Nabha

Flag of Nabha

The history of the origins of the Nábha State is that of the Phúlkián houses. lts existence as a separate and sovereign State may be said to date from the fall of Sirhind in 1763. Prior to that year its chiefs had been merely rural notables, whose influence was overshadowed by that of the cadet branch which was rising to regal power under Maharaja Ala Singh, the founder of the Patiala State. Tilok Singh, the eldest son of Phúl, had died after an uneventful life in 1687, leaving two sons, Of these the eldest, Gurditta, founded Dhanaula and Sangrur, which later on became the capital of Jind, and the second son Sukhchen became the ancestor of the Jind family.

Gurditta’s grandson Hamír Singh founded the town of Nabha in 1755, and in 1759 he obtained possession of Bhádson. After the fall of Sirhind in 1763.

Amloh fell to his share, and in 1776 he conquered Rorí from Rahímdhd Khán, governor of Hánsí. Hamír Singh’ was also the first Rája of Nábha to coin money in his own name. On the other hand, he lost territory in his dispute with Rája Gajpat Singh of Jínd, who in 1774 conquered Sangrúr.

On his death in 1783 his sin Jaswant Singh succeeded him under the guardianship of Rání Desú, his stepmother, who held her own by the assistance of Shhib Singh Bhangí of Gujrát till her death in 1790. After this the Phólkfán chiefs combined to oppose George Thomas, but the Rája of Nábha was only a lukewarm member of the confederacy, and at the battle of Narnaund in 1798 his troops were hardly engaged, and in 18o it does not appear that the Rája joined with the principal cis-Sutlej chiefs in their embassy to General Perron at Delhi, but Nábha was included in the conditions finally agreed upon, and consented to pay Rs. 9.510 per annum as tribute to the Mahrattas on the defeat of Thomas.

On the other hand, he lost territory in his money in his own name. dispute with Rája Gajpat Singh of Jínd, who in 1774 conquered Sangrúr. On his death in 1783 his sn Jaswant Singh succeeded him under the guardianship of Rání Desú, his step mother, who held her own by the assistance of Sáhib Singh Bhangi of Gujrát till her death in 1790. After this the Phúlkíán chiefs combined to oppose George Thomas, but the Rája of Nabha was only a lukewarm member of the confederacy, and at the battle of Narnaund in 1798 his troops were hardly engaged, and in 18or it does not appear that the Rája joined with the principał cis-Sutlej chiefs in their embassy to General Perron at Delhi, but Nábha was included in the conditions finally agreed upon, and consented to pay Rs. 9.510 per annum as tribute to the Mahrattas on the defeat of Thomas.

Jaswant Singh sided with the British when Holkar, the Mahratta chief, was being driven northwards to Lahore, and aided them with a detachment of sowars. Lcrd Lake, in return for this, assured him that his possessions would not be curtailed and no demand for tribute would be made on him so long as bis disposition towards the British remained unchanged. He was formally taken under the protection of the British in May 18cg with the other cis-Sutlej chiefs. He furnished supplies for Ochterlony’s Gurkha Campaign in 18i5 and also helped in the Bikaner affair of 1818, and always proved a faithful ally when his assistance was required. At the time of the Kábul Campaiga of 1838 he offered the services of his troops to the Governor-Generai and advanced 6 lakhs of rupees towards the expenses cf the expedition. He died in 1840 and was succeeded by his son Devindar, who, however, failed to carry on his father’s loyal and friendly policy. In consequence of his conduct during the first Sikh War, nearly one-fourth of his territory was confiscated, he himself was removed from his State, and his son, Bharpur Singh, a boy of seven years of age. placed on the “gaddi.” Bharpur Singh attained his majority very shortly after the outbreak of the Mutiny. At that critical time he acted with exemplary loyalty to the British. He was placed in charge of the important station of Ludhiána and of the neighbouring Sutlej ferries at the commencement of the outbreak. A Nábha detachment of 300 men took the place of the Nasirí Battalion which had been detailed to escort a siege train from Phillaur to Delhi, b it had refused to march, while it was at the head of a detachment of 150 Nábha troops that the British Deputy Commissioner opposed the Jullundur mutineers at Phillaur and prevented their crossing the river. The Rája despatched to Delhi a contingent of about 300 men wtich did good service throughout the siege, while he himself enlisted new troops from amongst his own subjects, furnished supplies and transport, arrested mutineers, and performed many other services with the utmost loyalty and good-will. Further he advanced to Government a loan of 2 lakhs of rupees. After the mutiny his services were rewarded by the graut of the divisions of Báwal and Kántí, and he was subsequently allowed to purchase a portion of the Kánaud sub-division of Jhajjar in liquidation of sums advanced by him to Government. He was also formally granted the power of life and death over his subjects as well as the right of adoption and the promise of non-interference by the British in the internal affairs of his State. He was an enlightened Prince.