Jind State

Jind State (also spelled Jhind State) was a princely state located in the Punjab region of north-western India. The state was 3260 km2 in area and its annual income was Rs.3,000,000 in the 1940s. Jind was founded and ruled by Jat Sikh rulers of Sidhu clan.

Location
The area of the state was 1259 square miles in total and it ranged from Dadri, Karnal, Safidon, and Sangrur.

Origin
The ruling house of Jind belonged to the Phulkian dynasty, sharing a common ancestor named Tiloka with the Nabha rulers. Tiloka was the eldest son of Phul Sidhu of the Phulkian Misl. The Jind rulers descend from Sukhchain Singh, the younger son of Tiloka. The Jind State was founded in 1763. Other sources give a date of 1768 for the founding of the state.

Gajpat Singh, son of Sukhchain Singh and great-grandson of Phul, launched a rebellion against the Mughal authority based out of Sirhind. He established the state in 1768 and made Sangrur its capital. Gajpat was bestowed with the title of Raja by the Mughal emperoer Shah Alam in the year 1772. As a mark of sovereignty, the Sikh raja minted coins bearing his name. Gajpat Singh ordered the raising of several fortresses, whom were constructed using lakhauri (thin burnt-clay) bricks in the year 1775. One of the forts was built to the left of the present-day Rani Talab and the second was built to the right of present-day Tanga Chowk. There was a family connection shared between Jind State and the Sukerchakia Misl, due to the fact that Gajpat's daughter, Raj Kaur, was the mother of Maharaja Ranjit Singh whom founded the Sikh Empire.

After the passing of Gajpat, his son Bhag Singh succeeded to the throne of Jind in 1789. Bhag Singh is notable as being the first cis-Sutlej or Phulkian Sikh ruler to develop amicable ties with the British East India Company, which developed into a state of allyship between the two parties.

British era
It was part of the Cis-Sutlej states until 25 April 1809, when it became a British protectorate. After Bhag Singh died, he would be succeeded by Fateh Singh, who in-turn was followed by Sangat Singh. After the death of Sangat Singh, the throne went to his cousin, Swarup Singh. Then the throne passed to Swarup's son, Raghubir Singh. Raghubir Singh did produce an immediate heir in the form of a son named Balbir Singh, but his son had died while young so the line of succession passed to his grandson, Ranbir Singh, who is described as a "philanderer, an extravagant and a philanthropist". Ranbir is noted for being the longest reigning ruler of the Phulkian dynasty. He had twelve children born from his four wives.

During the First World War, the Jind Imperial Service Regiment saw conflict. The state was awarded with a fifteen-gun salute.

On 20 August 1948, with the signing of the instrument of accession, Jind became a part of the Patiala and East Punjab States Union of the newly independent India on 15 July 1948.

Postage stamps prior to King George V consisted of Indian stamps over printed as "Jhind State", with the letter 'H' in the name. On the George V stamps, the 'H' is omitted and is overprinted as "Jind State" (Reference actual stamps from the Victorian, Edward VII and George V eras).

Post-independence
Ranbir Singh died on 31 March 1948, shortly after he signed the instrument of accession. He was succeeded by his son Rajbir Singh. Rajbir died in 1959 and in-turn was succeeded by his brother named Jagatbir Singh. However, Rajbir's son named Satbir Singh, claims to have been crowned as a successor to his father, leading to a dispute between the brother and son of the late Rajbir.

After the division of Punjab in 1966, the former territories of Jind State were given to the then newly formed state of Haryana. Thus, Jind town and district now form a part of Indian state of Haryana.

The family of the former Jind rulers are mired in family divisions and conflicts over shares of their declining wealth. The Jind royals currently reside at Raja ki Kothi on Amarhedi Road.

Heritage conservation
Many monuments and structures related to the erstwhile Jind state lie in disrepair and disregard and few efforts are being taken to conserve them, in-contrast to the heritage of Patiala and Nabha states. Two historical forts (both constructed in 1775 and were located near Rani Talab and Tanga Chowk) related to the history of the state were demolished in the 1990s to make way for newer developments, such as shopping bazaars, a Doordarshan Relay Centre, and parks. There was also a third Jind fort that was demolished in the 1990s as well, it was located beside the fort near Rani Talab. The land the former forts stood on has also suffered from illegal encroachments. Many historical artefacts related to the state have been looted and smuggled. The city of Jind was also known for its three city-gates connected by a border wall, which were named Jhanjh Gate, Ramrai Gate, and Safidon Gate, however these gates have not survived to the present-day. Efforts are ongoing to have the ASI declare the buildings of Rani Talab, Raja-Ki-Kothi, and Khunga Kothi as protected heritage sites. Indo-Saracenic buildings of Jind have fallen into a decrepit condition.