View source for Kalsia

{{Short description|Sikh state}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox former subdivision
| native_name            = 
| conventional_long_name = Kalsia State
| common_name            = Kalsia
| nation                 = [[British India]]
| subdivision            = [[Princely State]]
| era                    = 
| year_start             = 1763
| date_start             = 
| event_start            = 
| year_end               = 1948
| date_end               = 
| event_end              = [[Independence of India]]
| event1                 = 
| date_event1            = 
| p1                     = Singh Krora Misl
| s1                     = India
| flag_p1                = Sikh flag.jpg
| flag_s1                = Flag of India.svg
| image_flag             = 
| image_coat             = Coat_of_arms_emblem_of_Kalsia_State_(1763–1948).jpg
| image_map              = Map of Ambala district (with Kalsia State) of Punjab Province, British India, published in 'The Panjab, North-West Frontier Province and Kashmir' (1916).jpg
| image_map_caption      = Map of Ambala district (with Kalsia State) of Punjab Province, British India, published in 'The Panjab, North-West Frontier Province and Kashmir' (1916)
| capital                = [[Chhachhrauli]]
| stat_area1             = 435
| stat_year1             = 1901
| stat_pop1              = 67132
| today                  = [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] & [[Haryana]], [[India]]
| footnotes              = 
}}
'''Kalsia''' was a [[princely state]] in [[Punjab (British India)|Punjab]], [[British Raj|British India]], one of the former [[Cis-Sutlej states]]. It was founded by Gurbaksh Singh Kalsia in 1760. After India's independence, it was included in [[Patiala and East Punjab States Union|PEPSU]] and later in the Indian [[East Punjab]] after the [[States Reorganisation Act, 1956]]. The area of Kalsia is now located in the modern day Indian states of [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] and [[Haryana]]. In 1940 the population of Kalsia was 67,393.<ref>''Columbia-Lippincott Gazetteer'', p. 900</ref> Kalsia was ruled by [[Jats|Jat]] [[Sikhs]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bates |first=Crispin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-xZBDwAAQBAJ&q=Jat |title=Mutiny at the Margins: New Perspectives on the Indian Uprising of 1857: Volume I: Anticipations and Experiences in the Locality |date=2013-03-26 |publisher=SAGE Publishing India |isbn=978-81-321-1589-2 |language=en}}</ref>

==Geography==
The area of Kalsia was 435&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (168 sq mi), consisting of 20 detached pieces of territory in the [[Ambala district|Ambala]] and [[Ferozepur district]]s, lying mainly between 30° 12 and 30° 25 N and 77° 21 and 77° 35 E.<ref>[https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V14_326.gif Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 14, p. 320.]</ref> It was divided into 3 major parts: two [[tehsil]]s, [[Chhachhrauli]] and [[Dera Bassi|Basi]], and a sub-tehsil named Chirak, in [[Ferozepur district]]. It had contained 181 villages in 1903. The capital of Kalsia state was [[Chhachhrauli]].

==History==
The state of Kalsia was founded by Gurbaksh Singh in 1760. He joined the [[Singh Krora Misl|Kroria Misl]] of the [[Sikh Confederacy]]. [[Ranjit Singh|Maharaja Ranjit Singh]] had granted the estate of Chhachhrauli to Raja Gurbaksh Singh, a commander of his troops and a resident of Kalsia village. Maharaja Goorbaksh Singh named the state "Kalsia" and Chhachhrauli became its capital city.

