Rajputs in Himachal Pradesh

The Rajputs in Himachal Pradesh are members of the Rajput community living in the North Indian Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. They ruled a majority of kingdoms of the region and even dominate in Himachal Pradesh politics. The kingdoms of the Hill States of India were mostly in the present day state of Himachal Pradesh, and mostly had Rajput rulers. All of the Chief Ministers who served Himachal Pradesh except for Shanta Kumar belong to the Rajput caste. The Rajputs of Himachal Pradesh fought battles with Tughlaq, Mughal, and Sikh forces, most notable being the Battle of Bhangani, when the Hill States made an alliance against the Sikhs. While some Rajput kingdoms and clans have a long history in Himachal Pradesh, others were established due to the Rajput migrations to the hill regions mostly due to the Islamic invasions.

Notable Kingdoms

Kangra

The Kangra kingdom was established by the Rajputs of the Katoch dynasty, and ruled the kingdom from the 11th century to 1810, when it was annexed by the Sikh Empire. In 1333 during the Battle of Kangra, the Katoch kings successfully retreated the Tughlaq forces of Firuz Shah Tughlaq. The Kangra rulers built the Kangra Fort, which is one of the largest forts of the state.

Bilaspur

The Bilaspur kingdom was ruled by a Chandel dynasty. Earlier, the kingdom was known as Kahlur, which later was renamed to Bilaspur. The last Maharaja, Anand Chand, acceded to India following the independence. The kingdom fought wars against the Mughal and Sikh forces of Guru Gobind Singh, such as the Battle of Bhangani and the Battle of Anandpur (1682).

Nurpur
With having the original name as Dhameri, The Nurpur kingdom was ruled by a Pathania dynasty, which is believed to be an off-shoot of the Tomaras of Delhi. A prominent ruler of Nurpur was Raja Jagat Singh, who often faced conflicts with the Mughal rulers due to taxes and even changed the kingdom's name to Nurpur.

Chamba

Chamba was a princely state during the British Raj, which belonged to the Mushana dynasty of Rajputs, which is of the Suryavanshi branch.

Sirmur

The Sirmur kingdom was ruled by a Bhati dynasty, which claimed descent from Jaisalmer. The state during the British era was an 11 gun-salute state. The kingdom faced invasions from the Gurkhas of Nepal.

Dhami

The kingdom of Dhami was ruled by a Chauhan dynasty, and was the only Chauhan ruled state of the region. They settled in the hills following the Ghurid invasion of Delhi, which led to the downfall of the Chauhan rule in Delhi. The state was occupied by the Gurkhas of Nepal from 1803 to 1815. The end of the rule came in 1947, when the state acceded to India.

Notable people

 Preity Zinta, Indian film actress
 Kangana Ranaut, Indian film actress
Dalip Singh Rana (popularly known as The Great Khali), WWE wrestler
Yashwant Singh Parmar, first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh
Anurag Thakur, BJP Member of Parliament of the Rajya Sabha from Himachal Pradesh, and current Sports Minister of India
 Raja Rajendra Singh, Raja of Baghal from 1946 until 1971.
 Thakur Ram Lal, former Chief minister of Himachal Pradesh
 Virbhadra Singh, former Chief minister of Himachal Pradesh
 Vikramaditya Singh (Himachal Pradesh politician), son of Virbhadra Singh, the former Chief minister of Himachal Pradesh
 Pratibha Singh, wife of Virbhadra Singh, the former Chief minister of Himachal Pradesh
 Prem Kumar Dhumal, former Chief minister of Himachal Pradesh
 Jai Ram Thakur, former Chief minister of Himachal Pradesh
 Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, 7th and current Chief minister of Himachal Pradesh
 Anirudh Singh (politician), Indian National Congress politician from Himachal Pradesh
 Chander Kumar, Indian National Congress politician from Himachal Pradesh
 Virender Singh Pathania,  Indian Coast Guard officer serving as the 24th and the current Director General of the Indian Coast Guard.
 Maj Gen Anant Singh Pathania, a recipient of Maha Vir Chakra and the first Indian to receive Military Cross in the Second World War.

References

Rajputs
History of Himachal Pradesh