Patiala

Patiala pronunciation (help·info) (Punjabi: ਪਟਿਆਲਾ) is a city in the Punjab state of India. Patiala district is one of the famous
princely cities of erstwhile Punjab. Forming the south-eastern part of the state, it lies between 29°49’ and 30°47’ north latitude,
75°58’ and 76°54' east longitude.



It is the administrative headquarters of Patiala District, and was the capital of the premier princely state in the former Punjab
Province of British India. Patiala is famous for its peg (a reference to Patiala Peg), pagri (traditional headgear), paranda
(tasselled tag for braiding hair and Jutti (traditional Punjabi footwear).


The history of Patiala state starts off with the ancestor of the Patiala Royal House, Mohan being harassed by neighbouring
Bhullars and Dhaliwals (tappedars of the terrirtory). They would not allow Mohan to settle there. He was a follower of Guru
Hargobind and the Guru appealed on behalf of Mohan, but to no avail. The result was an armed struggle and the Bhullars and
Dhaliwals were defeated by the Guru's men, which allowed Mohan to establish the Village of Meharaj in 1627.[2]

Mohan fought against the Mughals at the Battle of Mehraj 1631 on the side of Guru Hargobind. Mohan and his eldest son Rup
Chand were later killed in a fight against the Bhatti Rajputs (who constantly harassed him). Kala, Mohan's younger son
suceeded the "chaudriyat", and was guardian to Rup Chand's sons Phul and Sandali.

When Kala died, Phul formed his own village (Phul), five miles from Meharaj (under the blessings of Sikh Guru's) in 1663.
Nabha and Jind trace their ancestry to the devout Sikh Phul. It was one of the first Sikh Kingdoms to be formed. Apparently
the appellation of dynasty "Phulkian" is derived from their common founder. One of his sons, Chota Ram Singh was baptized
and blessed by Guru Gobind Singh. His sons Ala Singh assumed the leadership in 1714 when Banda Bahadur was engaged in
the fierce battle against the Mughals. A man with vision and courage, Ala Singh carved out an independent principality from a
petty Zamindari of 30 villages. Under his successors, it expanded into a large state, touching the Shivaliks in north, Rajasthan in
the south and upper courses of the Yamuna and Sutlej rivers while confronting the most trying and challenging circumstances.

In the middle of the eighteenth century, Baba Ala Singh, unlike many of his contemporaries, displayed tremendous shrewdness
in dealing with the Mughals, Afghans and Marathas and successfully established a state which he had started building up from
its nucleus Barnala.