Chamba (Princely State) Homepage with Pictures and Map : Rajput Provinces of India

Dynasty

Mushana

State

Himachal Pradesh

Gun Salutes

11 Accession

15^th April 1948

Area

8,099 Square Kilometers km²

Privy Purse

INR 138,000

Hindi Name

चम्बा

Last Updated

12^th May, 2023

Wikipedia

Wikipedia link to Chamba (Princely State) Chamba, Himachal Pradesh

Present Head

HH Raja Saheb Shri PREM SINGH, Raja of Chamba since 20^th May 1971. (The Palace, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh), born 21^st April 1948 at Pratapgarh, Rajasthan, educated at the Mayo College, Ajmer, Rajasthan and graduated from the Government College in Chandigarh, married 24^th June 1974 at Bangalore, Maharajkumari Divya Devi [HH Rani Divya Devi of Chamba], born 29^th August 1950 at Bangalore, daughter of HH Maharana Sahib Shri Sahadevji Nahardevji of Dharampur, and his wife HH Maharani Bharti Devi, and has issue, two children.

Rajkumari Beejaksharee Devi, born 12^th May 1975 at Bangalore.
Tikka Sahil Varman Singh, born 24^th July 1989 at Bangalore.

History

The ruling line belongs to the Surajbansi Rajput Clan. Founded in about 550AD by Raja Marut, who built Brahmapura. The state ranked 15^th in precedence at the Punjab Darbar (1890).

Chamba came into British possession in 1846. The raja of Chamba maintains a military force of 12 cavalry, 200 infantry, and 3 guns and is entitled to a gun-salute of 11.

