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General Administration in Pratap Shah Regime (Tehri Garhwal)

History of Tehri King Pratap Shah Period – 3
History of Tehri Kingdom (Tehri and Uttarkashi Garhwal) from 1815 –1948- 16
  History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) – 1414     

  By:  Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)
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-: Pratap Shah Disestablishing Battalion established by Bhavani Shah-
   Bhavani Shah established army for controlling the rebellions in the kingdom.  There were 600 soldiers in that army (1). 
The annual expenditure on that army was sixty thousand rupees.(2). Pratap Shah disestablished tat army as he thought the army did not have any sense. (3)
General Administration in Pratap Shah Regime (Tehri Garhwal) –
 Appointing additional Officials:-
  Ramakrishna Painyuli was minister /Deewan in Bhavani Shah Government. After death of Painyuli, Bhavani Shah appointed his body guard Shrichand Rana as Deewan. Pratap Shah appointed Shrichand Rana as chief minister khas Deewan. Pratap Shah appointed Gobardhan Painyuli as Sistedar in Court. Rana was alcoholic and did pay attention on his duties.(2)
   Pratap Shah found that officials were taking disadvantages of the situation and even low)cadre officials in village level were using oppressive methods and citizens were being harassed. Pratap Singh found that the old officials were not ready for change.  Therefore Pratap Singh took back the rights of such officers and appointed additional officers for proper administration as per his liking. (3) .
 Land settlement in Pratap Shah Regime:-
 Sudarshan Shah followed Trail for land settlement in some regions.  In 1823, as per perusal by Young, Sudarshan shah commissioned temporary land settlement just to show British officials.  Bhavani Shah completed land settlement in 1860 and Pratap Shah completed land settlement in 1873.  There was no land measurement at micro level and nor there was documentation of the land. The land was measured by old custom that is as per consumption of seeds in the field (muthi,, Nali , dun/jyula  etc.). That measurement became famous as Jyula measurement. (1) Chakrajyula measn 4 Don seeds and Chaukhanda jyula measn 16 don seeds.
 In Pratap Shah Time, the  land settlement was recorded in a Register in Garhwali language. Dr Dabral mentions that that register was there till 1950 in land settlement office Tehri.  There is documentation of tax, numbers of houses, no of domestic animals, population of the village, etc. (1)
There was difficulty in tax collection after land settlement of 1873 Pratap Shah divided Kingdom into 22 Patttis and appointed Kardar for each patti . kardar were taken from Kamin or Sayanas.  From arthritis and responsibility point of view Kardar was as good as Patwari of British Garhwal but in Tehri the working period for Kardar was one year only. (1). Kardars were also notorious as Patwari of British Garhwal for corrupt practices.(1)
References
1-Dabral S.P, Tehri Garhwal Rajya ka Itihas Bhag 1 (new edition), Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda, (1999) page 179   
2- Minya Prem Singh, Guldasat -E-Tavariksh page 221 
3- Minya Prem Singh, Guldasat -E-Tavariksh page 210

Copyright@ B.C .Kukreti, bckukreti@gmail.com
History of Pratap Shah the Tehri King will be continued …

Construction works initiated by Pratap Shah and Establishing New city l Pratap Nagar
History of Tehri King Pratap Shah Period – 4
History of Tehri Kingdom (Tehri and Uttarkashi Garhwal) from 1815 –1948- 17
  History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) – 1415   
 
  By:   Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)
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   Pratap Shah had keen interest in construction,. Pratap Shah built a garden in Tehri city. Pratap Shah constructed a road suitable for motor Fiten. The king constructed a few roads in rural regions. He built Rest Houses in Tehri Kingdom. Pratap Shah built court house and a couple of houses in Tehri city. The King constructed one mile motor road from Motibag to Ranibag and three miles motor road from palace to Ranibag.(1)
     -: Establishing Schools and Hospitals-:
 Pratap Shah established a primary school in Tehri city and that had been only school in the Kingdom for many years. Later on the school was graded to middle school and now, an inter college.
 -: Establishing Hospital in Tehri city:-
 The King established a government hospital in Tehri city. Rajvaidya Ravi Datt was herbal doctor and doctor Hariram Bhartiya was allopathic doctor there in hospital.(10
 Pratap Shah establishing a new City Pratap Nagar:-
Tehri city had basic geographical problem that in summer it was too hot and in winter it was too cold and there used to be fog all the day.
There was a hill at the height of7000 feet high and nine miles away from Tehri. The hill had pines, oak and rhododendron trees   in the hill Plato. Pratap Shah established there a City in 1877that had court, palace , treasury, and housing colonies for the state employees.  Pratap Sah maintained the Bhilangaan Jhual bridge, Pratap Shah constructed connecting road from Tehri to Pratap Nagar.  Pratap Shah also built garden and constructed canals for gardens too (2). 
Virtually Pratap Nagar was summer capital(1) 


References
1-Dabral S.P, Tehri Garhwal Rajya ka Itihas Bhag 1 (new edition), Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda, (1999) page 181 
2-  Paul Breton, A hermit in the Himalayas pp 173-74   
Copyright@ B.C .Kukreti, bckukreti@gmail.com
History of Pratap Shah the Tehri King will be continued …

