KALSIA (NON SALUTE STATE)
Kalsia was
a princely state in Punjab, British
India, one of the former Cis-Sutlej
states. It was founded by Maharaja
Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu in 1760. After India's independence, it was included
in PEPSU and
later in the Indian East
Punjab after the States Reorganisation
Act, 1956. The area of Kalsia is now located in the modern day Indian
states of Punjab and Haryana.
In 1940 the population of Kalsia was 67,393
The
area of Kalsia was 435 Sq.Km. or 168 Sq mi, consisting of 20 detached
pieces of territory in the Ambala and Ferozepur districts, lying mainly between
30° 12 and 30° 25 N and 77° 21 and 77° 35 E. It was divided into 3 major
parts: two tehsils, Chhachhrauli and Basi,
and a sub-tehsil named Chirak, in Ferozepur district. It had contained 181
villages in 1903. The capital of Kalsia state was Chhachhrauli.
The state of
Kalsia was founded by Gurbaksh Singh in 1760. He joined the Kroria Misl of the
Sikh confederacy. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had
granted the estate of Chhachhrauli to Maharaja Gurbaksh Singh, a commander of
his troops and a resident of Kalsia village. Maharaja Goorbaksh Singh named the
state "Kalsia" and Chhachhrauli became its capital city.
Maharaja
Gurbaksh Singh was not famous, but his successor and son, Jodh Singh was an
able person. At that time the area of Kalsia state comprised the territory
between the Yamuna and the Markanda stream. Jodh Singh captured Dera Basi from
Sardar Khajan Singh and also acquired territories of Lohal and Achrak.
When Maharaja
Ranjit Singh attacked
and occupied Naraingarh in the
Shivaliks in 1807, Jodh Singh was with him. In recognition of his services,
Ranjit Singh presented him territories of Badala, Kameri and Chhabbal.
Jodh Singh died
in Multan in 1818.
After his death, his son Sobha Singh assumed charge of Kalsia state and held it
until his death in 1858. Lahna Singh, his successor sided with the British in
crushing the revolt of 1857.
After 1858, a
period of peace started. When Lahna Singh assumed power, the Kalsia territory
was intact as a British protectorate. The state's annual income was
nearly Rs 300,000
per annum, and the population was around 62,000. After Lahna Singh, came Ranjit
Singh Kalsia, then his son Ravi Sher Singh, and finally Ravi Karan Singh.
Ravisher Singh in 1916 gave himself the title of Raja. The Kalsia rajas held their estate until
1947, when it was merged with the Indian Union.
Both Ranjit
Singh Kalsia and Ravi Sher Singh built several public utility buildings,
including a charity hospital and schools. Raja Ravi Sher Kalsia Hospital was
inaugurated in 1910 by Lt Governor of the Punjab, Sir Luis William Daney. The
old court building still exists at Chhachhrauli. The dewan of the state used to live
in an impressive building known as ‘Janak Niwas’. The Kalsias were undoubtedly
staunch Nanakpanthis.
In volume XIX
(Part 1) of the Census of India 1891, E. D. Maclagan, the Provincial
Superintendent of Census Operation, records: "Some eighty years ago (i.e.,
in 1811 AD) the grandfather of the present Lambardar of Jainpur village was
carried off by the Sikh chief of
Kalsia, and had all his fingers burnt off, because he refused to acknowledge
that Nanak was the
true Guru.
The state was
under the political control of the commissioner of the Delhi division.
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