Genealogy

Raja MERU VERMAN, 1^st Raja of Chamba 670/-
......
Raja SAHILA VERMAN, 20^th Raja of Chamba 920/940, he built the town of Chamba named after his daughter around 920, married (amongst others) Rani Nenna Devi, and had issue.
- Raja Yugakar Verman (qv)
- Kumari Champavati Devi
Raja YUGAKAR VERMAN, 21^st Raja of Chamba 940/-, married (a), Rani Tribhuvanarekha Devi, married (b), Rani Bhogamati Devi, and had issue.
- Raja Vidagdha Verman (by 2^nd wife) (qv)
Raja VIDAGDHA VERMAN, 22^nd Raja of Chamba
Raja DODAKA VERMAN, 23^rd Raja of Chamba
Raja VICHITAR VERMAN, 24^th Raja of Chamba, his younger brother founded the Bandralta-Ramnagar estate in Jammu.
Raja DHAIRYA VERMAN, 25^th Raja of Chamba
Raja SALAVAHANA VERMAN, 26^th Raja of Chamba fl.1060, married and had issue.
- Raja Soma Verman (qv)
- Raja Asata Verman (qv)
- Rani Bappika, married Raja Kalasa of Kashmir and had issue.
Raja SOMA VERMAN, 27^th Raja of Chamba fl.1066
Raja ASATA VERMAN, 28^th Raja of Chamba fl.1088, married and had issue.
- Raja Jasata Verman (qv)
Raja JASATA VERMAN, 29^th Raja of Chamba 1105/1118, married and had issue.
- Raja Dhala Verman (qv)
Raja DHALA VERMAN, 30^th Raja of Chamba 1118/1120
Raja UDAYA VERMAN, 31^st Raja of Chamba 1120/-
......
Raja ANAND VERMAN, Raja of Chamba ca1475/1512, married a daughter of the Raja of Kangra. He died ca1512.
Raja GANESA VERMAN, Raja of Chamba 1512/1559, married (amongst others), Rani Sahib Devi, and had issue. He died 1559.
- Raja Pratapsingh Verman (by Sahib Devi) (qv)
- Mian Jit Singh
- Mian Bhir Bahadur
- Mian Hari Singh
- Mian Satargun Singh
- Mian Rupanand Singh
Raja PRATAPSINGH VERMAN, Raja of Chamba 1559/1586, married 3 wives from Kullu, and had issue. He died 1586.
- Raja Vir Vahnu Verman (qv)
Raja VIR VAHNU VERMAN, Raja of Chamba 1586/1589, married and had issue. He died 1589.
- Raja Balbhadra Verman (qv)
Raja BALBHADRA VERMAN, Raja of Chamba 1589/1641, deposed, with his son acting as Regent, married and had issue. He died 1641.
- Raja Janardan Verman, Regent of Chamba 1613/1623, married and had issue. He died about 1623 at Chamba.
  - Raja Prithvi Singh (qv)
- Mian Bishambhar Verman, died 1622.
- Mian Man Singh
- Mian Sudar Sen
Raja PRITHVI SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1641/1664, born 1619, married (amongst others), a daughter of Raja Bhupat Pal of Basohli, and had issue. He died 1664.
- Raja Chhatar Singh (qv)
- Mian Jai Singh, Wazir of Chamba 1664/1696
- Mian Indar Singh
- Mian Mahipat Singh, married and had issue.
  - Raja Ugar Singh (qv)
- Mian Raghunath Singh, married and had issue.
  - Raja Dalel Singh (qv)
- Mian Ram Singh
- Mian Shakat Singh
- Mian Raj Singh, Wazir of Chamba. He died shortly after 1690.
Raja CHHATAR SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1664/1690, married and had issue. He died 1690.
- Raja Udai Singh (qv)
- Mian Lakshman Singh, died sp in 1720.
- Kumari (name unknown), married 1680, Raja Bidhi Singh of Kullu.
Raja UDAI SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1690/1720, married and had issue. He died spm in 1720.
- Kumari Sushil Kanwar, married Banda Singh Bahadur (Lachman Dev Minhas of Jammu).
Raja UGAR SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1720/1735 (deposed), Regent, married and had issue. He died 1735.
- Raja Umed Singh (qv)
- Mian Sher Singh, married and had issue.
  - Kumari (name unknown), married into Jammu.
- Kumari (name unknown), married Raja Shamsher Sen of Mandi. (cf. above)
Raja DALEL SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1735/1748 (abdicated), married a Princess of Jammu, and had issue. He died spm at Jwalamukhi.
- Kumari (name unknown), married Raja Bajai Dev of Jammu.
Raja UMED SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1748/1764, born 1725, married (a), a daughter of the Raja [?Kiral Dev] of Jasrota, married (b), a daughter of Raja Dhruv Dev of Jammu, died 1774, and had issue. He died 13^th May 1764 (13^th of Baisakh, Vik.1820).
- Rani Ananta Devi (by the Jammu Rani), married Raja Prakash Chand, Raja of Guler.
- Raja Raj Singh (by the Jammu Rani) (qv)
Raja RAJ SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1764/1794, born 1755 in Rajnagar, married Rani Naginu Devi, daughter of Raja Sampat Pal of Bhadrawah, and had issue. He died 1794 (7^th Har, Vik.1850).
- Raja Jit Singh (qv)
- Kumari (name unknown), born about 1772, married Raja Brijraj Dev of Jammu.
Raja JIT SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1794/1808, born 1775, married Rani Sarda Devi of Jammu, died after 1825, and had issue. He died 1808.
- Raja Charhat Singh (qv)
- Kumari (name unknown), married Raja Bir Singh of Nurpur, died 1846.
- Raja Zorawar Singh, raised to the dignity of Raja of Bhadrawah in 1833, married and had issue. He died 1845.
  - Raja Parakam Singh, Raja of Bhadrawah in 1845. The state was annexed the same year by Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu; married and had issue. He died 1888.
    - Kanwar Solan Singh, married and had issue. He died 1888.
      - Kanwar Kartar Singh born 1882, married 1^stly, Kanwarani Rattan Dei of Tilokpur (see Bhadu), married 2^ndly, Kanwarani Laxmi Devi of Ladori, married 3^rdly, Kanwarani Himgula Devi of Lilh, and had issue.
        
        Kanwar Gori Singh, married Kanwarani Brahmi Devi of Dunera, and had issue.
        