Raja Gurbaksh Singh was not famous, but his successor and son, Jodh Singh was an able person. At that time the area of Kalsia state comprised the territory between the Yamuna and the Markanda stream. Jodh Singh captured [[Dera Basi]] from Sardar Khajan Singh and also acquired territories of Lohal and Achrak. When [[Ranjit Singh|Maharaja Ranjit Singh]] attacked and occupied [[Naraingarh]] in the Shivaliks in 1807, Jodh Singh was with him. In recognition of his services, Ranjit Singh presented him territories of Badala, Kameri and Chhabbal.
[[File:Painting of Hira Singh Kalisiya (Hira Singh of Kalsia State or alternatively spelt as 'Heera Singh of Kalsia State'), from the Tazkirat al-umara, written for Col. James Skinner, ca.1830.jpg|thumb|Painting of Hira Singh Kalisiya (Hira Singh of Kalsia State or alternatively spelt as 'Heera Singh of Kalsia State'), from the Tazkirat al-umara, written for Col. James Skinner, ca.1830]]
[[File:Detail of the main tracts of territory of Kalsia State from a map created by the British East India Company of the Malwa region of Punjab showing the various polities, borders, and settlements of the area, ca.1829–1835.jpg|thumb|Detail of the main tracts of territory of Kalsia State from a map created by the British East India Company, ca.1829–1835.]]
Jodh Singh died in [[Multan]] in 1818. After his death, his son Sobha Singh assumed charge of Kalsia state and held it until his death in 1858. Lahna Singh, his successor sided with the British in crushing the revolt of 1857.

After 1858,  a period of peace started. When Lahna Singh assumed power, the Kalsia territory was intact as a British protectorate. The state's annual income was nearly [[rupees|Rs]] 300,000 per annum, and the population was around 62,000. After Lahna Singh, came Ranjit Singh Kalsia, then his son Ravi Sher Singh, and finally Ravi Karan Singh. Ravisher Singh in 1916 gave himself the title of Raja.
The Kalsia [[raja]]s held their estate until 1947, when it was merged with the Indian Union.

Both Ranjit Singh Kalsia and Ravi Sher Singh built several public utility buildings, including a charity hospital and schools. Raja Ravi Sher Kalsia Hospital was inaugurated in 1910 by Lt Governor of the Punjab, Sir Luis William Daney. The old court building still exists at Chhachhrauli. The [[dewan]] of the state used to live in a building known as ‘Janak Niwas’. The Kalsias were undoubtedly staunch [[Nanakpanthi]]s.

In volume XIX (Part 1) of the Census of India 1891, [[E. D. Maclagan]], the Provincial Superintendent of Census Operation, records: "Some eighty years ago (i.e., in 1811 AD) the grandfather of the present Lambardar of Jainpur village was carried off by the [[Sikh]] chief of Kalsia, and had all his fingers burnt off, because he refused to acknowledge that [[Nanak]] was the true Guru."<ref name=Rose/>

The state was under the political control of the commissioner of the [[Delhi]] division. Kalsi is a gotra of the Dhiman and [[Ramgarhia]] castes.

Ravisher Singh of Kalsia was the first ruler of Indian to purchase an aeroplane for himself.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Dhillon |first=Virender Singh |date=25 August 2018 |title=The ‘flying’ Sikh Raja of Chhachhrauli estate |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/haryana-tribune/the-flying-sikh-raja-of-chhachhrauli-estate-642349 |access-date=15 August 2024 |work=The Tribune}}</ref> He flew his aircraft at a speed of 161 kph (100 mph).<ref name=":0" />

