DETAILED HISTORY OF MANDI DISTRICT (Part I- Suket)

The present district of Mandi was formed with the merger of 2 princely states Mandi and Suket on 15th April 1948 when Himachal Pradesh came into existence. 

SUKET 

The origin of the name Suket is uncertain but it may be a derivation of Sukh Sreshta which means the ‘goodland’.  Prior to its foundation the whole track was under the rule of Ranas and Thakur.  

Bir Sen : Suket was founded by Bir Sen in AD 765 who was a descendant of Sen dynasty in Bengal. He subdued many small thakurais and conquered Kullu. He founded a fort named Birkot. 

Next to Bir Sen, Bikram Sen, Dhartari Sen ruled Suket.

Lakshman Sen was made Raja at the age of 2 years on the death of Dhartari Sen.  The Raja of Kullu took advantage of the minority of Lakshman Sen and deserted independence. At Age of 14 years, he invaded Kullu again and made it a tributary to Suket. Lakshman Sen was succeeded by his son Chandrasen who died childless. His brother Bijai Sen then came to the throne.

Bijai  Sen has two sons named Sahu Sen and Bahu Sen. Sahu Sen succeeded to the throne while Bahu Sen retired to Mangalore  whose descendants in twelfth generation founded Mandi state. 

Shyam Sen had two ranis, one from Guler another from Bushahr who became pregnant at same time. The  Guleri Rani son Ram Sen was born first and was recognised as tikka . The same Rani gave birth to a second son named Prithi Singh and daughter in the due course. Bushahri Rani also had a son named Hari Singh. Bushahri Rani to see that her son is installed as the next heir apparent made a plot to kill Ram Sen through Mian Jughunam. One day Mian Jughunam finding a favourable opportunity pushed Ram Sen into the cellar.  Diligent search was made and at last it occurred to Naurang Singh, the Rajas younger brother. On this plot been discovered, the Bushahri Rani was banished from the state and the whole family of Mian Jughunam except a pregnant woman were executed. Jughanum Mians are descendants from this woman. Later on, Hari Singh was also displaced from the position of heir presumptive in favour of Prihti Singh.

Raja Jagat Singh of Nurpur was contemporary of Shyam Sen. He had conceived the design of making himself Paramount in the Hills. After subduing Chamba and Basohli, he turned towards Mandi, Suket and Guler. Mandi Raja Suraj Sen escaped the plot but Suket’s Shyam Sen and Man Singh of Guler were not so lucky. Raja Shyam Sen and his brother Naurang Singh was imprisoned at Delhi on the complaint of Raja Jagat Singh of Nurpur when they failed to furnish a contingent in an expedition to Jammu Hills. Man Singh of Guler had also been imprisoned on similar ground.

During his captivity Shyam Sen is said to have prayed to Mahunag who appeared to him in the form of a bee and was promised an early release. In 1641 AD, Raja Jagat Singh revolted against Mughal authority which paved the way for early release of Shyam Sen and others.

On his return from Delhi Shyam Sen in gratitude for his deliverance granted a Jagir of rupees 400/- a year to the temple of Mahunag owing to the Nag having appeared to the Raja in that town.

Ram Sen (1650):  Mandi and Suket had always been rivals and generally enemies.  In Ram Sen’s period the struggle for BAHL tract began.  To protect the people of Madhopur Ram Sen erected a fort and called it Ramgarh after himself.  Raja Ram Sen removed his sister to pangana on suspicion of her chastity. The suspicion was groundless and so much disgraceful that she poisoned herself. Soon after word Raja became insane and died.

Jeet Sen (1663):  Owing to his father insanity Jeet Singh had been appointed Regent. Jeet Sen’s  22 children died in infancy.

Sidh Sen, the Raja of Mandi aided by Bhim Chand of Kahlur seized the Dhar of Hatli and Fort of Birkot from Suket.

