irteen
villages near Sangrur. He died in 1864. His son Raghubir Singh
(1864-1887) was a vigorous and successful ruler. He gave loyal help in
the Kuka outbreak and in the Second Afghan War. His grandson, the
present Maharaja Ranbir Singh, K.C.S.I., was only eight when he
succeeded, and Jind was managed by a Council of Regency for a number of
years. Full powers were given to the chief in 1899.

[Illustration: Fig. 117. Maharaja of Jind.]

[Sidenote: Area, 928 sq. m.
Cultd area,
806 sq. m.
Pop. 248,887;
51 p.c. H. and J.
31 p.c. S.
18 p.c. M.
Rev.
Rs. 17,00,000
= L113,300.]

~Nabha~ consists of twelve patches of territory in the north scattered
among the possessions of Patiala, Jind, and Faridkot, and two other
patches in the extreme south on the border of Gurgaon. The northern
section of the state is divided into the eastern _nizamat_ of Amloh in
the Powadh and the western _nizamat_ of Phul in the Jangal Des. Both now
receive irrigation from the Sirhind Canal. The Bawal _nizamat_ is part
of the arid Rajputana desert. Jats, who are mostly Sikhs, constitute 30
p.c. of the population.

The State is well served by railways, Nabha itself being on the
Rajpura-Bhatinda line. The Maharaja maintains a battalion of infantry
for imperial service. Hamir Singh, one of the chiefs who joined in the
capture of Sirhind, may be considered the first Raja. He died in 1783
and was succeeded by his young son, Jaswant Singh. When he grew to
manhood Jaswant Singh proved a very capable chief and succeeded in
aggrandising his State, which he ruled for 57 years. His son, Deoindar
Singh (1840--47), was deposed, as he was considered to have failed to
support the British Government when the Khalsa army crossed the Sutlej
in 1845. A fourth of the Nabha territory was confiscated. Bharpur Singh,
who became chief in 1857, did excellent service at that critical time,
and the Bawal _nizamat_ was his reward. He was succeeded by his brother,
Bhagwan Singh, in 1863. With Bhagwan Singh the line died out in 1871,
but under the provisions of the _sanad_ granted after the Mutiny a
successor was selected from among the Badrukhan chiefs in the person of
the late Maharaja Sir Hira Singh. No choice could have been more happy.
Hira Singh for 40 years ruled his State on old fashioned lines with much
success. Those who had the privilege of his friendship will not soon
forget the alert figure wasted latterly by disease, the gallant bearing,
or the obstinate wi