Archive · 22 Sep 2026
Book Revives Punjab’s Royal Past and Heritage Tourism Ambitions
Jashandeep Singh Kang has written a book about Punjab’s former royal states.
The book is called “Princely Punjab.”
It tells stories about eight royal houses, their palaces, battles, rivalries and scandals.
These states included Patiala, Nabha, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Jind, Malerkotla, Kalsia and Nalagarh.
The book also explains how the states joined India after independence.
In 1948, they formed the Patiala and East Punjab States Union, or PEPSU.
PEPSU later became part of Punjab after a 1956 reorganisation.
Kang believes the old royal buildings could attract tourists and create jobs.
Jashandeep Singh Kang’s book, “Princely Punjab,” examines the rise and fall of eight former princely states.
The states covered are Patiala, Nabha, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Jind, Malerkotla, Kalsia and Nalagarh.
The book was released in Chandigarh on Sunday in the presence of former royal family members and senior military and police officials.
Kang aims to make Punjab’s history accessible to younger readers while maintaining historical objectivity.
He proposed a Princely Punjab Heritage Tourism Circuit to connect heritage sites, create jobs and strengthen hospitality.
- Who
- Author and bureaucrat Jashandeep Singh Kang wrote the book, with its release attended by representatives of former royal houses and senior officials.
- What
- The book “Princely Punjab” traces the history, rise and fall of eight former princely states and proposes a heritage tourism circuit.
- When
- The book was released on Sunday, September 22, according to the report; the historical account extends to the 1948 formation of PEPSU and its 1956 merger into Punjab.
- Where
- The book was released in Chandigarh and covers royal states across the Punjab region, including areas from Chail to Malwa-Punjab.
- Why
- Kang wants to present history in an accessible but objective form and believes the region’s princely heritage can support tourism, employment and the hospitality sector.
- Book
- “Princely Punjab”
- Author
- Jashandeep Singh Kang, a state bureaucrat with an engineering background and a postgraduate degree in history
- States covered
- Patiala, Nabha, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Jind, Malerkotla, Kalsia and Nalagarh
- Release location
- Chandigarh
- Historical milestone
- The princely states were amalgamated into the Patiala and East Punjab States Union on July 15, 1948
- Later reorganisation
- PEPSU was merged into Punjab under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956
- Tourism proposal
- A Princely Punjab Heritage Tourism Circuit linking sites across all eight former states