Nabha
Encyclopedia
Nabha is a city and municipal council
in the Patiala district
to the south-west of the India
n state
of Punjab
. In 1998, the annual income of Nabha state was Rs 1,50,000/-.
Nabha (Gurmukhi
: ਨਾਭਾ) was a state of the Sikh
Royal House of Siddhu Jat
origins founded by the grandson of Chaudhary Phul Singh. Chaudhary Phul Singh (under the patronage and protection of Sikh Guru's Guru Har Gobind and Guru Har Rai) had six sons namely, 1.Tiloka 2.Ram Singh 3.Rudh 4.Chunu 5. Jhandu and 6.Takhtmal. Annual income of Nabha state was Rs 1,50,000/-.
Claiming descent from the Jaisal, founder of Jaisalmer State
in 1156, the founder of this Sikh
dynasty, Phul, was Chaudhri (Governor) of a country located at the south east of Delhi. Phul’s descendants founded 4 States: Patiala State
, Jind State
, Faridkot State
and Nabha State. Nabha was founded by the great-grandson of Phul in 1755.
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Tiloka had two sons namely, 1. Gurudutta 2. Sukh Chain. Sukh Chain's descendants ruled Jind
state and Gurudatta's descendants ruled Nabha state. Gurudatta's only son was Surat Singh. Surat Singh died in 1742 prior to Gurudatta in 1744. Surat Singh had two sons 1. Hamir Singh (1755–1783 ) and 2. Kapur Singh. Hamir Singh's son Raja Jaswant Singh (1783–1840) became the ruler. He had two sons namely 1. Maharaja Devendra Singh and 2. Ranjit Singh. Maharaja Devendra Singh had two sons namely, Maharaja Bharpur Singh and Maharaja Bhagwan Singh. Maharaja Bharpur Singh died in 1863 prior to Maharaja Devendra Singh. Maharaja Bhagwan Singh ruled from 1864–1871, he also died without an heir. According to tradition, Hira Singh a distant relative in a neighbouring village was deicided upon as the next in line according to the Maharaja of Patiala and Jind. Maharaja Hira Singh (1871–1911), who ruled from 1871-1911. He was honoured with G.C.S.I. and G.C.I.I. titles by British. His only son was Maharaja Ripudman Singh (1911–1923), who became ruler in 1912 after Maharaja Hira Singh. His son was Maharaja-Tika Pratap Singh (1923–1995) born in 1919.
The town of Nabha was formerly the capital of the eponymous princely state
in the British Raj
. Its territories were scattered; one section, divided into twelve separate tracts, was interspersed among the territories of Patiala and Jind
, in the east and south of the Punjab
; the other section was in the extreme southeast of that province. The whole of the territories physically belonged to a plain; however, they varied in character from the great fertility of the Pawadh region to the aridity of the Rajputana
desert.
The ruling dynasty of Nabha are Sikh
the state was founded around 1763 by a member of the Phulkian family. The first relations of the state with the HEIC
occurred in 1807-08, when the Raja obtained protection against the threatened encroachments of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
. After British India's independence, the Princely state of Nabha united with four other Phulkian states to form the Patiala and East Punjab States Union
(PEPSU), which later merged into Punjab state following the merging of other Princely states after 1949.
Colour nabhi (Maroon) is named after state of Nabha. Nabhi colour use to be state's official colour for turban. The old part of the city, sometimes termed 'Purani nabhi', is a veritable maze of narrow winding alleys which astonish you by emerging at the most unexpected places.
This is the first city which still has the Rolls Royce in the shape of animals, specially crafted for the kings of this city. These were used by the kings and are preserved in the Nabha museum.This is the city which has given us HansRaj as a very noble and respectable inspector.
, Nabha had a population of 61,953. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Nabha has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79%, and female literacy is 69%. In Nabha, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Please note that there are two locations of Royal Samadhis, one is for the family of Hira Singh, the other, the original rulers of Nabha is located on the grounds of Punjab Public School, near the water tank, on what was originally known as Shyam Bagh (near Jamunawali Sark (Road)), there rests Maharaja Devinder Singh, his two sons, his wives, Maharani Lilavati, Maharani Mann Kaur and "Cheteanwali" Rani. Dr. Sumerendra Vir Singh Chauhan, from the family of Maharani Lilavati, and uncle of the present Rajkumari of Nabha wife of Maharaja Pratap Singh's second son, is negotiating with the present authorities to allow for repairs to take place of the Royal samadhis of the original rulers. Also the Samadhi of Maharani Lilavati's mother is located in the Ram Temple near Hira Mahal.
