Hill States of India
[2] The term "Punjab Hills" is now only generally used in the present-era to describe painting styles produced in the courtly settings of Mankot, Guler, Kangra, Kulu, Mandi and Basohli states.
[3] The term Dogra is thought to derive from Durgara, the name of a kingdom mentioned in an eleventh century copper-plate inscription in Chamba.
According to Mira Seth, the Durgara region was situated between the outer hills located between the Ravi and Chenab rivers and was derived from a tribal name.
In modern times, the term Dogra turned into an ethnic identity, claimed by all those people that speak the Dogri language.
[6] The Dogras claim descent from migrants who originated from the present-day regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal prior to the Islamic invasions of the Indian subcontinent.
[6] Most of the ruling families of the Pahari Hill States traditionally trace their ancestry back to Ayodhya, claiming descent from Sumitra, who was the last descendant of the Suryavanshi lineage of Rama.
[7] According to local mythology, Jambu decided to construct a settlement at Jammu after he witnessed a wild goat and lion drinking from the same water-hole in a forest that was located at the site, being impressed by how two species of predator and prey could peacefully co-exist.
[9] The first historical mention to a Pahari ruler relates to two copper-plate inscription dated to the years 1056 and 1066 that eulogize the feats of Raja Sahilavarman of Chamba State (r.
[10] The Dogra-ruler Vajradhara is said to have allied with Trigarta (Kangra), Vallapura (Balaor), Vartula (Batal), and Thakkuras of the Chandrabhaga Valley, to pledge alliegance to Bhikshachara of Kashmir.
[3] With the capture of the Kangra Fort by the Mughal forces under Jahangir (r. 1605–1627), it allowed Mughal-influence to more effectively permeate into the Punjab Hills.
[9] Due to the invasion of northern India by the Persians in 1738–39 under Nader Shah, and the subsequent invasions by the Durrani Afghans under the leadership of Ahmad Shah Durrani, central Mughal authority collapsed, which allowed the Sikhs to rise in the Punjab Plains and the Pahari Rajput states to re-cement their independence in the Punjab Hills.
[3] By the closing years of the 18th century, the Sikh leader Ranjit Singh had emerged as the hegemonic ruler of much of the Punjab Plains, with his influence shortly after reaching the hill states.
[3] However, the Kangra-ruler Raja Anirudh Chand (r. 1823–28) left the Kangra estate in 1828 and brought his sisters with him to prevent such a marriage from taking-place.
The other, all far smaller, princely states, including a few with some petty dependencies of their own, were further south, on the left bank of the Sutlej : NB - For various of the entities above, the authentic title of the chieftain is missing.
