History
Origin and Foundation of Siba State
The princely state of Siba was founded around 1450 by Raja Sibarna Chand, who was the younger brother of the Raja of Guler. Because of this lineage, the state was an offshoot of Guler, which itself was a branch of the ancient Katoch dynasty of Kangra (Trigarta). The clan name Sibaia was adopted by the ruling family, derived directly from the name of the state. The capital was established at Siba, a strategically positioned town near the Beas River, surrounded by the picturesque Shivalik hills.
For more detailed historical context on the region's dynastic divisions, historians often refer to the comprehensive volume "History of the Panjab Hill States" by J. Hutchison and J. Ph. Vogel, available on the Internet Archive.
The Mughal and Sikh Periods
Like many other Rajput hill states in the Kangra Valley, Siba accepted the suzerainty of the Mughal Empire during the reign of Emperor Akbar. The rulers of Siba maintained internal autonomy while paying annual tributes to the Mughal governors. This arrangement allowed the state to preserve its cultural and traditional administrative systems relatively undisturbed for centuries.
In the late 18th century, with the decline of Mughal authority, the powerful Katoch ruler Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra asserted dominance over the neighboring hill states, including Siba. This period of local hegemony was short-lived, as the expansionist Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh soon dominated the region. Siba was seized by the neighboring state of Guler in 1808 and was formally annexed by the Sikhs in 1813. However, due to diplomatic maneuvers and historical ties, the state was partially restored to its traditional rulers in 1830 under Sikh suzerainty, before transitioning to British oversight.
The Partition and Dada-Siba Jagir
A unique geopolitical event in the state's history was the amicable division of its territory. During the reign of Raja Gobind Singh, a third of Siba's territory was partitioned and handed over to his cousin, Mian Devi Singh. This newly created estate came to be known as the Dada-Siba Jagir. The term "Dada" refers to the elder branch or ancestral land associated with this division. The dual administrative setup of Siba and Dada-Siba remains a defining feature of the region's late feudal history.
The British Era and Annexation
Following the defeat of the Sikh Empire in the Anglo-Sikh Wars, the British East India Company established direct control over the trans-Sutlej hill states. In 1849, following the Second Anglo-Sikh War, the British formally annexed Siba. While the ruling family was dispossessed of its sovereign ruling powers, the British recognized the Sibaia rulers as Jagirdars and prominent local nobles, allowing them to retain substantial landholdings and nominal administrative titles.
Art, Culture, and the Radha-Krishna Temple
Siba is highly regarded for its rich contribution to the Kangra school of miniature paintings. Under the patronage of Raja Ram Singh in the early 19th century, the state witnessed a cultural renaissance. The most significant monument from this era is the magnificent Radha-Krishna Temple located in Dada-Siba. Constructed around 1835, the temple is renowned for its vibrant murals and frescoes that depict scenes from the Bhagavata Purana, the Ramayana, and royal courtly life, utilizing natural stone pigments that remain remarkably preserved to this day.
Details about the architectural preservation and heritage status of these monuments can be explored on the official Kangra District Portal.
Post-Independence and Modern Era
Following India's independence in 1947, the Siba and Dada-Siba estates were integrated into the Union of India. The princely territory officially merged into the newly formed province of Himachal Pradesh in 1948. With the abolition of the privy purses and royal privileges by the Government of India in 1971, the formal political authority of the Sibaia dynasty came to an end.
Today, Dada-Siba is a prominent village and heritage destination in the Pragpur tehsil of Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. It is highly visited by historians, art enthusiasts, and pilgrims who come to admire its unique architecture and historical wall paintings. For further information on the geographical and cultural layout of the area, you can refer to the Dada Siba Wikipedia Page.
Genealogy
- Raja SIBARNA CHAND, 1st Raja of Siba fl.1450
- Raja HAMI CHAND, 2nd Raja of Siba
- Raja PAHLAD CHAND, 3rd Raja of Siba
- Raja JIT CHAND, 4th Raja of Siba
- Raja UDHAN CHAND, 5th Raja of Siba
- Raja AUTAR CHAND, 6th Raja of Siba
- Raja RUP CHAND, 7th Raja of Siba
- Raja MANAK CHAND, 8th Raja of Siba, married and had issue.