The descendants of Wazir Ishwari Singh Katoch, former Prime Minister of Kangra during Maharaja Sansar Chand (Father-in-Law of Maharaja Ranjit Singh), once lived in Nabha and have now emigrated to Canada. Wazir Ishwari Singh's daughter was Maharani Lilavati of Nabha w/o Maharaja Devinder Singh. Wazir Ishwari Singh was the close friend of Hari Singh Nalwa and was thus given refuge in Nabha upon the fall of Kangra. The last known descendant Dr. Sumerendra Vir Singh Chauhan, cousin to the present Maharaja, grandson of Colonel Shivraj Singh Katoch of the Royal Army of Nabha, is negotiating with local authorities to repair old tombs and other places of historical significance. The rest of the descendants have moved to Nepal and Canada.
The Nagar Brahmin family protected Maharaja Hira Singh and allowed him to come to the throne of Nabha. For saving his life he gave the Nagar family "Nagara Chownk" or the Chowk of Nagar Family, located in old Nabha. There is still the family of Dr. Inderjit Nagar and his brother's descendents staying there.
This is the city where freedom fighter S Bhan Singh and social worker Late Sh. Prem Kumar Shahi lived .He had spent time with the first prime minister of India (pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru), when the later had come to spend time in park bagh. The room still exists there in park bagh nabha. This room is in poor condition.
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha
(Punjabi ਭਾਈ ਕਾਨ੍ਹ ਸਿਂਘ ਨਾਭਾ ): Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha (30 August 1861- 24 November 1938), a celebrated Sikh scholar and encyclopaedia writer famously known for Mahan Kosh
, who was born on 30 August 1861 (Bhadori vadi 10, 1918 Bk), in a Dhillon Jatt family at the village of Sabaz Banera which is about 5 miles from Nabha, in what was then territory of the princely ruler of Patiala.
The modern Nabha is a thriving, if somewhat dusty town (about 30 kilometres from Patiala). Nabha boasts of several institutions which are somewhat unusual for a town of this size:
Municipal council
A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
in the Patiala district
Patiala District
Patiala district is one of the twenty districts in the state of Punjab in North-West India.Patiala District lies between 29 49’ and 30 47’ north latitude, 75 58’ and 76 54' east longitude, in the southeast part of the state...
to the south-west of the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
. In 1998, the annual income of Nabha state was Rs 1,50,000/-.
Princely State of Nabha
Gurmukhi script
Gurmukhi is the most common script used for writing the Punjabi language. An abugida derived from the Laṇḍā script and ultimately descended from Brahmi, Gurmukhi was standardized by the second Sikh guru, Guru Angad Dev Ji, in the 16th century. The whole of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji's 1430...
: ਨਾਭਾ) was a state of the Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
Royal House of Siddhu Jat
Jat people
The Jat people are a community of traditionally non-elite tillers and herders in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and subsequently into the Delhi Territory,...
origins founded by the grandson of Chaudhary Phul Singh. Chaudhary Phul Singh (under the patronage and protection of Sikh Guru's Guru Har Gobind and Guru Har Rai) had six sons namely, 1.Tiloka 2.Ram Singh 3.Rudh 4.Chunu 5. Jhandu and 6.Takhtmal. Annual income of Nabha state was Rs 1,50,000/-.
Claiming descent from the Jaisal, founder of Jaisalmer State
Jaisalmer State
Jaisalmer State was a princely state during the British Raj and was entitled to a 15 gun salute.As traditionally, the main source of income for the kingdom was levies on caravans the economy was heavily affected when Bombay emerged as a major port and sea trade replaced the traditional land routes...
in 1156, the founder of this Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
dynasty, Phul, was Chaudhri (Governor) of a country located at the south east of Delhi. Phul’s descendants founded 4 States: Patiala State
Patiala State
Patiala State was a princely state in India.The history of Patiala state starts off with the ancestor of the Sikh Patiala Royal House, Mohan Singh being harassed by neighbouring Bhullars and Dhaliwals . They would not allow Mohan to settle there. He was a follower of Guru Hargobind and the Guru...
, Jind State
Jind State
Jind State was a princely state of India before 1947.Founded by descendants of Phul Haryana, under the patronage and protection of the Sikh gurus Guru Hargobind and Guru Har Rai, Jind was a Sikh state of Siddhu Jat origin...
, Faridkot State
Faridkot State
Faridkot State, with its capital at Faridkot, was a Princely state of Punjab. The state was established in 1763, ruled by a Jatt Sikh Brar dynasty and was an offspring of Kotkapura. Faridkot was occupied by Ranjit Singh of Sikh Empire in 1803 but had to be returned to the former rulers in 1807 on...
and Nabha State. Nabha was founded by the great-grandson of Phul in 1755.
