The country which we call Bharat or India has many jewels in it. Many which are visible and many which are buried under the course of time. Though they exist but do not get their fair share of recognition. And one among them is Jind Riyasat. Before getting the name Jind, the city was known as Jayantipuram. With its vast historical and political presence, it’s now merely a district city to elect individuals and send them to the Assembly and Parliament.
Photograph taken in the erstwhile Jind State, Credit – Unknown
The Forgotten History
During the Great War of Mahabharat, the Pandavas did their Vijayashri Yajna to get the blessings of Maa Jayanti Devi. Devi was impressed with their dedication and blessed them with victory over Kauravas. Now on that very land stands the divine temple of Maa Jayanti.
In Sanatana Dharma, it is a mandatory practice to do the tarpan and Pind daan of their deceased family members, for a Spinda relation exists between the giver and the receiver, i.e the deceased soul and the live relative who is offering Pind to the deceased for their salvation.
And again, after winning the Mahabharata war, Pandavas returned to this divine land and did tarpan and pind daan for their deceased family at Pindara. The place was originally called Pandava Pindara, but later with the flux of time became Pandu Pindara. The place is world recognised. His Excellency Gyani Jail Singh, the President of India, has also visited Pandu Pindara and performed tarpan and Pind daan while he was in office.
A large part of the Jind’s history has succumbed to the flow of time. But the spirit of the City and its people remains lively and they are fighting to get its lost glory back.
The Riyasat
Coat of Arms, Credit – Wikipedia
The City again returned to the country’s map when in the year 1768, Raja Gajpat Singh established Jind Riyasat. In 1772, Raja had to offer Chauth to the Delhi’s Badshah and he conferred Gajpat Singh with the title of Raja. Now, the King released his own coins and constructed castles in Jind and Safidon. In 1789, Raja Gajpat Singh passed away in Safidon and the Crown passed to Raja Bhag Singh.
Raja Gajpat Singh, Credit – Jat Chiefs
Raja Bhag Singh fought a battle with Nawab of Hansi George Thomas, which lasted for a few days. Then with the help of Patiala and Kaithal, Raja defeated the Nawab of Hansi. After the death of Raja Bhag Singh in 1819, his youngest son Fateh Singh became the King of Jind.
His reign lasted for 4 years and in 1822 his son Sangat Singh became the King. He declared Sangrur as the capital. During his reign, government officials were indulged in corruption, and women frequently faced assault on their virtue, even some government officials were involved in such inhumane and immoral activities. It was that time when the people of the Riyasat were greatly displeased.
And in 1834, Sangat Singh passed away and since he had no child, his cousin Swarup Singh was declared as the next King. And when the announcement was made about him becoming the next King, Swarup Singh was in Wazidpur, a village just 10 kms away from Patiala. It was said that when he received the news of becoming the King of Jind he was grazing his buffaloes. He ran Jind Riyasat wisely when the Riyasat was under financial crisis.
Raja Swaroop Singh, Credit – Wikipedia
In 1857 during the First War of Indian Independence, Swarup Singh sided with the British. He personally led Jind Risala in the war, helping the English armies. The British Government was so pleased with him that they granted Dadri, Kharkhoda and Gohana as jagir. He died in 1864.
Jind got the new king in Raghubir Singh. He was a religious person and a loved king by the people. He treated everybody equally and had the credit to construct Bhuteshwar Mandir & Rani Talab, Gurudwara, Idgah and other religious buildings in Jind and Sangrur as well. Though he was a good King, he had to suffer the pains of the early demise of his son Balbir Singh.
However, there are two versions of the early death of Balbir Singh. One is that he fell ill and died of that illness. And another version says that Balbir Singh tried to poison the king, but was arrested by Raja Raghubir Singh. It is said that Balbir Singh was executed in Safidon for the said offence. Raja Raghubir Singh died in 1887.
His 7 years old grandson, Ranbir Singh, was made the King. And to teach the young king the working of the state, a cabinet of kids of his age was formed. Perhaps, in the entire history it was the first and only children’s cabinet that had governed any state. To run the government of Jind Riyasat, a Council of three eminent citizens was formed and till Raja Ranbir Singh attained the majority. When he reached the age of majority, the British officials visited Jind State and in a ceremony, he was officially throned as a full-fledged King by them. Raja Ranbir Singh was the only King who was conferred with the title of Maharaja.
Maharaja Ranbir Singh, Credit – Jat Chiefs
He was the longest reigning Maharaja, who ruled the Riyasat for 61 years, from 1887 to 1948. Sordidly, he was an alcoholic.
Though India got Independence on 15 August 1947, however, Jind Riyasat became part of India only on 5 March 1948. From 15 August 1947 to 5 March 1948, Maharaja Ranbir Singh was the sovereign King of Jind Riyasat. To administer eastern Riyasats of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, PEPSU (it was the union of 8 princely states – Patiala, Nabha, Jind, Malerkotla, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Nalagarh, and Kalsia) was formed. Maharaj Ranbir Singh was the senior-most among the PEPSU Kings, and it was considered that Maharaja Ranbir Singh would be the Rajpramukh of the PEPSU states.
When Maharaj Ranbir Singh was returning in a train from Delhi to Jind, Maharaja of Patiala was declared as the head of PEPSU. It is said after listening to this, Maharaja Ranbir Singh was shocked on the news and suffered a heart attack and passed away. He was the last King of the Jind Riyasat.
Maharaja Ranbir Singh was survived by two sons, of whom the eldest was Rajbir Singh and Jagatbir Singh was the younger son. A Pagadi Shamaroh or the Gaddi Nashini was organized and on the rule of Primo Geniture Rajbir Singh was unofficially declared as the King.
After independence of India, the Jind Riyasat merged into the Union of India and the government properties of Jind Riyasat resultantly also merged as government property of Union of India. Though the personal and private properties of Maharaja Ranbir Singh were inherited by both the sons – Rajbir Singh and Jagatbir Singh.
In their private partition, the properties at Sangrur fell to the share of Rajbir Singh and properties at Jind fell to the share of Jagatbir Singh. Jagatbir Singh has left for his heavenly abode and now his heirs are residing in Ranbir Villa also known as Raja ki Kothi, near village Amarhedi, Jind.