- Raja Nirmodh Chand (qv)
- Mian Ram Chand
- Mian Lakhudah Chand, resided in Dada, within Siba State, married and had issue.
- Mian (name unknown), married and had issue.
- Mian Datar Chand, founder of a state, named after himself, Datarpur around 1550.
- Mian (name unknown), married and had issue.
- Raja NIRMODH CHAND, 9th Raja of Siba
- Raja JAP CHAND, 10th Raja of Siba
- Raja KILAS CHAND, 11th Raja of Siba
- Raja PRAG CHAND, 12th Raja of Siba
- Raja SANSAR CHAND, 13th Raja of Siba
- Raja NARAIN CHAND, 14th Raja of Siba
- Raja TILOK CHAND, 15th Raja of Siba
- Raja KISHAN CHAND, 16th Raja of Siba
- Raja JAI CHAND, 17th Raja of Siba
- Raja PRITHI CHAND, 18th Raja of Siba
- Raja AMAR CHAND, 19th Raja of Siba
- Raja JASWANT CHAND, 20th Raja of Siba
- Raja BHAG SINGH, 21st Raja of Siba, married and had issue.
- Raja Lakel Singh (qv)
- Raja Madho Singh (qv)
- Mian Khushal Singh, married and had issue.
- Mian Devi Singh, married and had issue (see below, alternate parentage).
- Raja LAKEL SINGH, 22nd Raja of Siba -/1750
- Raja MADHO SINGH, 23rd Raja of Siba 1750/1770, married and had issue.
- Raja Sher Singh (qv)
- Mian Shyam Singh, married and had issue.
- Mian Devi Singh, he was granted the Taluqa of Kotila in 1830; married a daughter of Raja Uchhal Pal of Bangahal, and had issue.
- Raja Bijay Singh (see below)
- Mian Gulab Singh, born , married and had issue.
- Mian Sohan Singh
- Mian Zalam Singh, married and had issue.
- Mian Karam Singh, born , married and had issue.
- Mian Dharam Singh, born , married and had issue.
- Kanwar Govardhan Singh
- Kanwar Balbir Singh, married Kanwarani Chandra Kanta Kumari, daughter of Kanwar Sunder Singh of Sirmur, and his wife, Kanwarani Pratap Devi of Kunihar, and had issue.
- Kanwar Anand Singh, married Kanwarani Rama Kumari, daughter of Kanwar Inder Singh of Koti, and his wife, Kanwarani Sita Devi, and has issue.
- Kanwar Hemant Singh
- Kanwarani Rajni Thakur, married on 24th September 1993 to Thakur Kewal Krishan and had issues, two sons.
- Tikka Kanwar Pratap Singh Thakur
- Kunvar Jai Aditya Thakur
- Kanwar Beant Singh, married Kanwarani Suresh Rani, daughter of Shri Molar Chauhan from Bhiwani, and has issue.
- Kanwar Ajay Singh, married Kanwarani Suman Lata, daughter of Kanwar Swaran Singh Dhadwal from Datarpur, and has issue.
- Kumari Angelic Singh
- Kumari Ritu Singh, married Shri Rohit Parihar, son of Shri Shiv Singh Parihar from Nawashaher, and has issue.
- Ivan Singh Parihar
- Kanwar Abhay Singh, married Kanwarani Ragini Singh, daughter of Major Bhagwan Dass from Pune.
- Kanwar Ajay Singh, married Kanwarani Suman Lata, daughter of Kanwar Swaran Singh Dhadwal from Datarpur, and has issue.
- Kanwar Sukhwant Singh, married Kanwarani Savita, daughter of Thakur Dhanichand Katoch from Uttrapur, and has issue.
- Kumari Shivani, married Shri Alok Sachdeva, son of Shri Nand Lal Sachdeva of Karnal, and has issue.
- Avi Sachdeva
- Suhani Sachdeva
- Kanwar Vikram Singh
- Kumari Shivani, married Shri Alok Sachdeva, son of Shri Nand Lal Sachdeva of Karnal, and has issue.
