas, and the advances of the British Government. He was forced to accept protection from the British Government. On April 1809, a treaty was concluded between the British forces and Ranjit Singh to leave the Cis-Sutlej Stated under the protection of the British Government. Ranjit Singh turned his attention to the capture of Kashmir, Peshawur, Multan and the Derajat. Raja Sahib Singh died in March 1813 and left the Patiala State in Chaos. He was followed by his son, Raja Karam Singh. He died on 23rd of December, 1845 CE. He was succeeded by his son, Narinder Singh at age 23. He helped the British Government in the 1857 war against the Sikhs. He was rewarded for his loyalty. The Phulkian Rajas were permitted to adopt children in order to keep their estates in the family following their death. On the 1st of November 1861, Maharaja Narinder Singh was invested with the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, at Allahabad and was appointed a member of the Governor General’s Council for making Laws and Regulations.

However, he died on 13th of November, 1862, after a reign of nearly seventeen years. Narinder Singh married seven wives, who bore him one son and three daughters. The eldest daughter, Basant Kaur, was born in 1845 and married to the Rana of Dholpur. The second daughter married Sardar Narain Singh, son of Sardar Dewa Singh of Sialba. The third daughter was Bishan Kaur, born in 1849, and married, in 1859, to Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Bharatpur. Mahinder Singh, the only son, was born on the 16th September, 1852. He was only ten years old at the time of his father’s death. A council of Regency was appointed by the British Government in 1858. This was done,and the members selected with the approbation of the Rajas of Nabha and Jind were Sardars Jagdeo Singh, Bakshi Rahim Baksh, and Bakhshi Udeh Singh. At age eighteen, Maharaja Mahinder Singh was invested with full powers and the Council of Regency was dissolved in February, 1870. Mahinder Singh was educated under the direction of Ram Chandar, an eminent Mathematician of Delhi. In 1870, a canal from the Sutlej near Rupar to Patiala is constructed to irrigate the Patiala and Ambala districts. Rani Basant Kaur, sister of Narinder Singh had a son who died and she also died on 17th February 1870. Maharaja Narinder Singh married three wives. The last lady he married was the daughter of Mian Mehtab Singh Dhaliwal of Dina, a relative of the Raja of Faridkot. She gave birth to a son on the 17th of October 1867. In May 1870, Maharaja Mahinder Singh was nominated a Knight of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India. The Kingdom of Patiala merged into the Republic of India after independence.