Early proposals of a Sikh nation of ‘Sikhistan’ led by Maharaja of Patiala were published by Dr VS Bhatti in 1940 for a “Khalistan led by the Maharaja of Patiala with the aid of a cabinet consisting of representative federating units”.[2][3][4][5] These would consist of the central districts of Punjab province then directly administered by the British, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Ambala, Ferozpur, Amritsar and Lahore; the 'princely states' of the Cis-Sutlej, including Patiala, Nabha, Faridkot and Malerkolta; and the 'Shimla Group' of states. After partition of India in 1947, The Liberator, a Sikh publication advocated for Khalistan which would include
East Punjab merged with
PEPSU led by Maharaja of Patiala as its monarch.[6]
Etymology
The state's name came from the name of its principal city and capital,
Patiala, which itself comes from the roots patti and ala. The word patti means "strip of land" in
Punjabi, and 'ala' comes from the name of the founder of the city and Patiala state,
Ala Singh, thus meaning ‘the land of Ala Singh’ [7]
Note:
British Punjab province era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historic
Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases.
Gallery
Sardar
Jassa Singh Ramgarhia on left and Amar Singh of Patiala on right, late 18th century
Miniature painting of Raja Amar Singh of Patiala, ca.1830
A panel of seven portraits of rulers of Patiala State
Detail of an informal visit at Moti Bagh Palace from an album of photographs compiled by the wife of Dr. H.R. Hunter during his time as Dental Surgeon at Moti Bagh Palace during the reign of Maharajah Bhupinder Singh, circa 1922–23