Jind
Jind is a town in Jind District, Harayana state, India.It is one of the oldest districts of Harayana. It is one of the first Sikh Kingdoms. It lies in central Haryana and is the fourth district of the Jat belt .The city is beautiful...
state and Gurudatta's descendants ruled Nabha state. Gurudatta's only son was Surat Singh. Surat Singh died in 1742 prior to Gurudatta in 1744. Surat Singh had two sons 1. Hamir Singh (1755–1783 ) and 2. Kapur Singh. Hamir Singh's son Raja Jaswant Singh (1783–1840) became the ruler. He had two sons namely 1. Maharaja Devendra Singh and 2. Ranjit Singh. Maharaja Devendra Singh had two sons namely, Maharaja Bharpur Singh and Maharaja Bhagwan Singh. Maharaja Bharpur Singh died in 1863 prior to Maharaja Devendra Singh. Maharaja Bhagwan Singh ruled from 1864–1871, he also died without an heir. According to tradition, Hira Singh a distant relative in a neighbouring village was deicided upon as the next in line according to the Maharaja of Patiala and Jind. Maharaja Hira Singh (1871–1911), who ruled from 1871-1911. He was honoured with G.C.S.I. and G.C.I.I. titles by British. His only son was Maharaja Ripudman Singh (1911–1923), who became ruler in 1912 after Maharaja Hira Singh. His son was Maharaja-Tika Pratap Singh (1923–1995) born in 1919.
The town of Nabha was formerly the capital of the eponymous princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
in the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. Its territories were scattered; one section, divided into twelve separate tracts, was interspersed among the territories of Patiala and Jind
Jind
Jind is a town in Jind District, Harayana state, India.It is one of the oldest districts of Harayana. It is one of the first Sikh Kingdoms. It lies in central Haryana and is the fourth district of the Jat belt .The city is beautiful...
, in the east and south of the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
; the other section was in the extreme southeast of that province. The whole of the territories physically belonged to a plain; however, they varied in character from the great fertility of the Pawadh region to the aridity of the Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
desert.
The ruling dynasty of Nabha are Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
the state was founded around 1763 by a member of the Phulkian family. The first relations of the state with the HEIC
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
occurred in 1807-08, when the Raja obtained protection against the threatened encroachments of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
. After British India's independence, the Princely state of Nabha united with four other Phulkian states to form the Patiala and East Punjab States Union
Patiala and East Punjab States Union
The Patiala and East Punjab States Union was a state of India from 1948-56. It was created by combining eight princely states: Patiala, Jind, Nabha, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Kalsia, Malerkotla and Nalagarh. The state was inaugurated on July 15, 1948 and formally became a state of India in 1950. The...
(PEPSU), which later merged into Punjab state following the merging of other Princely states after 1949.
Colour nabhi (Maroon) is named after state of Nabha. Nabhi colour use to be state's official colour for turban. The old part of the city, sometimes termed 'Purani nabhi', is a veritable maze of narrow winding alleys which astonish you by emerging at the most unexpected places.
This is the first city which still has the Rolls Royce in the shape of animals, specially crafted for the kings of this city. These were used by the kings and are preserved in the Nabha museum.This is the city which has given us HansRaj as a very noble and respectable inspector.
Geography
Nabha is located at 30.37°N 76.15°E. It has an average elevation of 246 metres (807 feet).Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Nabha had a population of 61,953. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Nabha has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79%, and female literacy is 69%. In Nabha, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Landmarks of the City
- Hira Mahal: Residence of the royal family. The gardens and orchards surrounding it have developed into the Hira Mahal Colony
- Qila Mubarak: Situated at the heart of the city, it has housed various government offices, including the courts
- Hira Singh Park: Now known as municipal park, near Duladdi Gate. The park is home to the statue of Maharaja Hira Singh
- Royal Samadhis: on circular road, built in memory of deceased rulers of Nabha, now in a state of disrepair
- The Courthouse of Nabha, the original residence of Wazir Ishwari Singh Katoch, Prime Minister of Kangra, father of Maharani Lilavati and cousin of Maharaja Sansar Chand of Kangra (father-in-law of Maharaja Ranjit SinghRanjit SinghMaharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
). - Gurdwara Dera Baba Ajaypal Singh famously known as Gurdwara Ghodhiyan Walla
- Old Temple of Attharan Bhuji (goddess with eighteen arms statue)
- Vedas Mandir in Sadar Bazar
Please note that there are two locations of Royal Samadhis, one is for the family of Hira Singh, the other, the original rulers of Nabha is located on the grounds of Punjab Public School, near the water tank, on what was originally known as Shyam Bagh (near Jamunawali Sark (Road)), there rests Maharaja Devinder Singh, his two sons, his wives, Maharani Lilavati, Maharani Mann Kaur and "Cheteanwali" Rani. Dr. Sumerendra Vir Singh Chauhan, from the family of Maharani Lilavati, and uncle of the present Rajkumari of Nabha wife of Maharaja Pratap Singh's second son, is negotiating with the present authorities to allow for repairs to take place of the Royal samadhis of the original rulers. Also the Samadhi of Maharani Lilavati's mother is located in the Ram Temple near Hira Mahal.