        Kanwar Narendra Singh
      - Kanwar Amar Singh, born 1884.
    - Kanwar Dhian Singh, born 1869.
Raja CHARHAT SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1808/1844, born 1803, married 1^stly, 1825, a daughter of the Raja of Chenani, she committed sati in 1844, married 2^ndly, 1836, Rani (name unknown), she committed sati in 1844, married 3^rdly, 1838, Rani Katochni of Kangra, and had issue. He died 1844, when two Ranis and six concubines committed sati.
- Raja Sri Singh (by 3^rd wife) (qv)
- Raja Gopal Singh (by 2^nd wife) (qv)
- Mian Suchet Singh (by 3^rd wife), born 1841, died spm in August 1896 in London.
Raja SRI SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1844/1870, born 1839, granted a sanad confirming his possession of the state in 1848, a sanad of 1862 confirms the right of adoption, married (amongst other) Rani Sarda Devi, daughter of Raja Ugar Sen of Suket, and had issue. He died 1870. (11^th Assuj).
- Mian (name unknown), died in infancy.
- Kumari (name unknown), married 10^th February 1862, HH Maharaja Pratap Singhji of Jammu and Kashmir.
Raja GOPAL SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1870/1873 (abdicated), born 1840, after abdicating he was granted a jagir at Manjir for his maintenance where he lived in retirement until his death; married 1^stly, Rani Raj Dei, daughter of Mian Ishwari Singh of Reh (see Nurpur), married 2^ndly, a daughter of Raja Shamsher Singh of Guler, and had issue. He died in March 1895 at Manjir.
- HH Raja Saheb Shri Shyam Singh (by Rani Raj Dei) (qv)
- HH Raja Saheb Shri Sir Bhuri Singh (by Rani Raj Dei) (qv)
- Mian Pratap Singh (by Rani Guleriya), born after 1873, married Kanwarani Amar Dei, daughter of Mian Jagroop Chand of Kangra, and had issue. He died before 1919.
  - Kanwar Dharam Singh, married Kanwarani Sushila Kumari, daughter of Mian Sarup Singh of Reh (see Nurpur), and his wife, Kumari Sahib Dei, and had issue, five daughters.
    - Kumari Randhir Dei
    - Kumari Asha Dei
    - Kumari Kunver Dei
    - Kumari Sushma Dei
    - Kumari Kiran Dei
  - Kumari Pramila Dei
- Kumari (name unknown), married the Raja of Tilokpur (see Bhadu).
HH Raja Saheb Shri SHYAM SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1873/1904 (abdicated), born 8^th July 1866, installed as Raja on 7^th October 1873, married eleven wives, including, (a), February 1883, a grand-daughter of Maharaja Ranbir Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, married (b), 1883, cousin of the Raja of Sirmur, married (c), Rani Sansar Dei of Tilokpur (see Bhadu), married (d), a daughter of the Rana of Bhadrawah, and had issue. He died 10^th June 1905.
- Kanwar Saheb Shri Devi Singh, born 1883, he died vpspl.
- Kanwar Saheb Shri Tej Singh, born 1885.
- Kanwar Saheb Shri Nihal Singhji (by 4^th wife), born 1895, educated at Aitchison Chiefs' College, Lahore, married 1^stly, 1917, Kanwarani Leela Devi, daughter of Kanwar Surinder Singh of Sirmur, married 2^ndly, 1943, Kanwarani Kanchan Devi of Bhawarna, and had issue.
  - Kumari Uttam Dei, married Kanwar Inder Singh of Jaswan, and had issue, one son and four daughters.
    - Kumari Neeru Kumari, married Kanwar Vijay Singh of Sirmur, and has issue.
  - Kumari Suraj Dei, born 12^th March 1923, married 1948, Kanwar Pritam Singh, and had issue.
    - Kanwar Surinder Singh, married Kanwarani Asha Devi, daughter of Thakur Narendra Singh of Dhadi, and his wife, Thakurani Lakshmi Devi, and has issues, 3 children.
