MaynardPerkin72 at 09:34, 5 May 2026

2026-05-05T09:34:50Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2017}}
{{Short description|Museum in Haryana, India}}
{{Infobox museum
| name = Jahaj Kothi Museum
| image = Fort_of_Firoz_Shah_Tughlaq_at_Hisar.jpg
| map_type = India Haryana#India
| map_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|29.166306|75.720587|display=inline}}
| established =
| dissolved =
| collection =
| location = [[Firoz Shah Palace Complex]], [[Hisar (city)|Hisar]], [[Haryana]], [[India]]
| type = Museum
| visitors =
| director =
| curator =
| publictransit = Hisar bus stand, [[Hisar Airport]], [[Hisar Junction railway station]]
| website = {{url|1=http://haryanatourism.gov.in/showpage.aspx?contentid=5262}}
}}
[[File:James Skinner CB (1778 – 1841) , 19th century.jpg|right|250px|thumb|[[James Skinner (East India Company officer)|James Skinner]] CB (1778–1841), 19th century. Probably from Thomas Metcalfe's book dated 1843.]]

The '''Jahaj Kothi Museum''' in [[Hisar (city)|Hisar]], [[Haryana]], [[India]], originally an 18th-century Jain temple which was also the residence of [[George Thomas (soldier)|George Thomas]] ({{circa|1756}} – 22 August 1802) and [[James Skinner (East India Company officer)|James Skinner]] ({{circa|1778}} – 1841), is located inside the [[Firoz Shah Palace Complex]] which lies in front of [[Hisar Bus Stand]].<ref name=HT-JK1>[http://haryanatourism.gov.in/showpage.aspx?contentid=5262 Jahaj Kothi museum]</ref>

==History==
''Jahaj Kothi Museum'' is a later era building located inside [[Firoz Shah Palace Complex]] and maintained by [[Archaeological Survey of India]]. It is called the {{lang|hi|jahaj}}, Hindi for the ''ship'' as its shape resembles a ship. It was originally a Jain temple which was later used as residence by the Irish mercenary adventurer [[George Thomas (soldier)|George Thomas]] ({{circa|1756}} – 22 August 1802).

George's father was a poor Catholic tenant farmer near Roscrea who died when George was a child. Originally [[Impressment|press-ganged]] at [[Youghal]], where he worked as a labourer on the docks, Thomas deserted from the British Navy in [[Madras]] in 1781. Still illiterate, he led a group of [[Pindari]]s north to [[Delhi]] by 1787, where he took service under [[Begum Samru]] of [[Sardhana]]. Supplanted in her favour by a Frenchman, he transferred his allegiance to Appa Rao, a [[Maratha|Mahratta]] chieftain.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} He carved out an independent kingdom in the districts of Rohtak and Hissar and made [[Hansi]] as his capital.<ref name=gaz/> During his short period of rule, he established a mint in Hansi and released rupees of his own kingdom. His area of control included area from [[Ghaggar]] to [[Beri, Jhajjar|Beri]] in south and from Meham to Baharda in west. He rebuilt Hansi, which was in ruined state and built defensive walls and fortifications.<ref name=gaz/>

In 1796 AD, George rebuilt ''Jahaj Kothi'' at [[Hisar (city)|Hisar]], [[Haryana]] which was his residence. He ruled the area independently up to 1801, when he was driven out by Sikh-Maratha-French confederacy.<ref name=gaz>{{cite web|title=Haryana District Gazetteers|url=http://revenueharyana.gov.in/html/gazeteers/gazetteer_india_hisar.pdf|website=Gazetteer of India, Haryana|publisher=Haryana Gazetteers organisation, Revenue Department, Haryana|accessdate=8 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140501213030/http://revenueharyana.gov.in/html/gazeteers/gazetteer_india_hisar.pdf|archive-date=1 May 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was finally defeated and captured by Scindia's army under General [[Pierre Cuillier-Perron]]. He died on his way down the Ganges on 22 August 1802.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

After George's defeat, this was taken over by [[James Skinner (East India Company officer)|James Skinner]] ({{circa|1778}} – 1841) who also used this as his residence. It lies near the locality called {{lang|hi|jahaj pul}} or "{{lang|hi|jahaj}} bridge" which still exists in the form of a ramp road to its east between this building and auto market. [[Archaeological Survey of India]] use this as its site office and maintains a small museum inside.<ref name=HT-JK1/><ref name=JK2>[http://hisar.gov.in/historyhisar.aspx Hisar district history]</ref><ref name=JK3>[http://araxus.org/hisar-i_firuza_6.html Araxus books - Hisar-i-firuz]</ref>

[[Colonel (United Kingdom)|Colonel]] [[James Skinner (East India Company officer)|James Skinner]] <small>[[Companion in The Most Honourable Order of the Bath|CB]]</small> (1778 – 4 December 1841) was an [[Anglo-Indian]] military adventurer in [[India]], who became known as {{lang|hi|Sikandar Sahib}} later in life, and is most known for two cavalry regiments he raised for the British, later known as [[Skinner's Horse|1st Skinner's Horse]] and [[3rd Skinner's Horse]] (formerly 2nd Skinner's Horse) at [[Hansi]] in 1803, which still are a part of the [[Indian Army]]<ref>[http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/exhibitions/shortVisits/iconic/page9.shtml Colonel James Skinner CB] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218033415/http://national-army-museum.ac.uk/exhibitions/shortVisits/iconic/page9.shtml |date=18 December 2010 }} ''[[National Army Museum]]'' ([[British Army]]).</ref>

