ChloeBrogan at 01:49, 8 March 2026

2026-03-08T01:49:01Z

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{{Short description|Former Indian princely state}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2015}}
{{for|places in Iran|Baghat, Iran (disambiguation){{!}}Baghat, Iran}}
{{Infobox former subdivision
|native_name = बघाट
|conventional_long_name =Baghat State
|common_name =Baghat
|nation = [[British India]]
|status_text = [[Princely State]]
|capital = [[Solan]]
|era =
|year_start = Late 15th/early 16th century
|date_start =
|event_start=
|year_end = 1948
|date_end =
|event_end= [[Independence of India]]
|event1 =
|date_event1 =
|p1 =
|s1 = India
|flag_p1 =
|flag_s1 = Flag of India.svg
|image_flag =
|image_coat =
|image_map =
|image_map_caption =
|stat_area1 =93
|stat_year1 = 1901
|stat_pop1 = 9,490
|footnotes =
}}
'''Baghat''' was a [[princely state]] of the [[British Raj]], located in modern-day [[Himachal Pradesh]].<ref name="soszy">{{Cite web | author = Soszynski, Henry | title = Baghat | work = Genealogical Gleanings | publisher = University of Queensland | url = http://www.uq.net.au/~zzhsoszy/ips/b/baghat.html| accessdate = 2010-04-12|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110414155916/http://www.uq.net.au/~zzhsoszy/ips/b/baghat.html|archivedate=2011-04-14}}</ref> It constituted one of the [[Simla Hill States]]. It consisted of three separate parts which were almost entirely surrounded by the larger [[Patiala]] territory. The largest part comprised approximately {{convert|22|sqmi|km2}}, extending eastward from [[Solan]]. It incorporated Takroli, Bhocháli and part of the Básál [[pargana]]s. The two smaller parts comprised about {{convert|10|sqmi|km2}} and {{convert|1|sqmi|km2}} respectively, and formed the remainder of the Básál [[pargana]].<ref name="p3">Gazetteer, p. 3.</ref>

The first [[Capital city|capital]] of the state was Jaunaji, located 6 miles from Solan, 2nd Bhoch, in the pargana of Bhocháli. It was shifted in 1875 to Solan, which had a station on the Kálka–Simla railway.<ref name="p3"/>

==Etymology==
The name "Baghat" is commonly said to be derived from ''bau'' or ''bhau'', said to be a [[hill-tribe]] word meaning many, and ''ghát'', the word for a pass. Another theory suggests that it is instead a corruption of ''bára ghát'', meaning twelve ''ghát''s. This is owed to the large number of places in the area called ''ghát''.<ref name="p3"/>

==Geography==
The state lay between 30°50' and 30°55' N, and between 76°63' and 76°66' E. The region's main drainage basins are the Aswni Khad, a tributary of the [[Yamuna|Giri]], and the Gambhar, a tributary of the [[Sutlej River|Sutlej]]. The landscape is mountainous. The town of Solan was located on the highest range, which runs through what was the northern portion of the state from southwest to northwest.<ref name="p3"/>

==History==
===Early history===
The founder of the state and ruling family of Baghat is recorded variously as Basant Pál or Hari Chand Pál from [[Dhar|Dharánágri]] in the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan region]]. According to legend, Basant captured a small place in the hills of the [[Keonthal]] pargana of [[Patiala State|Patiála]], which he subsequently named [[Basantpur, Himachal Pradesh|Basantpur]], and which later came to be called [[Bassi, Himachal Pradesh|Bassi]].<ref name="p4"/> This settlement, located around six miles (10 km) from Solan, was inherited by his son Bakhsh Pál, who later annexed the [[pargana]]s of Básál, Bhocháli and Bharauli from Patiála.<ref name="p4">Gazetteer, p. 4.</ref>

The 8th rana, Bhawáni Pál, annexed the Bachhráng pargana and the territory of the Rana of [[Kasauli]]. The 16th rana, Indar Pál, who is credited with naming the state Baghát, also captured the parganas of Básál, Ghár and Taksál from Patiála.<ref name="p4"/>