Garur Sen (1721): Jeet Singh diet childless in 1721 A.D.  Garur Sen, grandson of Hari Singh son of Rani of Bushahr who had been banished from Suket in the region of Shyam Sen. 

Sundernagar (earlier known as Baned) was founded by Garu Sen and it became capital of the state in the region of Bikram Sen.  Garu Sen’s Rani got Surajkund Temple constructed.

Capital of Suket :Baned (Sundernagar)

 

Bikram Sen (1791): had two sons Ugar Sen and Jagat Singh.

William Moorcraft (1820) was probably the first European to visit Suket on his way to Kullu.

Ugar Sen (1838): in 1845 the Sikh Army invaded British territory by crossing the Satluj and Suket was called upon to furnish contingent. But Ugar Sen joined hands with Raja of Mandi, Balbir Singh immediately after the battle of sabara had tender allegiance to the British government and both chief on 21st February 1846 visited Mr Ershine at Bilaspur. Ugrasen expelled Sikhs from the state. on March 9th 1846 A Treaty was concluded between between British and Sikhs and the City Mandi and Suket came directly under the British control and were placed in charge of commissioner of Jalandhar. In October 1846 a Sanad was granted to Suket defining rights and application of the Raja.

in 1857 family trouble taken over an attempt to arrest Wazir Narottam who builded supreme influence with Raja and his son Rudra Sen left Suket. For one and half years he remained in Jalandhar and Lahore. In 1859, Rudra Sen returned to Mandi on the occasion of marriage of Vijay Sen of Mandi to the daughter of Raja of Datarpur. Ugra Sen who was disturbed with these developments approached ‘Colonel Lake’, the commissioner of Jalandhar that if Rudra Sen did not agree to make peace, he should be directed to remove himself to a distance, so that not to cause trouble in the state. Accordingly Rudra Sen left his Rani’s in Mandi and went to Patiala. After sometime, Kahluri Rani with son Arimardan Sen joined him at Haripur in Patiala. Two years later, a daughter was born who was afterwards married to Raja of Sirmour. In 1866, a second son named Dusht Nikanden Sen was born. Narottam Purohit continue to hold the office of Wazir and he was also Wazir of Narsingji Temple .

 It is said that Purohit made a law that widows should be sold and proceeds credited to the state and their property  to the Nursing Ji Temple. Raja Ugar Sen was well versed in Sanskrit was also acquainted with music and medicine. He built temple of Shiva at Amla Bimla. In 1876, he had paralysis and died in the same year.

Rudra Sen (1876) : was installed as Raja in 1876. He was an oppressive ruler. An enquiry was set up against the oppression of Rudra Sen. On the basis of the report prepared by enquiry committee, Rudra seen was deposed in 1879.

Arimardan Sen (1879):  he was only 15 years of age at the time of installation the throne. He died at Dharamshala soon after his accession. He ruled for one month only.

Dusht Nikanden Sen (1879):  being the minor administration remained in the hands of Superintendent Sardar Hardayal Singh till his retirement in 1884 then Mr Donald was appointed wazir in 1891. Raja took interest in improvement of administration. A dispensary was open in the capital shortly after his accession school at Bhojpur in 1893, a post office in 1900 and telegraph office in 1906 were opened by him. He had two sons Bhim Sen and Duthian  Lakshman Singh.

Bhim Sen (1908) : He erected a fully equipped hospital at Baned, named the ‘King Edward Hospital’ , bulit Bungalows at Daned, Seri and Dehar and a motor road from Suket to Mandi.  For his services to British during the great war he received the King Emperor distinction of knighthood. He died in 1919 of pneumonia without leaving any issues.

Raja Lakshman Sen (1919):  was Raja of Suket from 19 from 1919 to 1948.  He took great interest in Public Work and land revenue settlement. The ‘Lakshman Bhim club’, ‘ The Prince of Wales orphan home’, and ‘Chief Court buildings’, temple at Jaroli and swimming tank in 1924 was constructed during his period.