Rajadom of Jammu
| [[]] map of United Rajadom of Jammu and Kashmir | |
| Winter Capital | Srinigar |
| Coordinates | latitude: 34° 4' 60" N longitude: 74° 49' 0" E |
| Summer Capital | Jammu City |
| Coordinates | latitude: 32° 43' 60" N longitude: 74° 52' 0" E |
| Government | constitutional monarchy |
| Head of State | His Royal Highness |
| Head of Government | ??? |
| Demonym | Dogri |
| Religions | |
| Official | Nimbarka Hinduism 79% |
| Other | Udasi Sikhism 18% Other 3% |
| Languages | |
| Official | Dogri |
| Other | Nepali Hindi Punjabi |
| Founding | 1820 |
| Independence | 1921 |
| Area | 26,293 km² 10,152 mi² |
| Population | 2,718,000 |
| Ethnicities | Dogra 53% Punjabi 25% indigenous tribes 32% |
| Currency | 1 Himalayan Rupee (Rs) = 20 sukaa (s) = 240 paisa (p) |
| Time zone | UTC +6:00 |
| Telephone Code | |
| ISO Code | JM |
| Registration | |
| Aviation | JMM |
| Amateur radio | JMM |
| Radio prefix | JMM |
| Organizations | Himalayan Confederacy |
| Sports | |
| Official | |
| Other | |
History
Texts in bold print are points of departure.
- Jammu was founded by Raja Jambu Lochan in the 14th century B.C. During one of his hunting campaigns, he reached the Tawi River where he saw a goat and a lion drinking water at the same place. Having satisfied their thirst, the animals went their own ways. The Raja was amazed, abandoned the idea of hunting and returned to his companions. Recounting what he had seen, he exclaimed that this place, where a lion and a lamb could drink water side by side, was a place of peace and tranquility. The Raja had a palace built at this place and a city was founded around it. This city became known as Jambu-Nagar, which then later changed into Jammu.
- The city is mentioned in the Mahabharata. Excavations near Akhnoor, 20 miles (32 km) from Jammu City, provide evidence that Jammu was once part of the Harappan civilization.
- In 321 B.C. Chandragupta Maurya (340-298) conquered the Nanda Empire in a series of battles, ending with the siege of the capital city Kusumapura. He, thus founded the powerful Maurya Empire in northern India by the time he was about 20 years old.
- The Kushan Empire originally formed in the first century A.D. in ancient Bactria on either side of the middle course of the Amu Darya River in what is now northern Afghanistan and southern Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. First mentioned by the Chinese, the Kushans were originally a tribe of the Yuezhi, living north of the Great Wall and subject to the Rouran (Jwen-Jwen). During the first and early second centuries the Kushans expanded rapidly across the northern part of the Indian subcontinent at least as far as Saketa and Sarnath near Benares. Inscriptions have been found dated to the first few years of era of the most famous Kushan ruler, Kanishka which apparently began about 127. They threatened the Gupta empire but were eventually driven out of India in 528 by a Hindu coalition.
- In the early fourth century, Chandragupta II the Great Vikramaditya (375-415) conquered about twenty-one kingdoms, both inside of and outside of India. After finishing his campaign in the east and west of India, he proceeded northwards, subjugating the Parasikas (Persians), Hunas and Kambojas located in the Amu Darya Valley. After that, he proceeded to cross the Himalayas and brought the Kinnaras, Kiratas, and others in the north into India proper. He controlled a vast empire, which extended from the mouth of the Ganges in the west to the mouth of the Indus River in the east, and from what is now northern Pakistan down to the mouth of the Narmada River.
- After 480, the area was dominated by the Hephthalites and ruled from Kapisa and Kabul. Jammu is also mentioned in accounts of the campaigns of Timur.
- 1703-1725 - Dhruv Dev drove out the Mughals and re-established the independence of Jammu.
- 1725-1782 - Ranjit Dev allied with Afghanistan and increased his territory.
- 1779 - Attempted to conquer Kashmir, but failed.
