The state covered an area of 297 square miles (770 km2).[2] It was bound on the west by the Paber River and the states ofBalsan andKotkhai, the south by theSirmur State along the Chor Ridge, the east by thedistrict of Dehra Dun and the north byBushahr State.[3] It had its capital at Deorha.[4][5] By the beginning of the 20th century, forests covered almost 40% of the area of the state. Forestry accounted for a bulk of the state's revenues and much of the timber was used asrailway sleepers.[6] In 1902–03, annual revenue from forests amounted to 1,00,000 rupees whereas annual land revenue stood at only 35,828 rupees.[7]Wheat,tobacco andopium were the major agricultural products of Jubbal State.[8] The states of Rawingarh and Dhadi weretributary states to Jubbal State.[9][10]
The royal family wereRathore Rajputs and its founding ruler Karan Chand was a son of theRaja of Sirmaur.[11][12] The state was one of twenty hill states collectively called the Thakuraian and the rulers of Jubbal were styled Ranas orThakurs before the British conferred on them the title of Raja.[13] The heir apparent was styledtikka and the younger sons of the raja were styledkanwar. Succession to the throne was governed bymale primogeniture.[14] The goddess Piri Devi was thetutelary deity of the royal family.[15]
The state was founded by Karan Chand in thetwelfth century AD and was avassal state to Sirmur prior to theAnglo-Gorkha War.[17] In 1815, it was made an independent state by virtue of asanad issued to its ruler Rana Puran Chand byLord Moira theGovernor-General of India.[18] In 1832, the Rana, Puran Chandabdicated in favour of the British but the kingdom was restored to his son Karam Chand in 1840. Puran Chand committed suicide in 1843.[19] Under Karam Chand's rule, Jubbal emerged as a strong, efficiently run state as he put an end to court intrigues and the overwhelming influence of the state'swazirs.[20] In 1878, Karam Chand was succeeded to the throne by his son Padam Chand who undertook the construction and repair of severalHindu temples in the state.[21] Jubbal had a population of 40,000 and annual revenues of 30,000 rupees in 1880.[22] Padam Chand was succeeded by his brother Bhagat Chand in 1910.[23] For his staunch support of theBritish war effort inWorld War I, thehereditary title ofRaja was conferred on him in 1918 thereby giving the state ceremonial precedence over those states ruled byRanas and it ranked ninth in theorder of precedence among thehill states of the Punjab.[24] In 1924, ahydro electric plant was established in Jubbal and it became one of the first princely states in India to have electricity. Health and education services were made free by the state and Bhagat Singh also established a college inShimla for his subjects.[25] Bhagat Chand abdicated in 1946 and was succeeded by Raja Rana Digvijay Chand who became the last regnant monarch of the state.[26] The state merged with the Indian Union in 1948 and the Raja joined theIndian Foreign Service in 1949.[27]
