Hill state and  British :

1. After Gorkha British war the Britisher decided to secure support of twenty hill chief which had came under British soverginity. A joint conference was invited by Ochterlony at Palsi where it was decided to return the territory of hill chief what they had lost to Gorkhas. Britisher granted Sanads ( Independence ) to local chief but they have to accept paramountacy of Britishers.

2. Many Thakurai were granted independent Sanads whereas Thakurais of Khaneti and Delath were merged with Bushahr and those of Koti, Ghund, Theog, Madhan and Ratash merged into Keonthal state. Although princely states were granted Sanads  but they are required to be under the soverginity of British government and were made to pay Nazrana in cash.

3. By the time Sikh forces had become a become a big challenge to hill states. Both the sikh as well English feared each other’s strength and thus avoided direct conflicts which the way to Amritsar treaty of 1809 between two powers, and prevented Ranjit Singh from any further territorial expansion south of Satluj.

4. After the death of Ranjit Singh in 1839, the Sikh kingdom fell into disorder and become suspicious about Britishers. Eventuallyincreasing turbulent Khalsa, the army of Sikh empire crossed the Satluj  river and invaded the British territory and first Anglo – Sikh war ( 1845 – 1846 ) was started. Hill chief found this movement conducive to get back their territory from Sikhs which was seized by Ranjit Singh.

5. Shamsher Singh Raja of Guler  raise a force and turned Sikh out of Haripur fort. Raja of Suket sent Pandit Sibu against Sikh . Finally Sikh were defeated by British at Saraon.

6. A peace treaty of Lahore was signed on 9 March 1846 between Sir Henry Harding and 7 year old Maharaja Daleep Singh Bahadur. Sikh ceded to the British all territories to south of Satluj along with Lalandar doab  lying between Satluj and Beas.

7. Sikh Anglo Sikh battle was fought in 1848 -1849. At the end of first Anglo – Sikh war  hill chief were expecting return of their land which remained under the control of Sikhs before war. But Britishers made these territories part of their empire instead of returning back too princely states of hills.

8. Thus in 2nd war hill chiefs supported Sikhs and revolted against British. But success of Britishers in this battle proved suicidal for hill chiefs. So period from 1846 – 1857  A.D.  may be said as a period of the expansion of British in Himachal.

9. During this period Maharishi Devendra Nath Tagore stayed for about 18 months at Shimla due to widespread revolt.

10. After expiring the tragedy of 1857 revolt, the new British system  introduced new policy and Queen proclaimation of 1858  which accomplish cooperation from princely rulers and chief. For the purpose “chamber of Princes” consisting of 120 members known as  Narendra Mandal was framed as consultative and advisory body in 1921. Raja Bhagat  Chand of Jubbal became an elected representative of Shimla states in 1921 and again in year 1933. Raja Durga Singh also represented the Shimla  hill state as an elected member from 1924 -1933.