Ramgarh

Nearly 1300 years ago, the Ramgarh family’s ancestors migrated from there to Punjab and established the State of Kot Kahlur. The Capital was later shifted to Bilaspur. One branch of the family of the Raja of Bilaspur came to the plains over 300 years ago, and laid the foundation of Ramgarh, one of the 34 Cis-Sutlej States of Punjab, which were given sovereign powers in the treaty signed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh with the British on 25 April 1809, by which he surrendered his acquisitions South of the Sutlej.

The treaty was followed up in May 1809, by a proclamation of the British Government, which limited Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s powers and declared Cis-Sutlej States sole owners of their possessions. They were designated Jagirdars, but were given special rights and privileges. They are unique in the country since these are Shamsheeri Jagirs (conquered by the rulers and not granted by anyone). This exceptional status has been acknowledged in numerous court rulings. In the latest judgement by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1948, it was established that while in the rest of the country, the Jagir consisted only of an assignment of land revenue, “the matter stands on entirely different footing in Cis-Sutlej Jagirs”. The court further added: “It is really not very precise to describe the nature of the tenure in lands held by those Jagirdars as jagirs. The correct situation is that the Cis-Sutlej so-called Jagirdars were petty Kings during the Sikh regime and before the advent of the British….”

Later, however, after the annexation of the Punjab they were deprived of all vestiges of sovereignty that still remained in them and they were given the status of jagirdars, but their possessions, holdings and dominions, whether in lands or other properties like forts and buildings, were not in any way disturbed or taken away. They held them in the same status and position as before, i.e., in the status of petty Rulers, succession to whom was determined under the rule of primogeniture. Their position is the same as that of a holder of an impartible zamindari or of the holder of an impartible estate. They are entitled to enjoy their estates to the fullest as long as they are alive, but on their death these pass intact to their successors”. The first ruler of note was Mian Kushal Singh, in the eleventh generation from Raja Megh Chand of Bilaspur, with whom begins this genealogy.

The Shamsheeri Jagir of Ramgarh was duly partitioned between Sardar Hari Singh and Sardar Devi Singh in 1851 after a long and bitter legal feud. All villages comprising the jagir were divided into two separate entities and so was Fort Ramgarh. Sardar Amar Singh is the present head of the Hari Singh branch and Sardar Jagdeep Singh that of the Devi Singh branch. The title of Sardar has been used with heads of both families in government gazettes, official letters and communications etc. since then. Even invitations from the Viceroy were sent to both Sardars.