HH Raja Muhamad Akbar Khan

HH Raja Muhamad Akbar Khan
Raja of Bhimber

Chib Rajgan

His Highness Raja Muhammad Akbar Khan of Princely State of Bhimbar












Raja Muhammad Akbar Khan

The Picture is of Chief of Chib Tribe His Highness Raja Muhammad Akbar Khan(Late) of Princely State of Bhimbar. He was the great-great grandson of HH Raja Sultan Khan the second last ruler of Bhimbar. In 1810 the first attempt by Maharaja Ranjit Singh was made to subdue the States of the Chiban, as a necessary preliminary, and a force was sent against Bhimbar. At that time the ruler was Raja Sultan Khan(Wali-e-Bhimbar), a brave and resolute man, who made a determined resistance, but had finally to submit and pay Bs. 40,000 in tribute. A large portion of the territory was at the same time made over to a relative, named Ismail Khan, probably with the idea! of weakening the State. For two years Sultan Khan was left in peace, but in 1812 a conflict took place between him and Ismail Khan, in which the latter was killed. On hearing of this Ranjit-Singh at once dispatched a 51k force from Lahore, under the nominal command of Prince Kharak Singh. Sultan Khan took up a strong position on a height above the town of Bhimbar, which was practically unassailable, and the Sikhs were defeated and had to retreat. Another force was dispatched in support, but meanwhile negotiations had been opened with Sultan Khan by the Sikh Commander. The terms offered were that the territory should be restored and that the Raja should be treated with honour. On these terms he was persuaded to accompany the Sikhs to Lahore, and on his arrival Ranjit-Singh refused to be bound by the conditions entered into, and committed Sultan Khan to prison in the Lahore Fort, putting him in irons. There he remained for six years. The State was annexed and conferred in jagir on Prince Kharak Singh!In 1819 Ranjit-Singh made his final and successful advance on Kashmir, Ranjit Singh liberated Raja Sultan Khan and furnished him with a large contingent of Dogras for the conquest of Kashmir. But the friendship was not of long duration. The brothers Dian Singh and Gulab Singh were alarmed at the prospect of an extension of Sultan Khan's territories, and determined to be rid of him. He was invited to visit Jammu, and was there assassinated by Gulab Singh’s servants while engaged in prayer on the walls of the newly-built Mandi Palace. The Maharaja- professed great anger at the news of this treacherous murder, and permitted Sultan Khan's son Faiz Talib Khan to succeed to the chief ship, then worth nearly nine lakhs of rupees per annum.

But he was dispossessed by Raja Gulab Singh on the death of Ranjit Singh, though subsequently reinstated in a portion at the instance of Maharaja Sher Singh. After the giving over of Jammu and Kashmir to Maharaja Gulab Singh, it became necessary to take measures for the protection and maintenance of the minor hill chiefs, who, much against their will had been included in the “properties” forming part of the contract. The matter was arranged in 1847 by Sir Henry Lawrence, Agent and Resident at Lahore, on the one part, and by Diwan Jwala Sahai, the Maharaja’s Minister, on the other. It was agreed that such of the chiefs as elected to settle in British territory should receive perpetual pensions, amounting in the aggregate to Rs., 42,800 annually; the Maharaja ceding to, the British Government the ilaka of Sujanpur, part of Pathankot, and certain lands between the Beas and Chaki rivers north of Gurdaspur in satisfaction of the demands, which were to be met from the British treasuries. The Raja Faiz Talib Khan (Son of Raja Sultan Khan), styled (Bhimbarwala ) by Sir Henry Lawrence, was allowed hereunder a cash pension of Rs. 10,000 per annum, the same being declared perpetual in his family, to be enjoyed undivided by one individual at a time. This arrangement did not of course please Faiz Talib, who thus found himself invested with a small pension in lieu his patrimony. But he was obliged to accept what had been fixed for him by Sir Henry Lawrence, as there was no hope of getting better terms from the Maharaja. He took up his abode at Shahdara near Lahore; and be it recorded to his credit that he and his relatives have ever since proved themselves thoroughly loyal to the new Power. His son Fazldad Khan was appointed a Risaldar-Major on the Frontier, but became insane after a few years service, and died without recovering his health. Shortly before his death, in 1870, Faiz Talib Khan took up his abode at Sayadpur in the Jhelum district for the sake of sport, to which he was devoted. The perpetual family pension passed to his grandson, Raja Ali Bahadur Khan, who was a Provincial Darbari and served as Extra Assistant Commissioner in the Rawalpindi Division. His son, Raja Muhammad Akbar Khan, was a Naib-tahsilar, but was compelled to resign on account of the precarious state of his father's health. He is now a Member of the Jhelum Municipality and since his father’s death in 1908 has succeeded to the family pension and seat in Provincial Darbari, and to the hereditary title of Raja(*Raja Muhammad Akbar Khan was the Last Raja of the Line who was getting the royality/pension. The pension stopped after partition).

Friday 10 August 2012

Raja Porus (Raja Parmanand Chand Katoch)

Raja Porus (Raja Parmanand Chand Katoch)
Facing Alexender of Meccedonia -Year 326 BC

Battle of Hydaspes

The battle of Hydaspes River was a battle fought by Alexander the Great 326 BC against the Indian king Porus on the Hydaspes River (now the jhelum) in punjab.That area was included in the the kingdom of king Porus and it's capital was Nagar-Kot (Now kangra-Hamchal pardesh India). The battle was the last major war fought by Alexander.The original name of Raja Porus was Raja Parmanand Chand Katoch and was the 280th king of the royal line of Katoch dynasty.He was titled PORUS by the King of Persia. In persian language the word PORUS means BRAVE.As mentioned in the history below the Chibs are the decendents of 455th king of Katoch dynasty.