THE FORGOTTEN RAJA RANJIT DEV OF JAMMU.

                                           

JAMMU  BECAME A CITY  OF TEMPLES  DURING THE RULE  OF RAJA RANJIT DEV   (1728-1780), A FORGOTTEN  RULER....

( Sunset View of Bahu Fort , Jammu)

The Gazetteer of Kashmir and Ladakh says this about Jammu of 1755

" The town of Jammu was at the zenith of its around the year  prosperity in the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Dev, the eight first in the long line of  Rajput princes who trace their descent from Dalip of Bagju heroes who migrated to Jammu from hereditary estates of the family near Audh.The town is on the right bank of the ravine at an elevation of 150 feet above the bed of the river,and the whole building of the palaces and numerous temples with their glided domes are seen glistening in the sun from a great distance in the plains .At the gate are stationed a guard, writers whose business is to report arrivals,and custom House messengers.After passing the entrance ,in doing which we come on to a plateau ,we advance  on more level  ground along a street or Bazaar." 

Belonging to the Jamwal clan of Rajput's, Raja Ranjit Dev    succeeded in the establishment of his sovereignty in large parts of Jammu hills. He established political stability in the hills of Jammu.Raja Ranjit Dev ruled Jammu from 1728 to 1780 and had 22 Dogra chieftains under him. He extended his rule upto Gurdaspur in Punjab and Chamba in present day Himachal Pradesh. During his rule, Jammu was considered a  flourishing trading centre of North India. 

 Raja Ranjit Dev introduced social reforms such as a ban on Sati  and female infanticide. 

Raja Dhruv Dev (1707-1733)  moved his residence from the old palace in the Purani Mandi area of Jammu, to a new, more spectacular location overlooking the Tawi river, which is today called Mubarak Mandi.Over the years, the palace grew as additions were made. New palaces were constructed during the reign of his son and successor Raja Ranjit Dev (1733-1780 CE).

 Some  temples like  Ranbireshwar Temple , Raghunath Ji Temple ,Gadadhar ( Vishnu) Temple  built by subsequent Dogra rulers like Maharaja Ghulab Singh and Maharaja Ranbir Singh added further glory to the city of temples.

(Avtar Mota)

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