- Kanwar Anand Singh, married Kanwarani Rama Kumari, daughter of Kanwar Inder Singh of Koti, and his wife, Kanwarani Sita Devi, and has issue.
- Mian Suchet Singh, born , married and had issue.
- Mian Shyam Singh, married and had issue.
- Kanwar Chatterdev Singhh
- Kanwar Baldev Singh
- Mian Shyam Singh, married and had issue.
- Mian Dharam Singh, born , married and had issue.
- Mian Ratan Singh, died .
- Mian Karam Singh, born , married and had issue.
- Mian Devi Singh, he was granted the Taluqa of Kotila in 1830; married a daughter of Raja Uchhal Pal of Bangahal, and had issue.
- Raja SHER SINGH, 24th Raja of Siba 1770/1800, married and had issue. He died .
- Raja Govind Singh (qv)
- Raja GOVIND SINGH, 25th Raja of Siba 1800/1845, married five wives, and had issue. He died .
- Raja Ram Singh (Dada-Siba Jagir, see below)
- Thakur Sunder Singh (qv)
- Kumari (name unknown), married Raja Dhian Singh of Poonch.
- Kumari (name unknown), married Raja Dhian Singh of Poonch.
- Thakur Sunder Singh, revolted against the British authorities, killing some of them as well as a member of his own family, and was exiled, later settling in Hoshiarpur District of the Punjab, building a village called Tantpalan, which still exists there; he married Thakurani Ladu Devi, and had issue. He died .
- Thakur Birbal Singh (qv)
- Thakur Dula Singh, married and had issue.
- Thakur Chajju Ram
- Thakur Kirpa Ram
- Thakur Phalli Singh
- Thakur Bahadur Singh
- Thakur Birbal Singh, married Thakurani Jhalli Devi of Kungrat family (Doad Rajputs), and had issue.
- Thakur Tholu Ram, died sp in 1878.
- Thakur Sohan Singh [Sohnu Singh]
- Thakur Duni Chand (qv)
- Thakur Duni Chand, married Thakurani Mala Devi of Prithvipur, and had issue.
- Thakur Bhag Singh, married Thakurani Paro Devi, and had issue, died early.
- Thakur Suram Singh
- Thakur Jagat Ram
- Thakur Nama Ram (qv)
- Thakur Amin Chand, married Thakurani Manso Devi.
- Thakur Bhag Singh, married Thakurani Paro Devi, and had issue, died early.
- Thakur Nama Ram, married 1stly, Thakurani Lajwanti Devi, died 1939, daughter of Thakur Vakil Chand of Nari near Gagret in Himachal Pradesh, married 2ndly, Thakurani Jyanti Devi, died , daughter of Thakur Hukam Singh Dadwal (see Datarpur), and had issue. He died .
- Kunwar Mehar Chand (by 1st marriage), died young.
- Kumari Somitra Devi (by 1st marriage)
- Thakur Amar Chand (by 1st marriage) (United Kingdom)
- Thakur Anup Singh (by 1st marriage), married to Rajmata Pushpa Thakur (1940-2022) had issues.
- Dr. Ashok K. Thakur (qv)
- Pardeep Thakur
- Sanjeev Thakur
- Rajkumari Santoshave Thakur, presently working as Assistant Registrar at Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh; married to Kanwar Sandeep of Raizada Dynasty.
- Kunwar Onkar Chand (by 1st marriage), died young.
- Kumari Sheela Devi (by 1st marriage)
- Thakur Jagdish Chand (by 2nd marriage) (Chandigarh, India)
- Thakur Kuldeep Chand (by 2nd marriage) (United Kingdom)
- Kumari Leela Devi (by 2nd marriage)
- Raja Dr. Ashok K. Thakur, married and has issues, one son and a daughter.
- Tikka Dr. Thakur Digvijay Singh
- Princess Dr. Shikha Thakur, married to Advocate Mohit Rana, Advocate of Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh.