- 1782-1787 - Brijraj Dev is invaded by Ranjit Singh, a vassal of Punjab.
- 1787-1797 - Sampuran Singh.
- 1797-1816 - Jit Singh, son of Mian Dalal Singh, son of Brijraj Dev, succeeded on death of cousin. Conquered by Ranjit Singh of Kashmir and annexed.
- 1816-1820 - Interregnum.
- 1820-1822 - Kishore Singh installed instead of his cousin.
- 1822-1856 - Gulab Singh, in th eTreaty of Amritsar, March 16, 1846, transfered Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit and Hazara. He abdicated on February 20, 1856 for his son. He died on June 30, 1857.
- 1856-1885 - Ranbir Singh.
- 1885-1925 - Pratap Singh.
- 1925-1961 - Hari Singh succeeded on death of father.
- 1961 - Karun Singh
- Vikrmadhitya Singh
- Mriganka Singh b. 1991
The land witnessed changes of control following invasions by the Sikhs, before finally being conquered and placed under the control of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) in the nineteenth century, becoming part of the Sikh Empire in 1816. Raja Jit Singh was expelled and found refuge in India. Ranjit Singh appointed a governor to administer the newly conquered area which was expanded in 1819 with the annexation of Kashmir by a Sikh force. In 1820, in appreciation of services rendered by the family, and by Gulab Singh (1792-1857) in particular, Ranjit Singh bestowed Jammu as a hereditary fief upon Kishore Singh. Kishore Singh died in 1822 and Gulab Singh was confirmed as Raja of Jammu by his suzerain, Ranjit Singh. After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Raja Gulab Singh asserted his independence and is thus the founder of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Gulab Singh was succeeded by his son Ranbir Singh (1830-1885) who reigned from 1857 until his death.
Ranbir Singh was succeeded by his son Pratap Singh (1848-1925), who reigned from 1885 until his death. Dissatisfied with this situation, Jammu threatened to rebel and secede from the kingdom. In an effort to quell the rising nationalism, Pratap Singh in 1921, created a dual monarchy. Each nation was set up as sovereign, but joined in a personal union with the Dogra Dynasty.
Pratap Singh was succeeded by his nephew Hari Singh (1895-1961) who reigned from 1925 until his death.
Hari Singh was succeeded by his son Karan Singh (1931-1984), who reigned from 1961 until his death.
Karan Singh was succeeded by his son Vikramaditya (1964-), who is presently reigning. In 1987, he married the Chitrangada Scindia.
Styles
- The Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir has the style of His Royal Majesty.
- The wife of the maharajah, the maharani, has the style of Her Royal Majesty.
- The heir apparent, the maharaj kumar, has the style of His Royal Highness.
- The younger sons and daughters of the maharaja have the style of Their Royal Highnesses.
Rule of Succession
Male primogeniture among the legitimate descendants of Gulab Singh.
Toponymy
According to legend, Jammu was founded by Raja Jamboolochan in the 14th century BCE. During one of his hunting campaigns he reached the Tawi River where he saw a goat and a lion drinking water at the same place. The king was impressed and decided to set up a town after his name, Jamboo. With the passage of time, the name was corrupted and became Jammu.
