Black and White Picture of Raja Ugar Singh of Hindur, 1840-1850 (from Archer's book on Punjab Hills Paintings) Picture the year: 1795. The foothills of the Shivaliks are tense, echoing with the tramp of armed men and the grinding pressure of regional rivalries. Down in the valleys, Raja Ram Saran Singh Handuriya of Handur (modern-day Nalagarh) is caught in a grinding political bind. For years, Handur has ridden the coattails of Kangra’s aggressive campaigns against its bitter historical rival, Bilaspur (then known as Kahlur). But looking out across his contested borders, Ram Saran Singh faces a heavier, more haunting question: Does he continue serving as a satellite to Kangra’s ambitions, or does he break away, side with Maha Chand and Bilaspur, and reclaim a fractured sense of Rajput honor? The friction between Handur and Bilaspur was rooted in continuous struggles over strategic border zones, crucial river-crossing points, and the Satgarha (seven forts) territory. Because Handur...
Maharaja Hari Singh Bahadur had ascended the throne after his uncle, Maharaja Pratap Singh had died without an heir in 1925. History has always remained divided and unfair to Maharaja Hari Singh and several eminent historians have been wilfully ignorant of the real Hari Singh and his desires. Thankfully, public notions have started to change, albeit slowly, about the man and his role in 1948 for good. Maharaja Hari Singh, son of Raja Amar Singh, became the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, continuing the illustrious Dev dynasty of the Jamwals. However, the circumstances of his ascent were problematic to say the least. The British Resident's continued interference in the state affairs was part of the continued Great Game, and oftentimes Hari Singh had to undertake measures under duress. However, to say that the ruler was a despot is sloppy and lazy understanding of the events of the time. By then, several reforms had taken place in the state, including abolition of begar, educa...