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2021-08-21T23:22:43Z

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{{Use Indian English|date=May 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Malerkotla State
| common_name = Malerkotla
| government_type = [[Absolute Monarchy]]
| year_start = 1657
| year_end = 1948
| event_start =
| date_start =
| event_end = [[Partition of India]]
| date_end = 15 August
| p1 = Mughal Empire
| s1 = India
| flag_s1 = Flag of India.svg
| s2 =
| flag_s2 =
| image_flag =
| image_coat = Coat of Arms of Malerkotla.gif
| image_map = Punjab 1909.jpg
| image_map_caption = 1909 Malerkotla State Located in the Punjab Agency bordered by Patiala and Ludhiana
| capital = [[Malerkotla|Malerkotla City]]
| national_motto = ''Heaven's Light Our Guide''<ref>The motto of the [[Order of the Star of India]]</ref>
| national_anthem =
| common_languages = [[Urdu]], English, [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Hindi]]
| title_leader = Nawab of Malerkotla
| leader1 = 'Sher Muhammad Khan Bahadur ''(First)''
| year_leader1 = 1672 - 1712
| leader2 = Ghulam Husain Khan
| year_leader2 = 1712 - 1717
| leader3 = Jamal Khan
| year_leader3 = 1717 - 1762
| leader4 = Bhikan Khan
| year_leader4 = 1762 - 1763/64
| leader5 = [[Ahmad Ali Khan of Malerkotla|Ahmad Ali Khan]] ''(Last)''
| year_leader5 = 23 August 1908 – 15 August 1947
| stat_year1 =
| stat_area1 =
| stat_pop1 = 77,506
| demonym =
| area_km2 =
| area_rank =
| GDP_PPP =
| GDP_PPP_year =
| HDI =
| HDI_year =
| today =
}}

The '''State of Malerkotla''' or '''Maler Kotla''' was a [[princely state]] in the [[Punjab region]] during the era of [[British India]]. The last ruler of Maler Kotla signed the accession to join the [[Dominion of India|Indian Union]] on 20 August 1948. Its rulers belonged to a [[Pathans of Punjab|Pathan]] dynasty, and its capital was in [[Malerkotla]]. The state belonged to the [[Punjab States Agency]].

==History==

The predecessor state was founded in 1454 A.D. by [[Sheikh]] Sadruddin-i-Jahan, a pious man of the [[Shirani (Pashtun tribe)|Sherwani]] tribe of [[Afghanistan]] area, and was ruled by his descendants.<ref name=Tribune2006>{{cite news | first = Sushil | last = Goyal | title = ‘Malerkotla has Guru’s blessings’ | date = 19 August 2006 | url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060819/saturday/main1.htm | work = [[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]] | access-date = 24 March 2013}}</ref>

Local tradition says that [[Behlim|Behlol Lodhi]] (1451–1517), the Afghan king who had most of western India under his control, desired to rule [[Delhi]] and on his way, he was caught in a sand drift.<ref name="Khyber- Pathan Communities in India"/> In the darkness the King spotted a dim light of a lamp still burning in the wind. It was the hut of Sheikh Sadruddin and when the king found out he came to the hut to show his respect and asked the holy man to pray for him to bear a son and have victory.<ref name="Khyber- Pathan Communities in India">{{cite web|url=http://www.khyber.org/articles/2007/StudyofthePathanCommunitiesinF.shtml |title=Study of the Pathan Communities in four States of India |publisher=Khyber |access-date=7 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514122925/http://www.khyber.org/articles/2007/StudyofthePathanCommunitiesinF.shtml |archive-date=14 May 2008 }}</ref> During 1451 and 1452, the king married off his daughter Taj Murassa to Shaikh Sadruddin after being enthroned in Delhi, and also gave him the area of Malerkotla as a ''[[jagir]]''.<ref name="Khyber- Pathan Communities in India"/>

The descendants of Shaikh Sadruddin branched into two groups. One started ruling the state and were given the title of ''[[Nawab]]'' when the [[Mughal Empire]] arose.<ref name="Khyber- Pathan Communities in India"/> The other branch lived around the Shrine of Shaikh Sadruddin, controlling its revenue from pilgrims.<ref name="Khyber- Pathan Communities in India"/>

The State of Malerkotla was established in 1657 by Bayazid Khan. After saving the life of [[Mughal emperors|Mughal]] Emperor [[Aurangzeb]] in a tiger attack, Bayazid Khan was granted the privilege to build a fort, which he named Malerkotla and eventually gave its name to the state. On 3 May 1809 Maler Kotla became a [[British protectorate]] and was made part of the [[Cis-Sutlej states]] until 1862. Malerkotla ranked 12th in the Punjab [[Durbar (court)|Darbar]] in 1890. During the [[Partition of India|1947 riots]] when Punjab was in flames, the State of Malerkotla did not witness a single incident of violence; through it all, it remained a lone island of peace.<ref name=Tribune2006/><ref>[http://www.sikhspectrum.com/112003/gratitude.htm A people's gratitude] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514114047/http://www.sikhspectrum.com/112003/gratitude.htm |date=14 May 2008 }} ''The Sikh Review'', Issue No. 14, November 2003</ref>

