Katoch

Katoch is a Chandravanshi Rajput clan.^[1][2] Their areas of residence are mainly in the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand, and the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.^[3] Traditionally resided in Kangra Fort, Trigarta Kingdom, Jalandhar, Multan.

Katoch Rajputs have four sub-clans Jaswal Dynasty, Sipaia Dynasty, Guleria Dynasty, and Dadwal Dynasty. ^[4]

Etymology

There are two possible origins for the word Katoch. Members of the clan say it comes from the words Kat (army) and uch (upper class)^[5] but other sources say that it comes from kot (fort). The Kangra fort was known as Nagarkot or Kot Kangra, and since the administrators/rulers resided within that particular kot they were vernacularly called "Kot'ch" or कोटच, which means those within the fort.^[6] This over time became Katoch.

History

The strategic Kangra Fort commanded the respect of the region.^[6]

The main branch of the Katoch clan were the rulers of the Kangra State, which was, by some accounts, the most prominent kingdom between the Ravi and Sutlej in the pre-modern period.^[7][8] The Kangra State was also known as Trigadh, a name derived from the ancient Trigarta Kingdom mentioned in the Mahabharata.^[9] The tradition holds that the Katoch were the rulers of Kangra from the times of Mahabharata till the pre-independence era.^[10]

In the pre-modern period, the hill states of the modern Himachal Pradesh are said to have constantly warred with each other, despite relations of kinship and intermarriage. In 1333, under the reign of Raja Prithvi Chand, Mohammad Bin Tughlaq attacked Kangra with 100,000 men. Only 10 of them returned to Delhi and were executed by the emperor.^[11][12]  Emporer Akbar had failed to conquer them despite a siege of 10 years.^[13] Then they were brought under the Mughal suzerainty by the emperor Jehangir. Emperor Jahangir captured the Kangra fort in 1610, annexing the surrounding area.^[8] The Mughal control was limited, however. The rulers of the states retained a fair degree of independence.

Multiple attacks by Katochs, Sikhs, and Marathas, led to the decline of the Mughal power. This led Raja Ghamand Chand (r. 1751–1774) to recover the fort and he also recovered most of the territory earlier ceded to the Mughals. His grandson, Maharaja Sansar Chand (r. 1775–1823) established the supremacy of Kangra over all the surrounding hill states and captured lands till Lahore(later lost to Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh). During his reign, Kangra became a major centre for the arts and several palaces were built.^[8]

In the year 1805, the neighbouring hill states rebelled, with the aid of the Gurkha army. Raja Sansar Chand was forced to seek the help of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore. By the treaty ^[14] that followed, The Gurkha army was expelled by Maharajas Sansar Chand and Ranjit Singh. As part of the treaty, Kangra fort was gifted to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and also annexed the most fertile part of the Kangra valley, reducing the Katochs of Kangra to control all of Kangra except villages surrounding the fort.

After the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1846, the whole area was ceded to the British East India Company, eventually integrated into the Punjab province. The Katochs and the surrounding hill rajas were assigned small jagirs over which they had the rights of revenue and magisterial authority. Eventually, the title of Maharaja was restored to the Katoch clan in 1870 and the Kangra fort was returned to the clan in 1905. ^[8]

Clans and surnames

The Katoch clan one of the 14 ruling clans of the Himachal Pradesh and Jammu region in the medieval times.^[15][16]

Katochs suffixed 'Chandra' to their names until the rise of the Sikh dynasty in Punjab, after which some clan members started suffixing 'Singh' also. However, most clan members today, including in the sub-clans, suffix Chand.^[17]

Until the reforms of 1930s, the Katoch women were only married westward, generally to the Pathania and Jamwal/Jamuwal men and vice-versa. The higher the sub-clan rated its own status, the farther away towards the west they tended to marry.^[18]

Regions ruled by the clan

In past centuries, the clan and its branches ruled several princely states in the region of Trigarta. Trigarta refers to the land between three rivers, namely, Beas, Sutlej, and Ravi.^[19] However, the clan lost lands and by the 17th century had been reduced to a small hill state. The originator of the clan was Rajanaka Bhumi Chand.^[20] Their rulers include Sansar Chand II and Rajanaka Bhumi Chand, the latter being the founder of the Jwalamukhi temple in Himachal Pradesh.

