PRESENT RULER: Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur RAMAN DEV SINGH, 9th and present Raja of Poonch.

born 22nd December 1952, married 14th August 1975, Rani Preeti Devi, daughter of Mian Rajendra Singh of the Pathania (Nurpur) family of Reh, and has issue, two children.

• Rajkumari Shivani Singh Shah, married Shri Rajeev Bikram Shah of Nepal.

• Tika Raja Saab Suryeajai Deo Singh, married Tika Rani Saab Sunayana Rajye from Nepal.

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: Originally ruled by the Muslim Rajas of Loran from the end of the 17th century to 1837 when it came under the rule of Raja Faiz Talab Khan of Rahuri 1837/1846 when it was conquered by the Dogra rulers. Loran was the (Hindu) capital of Poonch till 1542. Poonch was given to Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu and Kashmir's nephew in 1846. Promoted to a Princely State by the British Athorities in 1901, but it was reduced to a Jagir in 1935/36 by Maharaja Hari Singhji of Jammu and Kashmir. Rulers and estate holders were...

1. Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur DHIAN SINGH Sahib, 1st Raja of Poonch 1827/1843, born 22nd August 1796, son of Raja Kishor Singh of Jammu, employed in 1812 by his elder brother, Maharaja Gulab Singh, as a trooper on a monthly salary of sixty rupees, in 1818 became deorhidar or chamberlain to the royal household. He took part in the battle of Naushera in March 1823. He was granted a large number of jagirs in the hilly country of Jammu, including that of Poonch in 1827, created Raja in 1822, and Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur on 20th June 1827, and further created Naib-us-Salatnat-i-'Azamat, Khairkhwah-i-Samimi-i-Daulat-i-Sirkar-i-Kubra, Wazir-i-'Azam, Dastur-i-Mu'azzam, Mukhtar-i-Mulk, he was made a Wazir, principal minister or counsellor of the Sikh State 1828/1843, married two daughters of Raja Govind Singh of Siba State, and had issue. He was assasinated on 15th September 1843.

   • Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur Hira Singh Sahib (qv)

   • Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur Jawahir Singh Sahib (qv)

   • Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur Moti Singh Sahib (qv)

2. Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur HIRA SINGH Sahib, 2nd Raja of Poonch 1843/1844, born 1816 at Ramgarh, about 25 km from Jammu, Prime Minister of the Sikh kingdom of Lahore from 17th September 1843 to 21st December 1844, Maharaja Ranjit Singh conferred upon him the title of Raja of Jasrota in 1834, as well as proclaiming him Farzandi-Khas, i.e. the favoured son, married a grand-daughter of Mian Fateh Chand of Rajgir in Kangra. He died sp on 21st December 1844.

3. Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur JAWAHIR SINGH Sahib, 3rd Raja of Poonch 1844/1859 (renounced or deposed), died 1860.

4. Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur MOTI SINGH Sahib, 4th Raja of Poonch 1859/1892, married and had issue. He died 1892.

   • Mian Raghunath Singh

   • Major Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur Baldev Singh (qv)

5. Major Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur BALDEV SINGH Bahadur K.C.I.E., 5th Raja of Poonch 1892/1918, K.C.I.E. [cr. 1.1.1909], in 1901, the estate was promoted to the rank of a Princely State, he was granted a Nine Gun Salute on 1st January 1918; married (a), Rani Amba Devi, elder daughter of Rana Fateh Singh of Dhami, married (b), Rani (name unknown), younger daughter of Rana Fateh Singh of Dhami, and had issue. He died September 1918.

   • Lt. Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur Sukhdev Singh (qv)

   • Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur Jagat Dev Singh (qv)

   • Raja Padam Dev Singh, Dewan of Kashmir in 1927; married Rani Manek Kunwar of Kunadi in Kota, and has issue.

     • Raja Rajendra Dev Singh married Kunwarani Asha Kumari of Palaitha in Kotah, and has issue.

       • Kunwar Sahdev Singh, married Kunwarani Namrata Kumari, elder daughter of Maharaj Amarendra Singhji of Salumber.

       • Kunwar Somyadev Singh, married Kunwarani Girdhar Kumari, younger daughter of Maharaj Amarendra Singhji of Salumber.

     • Capt. Raja Bhupendra Dev Singh

     • Kunwarani Siddheshwari Kumari, married June 1952, Kanwar Romesh Singh of Sirmur, and has issue.

     • Kunwarani Rajeshwari Kumari, married to Thakur Pushpendra Singh of Ghanerao, and has issue.

     • Kunwarani Bhuvaneshwari Kumari, died young.

     • Kunwarani Kamleshwari Kumari, married Thakur Rattan Singh of Umaidnagar.

   • Raja Chattar Dev Singh, married a princess of Charat in Jammu, and has issue.

     • Kunwar Hitendra Dev Singh, married Kunwarani Ravi Prabha, daughter of Maharaj Pradyumna Singh of Dungarpur, and his wife, Rani Indira Kumari, and has issue.

       • Kunwarani Namrata Chand Sahiba, married Kunwar Ranvijay Chand of Chenani, and has issue, two sons.

     • Kunwar Surendra Dev Singh, married Kunwarani Anjali Kumari of Kalahandi.

     • Thakurani Sushila Kumari, married Thakur Birendra Singh of Pokhran.

     • Kunwarani Guddu Rani

6. Lt. Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur SUKHDEV SINGH, 6th Raja of Poonch 1918/1927, born October 1901, succeeded 10th September 1918; married a Rani of Utelia. He died sp October 1927.

7. Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur JAGAT DEV SINGH, 7th Raja of Poonch 1927/1940, born 1903, Dewan of Kashmir 1926/1927, during his reign the Princely State was reduced to the status of a jagir in 1936; married Rani Padmawati Bhadwal of Trilokpur in Himachal Pradesh, and had issue. He died 1940 in Mussoorie.

   • Raja Shiv Ratan Dev Singh (qv)

   • Thakurani Snehlata Kumari [Nikkeji], married Thakur Onkar Singh of Khimsar, and has issue.

   • Rani Lalita Kumari, married Rana Vijay Singh of Kunihar, and had issue.

8. Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur SHIV RATAN DEV SINGH, 8th Raja of Poonch 1940/-, born April 1925, educated at Aitchison Chiefs' College, Lahore, married 1950, Rani Nalini Rajya Lakshmi Devi, daughter of HM King Tribhuvan of Nepal, and had issue.

   • Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur Raman Dev Singh (qv)

   • Raja Ratish Dev Singh, married Rani Renu.

   • HH Maharani Hemlata Rajya, married 19th February 1973, HH Raj Rajeshwar Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Hindustan Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Gaj Singhji II Sahib Bahadur of Jodhpur, and has issue.

   • HH Maharani Urmila Kumari, elected Mayor of Charkhari (Independent), thereby controlling the entire Charkhari Municipal Area, married 27th April 1978 in New Delhi, HH Maharajadhiraj Sipahdar-ul-Mulk Jayant Singh Ju Deo, Maharaja of Charkhari, and has issue.

   • Rani Rajni Kumari, married in Nepal.

9. Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur RAMAN DEV SINGH, 9th Raja of Poonch (see above)