| Jaswan State | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princely State | |||||||||
| 1170 CE–1849 CE | |||||||||
_from_a_map_of_the_various_Hill_States_of_the_Punjab_Hills_region%2c_copied_in_1852.jpg) Detail of Jaswan (Jaswal) from a map of the various Hill States of the Punjab Hills region, copied in 1852 | |||||||||
| Capital | Rajpura | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Foundation of the state | 1170 CE | ||||||||
• Annexation by theSikh Empire | 1849 CE | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Una, Himachal Pradesh,India | ||||||||
Jaswan was a precolonialIndian state in modern-dayHimachal Pradesh, commanded by theJaswal Rajput clan.[1] It was founded in 1170 AD by Raja Purab Chand, a cadet of theKatoch lineage, ancient royal family ofKangra.[1] Its capital was Rajpura.[2]
Jaswan was a narrow state that was approximately 64.3 km (40 mi) long and 8 km (5 mi) wide.[2] To the south and west directions, the state bordered the Punjab Plains region and Shivalik Hills range.[2] To the north, the state borderedSiba State andDatarpur State.[2] To the east, the state borderedKangra State,Kutlehr State, andBilaspur (Kahlur) State.[2]
According to legend Jaswan State was founded in 1170 CE by Raja Purab Chand from the Kangra royal family.[1][2] The founder was from a junior branch of the Kangra royal family.[2] Thus, the Jaswan rulers shared familial relations with the royal families of Kangra, Guler, Siba, and Datarpur states.[2]
During the reign of Raja Govind Chand (r. c.1550-1575), the Jaswan ruler acted as a guardian for the minor Bidhi Chand of Kangra State.[2] Also during Govind's reign in 1572, the state successfully defeated a Mughal invasion force attackingKangra Fort.[2] The state under Anirudh Chand (r. c.1580–c.1600) took part in Pahari rebellions against Mughal emperor Akbar in 1588 and 1594.[2] However, both rebellions failed which led to the state submitting to Mughal authority, with the state finding specific mention in theAkbarnama.[2]
In 1745, Raja Ajit Singh of Jaswan submitted to the Mughal governor of Lahore province,Adina Beg Khan.[2] Raja Ajit Singh died without issue, thus he was succeeded by his brother Jaghar Singh.[2] Jaghar Singh's successor, Abhiraj Singh, died without issue so he was succeeded by Jaghar's other son, Jagrup Singh.[2]
During the reign of Raja Umed Singh, Jaswan became a tributary of Kangra State under Raja Sansar Chand in 1786.[2] However, later during Umed's reign in 1805, he joined forces with other hill states against Kangra State.[2]
In 1809, Jaswan became a tributary of the Sikhs.[2] In 1815, the Sikh Empire annexed Jaswan State and Umed Singh was reduced to a jagir.[2] This is because MaharajaRanjit Singh ordered all his available forces to assemble atSialkot. The raja of Jaswan, Ummed Singh (1800–1849), failed to obey the summons and was fined a sum beyond his means. The raja was forced to relinquish his state to the Sikh emperor, and accepted ajagir of 21 villages and 12,000Rs per annum. In 1848, he joined the Sikh in an unsuccessful revolt against theBritish during thesecond Anglo-Sikh war.[2] His palaces were plundered and razed to the ground, and his territory annexed in 1849.[2] He was stripped of his title and exiled toAlmora, where he died a year later in 1854.[3][2] Umed's son, Jai Singh, was also deported alongside his father and thus died in-exile as well.[2]
In 1877, the jagir in Jaswan, along with several other former properties in Rajpura and Amb, was restored to Ummed's grandson Ran Singh (b. 1833), who also later acquired the jagir ofRamkot in Jammu upon Ran's son's marriage to a granddaughter of Maharaja Ranbir Singh ofJ&K State.[3][2] Upon his son's marriage to Ranbir Singh's granddaughter, Ran Singh was granted a jagir at Mankot in Jammu.[2]
The titles claimed by the princes, however, were still denied any recognition until Raghunath Singh (b. 1852) was granted the title ofraja due to hisKatoch lineage and marriages to two of the daughters of MaharajaRanbir Singh of Jammu and Kashmir. The title could not be passed on through inheritance, and he could not administer his jagir. Raghunath Singh died in 1918, after which Lachman Singh succeeded him.[3]
The clan of the rulers of Jaswan was Jaswal.[2] The rulers originally appended Chand to their name but later would appendSingh.[2]
| Name | Portrait | Reign | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rajas: | |||
| Purab Chand | 1170 – ? | [1] | |
| Unknown intermediary rulers | |||
| Govind Chand | c.1550–1575 | [2] | |
| Bikram Chand | c.1575–c.1580 | [2] | |
| Anirudh Chand | c.1580–c.1600 | [2] | |
| Samir Chand | c.1600–c.1630 | [2] | |
| Man Singh | c.1630–c.1660 | [2] | |
| Ajab Singh | c.1660–c.1690 | [2] | |
| Ram Singh | c.1690–c.1720 | [2] | |
| Ajit Singh | .jpg) | c.1720–c.1750 | [2] |
| Jaghar Singh | .jpg) | c.1750–c.1765 | [2] |
| Abhiraj Singh[note 1] |  | c.1765–c.1770 | [2] |
| Jagrup Singh |  | c.1770–1774 | [2] |
| Prit Singh[note 2] | .jpg) | 1774–1782 | [2] |
| Umed Singh[note 3] | _LACMA_M.74.102.2.jpg) | 1782–1815 | [2] |
| Annexation by theSikh Empire | 1815 | [2] | |
| Jagirdars | |||
| Umed Singh | | 1815–1849 | [2] |
| Annexation by theBritish | 1849 | [2] | |
| Titular | |||
| Umed Singh | | 1849–1854 | [2] |
| Jai Singh | 1854–1856 | [2] | |
| Ran Singh | 1856–1892 | [2] | |
| Raghunath Singh | 1892–1918 | [2] | |
| Lachman Singh | 1918 – ? | [3] | |
In surviving portraits of the rajas from Raja Ajit Singh to Raja Umed Singh, they were all depicted wearingVaishnavatilaks.[2]
There is evidence that a member of the Seu-Manaku-Nainsukh artisan family may have worked at Jaswan State at one time.[2] However, no surviving paintings produced at Jaswan have come down to us.[2] However, portraits produced in other hill states of some of the rulers of Jaswan have been recorded.[2]
