The Rajputs in Himachal Pradesh are members of the Rajput community living in the North Indian Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. They ruled a majority of kingdoms of the region[1][2] and even dominate in Himachal Pradesh politics. The kingdoms of the Hill States of India were mostly in the present day state of Himachal Pradesh, and mostly had Rajput rulers.[1][3] All of the Chief Ministers who served Himachal Pradesh except for Shanta Kumar belong to the Rajput caste.[4] The Rajputs of Himachal Pradesh fought battles with Tughlaq, Mughal, and Sikh forces, most notable being the Battle of Bhangani, when the Hill States made an alliance against the Sikhs.[5][6] While some Rajput kingdoms and clans have a long history in Himachal Pradesh, others were established due to the Rajput migrations to the hill regions mostly due to the Islamic invasions.[7]
The Kangra kingdom was established by the Rajputs of the Katoch dynasty, and ruled the kingdom from the 11th century to 1810, when it was annexed by the Sikh Empire.[8] In 1333 during the Battle of Kangra, the Katoch kings successfully retreated the Tughlaq forces of Firuz Shah Tughlaq.[9] The Kangra rulers built the Kangra Fort, which is one of the largest forts of the state.[10]
The Bilaspur kingdom was ruled by a Chandel[11] dynasty. Earlier, the kingdom was known as Kahlur, which later was renamed to Bilaspur. The last Maharaja, Anand Chand, acceded to India following the independence. The kingdom fought wars against the Mughal and Sikh forces of Guru Gobind Singh, such as the Battle of Bhangani and the Battle of Anandpur (1682).
With having the original name as Dhameri,[12] The Nurpur kingdom was ruled by a Pathania dynasty, which is believed to be an off-shoot of the Tomaras of Delhi.[12] A prominent ruler of Nurpur was Raja Jagat Singh, who often faced conflicts with the Mughal rulers due to taxes and even changed the kingdom's name to Nurpur.[13]
Chamba was a princely state during the British Raj, which belonged to the Mushana dynasty of Rajputs, which is of the Suryavanshi branch.[14]
The Sirmur kingdom was ruled by a Bhati dynasty, which claimed descent from Jaisalmer.[15] The state during the British era was an 11 gun-salute state. The kingdom faced invasions from the Gurkhas of Nepal.[16]
The kingdom of Dhami was ruled by a Chauhan dynasty, and was the only Chauhan ruled state of the region.[17] They settled in the hills following the Ghurid invasion of Delhi, which led to the downfall of the Chauhan rule in Delhi. The state was occupied by the Gurkhas of Nepal from 1803 to 1815. The end of the rule came in 1947, when the state acceded to India.[18]