History of Himachal Pradesh

Jwalamukhi Temple, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh / Image Credit

25th January 2026 is the 56th Statehood Day of Himachal Pradesh. Read about the history of Himachal Pradesh .

After coming into the control of many dynasties including those of Mauryas, Guptas and Harshavardhana, the territory of Himachal Pradesh was divided into small principalities headed by chieftains. Some of these small kingdoms were ruled by Rajput chieftains.

These principalities were invaded by the Muslim armies at regular intervals. At the beginning of the 11th century, Mahmud Ghaznavi had launched a military campaign against Kangra Fort (now located in the state of Himachal Pradesh) and captured it.

In 1365, Tughlaq Sultan Feroz Shah plundered Nagarkot in Himachal Pradesh compelling the ruler of Nagarkot to pay tributes. During this military campaign, Feroz Shah Tughlaq collected 1300 Sanskrit manuscripts from the Jawalamukhi temple library. Arizuddin Khan translated them into Persian under the title Dalail-i- Firoz-Shahi.

Mongol leader Amir Timur, also known as Tamerlane, had sacked Kangra Fort on 16th January, 1399.

The Lodi Sultan Sikander Lodi also made similar raid. Many of the hill kingdoms became vassals of the Mughal empire.

Kangra Fort / Image Credit

Subjugation of the Kangra Fort was a military achievement by Mughal emperor Jahangir. The fort surrendered to the Mughal rule in 1620. Jahangir visited the fort next year and ordered the slaughter of a bullock here and the construction of a mosque within the fort.

In 1783, the Kangra fort came under the control of the Sikhs . However the fort was wrested from them in 1786 by Katoch Rajputs who were the rulers of this fort since ancient times. hands. In 1828, the fort once again came under the control of Sikh leader Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It was annexed by the British after the First Anglo-Sikh war in 1846. In 1905, the fort was destroyed in an earthquake.

During India’s struggle for freedom, most of the princely states of Himachal Pradesh either remained indifferent or supported the cause of the British. After becoming a Union Territory on 1 November 1956, Himachal Pradesh became the eighteenth state of the Indian Union on 18 December 1970 thanks to the enactment of the State of Himachal Pradesh Act by the Indian Parliament. The new state came into being on 25th January 1971.

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