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Baghat

Baghat was a princely state of the British Raj, located in modern-day Himachal Pradesh. It constituted one of the Simla Hill States. It consisted of three separate parts which were almost entirely surrounded by the larger Patiala territory. The largest part comprised approximately 22 square miles (57 km2), extending eastward from Solan. It incorporated Takroli, Bhocháli and part of the Básál parganas. The two smaller parts comprised about 10 square miles (26 km2) and 1 square mile (2.6 km2) respectively, and formed the remainder of the Básál pargana.

The first capital of the state was Jaunaji located 6 miles from solan, 2nd Bhoch, in the pargana of Bhocháli. It was shifted in 1875 to Solan, which had a station on the Kálka–Simla railway.

The name "Baghat" is commonly said to be derived from bau or bhau, said to be a hill-tribe word meaning many, and ghát, the word for a pass. Another theory suggests that it is instead a corruption of bára ghát, meaning twelve gháts. This is owed to the large number of places in the area called ghát.

The state lay between 30°50' and 30°55' N, and between 76°63' and 76°66' E. The region's main drainage basins are the Aswni Khad, a tributary of the Giri, and the Gambhar, a tributary of the Sutlej. The landscape is mountainous. The town of Solan was located on the highest range, which runs through what was the northern portion of the state from southwest to northwest.

The founder of the state and ruling family of Baghat is recorded variously as Basant Pál or Hari Chand Pál from Dharánágri in the Deccan region. According to legend, Basant captured a small place in the hills of the Keonthan pargana of Patiála, which he subsequently named Basantpur, and which later came to be called Bassi. This settlement, located around six miles (10 km) from Solon, was inherited by his son Bakhsh Pál, who later annexed the parganas of Básál, Bhocháli and Bharauli from Patiála.

The 8th rana, Bhawáni Pál, annexed the Bachhráng pargana and the territory of the Rana of Kasauli. The 16th rana, Indar Pál, who is credited with naming the state Baghát, also captured the parganas of Básál, Ghár and Taksál from Patiála.

The 68th ruler of Baghát, Rana Janmi Pál, is stated to have been an illustrious man. According to legend, he was presented with a khillat from the emperor in Delhi. On his way home, he was attacked by the Rai of Bhawána and his forces. The rai's army was defeated and the rai himself was killed, whereupon Janmi Pál became the suzerain of Bhawána. Upon the succession of the 73rd ruler, Rana Dalel Singh, the family thenceforth adopted the honorary suffix Singh instead of Pál.

Rana Mahindar Singh, the son of Dalel Singh, is the first ruler for which historians have written records. During his reign, in 1790, Baghát regained its independence from Biláspur, to which it appears to have been subjugated to for an unknown period of time. This occurred when Biláspur entered into a disastrous war with Nálagarh. Baghát continued, however, as Biláspur's ally.

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