Sir,
Refer to the article “Samba from the past to present”, DE March 26, 2017. First of all it may not be confused with Jammu Raj, where Sangram Dev was the Raja of Jammu: the period when this country was under Moghuls and Raja Mal Dev was not his son but the Raja of Jammu under Tughlaq rule or the invasion of Timur, much before Raja Sangram Dev. Of course Raja Sangram Dev had two sons but not Mal Dev alias Mallu or Khan a title bestowed by the emperor. Hence this Mal Dev or Mallu who established the Samba principality in 1400 AD was neither the son of Sangram Dev nor Mal Dev the Raja of Jammu but a separate personality identified by the writer as the second son of Rai Saidu of Lakhanpur in the same write up.
Further, it may be a coincidence that this Mallu or Mall Khan had twenty two sons, like Raja Kapur Dev of Jammu with whose reference twenty two small and big principalities in Jammu Raj have a clear mention in the history. Similar authenticity is needed in the case of twenty two Mandis of Samba. Whether these mandis came into existence in the same period or appeared on the scene one after the other with the passage of time and is there any relevance in their names with their creators: a matter of proper research work to find the facts.
Any how, this article would have been more informative with the mention of Thakur Raghunath Singh Samyal, a poet and one among the pioneers of Modern Dogri literature, or Col. Narain Singh who among others sacrificed his life to defend the State during Pakistani intrusion in 1947, or how many soldiers of the rank of Colonels and Generals have so far been produced by this single belt with a detailed information of gallantry and other prestigious awards etc etc. Similarly, mention of Cheechi Mata, Purmandal, Uttar Behni and particularly of Chamalyal Shrine which is still being revered by both Indians and the Pakistanis, Samba Fort as well as this town known for the art of printing sheets would have added more glamour to it. And finally I may add to the knowledge of those who are not aware of it, that after indeepndence, tehsil Samba was a part and parcel of District Kathua. After 1965 Indo-Pak war, probably in 1967-68, only two main Police Stations of this area i.e Samba and Ramgarh were transferred to Distt. Jammu for administrative purposes and they remained under Jammu till Samba was declared as an independent District.
Yours etc….
Narsingh Dev Jamwal
Jammu
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