KANGRA, Himachal Pradesh

Main Attraction: Kangra Fort

The Kangra Fort is located atop a hill at the confluence of Banganga and Patal Ganga river (also known as the Majhi), in the south western outskirts of the old Kangra town. The fort was built by the founder of Katoch Dynasty, Bhuma Chand. The fort is also known by other names, Nagarkot and Kot Kangra.The history of the fort reveals that it attracted numerous eyes that wished to control the region. In those days it was said that the person who holds the Kangra fort will be the one who ruled over Kangra. Accordingly, the king of Kashmir, Shreshta became the first one to conquer the fort in 470 AD. In 1009 AD, Mohammad of Gazni set his eyes on the fort and ransacked it. He took away with him 7 lakh gold coins, 28 tonnes utensils made of gold and silver and 8 tonnes of diamond and pearls. The next two attacks on the fort were made by Muhammad Tughlaq (in 1337) and Feroze Shah ( in 1357). A quick period of peace was soon followed by another attack. This one came from Khan Jahan, a commander of Sher Shah Suri in the year 1540. Less than a century later, Jahangir himself occupied the fort in 1620. The year of 1781 saw the fort passing into the hands of Jassa Singh Kanhaya while five years later Maharaja Sansar Chand became its owner. Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured it in 1809 and finally in 1846, the Kangra fort fell into the hands of the British power.

A devastating earthquake in 1905 caused much damage to the fort. As of today, the fort is the property of the Archaeological Survey of India. The fort spreads over a long stretch of land and has high ramparts and walls protecting it. They cover a circuit of around 4 kms. The ancient fort has numerous Darwazas built by various conquerors. Access to the fort is gained from the Ranjit Singh Darwaza which leads to the Jahangiri Darwaza through the Ahni and Amiri Darwazas. Other Darwazas are the Andheri Darwaza and the Darshani Darwaza. At the other end of the Darshani Darwaza there stands two temples namely the Lakshmi Narayan Temple and the Sitlamata Temple. Standing to the north of these two temples is the Ambika Devi Temple which is still used for the purpose of worshipping. To the south of the Ambika Devi Temple, stand two small Jain temples which are in a bad shape and one of it has a seated image of Lord Adinath.The other Jain Temple, unfortunately has only a pedestal. A modern Jain Temple is also there which serves the accommodation purpose of the pilgrims to Kangra.

Brief History

Kangra district derives its name from Kangra town which was called Nagarkot in the ancient times. Kangra proper originally was a part of the ancient Trigartha or Trigarta (Jalandhar) which comprised of the area lying between the rivers “Shatadroo” (probably Satluj) and Ravi. A tract of land to the east of the Satluj which probably is the area of Sirhind in Punjab also formed a part of Trigartha or Trigarta. Trigartha was comprised of two provinces, viz one in the plains with headquarters at Jalandhar and the other in the hills with headquarters at Nagarkot (present Kangra).

In the time of Harsha, the famous Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsiang visited Jalandhar sometimes in March 635 A.D. and in his writings he has referred to the principality of Jalandhar situated towards the north-east of China-Po-ti (China Bhakti) and towards the south-east of Kiu-lo-to (Kullu). From the history of Kashmir given in the Rajtirangini, Raja Shankar Verma (883 to 903) of Kashmir held suzerainty over Prithi Chand of Trigartha.

In ancient times, a number of petty chiefs ruled in the hills within their respective domains owning allegiance to the powerful Raja at the centre. However, Katoch princes ruled over Kangra from the earliest times. At the time of the invasion of the Punjab by Alexandar in 326 B.C., a Katoch prince ruled Tirgartha or Trigarta.

In the beginning of the 11th century, Mahmood of Ghazni finished the Turki Shahi family and the Hindu Shahi dynasty of Kabul in Afghanistan and after defeating a large Hindu army at Ohind and later at Peshawar, advanced into the plains of the Punjab. After defeating the Hindu king at Lahore, he invaded Nagarkot. After defeating the Rajput Raja at Kangra, who had sent most of his men to the fight the Muslims elsewhere. Mahmood satisfied his lust for wealth by carrying away on camel backs, enormous wealth of gold and silver from the fort and temple of Kangra. After passing of this storm, the Katoch kings continued their rule over the Trigartha area undisturbed. Even after the conquest of Lahore by the Turks, the Katoch family held some territory of Jalandhar in the plains. However, one Ibrahim of Ghazni conquered this territory from the Katoch king Jagdeo Chander in A.D.1070.