See also

• History of Himachal Pradesh
• Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
• Kangra district

Notes

References

1. "Kangra Fort, Nagarkot, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh". The Better India. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
2. Munish Chandel (2018). HP Naib Tehsildar Exam. Surya Foundation. p. 140.
3. Brentnall, Mark (2005), The Princely and Noble Families of the Former Indian Empire: Himachal Pradesh, Indus Publishing, p. 312, ISBN 978-81-7387-163-4
4. Ibbetson, Sir Denzil (1980). Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province. Amar Prakashan and University of California. p. 320. ISBN 812-12-4842-6.
5. Anthropological Survey of India (1998). Singh, Kumar Suresh (ed.). India's Communities. Vol. 5. Oxford University Press. p. 1613. ISBN 978-0-19563-354-2. KATOCH They derive their nomenclature from the word Kat (army) and uch (upper class)
6. Jeratha, Aśoka (2000). Forts and Palaces of the Western Himalaya (2000 ed.). Indus Publishing. p. 20. ISBN 9788173871047. The Kangra fort is situated at a peculiar strategical situation overlooking deep furrows leading to wide spanned stream. The fort, now in ruins, once commanded respect among the hill chieftains... It was popularly known as Nagarkot or Kot Kangra. Kot denotes a fort and Nagar denotes a town, so collectively it meant the fort of the town. The clan who ruled Kot Kangra was named Katoch after Kot. In fact, this fort was so peculiar in its situation and formidable features that it became a unique structure among the prevailing forts. So the clan ruling this fort was known as Katoch.
7. Prasad, Shankar (2005), The Gallant Dogras: An Illustrated History of the Dogra Regiment, Lancer Publishers, pp. 16, 21, 34, ISBN 978-81-7062-268-0
8. Parry, Jonathan P. (2013), Caste and Kinship in Kangra, Routledge, pp. 11–13, ISBN 978-1-136-54585-6
9. Chakrabarti, Dilip K.; Hasan, S. Jamal (1984), The antiquities of Kangra, Munshiran Manoharlal, p. 7
10. Jeratha, Aśoka (2000). Forts and Palaces of the Western Himalaya (2000 ed.). Indus Publishing. p. Preface. ISBN 9788173871047.
11. Chandra, Satish (1997). Medieval India: From Sultanate to the Mughals. New Delhi, India: Har-Anand Publications. pp. 101–102. ISBN 978-8124105221.
12. Jeratha, Asoka (2000). Forts and Palaces of the Western Himalayas. Inds Publishers. p. 23. ISBN 978-81-7387-104-7.
13. Vidya Dhar Mahajan (1967). India since 1526. Publisher's Name. p. 120. ISBN 8121911451.
14. Manjit Singh Ahluwalia (1998). Social, Cultural, and Economic History of Himachal Pradesh (Hardcover). Indus Publishing Company. p. 28. ISBN 9788173870897.
15. Charak, Sukh Dev Singh (1978). History and culture of Himalayan states Himachal Pradesh Volume I. Light & Life Publishers. p. 17. ISBN 9788120609426.
16. Jeratha, Ashok (1998). Dogra Legends of Art & Culture (1998 ed.). Indus Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 9788173870828.
17. Jeratha, Ashok (1998). Dogra Legends of Art & Culture (1998 ed.). Indus Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 9788173870828. These rajput clans suffixed their family names after their proper names for instance Katoch rajas suffixed Chandra. Chambials suffixed Varman, Suketias suffixed Sen while as Jaswal and Sibials suffixed Chand.
18. Parry, Jonathan P. (2013). Caste and Kinship in Kangra. Routledge. p. 220. ISBN 9781-1-3654-585-6.
19. Jeratha, Asoka (2000). Forts and Palaces of the Western Himalaya (2000 ed.). Indus Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 9788173871047. Trigarta, meaning land of three rivers. The three rivers referred are the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej
20. Charak, Sukh Dev Singh. History and Culture of Himalayan States, Vol. 1 (1978 ed.). pp. 134–136.