Katoch
Encyclopedia
Katoch is the name of a Rajput clan belonging to the Chandervanshi kshatriya
lineage. Their traditional areas of residence was Trigarta Kingdom
, Jalandhar
, Multan
i.e. the areas of residence are mainly in the Indian states of Punjab
, Uttarakhand
, Himachal Pradesh
and Jammu
.
The Katoch dynasty is considered to be the oldest surviving royal dynasty in the world.
They first find mention in the Hindu epics Ramayana
and Mahabharata
and the second mention is in the recorded history of Alexander the Great's war records. One of the Indian kings who in the time of Alexander ruled area near Kangra is said to be a Katoch king. In Mahabharata they are referred to as Trigarta who fight Arjuna. Raja Susarma Chandra fought Pandav Arjuna. He was ally of Duryodhana and sworn enemy of Virat and Matsya Kingdoms.
The katoch's were also known for their sword skills.
In past centuries, they ruled several princely state
s in the region. The originator of the clan was Rajanaka Bhumi Chand
. Their famous Maharaja Sansar Chand-II was a great ruler. The ruler Rajanaka Bhumi Chand
Katoch founded the Jwalaji Temple in Himachal Pradesh
.
The history of the Katoch Dynasty has been show cased at the Maharaja Sansar Chand Museum adjoining the Kangra Fort. The Museum provides audio guides for the fort and the museum.
The Maharaja Sansar Chandra Museum was officially inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
on the 6th of April 2011.
C. 3000 BC
C. 1500 BC
C. 900 BC
C. 500 BC to
ye log gale tak le lete hain
C. 275 BC
C. 100 AD
C. 470 AD
C. 643 AD
C. 853 AD
C. 903 AD
C.1009 AD
C. 1170 AD
C. 1341 AD
C.1405 AD
C.1450 AD
C.1526 - 1556 AD
C. 1620 AD
C. 1700 AD
C. 1750 AD
C. 1775 AD to C. 1820 AD
C. 1820 AD
1846 AD
1924 AD
1947 AD
1972 AD
Raja Ram Singh of Sibaia clan defeated the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
and re-captured the fort of Siba
State. The British attempts to conquer the Siba
State were thwarted by Sunder Singh (Raja Sahib), brother of Raja Ram Singh. Sunder Singh also established Tantpalan domense. Tantpalan domense, presently, falls in District:Hoshiarpur(Punjab).
The Rajput clan to which belongs the ancient ruling family of Datarpur, but said to take its name from Dada in Kangra on the Hoshiarpur border. The Ranas of Bit Manaswal. Or tableland of the Hoshiarpur Shivaliks were Dadhwal Rajputs.
The Dadhwals are found in the neighbourhood of Datarpur. The seat of their former sovereignty, and on the south west face of the Shivaliks in the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab state and Kangra and Una districts of Himachal Pradesh near Dholbaha and Janauri or Janakpuri, its ancient name, which is still used. Janak was an ancient Surajbansi ruler. The Dadhwals are a branch of the Katoch and do not intermarry the with them, or with the Gulerias or Sibayas on the ground of common decent. They have an interesting local history which describes how they wrested the tract round Datarpur from a Chang rani.
The Dadhwals have several als or families, whose name are derived from their settlements, such as Janaurach, Dholbahia, Datarpuria, Fatehpuria, Bhanowalia, Khangwarch, Naruria, Rampuria etc. Datarpur is their chief village, but they have no system of chhats and makans.
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
lineage. Their traditional areas of residence was Trigarta Kingdom
Trigarta Kingdom
Trigarta was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. Mahabharata mentions two different Trigarta kingdoms, one in the west close to the Sivi Kingdom and the other north to the Kuru Kingdom. Modern Kangra district is one of the ancient town in North Trigarta, India, extending westward to the...
, Jalandhar
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
, Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
i.e. the areas of residence are mainly in the Indian states 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...
, Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
and Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
.
The Katoch dynasty is considered to be the oldest surviving royal dynasty in the world.
They first find mention in the Hindu epics Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
and the second mention is in the recorded history of Alexander the Great's war records. One of the Indian kings who in the time of Alexander ruled area near Kangra is said to be a Katoch king. In Mahabharata they are referred to as Trigarta who fight Arjuna. Raja Susarma Chandra fought Pandav Arjuna. He was ally of Duryodhana and sworn enemy of Virat and Matsya Kingdoms.
The katoch's were also known for their sword skills.
In past centuries, they ruled several 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 ...
s in the region. The originator of the clan was Rajanaka Bhumi Chand
Rajanaka Bhumi Chand
Ranjanka Bhumi Chand was the founder of the Katoch Dynasty. He was the first great king of the Chandravanshi group of Kshatriyas. He is mentioned in the Puran, the holy book of Hindus, as Brahmand Puran...
