The Dogra Rulers of Jammu and Kashmir

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Long spell of Maharaja Pratap Singh's rule brought peace, prosperity, security and political consciousness in the State besides he initiated plethora of reforms for the benefit of his subjects.

Maharaja Hari Singh's name became synonymous with reforms and pro-people policies which he effectively implemented with a gusto.

Mohd. All Jinnan, the architect of Pakistan who single handedly evolved for a separate Muslim identity in the sub-continent and thus shaped the war of Muslim-communalism to its ultimate culmination.

Under the garb of stand-st agreement, Pakistan committed a perfidious aggression against the State in October 1947 with sophisticated and modern weapons only to annex valley for whimsical Mohd Ali Jinnah to celebrate Eid in Srinagar In addition to this, Mohd All Jinnah had expected that after aggression, Kashmir would fall like a ripe apple in his lap. But his speculative calculations were shattered by the arrival of the Indian forces by air under the command of Lt. Col. Ranjit after Maharaja Hari Singh offered irrevocable instrument of accession with Indian Union which gave absolute authority to India to defend the State being an inalienable unit of the country.

Lord Mountbatten's pro-Pakistan inclinations, biased an reluctant attitude towards the Maharaja Hari Singh further complicated the situation when he dragged the Kashmir issue to UNO without any logic.

Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the Deputy Prime Minister of India, who had very good vibes with the Maharaja Han Singh, remained a mute spectator to this fiasco who had decided the fate of 565 Princely State by uniting them with the Indian Union.

But a consistent virulent campaign of vilification was launched against the Maharaja by the new power centres in Delhi as well as in the State by the school master tumed into a politician to oust him from the State. The moment came on 20th Juno, 1949, when he appointed his son, Yuvaraja Shri Karan Singhji Bahadur as the Regent of the State to exercise his royal sovereign powers. He distanced himself from the affairs of the State, adopted a road to isolation and sealed his lips forever stoically.

Jammu & Kashmir State as it stood on the map of India at the time of partition was founded by Maharaja Gulab Singh towards the middle of 19th century by virtue of the Amritsar Treaty executed on 16th March, 1846, between Gulab Singh in person and the representatives of the British Viceroy and Governor General of India, Lord Hardinge.

Dogra Dynasty established by Maharaja Gulab Singh produced four Rulers including himself who contributed tremendously for its stability, consolidation and modernizing it with innovative measures, reforms and pro-people policies.

Maharaja Gulab Singh united the three regions of the State namely Jammu, Kashmir and frontier districts of Ladakh and Gilgit conquered by his most trusted General Zorawar Singh, into a single political entity in view of the distinct cultures, a tough task which he carried out with sagacity and clarity: of far-sighted vision hitherto unattempted by anyone in the past.

It was a rare example in the Indian history when he appointed his only surviving son, Ranbir Singh, on the throne of the State during his lifetime because he had seen the disintegration of the most powerful Sikh empire in the absence of a well groomed successors to handle the affairs of the State. Maharaja Ranbir Singh did not change the basic structure of rule adopted by his father and framed criminal and civil laws which were later consolidated into Ranbir Dandh Bidhi or Ranbir Penal Code which are still now in practice. He morphed the socio-economic conditions of his subjects and turned his head against discrimination in religious matters of his people.

Born in Jammu in September 1943. After post-graduation in English Literature from Jammu & Kashmir University, Jammu Division in 1968, the author did stint as a Teacher in State's Education Department. Later on he joined Film and Television Institute of India at Poona in July 1970 in editing stream. After successfully completing his Diploma in Cinema Editing from the august. Institute in the year 1972, he started his film journey under Shri Rama Nand Sagar. He got opportunity to work in different film production houses and got associated with the popular film makers of seventies and eighties such as Shakti Samanta, Prakash Mehra, Sohan Lal Kanwar and lastly with Vikram Bhatt in mid nineties.

He served as Jury member on the Panel for judging nominations in the Editing Category of the Zee Cine Awards for two consecutive years, 1998 & 1999. Winding up in Mumbai after more than three decades of association with Bollywood, he settled down in Jammu to fulfill his domestic responsibilities.

"Dream, Concept & Reality - The Dogra Rulers of Jammu" is the result of author's many summers' extensive research work. "Birth of Indian Cinema" by the same author is at the writing stage.

The history of Dogra Rajput clans is lost in the mists of times. They are Suryavanshi Rajputs who, millennia ago, migrated from the desert plains of Rajasthan up to the salubrious hills in and around Jammu in the western Himalayas. The history of the rulers of Jammu dates back to the period of Ramayana and they trace their lineage to the Ikshvaku or Suryavanshi (Solar) dynasty in which Lord Rama of Ayodhya was born. The Dogras venerate Lord Rama as their family deity and call themselves 'Raghuvanshi Rajputs.

This book is the result of studies which I pursued after settling down at Jammu after more than three decades of association with the film profession at Mumbai.

I have been fascinated by Dogra history since my student days. The interest in the subject was inculcated by my father who was a repository of anecdotes related to Dogra rulers and appreciated their pro-people policies which they implemented with great gusto.

Maharaja Gulab Singh unified the three regions of the State into one political entity and extended its boundaries to Tibet. The three regions which he tagged together, that is, Jammu, Kashmir and Frontier areas, were culturally, ethnically and religiously different from each other. A horrendous job which he completed with his far-sighted vision. Maharaja Ranbir Singh consolidated the territories of the State and put it on the fast track of economic development.