== Demographics ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Religious groups in Kalsia State ([[British Punjab province]] era)
! rowspan="2" |[[Religion in India|Religious]]<br>group
! colspan="2" |1881<ref name="Census1881A">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057656 |jstor=saoa.crl.25057656 |access-date=26 December 2024 |title=Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881, vol. I. |year=1881 }}</ref><ref name="Census1881B">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057657 |jstor=saoa.crl.25057657 |access-date=26 December 2024 |title=Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881, vol. II. |year=1881 |pages=14 }}</ref><ref name="Census1881C">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25057658 |jstor=saoa.crl.25057658 |access-date=26 December 2024 |title=Census of India, 1881 Report on the Census of the Panjáb Taken on the 17th of February 1881, vol. III. |year=1881 |pages=14 }}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1891<ref name="Census1891">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25318669 |jstor=saoa.crl.25318669 |access-date=26 December 2024 |title=The Punjab and its feudatories, part II--Imperial Tables and Supplementary Returns for the British Territory |year=1891 |pages=14}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1901<ref name="Census1901">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25363739 |jstor=saoa.crl.25363739 |access-date=30 March 2024 |title=Census of India 1901. [Vol. 17A]. Imperial tables, I-VIII, X-XV, XVII and XVIII for the Punjab, with the native states under the political control of the Punjab Government, and for the North-west Frontier Province. |year=1901 |pages=34}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1911<ref name="Census1911">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25393788 |jstor=saoa.crl.25393788 |access-date=30 March 2024 |title=Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables. |year=1911 |pages=27}}</ref><ref name="Census1911B">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.62718 |access-date=30 March 2024 |title=Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II |year=1911 |pages=27 |author=Kaul, Harikishan}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1921<ref name="Census1921">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25430165 |jstor=saoa.crl.25430165 |access-date=30 March 2024 |title=Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables. |year=1921 |pages=29}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1931<ref name="Census1931">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25793242 |jstor=saoa.crl.25793242 |access-date=30 March 2024 |title=Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables. |year=1931 |pages=277}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1941<ref name="Census1941">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215541 |jstor=saoa.crl.28215541 |access-date=30 March 2024 |title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab |year=1941 |pages=42}}</ref>
|-
![[Population|{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}]]
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
|-
! [[Hinduism]] [[File:Om.svg|15px]]{{efn|name=ad-dharmi|1931-1941: Including [[Ad-Dharmi]]s}}
| 41,636
| {{Percentage | 41636 | 67708 | 2 }}
| 40,099
| {{Percentage | 40099 | 68633 | 2 }}
| 38,626
| {{Percentage | 38626 | 67181 | 2 }}
| 30,640
| {{Percentage | 30640 | 55909 | 2 }}
| 28,769
| {{Percentage | 28769 | 57371 | 2 }}
| 28,832
| {{Percentage | 28832 | 59848 | 2 }}
| 29,866
| {{Percentage | 29866 | 67393 | 2 }}
|-
! [[Islam]] [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|15px]]
| 19,930
| {{Percentage | 19930 | 67708 | 2 }}
| 20,979
| {{Percentage | 20979 | 68633 | 2 }}
| 21,921
| {{Percentage | 21921 | 67181 | 2 }}
| 18,820
| {{Percentage | 18820 | 55909 | 2 }}
| 20,394
| {{Percentage | 20394 | 57371 | 2 }}
| 21,797
| {{Percentage | 21797 | 59848 | 2 }}
| 25,049
| {{Percentage | 25049 | 67393 | 2 }}
|-
! [[Sikhism]] [[File:Khanda.svg|15px]]
| 5,923
| {{Percentage | 5923 | 67708 | 2 }}
| 7,340
| {{Percentage | 7340 | 68633 | 2 }}
| 6,453
| {{Percentage | 6453 | 67181 | 2 }}
| 6,258
| {{Percentage | 6258 | 55909 | 2 }}
| 8,014
| {{Percentage | 8014 | 57371 | 2 }}
| 9,035
| {{Percentage | 9035 | 59848 | 2 }}
| 12,235
| {{Percentage | 12235 | 67393 | 2 }}
|-
! [[Jainism]] [[File:Jain_Prateek_Chihna.svg|15px]]
| 218
| {{Percentage | 218 | 67708 | 2 }}
| 212
| {{Percentage | 212 | 68633 | 2 }}
| 181
| {{Percentage | 181 | 67181 | 2 }}
| 160
| {{Percentage | 160 | 55909 | 2 }}
| 190
| {{Percentage | 190 | 57371 | 2 }}
| 162
| {{Percentage | 162 | 59848 | 2 }}
| 188
| {{Percentage | 188 | 67393 | 2 }}
|-
! [[Christianity]] [[File:Christian cross.svg|15px]]
| 1
| {{Percentage | 1 | 67708 | 2 }}
| 3
| {{Percentage | 3 | 68633 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 67181 | 2 }}
| 31
| {{Percentage | 31 | 55909 | 2 }}
| 4
| {{Percentage | 4 | 57371 | 2 }}
| 22
| {{Percentage | 22 | 59848 | 2 }}
| 55
| {{Percentage | 55 | 67393 | 2 }}
|-
! [[Zoroastrianism]] [[File:Faravahar.svg|15px]]
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 67708 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 68633 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 67181 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 55909 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 57371 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 59848 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 67393 | 2 }}
|-
! [[Buddhism]] [[File:Dharma_Wheel_(2).svg|15px]]
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 67708 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 68633 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 67181 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 55909 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 57371 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 59848 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 67393 | 2 }}
|-
! [[Judaism]] [[File:Star_of_David.svg|15px]]
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 68633 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 67181 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 55909 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 57371 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 59848 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 67393 | 2 }}
|-
! Others
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 67708 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 68633 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 67181 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 55909 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 57371 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 59848 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 67393 | 2 }}
|-
! Total population
! 67,708
! {{Percentage | 67708 | 67708 | 2 }}
! 68,633
! {{Percentage | 68633 | 68633 | 2 }}
! 67,181
! {{Percentage | 67181 | 67181 | 2 }}
! 55,909
! {{Percentage | 55909 | 55909 | 2 }}
! 57,371
! {{Percentage | 57371 | 57371 | 2 }}
! 59,848
! {{Percentage | 59848 | 59848 | 2 }}
! 67,393
! {{Percentage | 67393 | 67393 | 2 }}
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan="15" | {{small|Note: [[British Punjab province]] era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historic [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab Province region]] during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases.}}
|}

