Punjab States Agency

The Punjab States Agency was a political office of the British Indian Empire. The agency was created in 1921, on the model of the Central India Agency and Rajputana Agency, and dealt with forty princely states in northwest India formerly dealt with by the British province of the Punjab.[1][2][3]

This article is about a historical group of states in British India. For other uses of the name, see Punjab (disambiguation).

Punjab States Agency
British Residency
1921–1947
Coat of arms
Map of the British Punjab in 1909.
Area
• 1921	86,430 km^2 (33,370 sq mi)
Population
• 1921	465493
Historical era	New Imperialism
• Established	1921
• British withdrawal from India	1947
Succeeded by Patiala and East Punjab States Union Himachal Pradesh Bilaspur State (1950–54) Bahawalpur (princely state)
Today part of	Punjab, India

After 1947, most of the states chose to accede to the Dominion of India, the rest to the Dominion of Pakistan.

History

The princely states had come under the suzerainty of the British crown after the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814–16 and went on to be known as the Punjab Native States and the Simla Hill States. They later came into direct diplomatic relations with the British province of Punjab, with the exception of Tehri Garhwal State, which had a connection instead with the United Provinces.[4]

The Punjab States Agency was established in 1921 out of the previous Punjab Native States, which had received advice from the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab Province, and the Simla Hill States, advised by the Deputy Commissioner of Simla district.[5] The agency was created under the direct authority of the Governor General of India, with its headquarters in Shimla.[6]

After Indian Independence in 1947, the states all acceded to the new Dominion of India, most of them later becoming part of the new state of Himachal Pradesh, with Tehri Garhwal State becoming part of Uttar Pradesh. In 2000, the northern portion of Uttar Pradesh, including the former state of Tehri-Garhwal, became the new state of Uttarakhand.

Princely states

Punjab States Agency

Salute states, by precedence :

• Patiala, title Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 17-guns (19-guns local)
• Bahawalpur (now in Pakistan), title Nawab, Hereditary salute of 17-guns (later promoted to 21 guns by the Pakistani president)
• Jind, title Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 13-guns (15-guns personal and local)
• Kapurthala, title Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 13-guns (15-guns personal and local)
• Nabha, title Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 13-guns (15-guns local)
• Kaithal, title Bhai ( Maharaja) Hereditary salute 13-guns (15-guns local)
• Bilaspur (Kahlur), title Raja, Hereditary salute of 11-guns
• Chamba, title Raja, Hereditary salute of 11-guns
• Faridkot, title Raja, Hereditary salute of 11-guns
• Maler Kotla (Malerkotla), title Nawab, Hereditary salute of 11-guns
• Mandi, title Raja, Hereditary salute of 11-guns
• Sirmur (Nahan), title Maharaja, Hereditary salute of 11-guns
• Suket (Sundarnagar), title Raja, Hereditary salute of 11-guns
• Loharu, title Nawab, Hereditary salute of 9-guns

Non-salute states, alphabetically :

• Mamdot
• Pataudi

Historical princely states of the Punjab Hills

• Kangra
• Kangra-Nadaun
• Jaswan
• Guler (Haripur)
• Siba
• Datarpur
• Kutlehar
• Madhopur
• Nurpur, Himachal Pradesh

Simla Hill States Superintendency of the Punjab States Agency

Salute state :

• Bashahr, title Raja, Personal 9 guns-salute

Non-salute states, alphabetically :

• Baghal
• Baghat
• Balsan
• Beja
• Bhajji
• Darkoti
• Dhami
• Jubbal
• Keonthal
• Kumharsain
• Kunihar
• Kuthar
• Mahlog
• Mangal
• Nalagarh (Hindur)
• Sangri
• Tharoch

Dynasties by State

The following are the dynasties of respective states of the Punjab Agency:

Salute states, by precedence :

• Patiala - Sidhu Jatt (Phulkian Dynasty)[7]
• Bahawalpur - Daudpotra Abbasi [8]
• Jind - Sidhu Jatt (Phulkian Dynasty)
• Kapurthala - Kalal Jatt [9]
• Nabha - Sidhu Jatt (Phulkian Dynasty) [10]
• Bilaspur (Kahlur) - Agrok Rajput [11]
• Chamba - Agrok Rajput [12]
• Faridkot - Barar Jatt [13]
• Maler Kotla (Malerkotla) - Sherwani Afghan [14]
• Mandi - Chandravansi Rajput (Lunar Race)[15]
• Sirmur (Nahan) - Jadu Bhatti Rajput [16]
• Suket - Chandravansi Rajput (Lunar Race) [17]
• Loharu - Afghan [18]

Non-salute states, alphabetically :

• Mamdot - Hassanzai Pathan [19][20]
• Pataudi - Pathan [21]

See also

• Political integration of India

References

1. David P. Henige (2004). Princely states of India: a guide to chronology and rulers. Orchid Press. ISBN 978-974-524-049-0.
2. Princely States of India
3. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Punjab" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
4. V. Verma, The Emergence of Himachal Pradesh: A Survey of Constitutional Developments, pp. 41-42
5. John Hutchison and JP Vogel, History of Punjab Hill states; Lahore 1933
6. Ramesh Chandra Bisht, International Encyclopaedia Of Himalayas, Vol. 3, p. 104
7. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 412.
8. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 42.
9. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 233.
10. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 369.
11. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 223.
12. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 95.
13. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 133.
14. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 306.
15. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 310.
16. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 507.
17. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 515.
18. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 290.
19. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 391.
20. Griffin, Sir Lepel H (1865). The Punjab Chiefs. p. 56.
21. Lethbridge, Sir Roper (1893). The Golden Handbook of India. p. 410.