princely state · Indian princely states
Kingdom of Kullu
Origins
Kullu appears in early Indian texts as Kuluta, and local tradition traces its Pal dynasty to a founder called Behangamani Pal. The early capital was at Jagatsukh and later Naggar. Firm history begins only in the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Rajas took the name Singh and expanded across the surrounding valleys.
Rule and society
Raja Jagat Singh (r. 1637–1672) moved the capital to Sultanpur, now Kullu town, and installed the image of Raghunath, making him the kingdom's divine sovereign. The annual Dussehra, at which village deities are carried to Raghunath's presence, dates from his reign. Kullu controlled trade routes to Lahaul, Spiti and Ladakh, and under Man Singh it reached its greatest extent.
Decline and legacy
Weakened by succession quarrels, Kullu fell under the Sikh Empire, which took direct control in 1840. After the First Anglo-Sikh War it passed to the British in 1846 and became part of Kangra district; the royal family kept only the jagir of Rupi. Kullu is now a district of Himachal Pradesh.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Kingdom of Kullu was conquered by Sikh Empire1840 CE
- Kingdom of Kullu was conquered by Company rule in India1846 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Kullu. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-kullu
- MLA
- “Kingdom of Kullu.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-kullu. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Kullu.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-kullu.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Kullu’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-kullu (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