Present Head
- Tikka Ambikeshwar Dev Chand Katoch, born .
History
The first modern recorded mention of the state, however, is from the 11th century AD. The Katoch dynasty are reputed to have ruled the town of Kangra and its vicinity since time immemorial. Several very extended interregnums are acknowledged.
At least three rulers sought to conquer the Kangra fort and plundered the treasures of its temples: Mahmud Ghazni in 1009, Firuz Shah Tughluq in 1360 and Sher Shah in 1540. Battle of Kangra (1333) During Prithvi Chand II's reign, they defeated the army of Muhammad bin Tughluq which was not able to fight in the hills. Nearly all his 100,000 soldiers perished in 1333 AD and he was forced to retreat.
The fort of Kangra resisted Akbar's siege. Akbar's son Jahangir successfully subdued the fort in 1620 annexing the surrounding area and reducing the Katoch rajas to the status of vassals. Kangra was at the time ruled by Raja Hari Chand Katoch of Kangra (also known as Raja Hari Chand II) Mughal Emperor Jahangir with the help of Suraj Mal garrisoned with his troops. Under Jahangir, Murtaza Khan the governor of Punjab was directed to conquer Kangra, but he failed on account of the jealousy and opposition of the Rajput chiefs who were associated with him. Then Prince Khurram was put in charge of the command. The siege of Kangra was pushed on for weeks. Supplies were cut off. The garrison had to live on boiled dry grass. It was faced with death and starvation. After a siege of 14 months, the fort surrendered in November, 1620. In 1621, Jahangir visited it and ordered the slaughter of a bullock there. A mosque was also built within the fort of Kangra. The Katoch Kings repeatedly looted Mughal controlled regions, weakening the Mughal control, aiding in the decline of Mughal power, Raja Sansar Chand II succeeded in recovering the ancient fort of his ancestors, in 1789.
As the Mughal power waned, many former officers of the Mughal empire took autonomous charge of the areas under their power and this situation affected Kangra. Meanwhile, (in 1758), Ghamand Chand, a supposed scion of the dispossessed family, attained a position of power in the Punjab plains, being appointed governor of Jalandhar by Ahmed Shah Abdali. Building upon this ascendency, Ghamand Chand's grandson Sansar Chand rallied an army, ousted the then ruler of Kangra, Saif Ali Khan, and gained possession of his patrimony. This happened in 1783, and Sansar Chand was aided by the Kanhaiya misl, one of several Sikh principalities that ruled the Punjab in that era. During the campaign, Raja Sansar Chand and his mercenary force overran other nearby principalities and compelled the submission of their rulers. He reigned over a relatively large part of present-day Himachal Pradesh for perhaps two decades, but his ambitions brought him into conflict with the Gorkhas ruling the then nascent state of Nepal. The Gorkhas and the recently humbled hill-states allied to invade Kangra in 1806. The Raja was defeated and left with no territory beyond the immediate vicinity of the fortress of Kangra, which he managed to retain with the help of a small Sikh force sent to his aid by Ranjit Singh. In this despair, the Raja treated with Ranjit Singh at Jawalamukhi in 1809. By that treaty, Raja Sansar Chand surrendered his (now largely notional) state to Ranjit Singh, in return for a substantial fief to be held under the suzerainty of the latter. This estate consisted, in 1947, of 20 villages yielding a revenue of Rs. 40,000/- and encompassing an area of 324 km2. Ranjit Singh duly established his rule over the land; Sansar Chand received in addition the estate of Lambagraon.
As a result of the First Anglo-Sikh War (1846), the area between the Sutlej and Ravi rivers, including the hill states, were ceded by the Sikhs to the HEIC. Thus, Lambagraon estate was annexed by the British and was one of the feudatory estates placed under the Simla Hill States' Superintendency. In deference with the ruling dynasty's association with Kangra town (and given the fact that the estate fell within Kangra district) the estate was referred to as "Kangra-Lambagraon". The princely estate of Kangra-Lambagraon acceded unto the Dominion of India in 1947; the following year, it was merged with its sister states of the erstwhile Simla superintendency to create a province named "Himachal Pradesh", administered by a Chief Commissioner.
Genealogy
- Raja MEGH CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1390/1405, he took part in a batle against Timur, married and had issue.
- Raja Hari Chand I (qv)
- Raja Karan Chand II (qv)
- Raja Pratap Chand, founder of Bhimbar.
