Patiala, Punjab

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Formerly the capital of the premier princely State of British India, Patiala is an important cultural city of the State of Punjab. Because of the active patronage of the erstwhile rulers of Patiala, a well established style of Hindustani music called the "Patiala Gharana" came into existence and has continued to hold its own till today. The most well known exponent is Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan who achieved world wide fame and brought glory to the Patiala Gharana.

Baba Ala Singh carved out an independent principality from a petty Zamindari of 30 villages. Under his successors, it expanded into a large state. In the middle of the eighteenth century, Baba Ala Singh, unlike many of his contemporaries, displayed tremendous shrewdness in dealing with the Mughals, Afghans and Marathas and successfully established a state which he had started building up from its nucleus Barnala.

In 1763 Baba Ala Singh laid the foundation of the Patiala Fort known as Qila Mubarak, around which the present city of Patiala developed. After the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761 in which the Marathas were defeated, the writ of the Afghans prevailed throughout Punjab. It is at this stage that the rulers of Patiala began to acquire ensigns of royalty. Ahmad Shah Abdali bestowed upon Ala Singh furm and banner, and the title of Maharaja of Patiala.