. Their famous Maharaja Sansar Chand-II was a great ruler. The ruler Rajanaka Bhumi Chand
Rajanaka Bhumi Chand
Ranjanka Bhumi Chand was the founder of the Katoch Dynasty. He was the first great king of the Chandravanshi group of Kshatriyas. He is mentioned in the Puran, the holy book of Hindus, as Brahmand Puran...
Katoch founded the Jwalaji Temple in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
.
The history of the Katoch Dynasty has been show cased at the Maharaja Sansar Chand Museum adjoining the Kangra Fort. The Museum provides audio guides for the fort and the museum.
The Maharaja Sansar Chandra Museum was officially inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
on the 6th of April 2011.
Timeline - Katoch dynasty
C. 4300 BC- Rajanaka Bhumi ChandRajanaka Bhumi ChandRanjanka Bhumi Chand was the founder of the Katoch Dynasty. He was the first great king of the Chandravanshi group of Kshatriyas. He is mentioned in the Puran, the holy book of Hindus, as Brahmand Puran...
founded the Katoch Dynasty
C. 3000 BC
- The RajaRajaRaja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
s of Kangra fought against the HinduHinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
deity lord RamaRamaRama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
C. 1500 BC
- (234th) Raja Susarma Chandra fought against the PandavaPandavaIn the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
s in the MahabharataMahabharataThe Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
war - He also built the fort of Kangra
C. 900 BC
- The Katoch kings fought the Persian and AssyriaAssyriaAssyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n attacks on PunjabPunjab regionThe 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...
C. 500 BC to
- Rajanaka Paramananda Chandra fought Alexander the Great
ye log gale tak le lete hain
C. 275 BC
- The Katoch Rajas fought Ashoka the Great and lost their lands in MultanMultanMultan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
C. 100 AD
- The Rajas of Kangra fought numerous battles against the Rajas of KannaujKannaujKannauj , also spelt Kanauj, is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is traditionally derived from the term Kanyakubja . Kannauj is an ancient city, in earlier times the capital...
C. 470 AD
- The Rajas of Kangras fought the Rajas of KashmirKashmirKashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
for the supermacy in the hills
C. 643 AD
- Hsuan Tsang visited the Kingdom of Kangra (then known as "Jallandhra")
C. 853 AD
- Rajanaka Prithvi Chandra's reign
C. 903 AD
- Coinage of Kangra from this period can be seen in the Himachal Museums
C.1009 AD
- Mahmud of GhazniMahmud of GhazniMahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...
invades Kangra (captures a large booty)
C. 1170 AD
- Kingdom of Kangra is divided into two parts, Kangra and Jaswan
- The Katoch armies fight against Muhammad of GhorMuhammad of GhorSultan Shahāb-ud-Din Muhammad Ghori , originally called Mu'izzuddīn Muḥammad Bin Sām , was a ruler of the Ghurid dynasty who reigned over a territory spanning present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India.Shahabuddin Ghori reconquered the city of Ghazna Sultan Shahāb-ud-Din Muhammad Ghori...
(the lands of JalandharJalandharJalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
were lost c.1220 AD)
C. 1341 AD
- Rajanaka Rup Chandra's looting expeditions take him till the gates of Delhi
- The Katoch kings fight TaimurTimurTimur , historically known as Tamerlane in English , was a 14th-century conqueror of West, South and Central Asia, and the founder of the Timurid dynasty in Central Asia, and great-great-grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, which survived as the Mughal Empire in India until...
- Tughlaqs grant the title of MianMianMian is family name and a title of nobility used by Muslims in the Punjab region of South Asia.-Mian Khan Pashtuns:The Pathans of Bihar , have a large community of Pashtuns in the state of Bihar in India, who are said to have settled in the region from the 13th Century onwards...
to the Katoch Royal Family
C.1405 AD
- Further division of the Kangra State; state of Guler is founded
C.1450 AD
- Further Guler State is also divided and a new State namely SIBA is found.