- Raja HARI CHAND I, Raja of Kangra 1405/1415, founded Guler in 1415 with his capital at Haripur, ancestor of the families of Siba and Datarpur.
- Raja KARAN CHAND II, Raja of Kangra 1415/1430, granted the title of Bada Raja.
- Raja SANSAR CHAND I, Raja of Kangra 1430/1450, married and had issue.
- Raja Devangga Chand (qv)
- Raja Narendra Chand (qv)
- Raja DEVANGGA CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1450/1465, married and had issue.
- Raja NARENDRA CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1465/1480, married (amongst other), a daughter of the Raja of Puna, and had issue.
- Raja Suvira Chand (qv)
- Raja SUVIRA CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1480/1490 or 1480/1499, married and had issue.
- Raja Prayag Chand (qv)
- Raja PRAYAG CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1490/1510 or 1499/1520, married and had issue.
- Raja Ram Chand (qv)
- Raja RAM CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1510/1528 or 1520/1538, married and had issue. [He died sp 1538.]
- Raja Dharam Chand (qv)
- Mian Kalyan Chand, married and had issue.
- Three generations
- Raja Chandarbhan Chand (qv)
- Three generations
- Raja DHARAM CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1528/1563, born ?, he was granted the title of Maharaja by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, married and had issue. He died .
- Raja Manikya Chand (qv)
- Raja MANIKYA CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1563/1570, died .
- Raja JAI CHAND V, Raja of Kangra 1570/1585, married and had issue. He died .
- Raja Bidhi Chand (qv)
- Raja BIDHI CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1585/1607, fought against the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He died .
- Raja TRILOKA CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1607/1612, rebelled against the Mughals, died [or January 1615]
- Raja HARI CHAND II, Raja of Kangra 1612/1627, born (1603), killed sp in 1627 by Padshah Jahangir of Delhi
- Raja CHANDARBHAN CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1627/1658, married and had issue. He died in Delhi.
- Raja Vijay Ram Chand (qv)
- Raja Udai Ram Chand (qv)
- Mian Narpat Chand of Bijaipur, married and had issue.
- Mian Prag Chand, married and had issue.
- Mian Agar Chand, married and had issue. He died .
- Mian Nigahi Chand, married and had issue. He died .
- Generations
- Mian Molak Chand, born , married and had issue. He died .
- Mian Mordhaj Chand, born , married and had issue. He died .
- Mian Devi Chand, born , 12th Vice-regal Darbari of Kangra District, married and had issue.
- Kanwar Mehr Chand
- Kanwar Durga Chand
- Kanwar Raghbir Chand
- Mian Devi Chand, born , 12th Vice-regal Darbari of Kangra District, married and had issue.
- Mian Mordhaj Chand, born , married and had issue. He died .
- Mian Molak Chand, born , married and had issue. He died .
- Generations
- Mian Nigahi Chand, married and had issue. He died .
- Mian Agar Chand, married and had issue. He died .
- Mian Prag Chand, married and had issue.
- Kumari (name unknown), married Raja Suraj Sen of Mandi.
- Raja VIJAY RAM CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1660/1687, received a mansab of 5000 foot, died .
- Raja UDAI RAM CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1687/1690, married and had issue. He died .
- Raja Bhim Chand (qv)
- Mian Kirpal Chand, died .
- Raja BHIM CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1690/1697, Dharam Rakshak, married and had issue. He died .
- Raja Alam Chand II (qv)
- Raja ALAM CHAND II, Raja of Kangra 1697/1700, founded Alampur, married and had issue. He died .
- Raja Hamir Chand (qv)
- Raja Ghamir Chand (qv)
- Raja HAMIR CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1700/1747, built the fort of Hamirgarh and founded the town of Hamirpur, married and had issue. He died .
- Raja Abhay Chand (qv)
- Mian (name unknown) Chand, married and had issue.
- Raja Ghamand Chand (qv)
- Raja ABHAY CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1747/1750, built the fort of Riyal-Tira-Abhymanpur and the temple of Thakurdwara, married (amongst others), Rani Suratu Devi, daughter of Raja Sampat Pal, Raja of Bhadrawah, and had issue.
- Kumari (name unknown), married Raja Amrit Pal of Basohli.
- Raja GHAMIR CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1750/1751, married and had issue, 11 sons excluded from the succession. He died .
- Raja SHRINGAR CHAND, Raja of Kangra in 1751 (deposed)
- Raja GHAMAND CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1751/1774, rebuilt Pathiar Fort, appointed Nazim of the Jalandhar Doab by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1758. He died .