In 1337, Mohd. Tuglak, an Afghan king of Delhi, captured the fort of Kangra in the reign of Raja Prithi Chand. In 1351, however, Raja Purab Chand recovered the fort from the Muslims. One of the successor, namely Raja Rup Chand, became ambitious and led an expedition into the plains of the Punjab, plundering the country right upto the outskirts of Delhi. This was an act of affrontary which could not be condoned by the Sultan of Delhi. So, Feroz Shah Tuglak invaded Kangra in 1366 to punish the Raja. The fort was surrendered after a long siege, and the Raja submitted completely to the Sultan. After the death of Rup Chand, his son Singara Chand succeeded to the throne and ruled over Kangra at the time of the invasion of Timur.

Sher Shah Suri, the Afgan king, who turned out Humayun from India, also captured Kangra in 1540. By 1555, the Muslim influence again declined. Akbar, however, subjugated all the hill Rajas. Occasionally the hill Rajas rebelled against the imperial authorities, but after a few skirmishes with the Moghul Generals, they submitted and renewed their pledges of loyalty. Jahangir also became interested in the kingdom of Kangra of Trigartha or Trigarta. He wanted to annexe the territory of this state and to capture the fort, because a lot of prestige was attached to the fort of Kangra. It was said that who-so-ever, held the fort automatically becomes the ruler of hill states. The invasion took place in 1615 under the command of Sheikh Farid, Murtaza Khan and Raja Suraj Mal of Nurpur who was in the confidence of Jahangir.

The fort could not be captured and after one year the siege had to be given up. Next year, another expedition was sent by Jahangir under Shah Quli Khan, Mohammad Taqi and Suraj Mal, but Suraj Mal proved unfaithful. The emperor had to send another strong force under Sunder Das against Suraj Mal and also against the Raja of Kangra. After one year and two month’s siege, Sunder Das captured the fort in 1620. The Katoch ruler lost the fort at least for 160 years. The entire state was annexed to the Moghul Kingdom and a strong garrison was left incharge of the fort. In 1622, Jahangir and Begum Nur Jahan came to Kangra via Siba and returned to Delhi via Nurpur and Pathankot. They were fascinated by the beauty of the Kangra valley.

In 1752, Punjab was transferred to Ahmed Shah Durani by the weak Moghul rulers of Delhi. The Afgans could not successfully control these far flung areas from Kabul. So, local Governors were appointed to administer the territory on behalf of the Afgan ruler. In 1758, Raja Ghamand Chand was appointed Nazim or the Governor of Jalandhar Doab under the Afgans. Ghamand Chand was a brave man and a strong ruler who restored the prestige and glory of Kangra. As he was unable to capture the Kangra fort, he built another fort at Tira Sujanpur on the left bank of the Beas almost opposite Alampur on a hill overlooking the town. This great ruler died in 1774 and was succeeded by his son Tegh Chand who died after one year in 1775.

Kangra then saw the rise of another great ruler Sansar Chand (II). Though the Punjab had been given to the Duranis, the old Moghul officers had proclaimed their independence in some outlying parts of the country. Nawab Saif Ali Khan at Kangra was one such officer. Raja Sansar Chand had an ambition to recapture the fort and in 1781, he called to his aid Sardar Jai Singh of Kanhaya Misal. The fort was surrendered by the Moghul Officer in 1783 but it fell into the hands of the Sikhs. Sansar Chand got the fort after some years by exchanging it with some territory, which he had won in the plains of the Punjab. After getting the fort, Sansar Chand revived the tradition and laid a claim to supremacy over all the principalities and hill states of the Jalandhar Circle. He made the hill chiefs tributary to himself. In his capital at Tira Sujanpur, he erected a great Darbar Hall. For full twenty years he reigned supreme over all the hill states of Kangra, Mandi, Kullu and Chamba. Sansar Chand was well known for his generosity, kindness, bravery, justice and good administration, patronage of art and shrewd judgement of men and matters.

