princely state · Indian princely states
Bashahr State
Origins
The ruling family claimed descent from Pradyumna, son of Krishna, and has a long traditional pedigree; the register's date marks a traditional point in its history. The early capital was at Kamru in Kinnaur, and later rulers moved between Sarahan and Rampur on the Sutlej.
Rule and society
Bashahr controlled the upper Sutlej, including Kinnaur, and its Rajas profited from trade with Tibet through Rampur, where the annual Lavi fair exchanged wool, horses and salt. The Bhimakali temple at Sarahan was the family shrine. Gurkhas of the Kingdom of Nepal occupied the state in the early 19th century before the British restored the Raja by sanad in 1815.
Decline and legacy
Bashahr merged into Himachal Pradesh in April 1948. Its last Raja, Virbhadra Singh, later served six terms as Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. The area is now in Shimla and Kinnaur districts.
Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Bashahr State was a protectorate of Company rule in India1815 CE – 1858 CE
- Bashahr State was a protectorate of British Raj1858 CE – 1947 CE
More states of Indian princely states →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bashahr State. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bashahr-state
- MLA
- “Bashahr State.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bashahr-state. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Bashahr State.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bashahr-state.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bashahr State’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bashahr-state (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