Phulkian dynasty

Mythological Descendants of Rao Bhati, including members of the former and historical Phulkian dynasty, claimed to be direct descendants of Yadu, a mythological Hindu monarch from whom Bhati claimed descent. Yadu was the founder of the mythological Yadu dynasty, a branch of the legendary Lunar dynasty (IAST: Candravaṃśa), according to Hindu mythology. who migrated to the present-day Malwa region in Punjab. The dynasty further traces its lineage to Rao Bhati, a 3rd-century Hindu monarch. The rulers of the Phulkian states shared a common ancestor, the 17th-century Chaudhary Phul Sidhu-Brar, also known as Baba Phul (1627–1689). Baba Phul was the grandson of a Sikh of Guru Hargobind named Mohan. Mohan founded the settlement of Mehraj in 1627, named after his great-grandfather, Mehraj. He lived through the times of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru of the Sikh religion as well as Guru Har Rai, the seventh Guru. Eventually, Phul received the official designation of Chaudari from the Mughals and became a tributary sardar of them. Through his eldest son, Tiloka, Phul is the ancestor of the rulers of Nabha, Jind and Badrukhan. Through his second son, Rama, Phul is the ancestor of the rulers of Patiala, Malaudh and Bhadaur. == History ==

Phulkian Misl The Phulkian Misl was a Sikh Misl founded by Choudhary Phul Sidhu-Brar, also known as Baba Phul or Phul Singh, and named after him. It was established by Jats. A claimed descendant of the Bhati Rajputs, Phul was a direct descendant of Rawal Jaisal Singh, the founder and first ruler of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer. Phul's descendants became the royal families of the Phulkian dynasty states, which included the states of Patiala, Nabha, and Jind. Historians have disputed whether the Phulkian Misl was ever a true Sikh Misl, as its practices and policies were more centralized and akin to a petty kingdom than those of a true Sikh Misl. Territory The misl originated from Phul in Malwa.'' Misl status dispute Some historians, such as Kirpal Singh, claim the Phulkians were never truly a "Misl" at all. Historian Surjit Singh Gandhi also claimed that the Phulkian Misl was never a true Misl because they shared almost no common practices with the other Sikh Misls, and the administrative nature of the Phulkian Misl's political state varied considerably from that of the other Misls. In the early 19th century, the Phulkian states, concerned about the rising power of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, sought protection from the East India Company. Although Ranjit Singh was generally moderate towards the Phulkian rulers and willing to address their issues, his growing influence led to suspicions about his intentions. Consequently, the Cis-Sutlej states, including the Phulkian states, convened and decided to send a deputation to the British Resident in Delhi. In return, the three Maharajas were given additional territories, honours and titles by the British Raj. During the British Raj, the Phulkian states of Patiala, Nabha, and Jind were noted for their patronage of North Indian artists, musicians, and scholars at their court. Abolition By 1948, all of the Phulkian states had acceded to the India, which became independent in 1947. The royal families of the Phulkian dynasty retained their royal titles in India until 1971, when they were abolished with the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India. == Inter-state dispute ==

A dispute in the early 1920s between Bhupinder Singh, who had become Maharaja of Patiala in 1909, and his fellow Maharaja in Nabha, Ripudaman Singh, who became ruler in 1911, had significant ramifications both for relationships within the Sikh community and for British policy in the Punjab. According to historian Barbara Ramusack, the pair were "ambitious, arrogant, energetic, and jealous" and "shared the hypersensitivity on matters of izzat or honor and status common to most Indian princes". What began initially as a war of words from around 1912 had become physical by the 1920s, with Bhupinder Singh complaining that the law courts of Ripudaman Singh had been falsely convicting Patiala police officers, as well as kidnapping girls from Patiala for the royal harem. There were numerous attempts, with varying degrees of formality, to resolve the dispute. These included high-level court meetings, independent mediators and Sikh community groups such as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The situation was eventually referred to the British authorities in 1923, who instituted a quasi-judicial inquiry the conclusions of which generally supported the grievances raised by Bhupinder Singh and were critical of how Ripudaman Singh was administering his state and attempting to undermine the position of Patiala. Ripudaman, who had gained support from some extremist Akalis, was told that the British would formally intervene unless he abdicated and that this would lead to him being officially deposed. The abdication on 8 July 1923, which was effectively forced upon him, saw the British take over the administration of Nabha and caused uproar in Punjab. People in Punjab protested in what they considered to be unwarranted political interference, and lauded Ripudaman Singh both as a Sikh leader and a nationalist. Newspapers in the region, with the support of the SGPC, pointed to his past favouring of the views of nationalists such as Gopal Krishna Gokhale, noted that he had spurned some rituals at his coronation, and alleged he sympathised with the Akalis. They also erroneously claimed that Bhupinder Singh opposed the abdication, which he was quick to deny. Bhupinder Singh's decision to side with the British and instigate a counterpropaganda campaign at their request drove a wedge between Punjabi Sikhs. Patiala was considered to be the most important of the Sikh states and its prime minister, Daya Kishan Kaul, attempted to mobilise its supporters among the SGPC as well as those citizens of Nabha who had been ill-treated by Ripudaman. He also attempted to feed the press with stories in support of both his state and the British. == Gallery ==

File:Guru Gobind Singh's letter written to Rama and Tiloka.jpg|Guru Gobind Singh's hukamnama addressed to Rama and Tiloka, sons of Phul Singh. Dated August 2 1696, from the Maharaja of Patiala's collection. File:Punjab-Districts 1911.png|Phulkian states in a 1911 map of Punjab File:Genealogical table of the Phulkian Dynasty, including the houses of Patiala, Jind, Nabha, Bhadaur, Malaudh, and Badrukhan, created by Sardar Attar Singh of Bhadaur, September 1872.jpg|Genealogical table of the Phulkian Dynasty, including the houses of Patiala, Jind, Nabha, Bhadaur, Malaudh, and Badrukhan, created by Sardar Attar Singh of Bhadaur, September 1872. The years are according to the Bikrami dates. == See also ==