Architectural Transformation and Governance in Jammu: The Legacy of Maharaja Ranbir Singh

Abstract

Jammu town has been the royal seat to the Dogra rulers till the independence period. Maharaja Gulab Singh laid the foundation of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir under the Treaty of Amritsar, which was signed between the Maharaja and the British rule in 1846. The Dogras afterwards ruled the territories of Jammu and Kashmir and made remarkable contributions to its infrastructure and socio-economic development. Maharaja Ranbir Singh was one such ruler, under whom the region saw a new period of modernization and especially the Jammu town which was changed along modern planning and governance.

The focus of the present paper is to analyze the role Maharaja Ranbir singh as an administrator who consolidated his inherited territory and secondly how he modified the administration of the state. It is also a small endeavor to seek the information on the architectural changes that happened during his tenure in the Jammu region and introduction of the versatile architecture and other buildings based on European architecture. Use of Modern techniques in construction of different types of buildings was also continued by his successor, Maharaja Paratap Singh. Moreover, Amar singh and Ram singh also built a number of Palaces in the city by adopting the western style of Architecture. Thus, the  period was the beginning of Modern Architecture in the state of Jammu and Kashmir