People
The descendants of famous General of Ranjit Singh, Hari Singh Nalwa, reside in Nabha.The descendants of Wazir Ishwari Singh Katoch, former Prime Minister of Kangra during Maharaja Sansar Chand (Father-in-Law of Maharaja Ranjit Singh), once lived in Nabha and have now emigrated to Canada. Wazir Ishwari Singh's daughter was Maharani Lilavati of Nabha w/o Maharaja Devinder Singh. Wazir Ishwari Singh was the close friend of Hari Singh Nalwa and was thus given refuge in Nabha upon the fall of Kangra. The last known descendant Dr. Sumerendra Vir Singh Chauhan, cousin to the present Maharaja, grandson of Colonel Shivraj Singh Katoch of the Royal Army of Nabha, is negotiating with local authorities to repair old tombs and other places of historical significance. The rest of the descendants have moved to Nepal and Canada.
The Nagar Brahmin family protected Maharaja Hira Singh and allowed him to come to the throne of Nabha. For saving his life he gave the Nagar family "Nagara Chownk" or the Chowk of Nagar Family, located in old Nabha. There is still the family of Dr. Inderjit Nagar and his brother's descendents staying there.
This is the city where freedom fighter S Bhan Singh and social worker Late Sh. Prem Kumar Shahi lived .He had spent time with the first prime minister of India (pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru), when the later had come to spend time in park bagh. The room still exists there in park bagh nabha. This room is in poor condition.
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha was a Sikh lexicographer and encyclopedist. His most influential work, Mahan Kosh, inspired generations of scholars after him...
(Punjabi ਭਾਈ ਕਾਨ੍ਹ ਸਿਂਘ ਨਾਭਾ ): Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha (30 August 1861- 24 November 1938), a celebrated Sikh scholar and encyclopaedia writer famously known for Mahan Kosh
Mahan Kosh
Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh, known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha over fourteen years...
, who was born on 30 August 1861 (Bhadori vadi 10, 1918 Bk), in a Dhillon Jatt family at the village of Sabaz Banera which is about 5 miles from Nabha, in what was then territory of the princely ruler of Patiala.
Modern Nabha
In 1947, Nabha formed a part of Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU). At a subsequent reorganization, Patiala was created as a district and Nabha formed a subdivision in Patiala District.The modern Nabha is a thriving, if somewhat dusty town (about 30 kilometres from Patiala). Nabha boasts of several institutions which are somewhat unusual for a town of this size:
- Malwa Public School is a well known English medium school known for its excellent academic results.
- Punjab Public School (PPS), Nabha is one of the more well known "public schools" in India (other notable schools of this league being YPS Patiata and Mohali, Scindia School, Gwalior, MNSS, Rai and Sainik School, Kapurthala, Lawrence School Sanawer and Doon School in Dehradun.
- Govt. Ripudaman College Nabha
- A factory of Glaxo Smith Kline (better known as HorlicksHorlicksHorlicks is the name of a company and of a malted milk hot drink. It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Jamaica, and under licence in the Philippines and Malaysia....
factory). - A high security jail which was used to house terrorists in the height of Khalistani movement in the late 1980s. (Jawahar Lal Nehru served a prison term in this jail during India's freedom movement against the British.)
- Like many other cities of India, Nabha has landmarks called "gates" which roughly circumscribe the city. In Nabha, these are named Patiala Gate, Alhoran gate, Dulladi Gate, Mehs Gate and Bouran Gate.
- Indian Oil Gas Plant is situated at the outskirts of city on the Nabha - Bhawani garh Road.
- Punjab Scooters Ltd in Focal Point, now known as Swaraj Automotives Pvt Ltd Doing direct business with Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors,Eicher, Swaraj Tractors, Swaraj Mazda etc.
External links
- Guru Har Rai Connection
- Nabha's Only Local newspaper
- Princely statePrincely stateA Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...