Jodhbir Chand
Raja of Nadaun (1823 - 1873)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Early life and background
He was born in 1815 to Sansar Chand and a concubine of his by the name of Gulab Dassi.[1][2] He was a member of the Katoch dynasty.[3] His ancestors had ruled the Kangra for centuries.[3] He gave two of his sisters, Mehtab and Raj, in marriage to Ranjit Singh, the Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.[3][4]
Reign
Ranjit Singh conferred on him the title of Raja and a jagir of Nadaun that yielded an annual revenue of Rs. 100,000 in 1823.[3][5] He initially acquired great influence at Lahore, being a personal favourite of Ranjit Singh.[3] However, over the years, their friendship lessened.[3] He was gradually stripped of the jagir lands until his income dropped to just Rs. 30,000.[3] From 9 March 1846 onward—when Kangra was ceded to the East India Company by his brother-in-law, Ranjit Singh—he pledged loyalty to the Company.[6] During the Katoch insurrection in Kangra (1848–49), he sided with the British.[6][7] As a reward, the British confirmed his jagir upon the annexation of Kangra.[8] During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, he once again supported them and sent his second son to fight on their side.[6][7] His son was awarded the Order of Merit for his services.[6]
Death
He died in 1873 and was succeeded by Amar Chand as the Raja of Nadaun.[9][10] Upon his death, the then Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, Robert Henry Davies, paid tribute to him in the following words:[11]
... whose upright and honourable character had secured the respect and esteem of all , while he had discharged the duties of his position to the entire satisfaction of Government.
Honours
In 1868, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India and was granted a salute of seven guns.[8]