The 68th ruler of Baghát, Rana Janmi Pál, is stated to have been an illustrious man. According to legend, he was presented with a ''khillat'' from the emperor in Delhi. On his way home, he was attacked by the Rai of [[Bhawana|Bhawána]] and his forces. The rai's army was defeated and the rai himself was killed, whereupon Janmi Pál became the suzerain of Bhawána.<ref name="p4"/> Upon the succession of the 73rd ruler, Rana Dalel Singh, the family thenceforth adopted the honorary suffix [[Singh]] instead of Pál.<ref name="p4"/>

===British period===
Rana Mahindar Singh, the son of Dalel Singh, is the first ruler for which historians have written records. During his reign, in 1790, Baghát regained its independence from [[Kahlur|Biláspur]], to which it appears to have been subjugated to for an unknown period of time.<ref name="p5"/> This occurred when Biláspur entered into a disastrous war with [[Nalagarh|Nálagarh]]. Baghát continued, however, as Biláspur's ally.<ref name="p5">Gazetteer, p. 5.</ref>

During the [[Gurkha War]], Mahindar Singh was a strong opponent of rising British power in the region. With the British victory, five of the rana's eight parganas were transferred to Patiála for a payment of Rs. 130,000. The remaining three parganas of Básál, Bhocháli and Takroli were returned to Mahindar Singh.<ref name="p5"/>

In 1739, Mahindar Singh died without issue, whereupon Baghát was treated as a [[Doctrine of Lapse|lapsed]] state by the British. A [[Political pensioner|pension]] to the amount of Rs. 1,282 was assigned to the royal family and the state was formally annexed to [[British India]].<ref name="p5"/>

In 1842, upon the request of Ummed Singh, a grandson of the late rana Dalel Singh, Lord Ellingham restored the state of Baghát to Bije Singh, the younger brother of the late rana. However, in 1849, he too died without leaving a direct heir, and the state again was deemed lapsed and was annexed according to the doctrine.<ref name="p5"/> Ummed Singh then established a claim to the throne for himself, and pleaded his case before the Court of Directors. It was initially rejected, but eventually in 1861, upon the recommendation of [[Lord Canning]], the claim was recognised by the court. Ummed Singh received the news on his death bed, and nominated his son, Dalip Singh, as his successor.<ref name="p5"/>

In January 1862, a [[sanad (deed)|''sanad'']] was issued conferring the state of Baghát on Dalip Singh, then a child of two years. The restoration saw a significant reduction in tribute paid by the state to the British Raj, due to the outright deduction of territory returned.<ref name="p5"/>

====Rulers====
The rulers bore the title of [[Rana (title)|Rana]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_princes_A-J.html|title=Indian Princely States before 1947 A-J|website=www.worldstatesmen.org|access-date=2019-08-25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rulers.org/indstat1.html|title=Indian states before 1947 A-J|website=rulers.org|access-date=2019-08-25}}</ref>

* Rana Mohindar Singh (b. ... - d. 1839) 1803 – 1839
* Rana Bije Singh (b. ... - d. 1849) 1842 – 1849
* Rana Umaid Singh (b. 1825 - d. 1861) 1861
* Rana Dhalip Singh (b. 1859 - d. 1911) 15 Jan 1862 – 30 Dec 1911
* Rana Durga Singh (b. 1901 - d. 1977) 1912 – 4 Jun 1928
* Raja Durga Singh (s.a.) 4 Jun 1928 – 15 Aug 1947

===Partition period===
The last ruler of Baghát was Durga Singh, who succeeded his father in 1911 as a [[Minority reign|minor]]. In June 1928, he was accorded the hereditary title of [[Raja]]. Raja Durga Singh acceded his state to the [[Dominion of India|Union of India]] on 15 April 1948. He died in 1977.<ref name="soszy"/> The current head of the Baghát lineage is his grandson, Keshvinder Singh, who succeeded on 27 April 2004.<ref name="soszy"/>

==See also==
*[[List of Indian princely states]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{Cite book|title=Gazetteer of the Simla Hill states|publisher=Indus Publishing Company|chapter=7: Baghat State Gazetteer|year=1910|isbn=978-81-7387-033-0}}

{{coord|30.525|N|80.645|E|region:IN_type:landmark_source:kolossus-svwiki|display=title}}
{{Princely states of the Punjab and Simla Hills}}
[[Category:Princely states of Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Rajput history]]
[[Category:15th-century establishments in India]]
[[Category:1948 disestablishments in India]]

Baghat - Revision history

ChloeBrogan at 01:49, 8 March 2026