      - Chandni Jandrotia married to Harit Jamwal of Chamba.
      - Shelly Jandrotia
      - Gopal Krishan Singh Jandrotia
  - Rani Saheb Shrimati Kamal Deiji, born 11^th August 1944 in Palampur, married 8^th December 1964, Raja Saheb Shri Mahendra Palji Bahadur of Kutlehar.
  - Kanwar Maharaj Singh, born 1946, married and had issue.
- Rajkumari Laxmi Dei, died unmarried in 1965.
HH Raja Saheb Shri Sir BHURI SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1904/1919, born 18^th December 1869 K.C.S.I. [cr.1906], C.I.E. [cr.1901], married and had issue, two sons and two daughters. He died 6^th October 1919.
- HH Raja Saheb Shri Ram Singh (qv)
- Kanwar Sahib Kesari Singh, educated at Aitchison's Chiefs College, Lahore; Wazir of Chamba 1920/1922, Regent of Chamba [xx.6.1922] - [21.9.1923], married 1^stly, 1914, Kanwarani Champa Devi, daughter of Raja Jai Singh of Dada-Siba, and had issue, as well as further issue by a secondary liaison. He died O ctober 1949 in Chamba.
  - Kumari Uttam Devi, born in November 1915.
  - Kumari Suraj Devi, born 1917, married 1949, Raja Harmahendra Singh of Dada-Siba, and had issue, one son and two daughters.
  - Kumari Kamal Devi, born 1919, married and had issue.
  - Kanwar Sahib Gulab Singh, born 9^th July 1921 in Chamba, married 1945, Kanwarani Padma Devi, and had issue, one son and three daughters. He died December 2009 in Delhi.
    - Kanwar Arvind Singh, born on 13^th December 1951 in Chamba Himachal Pradesh, married to Kunwarani Ramola Rajeshwari Thapa Singh (born on 17^th August 1958 in Kathmandu Nepal), daughter of Late His Excellency Shri Nara Pratap Thapa Nepalese Ambassador to India from 1960 to 1961 and Rani Smt. Kamla Thapa at The Oberoi Hotel New Delhi on 30^th June 1982. They have two children.
      - Nandita Singh, born on 7^th November 1983 in New Delhi.
      - Pashupati M.K.Singh, born on 11^th December 1986 in New Delhi.
  - Kanwar Sahib Sher Singh, born 21^st June 1924, married married 30^th November 1953, Kanwarani Bijaya Kumari, daughter of Raja Shri Panch Mohan Bikram Shah II [alias Rama Raja], Raja of Ramnagar, and his wife, Rani Sita Rajya Lakshmi Devi, and had issue.
    - Kanwar Kameleshwar Singh, born 21^st November 1956, married (his cousin) 23^rd December 1978 in Varanasi, Kanwarani Sangita Shah, daughter of Shri Manmohan Bikram Shah [Manmohan Raja] of Ramnagar, and has issue.
    - Thakurani Hemant Kanwar, born 1960, married 9^th April 1979, Thakur Pradyuman Singh of Mandawa-Junior, and has issue, two sons.
  - Kumari Sheela Devi (by a secondary wife), born 1927, married 1945, Kanwar Upendra Chand, born 1922, third son of Raja Mahendra Chand of Nadaun, by his second wife, and had issue. She died 1979.
  - Kumari Prakash Devi (by a secondary wife), born 1929, married 1949, Kanwar Devinder Singh of Sirmur, and has issue.
  - Kanwar Bhawani Singh (by a secondary wife), born 27^th July 1931, married and has issue.
- Rani Saheb Shrimati Rattan Deiji Saheba, married Raja Saheb Shri Brijmohan Palji Bahadur of Kutlehar, and had issue.
- HH Maharani Dhan Deiji Saheba, married 1915, HH Shri Maharaja Hari Singhji Bahadur of Jammu & Kashmir. She died 1920.
