Sansar Chand II

Succeeded at the age of ten in 1775 and recovered Kangra fort in 1786 from Jai Singh Kanhaiya. Over the next two decades he reduced Chamba, Mandi, Suket, Kullu, Kahlur, Nurpur, Guler, Jaswan, Siba and Kutlehr to tribute — the widest reach any hill ruler achieved.

His ambition to build a Katoch kingdom in the plains brought him up against Ranjit Singh. Meanwhile the chiefs he had subdued invited the Gorkhas in; he was defeated at Mahal Morian in 1806 and besieged in Kangra fort for four years. Buying Sikh relief in 1809 cost him the fort itself.

He spent his last years at Sujanpur Tira as a Sikh tributary. His court there was the greatest single patron of the Kangra school of painting, and the Gita Govinda and Bihari Satsai series were made for him.