Family Life of Pratap Shah and his Personality
History of Tehri King Pratap Shah Period – 5
History of Tehri Kingdom (Tehri and Uttarkashi Garhwal) from 1815 –1948- 171
  History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) – 1417     
  By:   Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)
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 Pratap Shah had uncle Sher Singh and step mother Khaneti Rani. Pratap Shah looked after them well and paid them due respect too. . Pratap Shah had amicable relation with his bothers. Pratp Shah had good relation with scholar Minya Prem Singh from Mandi Himachal. He always respected his mother Mandiyali Rani. (1)
        Marriages and Children of Tehri King Pratap Shah:-
  Pratap Shah had four queens. Third queen (the princess of Kumarsen Thakurai, Himachal) delivered two sons and a daughter. The sons died at early age. His mother Mandiyali rani arranged his fifth marriage with a Guleria girl from Himachal. This girl became famous as Guleria Rani (1). Guleria queen delivered following children
Kirti Shah was born 19th Januarys 1874 and later became King.
Bichitra Shah was born in 1880 and Surendra Shah in 1882.
Pratap Shah married his both daughters in Royal families of Kangra and Lakhimpur Kheeri respectively (1).
  Daily life of Tehri King Pratap Shah:-
  Pratap Shah was a religious man and fooled strict rule for life. After finishing basic needs, Pratap Shah used to visit court daily. He had hobbies for as fishing, hunting deer, hunting birds and bird games,. Pratap Shah enjoyed race, hunting and music and dances. Pratap shah followed Sudarshan Shah and Bhavani Shah for having amicable relation with British and pleasing British Officials at any cost (1).
  Pilgrimages by Tehri King Pratap Shah;-
Pratap Shah along with family visited Badrinath-Kedarnath shrine in 1879 and Gangotri –Yamunotri in 1884. (10).
Pratap Shah used to respect scholars and used to pay them gifts. 
 
References
1-Dabral S.P, Tehri Garhwal Rajya ka Itihas Bhag 1 (new edition), Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda, (1999) page 182 
Copyright@ B.C .Kukreti,
History of Pratap Shah the Tehri King will be continued …

Administration by Queen Guleria
History of Administration by Tehri Queen Guleria – 1
  History of Tehri King Kriti Shah    -1
History of Tehri Kingdom (Tehri and Uttarkashi Garhwal) from 1815 –1948- 174
  History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) – 1420     

  By:   Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)

   First official Act by Queen Guleria to satisfy unsatisfied people:-
  The day King Pratap Singh died, 2000 -2550 people came to meet Pratap Shah for informing their distress and corrupt methods of state administrators. However, when they learnt the information of death of King they were undecided.
 The crowned prince Kriti Shah was only 13een years old boy .The queen Guleria came to rescue the difficult situation. Queen Guleria came out the palace and met main representatives from people and she assured that very soon, She would meet them again and would end the people’s difficulties or distress. (2) 
    Theft in Summer Capital Pratap Naga:-
 In past at the times of deaths of Sudarshan Shah and Bhavani Shah, there was theft from Treasurer in Tehri  There was no theft from treasurer in Tehri as  at the time of death of King Pratap Shah , the King family members were alert .  However, Minya Prem Singh offered information about theft in Pratap Nagar the summer capital.  There was theft of cash and some valuables from the palace. (2)
References
1-Dabral S.P, Tehri Garhwal Rajya ka Itihas Bhag 1 (new edition), Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda, (1999) page 186-187 
2- Minya Prem Singh, Guldasta –E- Tavarikh page  221
Copyright@ B.C .Kukreti,

Pardoning Fired State Administrators and failure of Bikram Shah

History of Administration by Tehri Queen Guleria – 3
  History of Tehri King Kriti Shah    -3
History of Tehri Kingdom (Tehri and Uttarkashi Garhwal) from 1815 –1948- 176 
  History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) – 1422     
  By:   Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)    
   King prate shah fired many corrupt or his rebel administration from state services. His both the brother in laws were busy in perusing new forest laws and villagers were very unhappy by their strict administration. The Tehri queen Guleria found that the fractions of those administrators who were fired by the King were unhappy and making rumours too.   The queen took diplomatic decision and reappointed all state administrators back in service. By that action, there was lessoning in restlessness in the Kingdom. (2)
     Failure of prince Bikram Shah:-
   Initially, queen Guleria left major administration to her brother in law prince Bikram Shah. Bikram Shah administrated the state for one year as guardian of minor crown King Kirti Shah. Bikram Shah was total failure in administrating the Kingdom. Queen Guleria took administration in her hand.
   Regency Council or Guardian Body :- the queen made a governing council  called ‘Sanrakshan Samiti’ that council started administrating the kingdom. There were three members of the regency council –Siv Datt Dangwal , Kewalram Ratuuri and Vireshwar datt Saklnai . A non-Garhwali (from Bengal) Raghunath Bhattacharya was secretary of the said council. Information about formation and functioning of Regency council was sent to Kumaon commissioner.
References
1-Dabral S.P, Tehri Garhwal Rajya ka Itihas Bhag 1 (new edition), Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda, (1999) page 187 
2- Minya Prem Singh, Guldasta –E- Tavarikh page  217-218 
3- Minya Prem Singh, Guldasta –E- Tavarikh page  221   
Copyright@ B.C .Kukreti,