In 2009, it was notified as a protected monument and subsequently upgraded into a regional archaeological museum.<ref name=upgr1>[https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/an-irishmans-rebellion-against-the-british-set-in-brick/ An Irishman’s rebellion against the British, set in brick], THe Tribune, 9 Aug 2025.</ref>

== Building material ==
Built in 18th century, the building is constructed of burnt [[Mudbrick|mud and clay bricks]] and [[Mortar (masonry)|mortar]] made of [[Lime mortar|lime]], [[sand]], and [[Mortar (masonry)#Ancient mortar|surkhi]].<ref name=harArch1>[http://archaeologyharyana.nic.in/arc3.html Dept of Archaeology Haryana]</ref> Surkhi is made by grinding to powder burnt bricks, brick-bats or burnt clay, used as a substitute for sand for concrete and mortar, has almost the same function as of sand but it also imparts some strength and [[Hydraulic lime|hydraulicity]].

==Departments and collections==
This zonal museum, maintained by the [[Haryana State Directorate of Archaeology & Museums]],<ref name=HarArch1>[http://archaeologyharyana.nic.in/ Haryana State Directorate of Archaeology & Museums]</ref> houses 193 artefacts,<ref name=upgr1/> which includes he following:

* [[Indus Valley Civilisation|Indus-Saravati Valley Civilisation]] artifacts excavated from western Haryana.<ref name=upgr1/>
** [[Rakhigarhi]] (4600 BCE to 1900 BCE):<ref name=upgr1/>
** [[Kunal, Haryana|Kunal]] (5000 BCE - 2800 BCE): symbolic motifs such as peacocks.<ref name=upgr1/>
** [[Banawali]] (2500 BCE - 1450 BCE): terracotta figures, painted pottery, and Horned Deity pot.<ref name=upgr1/>

* [[Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty]] (8th to 11th centuries CE): sculptures of deities such as [[Vishnu]], [[Shiva]], [[Surya]] and [[Mahishasura Mardini]] as well as the architectural fragments from ancient temples destroyed by [[Islamic invasion of India]].<ref name=upgr1/>

* [[Jain]] artifacts

* [[George Thomas (soldier)|George Thomas]]'s inscription stone in English and [[Persian language|Persian]] who had renovated this Jain temple to use as his residence.<ref name=HT-JK1/><ref name=JK2/><ref name=JK3/>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:James Skinner tomb (St James, Delhi).JPG|Marble slab of Skinner's tomb in [[St. James' Church, Delhi|St. James' Church]] or [[Skinner's Church]], [[Kashmiri Gate (Delhi)|Kashmiri Gate]], [[Delhi]]

File:St. James' Church, Delhi, India.jpg|[[St. James' Church, Delhi|St. James' Church]] or [[Skinner's Church]], [[Kashmiri Gate (Delhi)|Kashmiri Gate]], [[Delhi]]

File:Skinner's Horse party, in a folio from 'Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi’, an album by Thomas Metcalfe, 1843.jpg|[[Skinner's Horse]] party.Folio from 'Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi’, an album by [[Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe, 4th Baronet|Sir Thomas Metcalfe]], 1843.

File:A Khattri nobleman, in {{lang|ar-Latn|Kitab-i tasrih al-aqvam}} by Col. James Skinner, aka Sikandar (1778-1841).jpg|A [[Khatri]] nobleman, in {{lang|ar-Latn|Kitab-i tasrih al-aqvam}} by Col. James Skinner

File:Portrait of Ranjit Singh, Maharaja of the Punjab, 1830.jpg|A folio of {{lang|ar-Latn|Tazkirat al-umara}} by James Skinner, 1830, depicting Portrait of Maharaja [[Ranjit Singh]] of the Punjab.
</gallery>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}

* [[History_of_Haryana#Museum|List of Museums in Haryana]]

* [[Khwaja Khizr Tomb]] at Sonipat
* [[Haryana State Museum]] at Panchkula
* [[Pranpir Badshah tomb]], Panchyat Bhawan in Hisar Govt College ground
* [[Haryana Rural Antique Museum]] at HAU Hisar
* [[Rakhigarhi Indus Valley Civilisation Museum]] near Hisar
* [[Asigarh Fort]]
* [[Sheikhpura Kothi]] near Hansi
* [[Dharohar Museum]] at Kurukshetra University
* [[Kurukshetra Panorama and Science Centre]] at Kurukshetra
* [[Shrikrishna Museum]] at Kurukshetra
* [[Rewari Railway Heritage Museum]] at Rewari railway station
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

===Works cited===
* {{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Thomas, George |volume=26 |page=866}}

{{Haryana}}
[[Category:Museums in Hisar]]

Jahaj Kothi Zonal Museum - Revision history

MaynardPerkin72 at 09:34, 5 May 2026