History: Kangra King Sansar Chand Expanding his Kingdom

  History: Kangra King Sansar Chand Expanding his Kingdom

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -52

  

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -571

                        By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Research Student)

         Kangra Kingdom was one the strongest Kingdoms of today’s Himachal Pradesh at the time of Gorkha invasion in Kumaon and Garhwal. Kangra King Sansar Chand Katoch was strongest Kings at that time. His grandfather Ghamand Chand Katoch expanded the territory in between Ravi and Sutlej Rivers. Ghamand Katoch snatched the northern part, Chauki and Palam of Kutlairgarh and Forts of Padhiyar Garh.  However, Kangra King was failure in getting back Kangra Fort from Mughal. Ghamand Singh Katoch had huge army of Rohilas, Afghan and Rajputs. Ghamand Chand Katoch established a city Sujanpur at the bank of Vyas River Ghamand Chand Katoch also built forts and palaces in Tora Hills.

          In 1788, Sikh Army of Jay Singh of Kanhaya Misal  and Kangra combined army captured Kangra Fort from Mughal. Jay Singh captured Kangra Fort diplomatically. Sansar Chand started attacking on Jay Singh kingdom and started looting the territories. Jay Singh had to return Kangra Fort to Sansar Chand.

 After getting back Kangra Fort, Sansar Chand compelled 11 nearby Kings of Kangra to be under Kangra Kingdom. He ordered those 11 Kings to attend court for offering tribute to Kangra Kingdom. Sansar Chand also compelled those Kings to help him in his winning spree.

 After taking charge of 22 Hill petty Kingdoms, Sansar Chand started expanding to south of Kangra. Sansar Chand attacked twice on Hoshiyarpur and Bijwada. However, Raja ran Jit Singh defeated Sansar Chand both the times.

Sansar Cahdn captured complete territory of Kurail Kingdom a hill kingdom. The hill kings were unhappy by acts of Sansar Chand capturing smaller Kingdoms. Sansar Chand insulted by all means those 11 kings.

Those 11 kings united and decided to take help of Gorkha Regime. They sent Maha Chand of Kahlur whose kingdom was snatched by Sansar Chand to meet Amar Singh Thapa.

 It was decided that when Amar Singh Thapa and his army would camped in Kangra territory by crossing Sutlej River, the Kings of Guler, Jasvan, Datarpur, Seeba, Chamba, Suket, Nurpur, Bisauli, Kutlair, and Kahlur with their army would come to help Amar Singh Thapa for capturing Kangra Kingdom.

*** History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) to be continued …. 52

                    

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com4/3//2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -572

(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)

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                    Reference

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Dr S.P Dabral, Uttarakhand ka Itihas part 5, Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda

Bandana Rai, 2009 Gorkhas,: The Warrior Race

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Gorkhavansavali, Kashi, Bikram Samvat 2021 

Derek J. Waller, The Pundits: British Exploration of Tibet and Central Asia page 172-173

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Pande, Vasudha , Compares Histriographical Traditions of Gorkha Rule in Nepal and Kumaon

Pradhan , Kumar, 1991, The Gorkha Conquests , Oxford University  Press

Minyan Govrdhan Singh , History of Himachal Pradesh

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Captain Thomas Smith, 1852,Narrative of aFive Years Residence at Nepaul Vol.1

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  History: Kangra King Sansar Chand Expanding his Kingdom in of Guler, Jasvan, Datarpur, Seeba, Chamba, Suket, Nurpur, Bisauli, Kutlair, and Kahlur, Himachal Hills; History of Guler, Himachal, History of Jasvan, Himachal; History of Datarpur, Himachal; History of Seeba, Himachal; History of Chamba, Himachal; History of Suket, History of Nurpur, Himachal; History of Bisauli, Himachal; History of Kutlair, Himachal; and History of Kahlur in context History Gorkha Rule over Himachal