- Raja Tegh Chand (qv)
- Raja TEGH CHAND, Raja of Kangra 1774/1775, born about 1745; married and had issue. He died .
- Raja Sansar Chand II (qv)
- Raja Fateh Chand, received the Jagir of Rajgir, married and had issue. He died .
- Mian Rudra Chand [Ludar Chand] of Rajgir, married and had issue. He died .
- Raja Pratap Chand, adopted by the Rani of Pramodh Chand of Lambagraon (see below).
- Mian Kirat Chand, married and had issue.
- Mian Jagroop Chand, born , married and had issue.
- Kanwarani Amar Dei, married Kanwar Pratap Singh of Chamba, and had issue.
- Mian Moti Chand
- Mian Jagroop Chand, born , married and had issue.
- Mian Udai Chand, married and had issue.
- Mian Daljit Singh, born , married and had issue.
- Kanwar Pargas Chand, born .
- Kanwar Shyam Chand, born .
- Mian Daljit Singh, born , married and had issue.
- Mian Rai Singh (natural son), married and had issue.
- Rani Katochan, married (as his fourth wife), Maharaja Naunihal Singh of Lahore. She committed sati November 1840.
- Kumari (name unknown), married Raja Hira Singh of Jasrota.
- Kumari (name unknown), married (as his first wife), Raja Ishwari Sen, Raja of Mandi, and had issue.
- Mian Rudra Chand [Ludar Chand] of Rajgir, married and had issue. He died .
- Mian Man Chand. died sp.
- Kumari (name unknown), married 1775, Raja Dharam Prakash [or Raja Jagat Prakash] of Sirmur.
- Raja SANSAR CHAND II, Raja of Kangra 1775/1823, born in Bijapur, assumed the titles of Naresh and Chhatrapati, lost most of his possessions by the Treaty of Jawalamukhi in 1810, being allocated the small Jagir of Lambagraon for his maintenance, married 1stly Rani (?Prasanna Devi), daughter of Mian Kishan Singh of Suket, married 2ndly, a Rani from Sirmur, married 3rdly, a Rani from Bangahal, married 4thly, Gulab Dassi Gaddan, and had issue. He died .
- Raja Aniruddh Chand (by first wife), Jagirdar of Lambagraon, married and had issue. (see below)
- Kumari (name unknown) (by first wife), married Raja Sudarshan Shah of Tehri-Garhwal.
- Kumari (name unknown) (by first wife), married Raja Sudarshan Shah of Tehri-Garhwal.
- Kumari (name unknown), married Raja Bhir Singh, Raja of Nurpur.
- Raja Sir Jodhbir Chand (by Gulab Dassi Gaddan), he was granted the estate of Nadaun.
- Rani Mahtab Devi [Rani Katochan] (by Gulab Dassi Gaddan), married 1829, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore. She committed sati on 28th June 1839.
- Rani Raj Banso Devi (by Gulab Dassi Gaddan), married 1829, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore. She committed suicide in 1835.
Lambagraon
Following the fall of Kangra, the Raja was granted the Jagir of Lambagraon for his maintenance. Estate holders were...- Raja ANIRUDDH CHAND II, Raja of Lambagraon 1823/1833, son of Raja Sansar Chand II of Kangra (see above) which was annexed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore, married 1stly, 1804, a Rani from Jasrota, married 2ndly, 1820, a Rani from Suket, and had issue. He died .
- Raja Ranbir Chand (qv)
- Raja Pramodh Chand (qv)
- Raja RANBIR CHAND, Raja of Lambagraon 1833/1847, born , recieved the Jagir of Mahal Moria in Kangra of 50,000Rs in value. He died spl in 1847.
- Mian Pradhan Chand, he was granted a jagir at Alampur in 1851; married (amongst others), a daughter of Rana Shiv Saran Singh of Baghal, and had issue, the jagirdars of Alampur. He died .
- Mian (name unknown) Chand, married and had issue. He died .
- Kanwar Bhawani Singh, married and had issue.
- Kanwar Ram Singh
- Kanwar Devi Singh
- Kanwar Bhawani Singh, married and had issue.
- Mian (name unknown) Chand, married and had issue. He died .
- Mian Pradhan Chand, he was granted a jagir at Alampur in 1851; married (amongst others), a daughter of Rana Shiv Saran Singh of Baghal, and had issue, the jagirdars of Alampur. He died .