C.1526 - 1556 AD
- Sikandar Shah Suri and the Rajas of Kangra combine their forces against Akbar but are defeated
- The Raja of Kangra renders his alliance to Emperor Akbar and in return in given the title of MaharajaMaharajaMahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
- Later, the MughalsMughal EmpireThe Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
attack the fort of Kangra 52 times but fail to defeat it
C. 1620 AD
- Mughals occupy the fort of Kangra
- First EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an travelers to the court of Kangra, ankit katoch the prince of onkar katoch
C. 1700 AD
- Maharaja Bhim Chandra unites with Guru Gobind SinghGuru Gobind SinghGuru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
against AurangzebAurangzebAbul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly... - He receives the title of Dharam Rakshak from the GuruGuruA guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
C. 1750 AD
- Maharaja Ghamand Chandra is made the (first ever Rajput) NizamNizamNizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
of JalandharJalandharJalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
by the DurraniDurraniDurrani or Abdali is the name of a chief Pashtun tribal confederation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Originally known by their ancient name Abdali later as Durrani they have been called Durrani since the beginning of the Durrani Empire in 1747. The number of Durranis are estimated to be roughly 16%...
s
C. 1775 AD to C. 1820 AD
- The golden age of Kangra under Raja Sansar Chand-II
- Kangra miniature painting flourishes under him
C. 1820 AD
- Decline of the Kangra state
- Kangra fort occupied by the SikhSikhA 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"...
s after the Gorkha War but the Fort of Siba was re- captured by Raja Ram Singh after defeated the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
1846 AD
- The Sikhs cede Kangra to the HEICBritish East India CompanyThe 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...
- The Katoch kings fight for their independence against the British. Raja Pramod Chand loses the battle and is taken prisoner to Almoda – he dies there
1924 AD
- Maharaja Jai Chandra of Kangra-Lambagraon is granted the title of "Maharaja" as a hereditary distinction, and a salute of 11 guns as a personal honour.
1947 AD
- Maharaja Dhruv Dev Chandra (last ruler of Kangra-Lambagraon) merges his estate with the Dominion of IndiaDominion of IndiaThe Dominion of India, also known as the Union of India or the Indian Union , was a predecessor to modern-day India and an independent state that existed between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950...
, when India gains Independence
1972 AD
- The Princely Order is abolished in India and the Rajas of Kangra-Lambagraon become ordinary citizens
- The district of Kangra is merged with the newly founded state of Himachal PradeshHimachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
.Siba State is simply incorporated in India.
Raja Ram Singh of Sibaia clan defeated the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
and re-captured the fort of Siba
Siba
Siba or SIBA may refer to:Places:*Šiba, a village in Bardejov district of northeast Slovakia**Siba State, an erstwhile princely state in Punjab, in modern India.Siba was an independent territory directly ruled by Sibaia Clan Rulers up to 1947 and never annexed with British Government.It was simply...
State. The British attempts to conquer the Siba
Siba
Siba or SIBA may refer to:Places:*Šiba, a village in Bardejov district of northeast Slovakia**Siba State, an erstwhile princely state in Punjab, in modern India.Siba was an independent territory directly ruled by Sibaia Clan Rulers up to 1947 and never annexed with British Government.It was simply...
State were thwarted by Sunder Singh (Raja Sahib), brother of Raja Ram Singh. Sunder Singh also established Tantpalan domense. Tantpalan domense, presently, falls in District:Hoshiarpur(Punjab).
Katoch
- At present, MaharajaMaharajaMahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Adityadev Chand Katoch is the present Senior head of Katoch Clan Rajputs, - Raja yogesh Katoch the junior head of Katoch Clan Rajputs.
Guleria
Raja Brijesh Chand Guleria is the head of the Guleria Clan Rajputs. Guleria Rajputs are descendants of Hari Chand Katoch who while hunting fell in well and not being found, was declared dead, his younger brother Karam Chand was declared King. 22 days later Hari Chand was found by a shepherd and later after recovering he came to know that his brother has been declared king. He then decided to carve a new principality of himself rather than go back to his younger brother and ask for his old dominion, hence he started ruling from Guler Village. Even to this day, rulers of Guler are considered elder stock and hence given precedence to Raja of Kangra.Dadwal
Also written as Dadhwal or DhadwalThe Rajput clan to which belongs the ancient ruling family of Datarpur, but said to take its name from Dada in Kangra on the Hoshiarpur border. The Ranas of Bit Manaswal. Or tableland of the Hoshiarpur Shivaliks were Dadhwal Rajputs.
The Dadhwals are found in the neighbourhood of Datarpur. The seat of their former sovereignty, and on the south west face of the Shivaliks in the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab state and Kangra and Una districts of Himachal Pradesh near Dholbaha and Janauri or Janakpuri, its ancient name, which is still used. Janak was an ancient Surajbansi ruler. The Dadhwals are a branch of the Katoch and do not intermarry the with them, or with the Gulerias or Sibayas on the ground of common decent. They have an interesting local history which describes how they wrested the tract round Datarpur from a Chang rani.
The Dadhwals have several als or families, whose name are derived from their settlements, such as Janaurach, Dholbahia, Datarpuria, Fatehpuria, Bhanowalia, Khangwarch, Naruria, Rampuria etc. Datarpur is their chief village, but they have no system of chhats and makans.