Jammu Redefining
| February 23-March 8, 2014
Jammu Redefining
5
The State of Jammu: Origin and Expansion
Jammu, went to Lahore and
joined the Sikh army in
1810-12. He gained several
favours from the Maharaja
Ranjit Singh of Lahore and
was employed mainly to
suppress revolts in the
region.
With the rise of the three
brothers to power, the
smaller states between the
Ravi and the Chenab lost all
autonomy, and became
completely
subject
to
Jammu.
Kishtwar
and
Mankot were the first to fall,
in 1820, Chenani was
annexed around 1822, and
Bhoti (now Kirimchi) was
annexed in 1836. In 1822,
Bandralta (now Ramnagar)
and Punch were annexed
by Maharaja Ranjit Singh
and granted to Raja Suchet
Singh and Raja Dhian
Singh respectively. Jasrota
managed to maintain its
existence as a State until
1834 and Basohli until
1836. While Raja Gulab
Singh controlled the central
tracts around Jammu and in
the Chenab valley, Raja
Suchet Singh ruled over the
country from Bandralta to
the east of Jammu, including
Samba,
Chenani,
Mankot and Bhadu. Raja
Dhian Singh controlled the
entire tract between the
Chenab and the Jhelum.
Thus, by the late 1830s, the
three brothers had established their control over the
entire region between the
Ravi and the Jhelum,
although
under
the
suzerainty of the Sikh
emperor Maharaja Ranjit
Singh. By the early 1840s,
Zorawar Singh, the Wazir of
Raja Gulab Singh had
annexed Ladakh as well as
Baltistan to the emerging
Dogra
kingdom.
The
Kashmir valley, however,
remained under the direct
control of the Sikh empire.
With the defeat of
Maharaja Ranjit Singh at
the hands of the British in
the mid-19th century and
the consequent fall of the
Sikh empire, the province of
Jammu came under the
Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex
suzerainty of the British. A
treaty was signed in 1846
between
the
British
Government and Raja
Gulab Singh over the control of the region previously
held by the latter under the
suzerainty of the Sikh
empire. As a consequence
of this treaty, the entire
region between the Ravi
and the Indus was transferred to Raja Gulab Singh
for a sum of 75 lakhs to the
British Government. He was
also obliged to pay a yearly
tribute; one horse, twelve
shawl-goats, and three
pairs of Kashmir shawls, in
acknowledgement of the
supremacy of the British
Government. The extensive
territories now transferred to
Raja Gulab Singh included
the region between the Ravi
and the Indus, the valley of
Kashmir and also Ladakh
with Gilgit, Baltistan and the
Indus valley down to Chilas.
He was also given the title
of Maharaja of Jammu and
Kashmir.
The
above
description, thus explains
how the present day territorial boundaries of the State
came into existence.
In passing, let us view the
city of Jammu as it stands
today and visit some of its
places, significant both his-
torically and religiously. In
relation to the legend of F