Siba (Dada-Siba) Jagir
- Raja RAM SINGH, 26th and last ruling Raja of Siba 1845/1875, he was granted lands to the value of 20,000Rs in compensation; married Rani Kulti Ganga Devi, died sp in 1880. He died sp in 1875. The state lapsed with the Raja's death, but a little later was regranted to the following.
- Raja BIJAY SINGH, 27th Raja of Siba 1875/1878, son of Mian Devi Singh, Taluqdar of Kotila and a cousin of Raja Govind Singh (see above), married and had issue. He died .
- Raja Jai Singh (qv)
- Rajkumari (name unknown), married (as his third wife), Rana Raghunath Chand of Mahilog. She died .
- Rajkumari (name unknown), married Maharaja Ranbir Singhji of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Raja JAI SINGH, 28th Raja of Siba 1878/1920, born , he was granted the title of Raja as a personal distinction on 7th August 1878, the title of Raja was conferred as a hereditary distinction on 15th March 1909 by the Viceroy, married a daughter of HH Raja Hira Singh of Bilaspur, and had issue. He died .
- Raja Gajinder Singh (qv)
- Kunwar Trilochan Singh, born , married and had issue. He died .
- Raja Shyam Singh (qv)
- Kunwar Upendra Singh, born (or 1866), married and had issue.
- Kunwar Narotam Singh
- Kunwar Raghunath Singh, married and had issue.
- Kunwar Baldev Singh, married Kanwarani Sushila Devi, daughter of Thakur Pratap Singh of Ghund, and his wife, Thakurani Rama Wati, and has issue.
- Kunwar Vijendra Singh
- Kunwar Baldev Singh, married Kanwarani Sushila Devi, daughter of Thakur Pratap Singh of Ghund, and his wife, Thakurani Rama Wati, and has issue.
- Kumari Champa Devi, born , married 1914, Kanwar Sahib Kesari Singh, Wazir of Chamba, and had issue. She died .
- Raja GAJINDER SINGH, 29th Raja of Siba 1920/1926, born , died sp in 1926.
- Raja SHYAM SINGH, 30th Raja of Siba 1926/1932, born , 3rd Viceregal Darbari in Kangra District; married and had issue. He died .
- Raja Harmahendra Singh (qv)
- Kunwar Rajbinder Singh, born .
- Raja HARMAHENDRA SINGH, 31st Raja of Siba 1932/2000, born , married 1stly, 24th April 1945, Rani Usha Devi, born in Kapurthala, died at New Delhi, daughter of Maharajkumar Mahijit Singh of Kapurthala, and his wife, Maharajkumari Anar Devi, married 2ndly (his cousin), Rani Suraj Devi, born , daughter of Kanwar Sahib Kesari Singh of Chamba, and his wife, Kanwarani Champa Devi, daughter of Raja Jai Singh of Dada-Siba (see above), and had issue. He died .
- Raja Brijendra Singh (qv)
- Rajkumar Vijay Shamsher Bahadur Singh, married Rajkumari Anita Devi, and has issue.
- Kumari Mannika Singh
- Kumari Kashish Singh
- Raja BRIJENDRA SINGH, 32nd and present Raja Saheb of Dada-Siba since 23rd May 2000. born , married 1969, Rani Devika Singh [née Dawn Jha] of New Delhi, adopted daughter of Mr. L. K. Jha, former Governor of The Reserve Bank of India, and has issue.
- Rajkumari Ambika Devi [HH Maharani Ambika Devi of Alwar], born in New Delhi, married Bhanwar Jitendra Singh of Alwar, (now HH Shri Sawai Maharaja Jitendra Singhji Virendra Shiromani Dev Bharat Dharam Prabhakar of Alwar), born in , and has issue, two daughters and a son.
- Kanwarani Krishna Kumari of Dada-Siba, married Kanwar Badri Singh of Sirmur, died , and had issue, two sons and one daughter.
- Kanwarani Urmila Devi of Dada-Siba, married Kanwar Nar Bir Singh of Sirmur, and had issue.
- Kumari (name unknown), married (as his second wife), Kanwar Jagatjit Singh of Bashahr, and had issue.
