Kalsia

Kalsia was a princely state in east Punjab (in Haryana since 1966) in India. It was founded by Gur Bakhash Singh in 1760. After independence it was included in Indian Punjab.

Geography

Its area was 497 km²/168 square miles consists of 20 detached pieces of territories in Ambala and Ferozepore districts lying mainly between 30° 12 and 30° 25 N and 77° 21 and 77° 35 E. It is divided into two tehsils Chhachhrauli and Basi and a sub tehsil Chirak in district Ferozepur and comprises 181 villages in 1903. Chhachhrauli was the capital of Kalsia state.Record about this state is present in Chandigarh

History

Kalsia state was founded by Gur Bakhash Singh in 1760. He was Jat who joined Kroria misl. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had granted the estate of Chhachrauli to Gurbaksh Singh, a commander of his troops and a resident of Kalsia village. Goorbaksh Singh started a state called Kalsia. Chhachrauli became its capital.

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 Dehra Bassi from Sardar Khajan Singh and also acquired territories of Lohal and Achrak. When 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.Jodh Singh died in Multan in 1818. After his death,his son Sobha Singh assumed charge of Kalsia state and held it till his death in 1858. Lahna Singh, his successor sided the Britishin 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 Rs 3 lakh 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.The Kalsia rajas held their estate till 1947 when it was merged with the Indian Union.Both Raja Ranjit Singh Kalsia and Raja 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 Panjab Sir Luis William Daney. The old court building still exists at Chhachrauli.The dewan of the state used to live in an impressive building known as ‘Janak Niwas’.The Kalsias were undoubtedly staunch Nanakpanthis.

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."

The state was under the political control of the commissioner Delhi division.