Sirmur State


Sirmur was a princely state of India, located in the region that is now the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The state was also known as Nahan, after its main city, Nahan. The state ranked predominant amongst the Punjab Hill States. It had an area of 4,039 km2 and a revenue of 300,000 rupees in 1891.

History

Origin

According to Mian Goverdhan Singh in Wooden Temples of Himachal Pradesh, the principality of Sirmaur was founded in the 7th to 8th century by Maharaja of Parmar Rajputs, and Rathore noble.

Nahan State

, the predecessor state of Sirmur, was founded by Soba Rawal in 1095 AD who assumed the name Raja Subans Prakash.
Near the end of the 12th century in the year 1195, a flood of the Giri River destroyed the old capital of Sirmaur-Tal, which killed Raja Ugar Chand. A ruler of Jaisalmer, Raja Salivahana, thought this was an opportune time to attack the state as it was in a state of disarray due to the natural disaster and death of its ruler, so he sent his son Sobha to conquer the state. The attack was successful and a new dynasty headed by Bhati Rajputs was established. Sirmur was invaded by invader Jasrath's army, who also invaded fragments of Punjab and Jammu.

Sirmur State

Eventually in 1621 Karm Parkash founded Nahan, the modern capital.
Budh Parkãsh, the next ruler, recovered Pinjaur for Aurangzeb’s foster-brother. Raja Mit Parkãsh gave an asylum to the Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, permitting him to fortify Paonta in the Kiarda Dun; and it was at Bhangani in the Dun that the Guru defeated the Rajäs of Kahlur and Garhwäl in 1688. But in 1710 Kirat Parkãsh, after defeating the Räja of Garhwal, captured Naraingarh, Morni, Pinjaur, and other territories from the Sikhs, and concluded an alliance with Amar Singh, Raja of Patiala, whom he aided in suppressing his rebellious Wazir; and he also fought in alliance with the Raja of Kahlür when Ghuläm Kãdir Khan, Rohilla, invaded that State.

Rulers

The rulers of Sirmur bore the title "Maharaja" from 1911 onward
NamePortraitRuled fromRuled untilCitation
Subhansh Prakash10951099
Mahe Prakash10991117
Udit Prakash11171127
Kaul Prakash11271153
Sumer Prakash11531188
Suraj Prakash11881254
Bhagat Prakash I12541336
Jagat Prakash13361388
Bir Prakash13881398
Naket Prakash13981398
Ratna Prakash13981413
Garv Prakash14131432
Brahm Prakash14321446
Hams Prakash14461471
Bhagat Prakash II14711538
Dharam Prakash15381570
Deep Prakash15701585
Budh Prakash16051615
Bhagat Prakash III16151620
Karam Prakash I16211630
Mandhata Prakash16301654
Sobhag Prakash16541664
Budh Prakash16641684
Mat Prakash16841704
Hari Prakash17041712
Bijay Prakash17121736
Pratap Prakash17361754
Kirat Prakash17541770
Jagat Prakash17701789
Dharam Prakash17891793
Karam Prakash II 17931803
Ratan Prakash 18031804
Karma Prakash II 18041815
Fateh Prakash18151850
Raghbir Prakash18501856
Shamsher Prakash18561898
Surendra Bikram Prakash18981911
Amar Prakash19111933
Rajendra Prakash19331947
Lakshraj Prakash2013

Demographics

Artwork

Not many paintings depicting the historical rajas of Sirmur State have survived due to the Gurkha occupation of the state between 1803 and 1814, which led to the loss and destruction of much artwork, including any portraits of earlier rulers produced in Sirmur itself.