HH Raja Saheb Shri RAM SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1919/1935, born 26^th April 1890, educated at Aitchison Chiefs' College, Lahore, installed on 24^th April 1920, married HH Rani Dharam Deiji Saheba, daughter of Raja Raghunath Singh of Jaswan, and his wife, a daughter of HH Maharaja Ranbir Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, and had issue. He died 7^th December 1935 .
- HH Raja Saheb Shri Lakshman Singh (qv)
- Rajkumari Asha Devi, born 1926, died unmarried 1961.
- Rajkumar Narayan Singh, born 3^rd June 1928, married 4^th February 1957 in Chamba, Rajkumar Rani Shakuntala Kumari, daughter of HH Maharaja Sir Brijnath Singh Ju Deo Bahadur of Maihar, and his wife, HH Maharani Brinda Devi, and has issue.
  - Kanwar Jitendra Singh, born 12^th April 1958 in Chamba.
  - Kanwar Harmahendra Singh, born 20^th March 1959 in Chamba.
- Rajkumari Vidya Devi, born 1929.
HH Raja Saheb Shri LAKSHMAN SINGH, Raja of Chamba 1935/1971, born 8^th December 1924, educated at Aitchison Chiefs' College, Lahore, married 3^rd May 1944, HH Rani Devendra Kumari, daughter of HH Maharawat Sir Ram Singhji II Bahadur of Pratapgarh, and his first wife, HH Maharani Raj Kunwari, and had issue, five children. He died 21^st May 1971.
- Rajkumari Durga Kumari [Princess Pinky], born 2^nd April 1946 at Pratapgarh, Rajasthan, married 11^th December 1969 (div.1971), HH Maharao Ranjit Singhji of Bundi. She died sp on 8^th April 1978 in Chamba.
- HH Raja Saheb Shri Prem Singh (qv)
- Rajkumar Brijendra Singhji [Prince Tutu Chamba], born 24^th January 1950 at Pune, Maharashtra, educated at the Mayo College, Ajmer, Rajasthan, finishing his schooling in 1966, graduated in 1970, from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University (History Honours), married 19^th April 1979, Rajkumari Asha Kumari, daughter of Maharaja Madaneshwar Singh Deo of Surguja, and his second wife, Maharani Devendra Kumari, and had issue. He died 16^th April 2006 at Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi due to a burst ulcer.
  - Kumari Ravinandini Kumari, born 27^th January 1981 in Bhopal, educated at the Sacred Heart School, Dalhousie and at Mayo Girls' College, Ajmer, married 9^th May 2006 at The Palace, Jandrighat, Dalhousie Town, District Chamba, Mr. Mathew Ashley John Westlake, son of Mr. and Mrs. John and Wendy Westlake of Vancouver, Canada.
- Rajkumar Hem Singh, born 27^th July 1952 at Pune, Maharashtra, educated at the Mayo College, Ajmer, Rajasthan; graduated from the Government College, Chandigarh; married February 1976 in New Delhi, Kumari Jagdishwari Kumari, born 19^th August 1956 at Bangalore, South India, daughter of Kumar Shri Bharat Sinhji of Vana, Gujarat, and his wife, Kumarani Jagat Kumari of Sangana (?Sanganwa), and has issue, two children.
  - Kunwar Manav Singh Varman, born 13^th September 1977 at Bangalore, married 6^th February 2011 in Surguja, to Rajkumari Abha Singh Deo, daughter of Rajkumar Someshwar Saran Singh Deo of Surguja, and his wife, Kanwarani Manju Singh.
  - Kumari Japakshri Kumari, born 3^rd March 1981 at Bangalore.
- Rajkumari Padma Kumari [HH Maharani Padma Kumari of Bikaner], born 1^st January 1953 at Chamba, educated at the Sacred Heart School at Dalhousie, District Chamba, and at Auckland House, Simla; married 27^th April 1971 at New Delhi, Yuvaraj Narendra Singh [later HH Maharajadhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Narendra Shiromani Maharajah Sri Narendra Singhji Bahadur of Bikaner] and has issue, three daughters.
HH Raja Saheb Shri PREM SINGH, Raja of Chamba (see above)