princely state · Indian princely states
Bahawalpur State
Origins
The Daudpota Abbasi clan, who claimed descent from the Abbasid caliphs, moved from Sindh to the Sutlej valley in the early 18th century. Around 1748 Bahawal Khan I founded the town of Bahawalpur, and the Nawabs became independent of the declining Durrani Empire.
Rule and society
The Nawabs signed a treaty with the British in 1833 and supported them in the Afghan and Anglo-Sikh wars and in 1857. Much of the state was Cholistan desert, but the Sutlej Valley Project of the 1920s greatly expanded irrigated farming. The Nawabs built palaces such as Noor Mahal and held the old fort of Derawar.
Decline and legacy
Sadiq Muhammad Khan V acceded to Pakistan in October 1947 and gave the new state generous financial support. Bahawalpur was merged into West Pakistan in 1955 and is now a division of Punjab province.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Bahawalpur State was a vassal of Durrani Empire1748 CE – 1802 CE
- Bahawalpur State was a protectorate of Company rule in India1833 CE – 1858 CE
- Bahawalpur State was a protectorate of British Raj1858 CE – 1947 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bahawalpur State. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bahawalpur-state
- MLA
- “Bahawalpur State.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bahawalpur-state. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Bahawalpur State.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bahawalpur-state.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bahawalpur State’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bahawalpur-state (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