Sansar Chand was also a great builder. He had beautified many places in the territory ruled over by him. He planted numerous gardens and the one at Alampur is said to have been as beautiful as the Shalimar Gardens at Lahore. However, reckless bravery and unlimited ambition of this great Raja ultimately ruined him. His dream was to regain the far reaching dominions of his ancestors and even to establish the Katoch rule in the entire Punjab. In 1803- 1804, he invaded the plains of the Punjab twice but was defeated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1805 he annexed a part of Bilaspur state, thus coming in conflict with the Gurkhas, who in the latter half of the 18th century moved south to establish their dominion over the entire hilly part of India from Nepal to Kashmir and had actually come up to the river Satluj. Gurkhas became angry at the annexation of a part of Bilaspur state, which was under their suzerainty. They invaded Kangra, but were defeated. The hill Rajas of Kangra, however, were feeling sore against Sansar Chand. They all approached Raja Amar Singh Thapa of Gurkhas through the Raja of Bilaspur to invade Kangra again. In 1806, with the help of the hill chiefs, the Gurkhas defeated Raja Sansar Chand who had to take refuge inside the fort. The country was laid waste and was plundered by the enemies. During the siege of the fort, a state of anarchy prevailed throughout the Kangra valley. The siege lasted for four years. After that Sansar Chand managed to get out of the fort and fled to Tira Sujanpur.

In 1809, Maharaja Ranjit Singh visited Jawalamukhi temple where Sansar Chand met him and entered into a treaty with him. It was agreed that the Maharaja should help Sansar Chand in expelling Gurkhas from the state and that in return the Maharaja would get the Kangra fort along with nearby 66 villages. Gurkhas were defeated by the combined forces of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Sansar Chand. The fort of Kangra with 66 villages surrounding it, was made over to Ranjit Singh. Dessa Singh Majithia was appointed the Nazim or Governor of the fort and Kangra hills and from that day all the states of the Jalandhar Circle became tributary to the Sikhs. Sansar Chand returned to Tira Sujanpur where he died in 1823.

Sansar Chand’s son, Anirudh Chand succeeded his father in 1823 but he was not destined to rule for a long time. Raja Dhian Singh, the Dogra chief of Jammu, the most powerful man in the Sikh kingdom after Maharaja Ranjit Singh, desired to marry one of the two sisters of Anirudh Chand. For the rulers of the Katoch family, this demand in itself was an insult. Anirudh Chand was adamant not to permit that alliance. The Maharaja got angry and led an expedition against him. Anirudh Chand had to flee and the Sikhs occupied the entire state of Kangra.

After the First Battle of Sikhs in March, 1846, the territory of the Punjab lying between the Satluj and Ravi rivers, including the hill states of Kangra proper and Kullu were ceded to the British Government. The entire area, comprising Kangra proper, Kullu and Seraj and the tracts of Lahul & Spiti, was now constituted into the Kangra district, with its headquarters at Kangra. After a few years, the headquarters of the district was transferred to Dharmsala because that place was considered cooler and healthier for the British officers and also the slopes of the Dhaula Dhar provided ample room to accommodate a newly raised local contigent for the army.

The present Kangra district came into existent on the 1st September, 1972 consequent upon the reorganization of districts by the Government of Himachal Pradesh. It was the largest district of the composite Punjab in terms of area till it was transferred to Himahcal Pradesh on the 1st November, 1966 and had six tehsils namely Nurpur, Kangra, Palampur, Dera Gopipur and Hamirpur. Kullu was also a tehsil of Kangra district upto 1962 and Lahul & Spiti which also formed a part of Kangra was created as a separate district in 1960. On the reorganization of composite Punjab on the 1st November, 1966 the areas constituting Kangra district were transferred to Himachal Pradesh alongwith the districts of Shimla, Kullu and Lahul & Spiti and tehsils of Una and Nalagarh and areas of Dalhousie, Dalhousie CB and Bakloh CB of Gurdaspur.