princely state · Indian princely states

Kaithal State

1767 CE – 1843 CE (approx.) · capital Kaithal

A Sikh chiefship ruled by the Bhai family, which lapsed to the British in 1843 when its last chief died without an heir.

Origins

The Bhais of Kaithal descended from Bhai Bhagtu, a Sikh devotee honoured by the Gurus. Desu Singh, of that family, seized Kaithal around 1767 in the Sikh expansion across the former Mughal province of Sirhind.

Rule and society

Kaithal was one of the larger Cis-Sutlej chiefships and accepted British protection in 1809. Its chiefs were known by the title Bhai. The state is thinly documented beyond its succession disputes.

Decline and legacy

When Bhai Udai Singh died childless in 1843, the British annexed most of Kaithal, and resistance by local supporters was put down. The town became a British district headquarters and is now a district of Haryana.

Connections (2)

More states of Indian princely states →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kaithal State. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kaithal-state
MLA
“Kaithal State.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kaithal-state. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kaithal State.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kaithal-state.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kaithal State’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kaithal-state (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