The Freedom Struggle in Himachal, 1848–1948

The syllabus dates this period precisely — 1848 to 1948 — from Ram Singh Pathania's revolt to the Suket Satyagraha. Organise it in four strands.

1. Armed resistance

• 1848 — Ram Singh Pathania of Nurpur; defeated, transported to Singapore, died 1849.
• 1857 — Subedar Bhim Singh at Kasauli, the Nasiri battalion at Jutogh; Pratap Singh and Vir Singh of Kullu hanged at Dharamshala on 3 August 1857; Ram Prasad Bairagi executed at Ambala. Bushahr alone gave the British no help.
• 1914–15 — the Mandi Conspiracy; Ghadar party; Bhai Hirda Ram sentenced; only the Nagchala robbery carried out.

2. Peasant movements against begar

• Dum Koti rising, 1859 (Bushahr).
• Jugga movement, 1883–88 (Bilaspur/Kahlur).
• Dujjam movement, 1906 (Rampur Bushahr).
• Satyanand Stokes at Kotgarh from 1909 — the campaign that ended begar in the Shimla hills.

3. Praja Mandals (1930s–40s)

• Chamba 1932/1936 · Mandi 1936 · Baghat 1938 · Kunihar 1939 · Dhami 13 July 1939 · Sirmaur 1939 and 1944 · Bilaspur 1945.
• Himalayan Riyasati Praja Mandal — the umbrella body at Shimla; Bhagmal Sautha president, Pandit Padam Dev secretary.
• Kunihar agreement, 9 July 1939 — Rana Hardev Singh concedes in writing.
• Dhami firing, 16 July 1939 — Durga Das killed; the first firing on a popular movement in the hills.
• Pajhota agitation, 1942 — 'Bhai do na pai', Sirmaur, under Vaid Surat Singh; an extension of Quit India.

4. The movement for a hill province

• All India States People's Conference (1927) gives the movement a national frame.
• Himalayan Hill States Regional Council, Mandi, 8–10 March 1946 — Dr. Y. S. Parmar president, Padam Dev secretary.
• Solan convention, 26–28 January 1948 — the rulers agree to merge.
• Suket Satyagraha, 18 February 1948, from Tattapani under Padam Dev — the last movement against a hill ruler.
• 15 April 1948 — Himachal Pradesh proclaimed.

People to be able to name

Y. S. Parmar · Padam Dev · Bhagmal Sautha · Baba Kanshi Ram ('Pahari Gandhi', 'Pahari Bulbul') · Satyanand Stokes · Rajkumari Amrit Kaur · Yashpal · Vaid Surat Singh · Daulat Ram Sankhyan · Bhai Hirda Ram · Ram Singh Pathania · Subedar Bhim Singh.