Government
Provinces
| Province (anchal) |
Capital | Area | Pop. | Prefectures (jilla) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jammu (J) | Jammu | 3,097 km² | 1,588,000 | Jammu (JJ) Akhnur (JA) Bishnah (JB) Ranbirsinghpur (JR) |
|
| Kathua (K) | Kathua | 2,651 km² | 550,00 | Kathua (KK) Bani (KB) Billawar (KL) Basholi (KS) Hiranagar (KH) |
|
| Doda (D) | Doda | 11,691 km² | 691,000 | Doda (DD) Bhaderwah (DB) Ramban (DR) Kishtwar (DK) |
|
| Udhampur (U) | Udhampur | 4,450 km² | 38,000 | Udhampur (UU) Ramnagar (UR) Chenani (UC) Majalta (UM) |
|
| Rajauri (R) | Rajauri | 2,630 km² | 483,000 | Rajauri (RR) Darhal (RD) Koteranka (RK) Kalakot (RK) Nowshera (RN) Thannamandi (RT) |
|
| Poonch (P) | Poonch | 1,674 km² | 23,000 | Mendhar (PM) Haveli (PH) Surankot (PS) | |
| Lahaul and Spiti (L) | Keylong | 20,236 km² | 102,000 | Kinnaur (LK) Lahaul and Spiti (LL) |
|
| Chamba (C) | Chamba | 14,925 km² | 2,314,000 | Chamba (CC) Hamirpur (CH) Kangra (CK) Una (CU) |
|
| Bilaspur (B) | Bilaspur | 10,620 km² | 1,373,000 | Bilaspur (BB) Kullu (BK) Mandi (BM) |
|
| Shimla (S) | Shimla | 9,892 km² | 1,378,000 | Shimla(SS) Simaur (SM) Solan (SL) |
Thus, the total area of the rajadom is 81,866 km², slightly smaller than *here's* Kansas.
Geography
- Sandwiched between the Vale of Kashmir to the north and the Daman Koh Plains to the south, the [[Wikipedia:Sivalik Hills|Sivalik Hills comprises most of the region of North Jammu. The Pir Panjal Range, the Trikuta Hills and the low-lying Tawi River basin add beauty and diversity to the terrain of North Jammu. The Pir Panjal range separates North Jammu from the Kashmir valley.
- South Jammu is a mountainous region with elevations ranging from about 350 metres (1,148 ft) to 6,000 metres (19,685 ft) above sea level. The drainage system is composed both of rivers and glaciers. Himalayan rivers criss-cross the entire mountain chain. South Jammu provides water to both the Indus and Ganges basins. The drainage systems of the region are the the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej and the Yamuna. The Yamuna River forms the boundary between Jammu and Nepal. These rivers are perennial and are fed by snow and rainfall. They are protected by an extensive cover of natural vegetation.
Borders
Based, as much as possible, on World Map 2001.
Jammu is bordered by on the:
North: Kashmir
East: Ladakh
Southeast: Nepal
South: Samraj
Southwest: Rajputana
West: Sikh R.S.
The Rajadom of Jammu is contiguous with *here's* Jammu portion of the Indian state of Kashmir and Jammu, and the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
Climate
- In Jammu the climate is typically monsoonal, though the region is sufficiently far west to average 40 to 50 mm (1.6 to 2 inches) of rain per months between January and March.
- In the summer, the weather is very hot and the temperature can reach 40°C (104 °F) while in July and August, very heavy though erratic rainfall occurs with monthly extremes of 650 millimetres (25.5 inches).
- In September, rainfall declines, and by October conditions are hot but extremely dry, with minimal rainfall and temperatures around 29 °C (84°F).
Economy
Demographics
Culture
National symbols
- National mammal: argali (Ovis ammon hodgsoni)
- National bird: western tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus]
- National flower: heart-lip lady's slipper (Cypripedium cordigerum)
- National tree: almond (Prunus dulcis)
- National dish: yakhni (roast lamb)
- For a crest,
- National aviation roundel:
- National instrument:
- National colors: deep saffron and blue
Dogri holidays
| Date | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 13 January | Lohri | (2010 only) |
| 20 January | Vasant Panchami | |
| 14 February | The Queen's Birthday | Mothers' Day |
| 1 March | Holi | (2010 only) |
| 14 April | Navavarsha | Dogri New Year (2010 only) |
| 24 May | The King's Coronation | |
| 4 July | The King's Birthday | Fathers' Day |
| 24 August | Raksha Bandan | (2010 only) |
| 1 September | Krishna Janmashtami | (2010 only) |
| 8 October | Navratri | (2010 only) |
| 1 October | Lakshmi Puja | (2010 only) |
| 4 November | Diwali | (2010 only) |