The roots of communal harmony in the area date back to 1705, when [[Sahibzada Fateh Singh]] and [[Sahibzada Zorawar Singh]], 9- and 7-year-old sons of 10th [[Sikh]] Guru, [[Guru Gobind Singh]], were ordered to be bricked alive by the governor of [[Sirhind]], [[Wazir Khan (Sirhind)|Wazir Khan]]. His close relative, Sher Mohammed Khan, Nawab of Malerkotla, who was present in the court, lodged a vehement protest against this inhuman act and said it was against Islam. Wazir Khan nevertheless had the Sahibzadas tortured and bricked into a section of wall while still alive. At this, the Nawab of Malerkotla walked out of the court in protest. Guru Gobind Singh on learning this kind and humanitarian approach profusely thanked the Nawab of Malerkotla and blessed him with his [[Hukamnama]], [[Kirpan]], etc. In recognition of this act, the State of Malerkotla did not witness a single incident of violence during partition.<ref name=Tribune2006/> Many local people attribute this peaceful strain to the presence of the shrine of 'Baba Haidar Sheikh', the Sufi saint, who founded the town of Malerkotla more than 500 years ago.<ref>[https://www.nationalfilmnetwork.com/Store/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=644&Title=The%20Legend%20of%20Malerkotla:%20A%20Tale%20from%20the%20Punjab&RefPage=ProductsList.aspx&CategoryID=79 The Legend of Malerkotla: A Tale from the Punjab (2004)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019094523/https://www.nationalfilmnetwork.com/store/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=644&Title=The%20Legend%20of%20Malerkotla:%20A%20Tale%20from%20the%20Punjab&RefPage=ProductsList.aspx&CategoryID=79 |date=19 October 2007 }} 48 min, DVD, {{ISBN|978-0-8026-0761-4}}.</ref><ref>{{cite news | first = Anna B | last = Bigelow | title = Malerkotla: A heritage going to seed | date = 2 December 2000 | url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20001202/windows/main1.htm | work = [[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]] | access-date = 24 March 2013}}</ref>

Following [[Independence Day (India)|Indian independence]] and the signing of the [[instrument of accession]] to the Indian Union in 1948, Maler Kotla joined the newly established state of [[Patiala and East Punjab States Union]] (PEPSU) until its merger with [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] in 1956.

===Rulers===
The rulers were titled '[[Nawab]]'. They had the right to an 11 gun [[salute state|salute]].{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan =2|Name
! Reign Began
! Reign Ended
|-
! 1
| Sher Muhammad Khan Bahadur (b. 1640 - d. 1712)
| 1672
| 1712
|-
! 2
| Ghulam Husain Khan (d. 1734)
| 1712
| 1717
|-
! 3
| Jamal Khan (d. 1762)
| 1717
| 1762
|-
! 4
| Bhikan Khan (d. 1763/64)
| 1762
| 1763/64
|-
!
|Khan Sahib Khan Bahadur Khan (d. 1766) - ''Regent''
|1764
|1766
|-
! 5
| Khan Sahib Umar Khan (d. 1780)
| 1766
| 1 November 1780
|-
! 6
| Khan Sahib Asadullah Khan (d. 1784)
| 1 November 1780
| Apr 1784
|-
! 7
| Khan Ataullah Khan (d. 1809)
| Apr 1784
| 14 August 1809
|-
! 8
| Muhammad Wazir `Ali Khan (b. 17.. - d. 1821)
| 14 August 1809
| 4 September 1821
|-
! 9
| Amir `Ali Khan Bahadur (d. 1846)
| 4 September 1821
| 8 April 1846
|-
! 10
| Mahbub `Ali Khan Bahadur (d. 1857) "Sube Khan"
| 8 April 1846
| 25 November 1857
|-
! 11
| Eskandar `Ali Khan Bahadur (d. 1871)
| 25 November 1857
| 16 July 1871
|-
! 12
| Mohammad Ebrahim `Ali Khan (b. 1857 - d. 1908)
| 16 July 1871
| 23 August 1908
|-
!
| Sir Ahmad `Ali Khan ''Regent''
| 1 February 1905
| 23 August 1908
|-
! 13
| [[Ahmad Ali Khan of Malerkotla|Ahmad Ali Khan]](b. 1881 - d. 1947) – Acceded to India
| 23 August 1908
| 15 August 1947
|-
|}

====Titular Rulers====

{| class="wikitable"
! Name
! Reign Began
! Reign Ended
|-
| [[Iftikhar Ali Khan of Malerkotla|Iftikhar Ali Khan]]
| 15 August 1947
| 16 October 1947
|-

|}

==See also==
* [[Malerkotla]]
* [[Pathans of Punjab]]
* [[Political integration of India]]
* [[List of Sunni Muslim dynasties]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{EB1911 |wstitle=Maler Kotla |volume=17 |page=487}}

==External links==
{{Coord|30|32|N|75|59|E|source:kolossus-cawiki|display=title}}
{{Princely states of India}}
{{Princely states of the Punjab and Simla Hills}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Princely states of Punjab]]
[[Category:Pashtun dynasties]]
[[Category:Sangrur district]]
[[Category:Muslim princely states of India]]
[[Category:1657 establishments in India]]
[[Category:1948 disestablishments in India]]

[[fr:Maler Kotla]]

Malerkotla State - Revision history

WandaX39006: formatting fix

imported>Sitush: /* top */although the source mentions Partition, it says none of this