== List of rulers ==
The rulers of Kalsia State bore the title of 'Sardar', and 1916 they adopted the title of 'Raja', including the last head of the state.<ref>[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_princes_K-W.html Princely States of India]</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
!Name
{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
!Portrait
! class="unsortable" |Reign
!Ref.
|-
! colspan="5" |'''Sardars'''
|-
|1
|Gurbakhsh Singh<br>{{Small|(died 1785)}}
|[[File:Posthumous painting of Gurbakhsh Singh, founder of Kalsia State.jpg|221x221px]]
|1763 – 1785
|
|-
|2
|Jodh Singh<br>{{Small|(1751 – 1818)}}
|[[File:Detail of a painting depicting Jodh Singh of Kalsia, ca.1850.jpg|214x214px]]
|1785 – 1818
|
|-
|3
|Sobha Singh<br>{{Small|(died 1858)}}
|
|1818 – 14 February 1858
|
|-
|4
|Lahna Singh<br>{{Small|(died 1869)}}
|<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Painting of Lehna Singh of Kalsia State.jpg|200x200px]] -->
|1858 – 19 February 1869 
|
|-
|5
|Bishen Singh<br>{{Small|(1854 – 1883)}}
|[[File:Photograph of Bishen Singh of Kalsia State, ca.1877.jpg|220x220px]]
|1869 – 10 July 1883 
|
|-
|6
|Jagjit Singh<br>{{Small|(1880 – 1886)}}
|
|1883 – 1886
|
|-
|7
|Ranjit Singh<br>{{Small|(1881 – 1908)}}
|[[File:Photograph of Ranjit Singh of Kalsia State.jpg|187x187px]]
|28 August 1886 – 1908
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|8
|Ravisher Singh<br>{{Small|(1902 – 1947)}}
|[[File:Painting of Ravi Sher Singh of Kalsia State.jpg|188x188px]]
|25 July 1908 – 1916
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
! colspan="5" |Rajas
|-
|–
|Ravisher Singh<br>{{Small|(1902 – 1947)}}
|[[File:Painting of Ravi Sher Singh of Kalsia State.jpg|188x188px]]
|1916 – 1947
|<ref name=":0" />
|}

==See also==
*[[Cis-Sutlej States]]
*[[Political integration of India]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Rose">
   ''A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North-West'',
   H.A. Rose, 1997, 532 pages, p. 340, web:
   [https://books.google.com/books?id=Th3Mu-_RwjQC&pg=PA340&dq=Kalsia+fingers+burnt&hl=en  BooksG-Th]:
   notes "carried off by the Sikh chief of Kalsia, and had...
   fingers burnt off, because he refused to acknowledge...Nanak".
</ref>
}}
{{Princely states of the Punjab and Simla Hills}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|30.25|N|77.37|E|region:IN_type:landmark_source:kolossus-svwiki|display=title}}

[[Category:Princely states of Punjab]]
[[Category:1763 establishments in India]]
[[Category:1948 disestablishments in India]]