- Raja PRAMODH CHAND, Raja of Lambagraon 1847/1851, born , opposed the authorities and was deported for life to Almora, official Freedom Fighter of India, married a daughter of Raja Ram Saran Singh of Nalagarh. He died sp in 1851 in Almora.
- Raja PRATAP CHAND III, Raja of Lambagraon 1851/1864, born (1827), originally of Rajgir, married (amongst others) a daughter of HH Raja Fateh Prakash of Sirmur, and his wife, from Kumharsain, and had issue. He died .
- Col. Maharaja Sir Jai Chand VI (qv)
- Rajkumari (name unknown), married Raja Ram Singh of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Col. His Highness Maharaja Shri Sir Jai Chand Katoch of Kangra-Lambagraon, Dharam Rakshak, Dharam Rattan, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., Raja of Lambagraon 1864/1933, born , adopted by the Rani of Raja Pramodh Chand, the Jagir was under the control of the Court of Wards till 1883, the title of Raja was conferred as a hereditary distinction on 15th March 1909 by the Viceroy, Maharaja [cr.1922] (personal), K.C.I.E. [cr.1918], Dharam Ratan, C.S.I. [cr. Jan-1913], F.R.S.A., Member of Council of Governor-General of India and Hon. Lieutenant Colonel Indian Army, granted a personal gun salute of 11 guns, married 1stly, a daughter of HH Raja Amar Chand, Raja of Bilaspur, married 2ndly, a Rani from Mankot, married 3rdly, another Rani from Mankot, maried 4thly, a Rani from Manaswal, married 5thly, another Rani from Manaswal, married 6thly, another Rani from Manaswal, married 7thly, another Rani from Manaswal, married 8thly, a Rani from Jammu, married 9thly, a Rani from Suket, and had issue. Served with distinction in the Black Mountain and Chitral Relief expeditions. He was also an Honorary Magistrate invested with criminal and civil powers. He was also a 2nd Viceregal Darbari in the Kangra district. He died .
- Raja Shri Dhruv Dev Chand (qv)
- Maharajkumar Dewan Chand, died .
- Maharajkumar Baldev Chand
- Rani Jwale Dei, married (as his eighth wife), Raja Sir Padam Singh of Bashahr, and had issue. She died .
- Raja Shri DHRUV DEV CHAND, Raja of Lambagraon 1935/1988, born , married Rani Narendra Kumari, daughter of Lt.-Col. HH Sir Maharaja Narendra Shah Sahib Bahadur of Tehri-Garhwal, and his wife, HH Maharani Kamlendu Mati Devi, and had issue. He died .
- Raja Shri Aditya Dev Chand Katoch (qv)
- Col. Rajkumar Manikya Dev Chand Katoch, born , educated at the Doon School, Dehra Dun, Uttrakhand, later attended the N.D.A. and the I.M.A. and served with the Poona Horse Regiment and saw action in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971; married 4th February 1972, Rajkumar Rani Kiran Kumari of Sirmathura in Rajasthan, and has issue, one son and one daughter.
- Kanwar Abhiudaya Chand Katoch, married Baiji Lal Priyanjali Kumari, daughter of Thakur Kesari Singh of Mandawa, and his wife, Thakurani Darshana Kumari.
- Kumari Himani Devi Katoch, to marry on 19th February 2009 at Jaipur, Shri Virat Shumshere Jung Bahadur Rana, born in Kathmandu, son of Shri Gautam Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, and his wife, Rani Bhavna Kumari, daughter of Kunwar Ratan Singh of Dhami.
- Rajkumari Madhvi Kumari, married Thakur Ajay Vikram Singh of Bhagsuri in Rajsathan.
- Raja Shri ADITYA DEV CHAND, 488th Raja of his line, Head of the Royal House of Kangra, Jagirdar of Lambagraon, Rajgir and Mahal Moria since 1988 (Clouds End Villa, Dharamsala, District Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India). Educated at the Doon School, Dehra Dun; married 4th December 1968, Rani Shrimati Chandresh Kumari, daughter of HH Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shri Hanwant Singhji Sahib Bahadur of Jodhpur, and his wife, HH Maharani Krishna Kumari Ba Sahiba, and had issue, one son.
- Tikka Aishwariya Chand Katoch (qv)
- Raja Shri AISHWARIYA CHAND, Raja of Lambagraon (see above)
