Nurpur, Himachal Pradesh
The town of Dhameri (earlier name of Nurpur) in Gurdaspur district was the captial of common ancestors of Saini and Pathania Rajputs who had moved to Punjab from near Delhi and Mathura under Raja Jeth Pal ( Charles Francis Massy, 1890) , a Tomara-Yaduvanshi monarch described in the line of Dhampal as Jaitapal.[1]
Dhameri is said to have been founded by Jeth Pal in 11th century AD (Cunningham, 1889). It is noteworthy that the name "Dhameri" is far from a random name picked by migrant Rajputs from Delhi and Mathura. It is in all probability derived from the name of Saini patriarch Dhampal, who was ancestor of Raja Jeth or Jait Pal. Some other variations of Dhameri in diferrent historical epigraphs are as follows: Dahmal, Damal, Dahmari, Damehri, Dhamari, Dhammeri, etc. In Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri it is metioned as "Dhameri" only and Alberuni, a source closer to the date of the said Rajput migration from Mathura and Delhi, actually describes it as "Dahmala", which looks certain to be a distortion of the name of Dhampal, the ancestor of Jait Pal.
The fort of Dhameri fell to Ibrahim Ghaznavi after a long siege according to Tarikh-i-Alfi. Since the dates of this Ghaznavide raider are stated to be between 1058 AD and 1089 AD, we can be certain that Dhameri was founded atleast as early as this period. Incidentally, the account of Sainis i.e that their Rajput ancestors moved to Punjab to fight Ghazni's army, an account which was duly recorded by English ethnographers in late 19th century, fully tallies with these historical facts gathered from independent sources of which the 19th century informants giving these accounts had no knowledge. They were merely repeating a folklore which had passed down to them from generation after generation from the time when battles between Saini Rajputs or Shoorsainis and Ghaznavides had taken place in roughly around 1100 AD. As already pointed out, Dhamrait , which could mean both a resident of Dhameri or a descendant of the eponymous Shoorsaini patriarch Dhampal, is a major clan of Sainis in Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Ropar districts , all within 20 miles to 100 miles proximity to the historical fort of Dhameri near Pathankot.
It is interesting to note that here is another "Dhameri" in North Rajputana (about 100 miles west of Delhi) which fell in areas traditionally ruled by Saini rulers of Delhi and Mathura. There still exists a large population of Tomara-Yaduvanshi clans in this area. Meos, a Rajput origin Muslim group, who derive their ancestry from the same lineage also have a similar sounding "Demrot" sept (Cunningham, 1885).
Nurpur Fort
Formerly known as the Dhameri Fort, the massive Nurpur Fort was constructed by Raja Basu, the ruler of Pathankot, in the late 16th century. It is known for its impressive architectural designs, particularly the walls that have deeply carved panels depicting figures of birds, animals, men, women, children, kings, gods and goddesses. Tourists can also pay respects at the Brij Raj Swami Temple, located within the premises. A special feature of this site is that here the idols of both Lord Krishna and Meera Bai are worshipped together.[2]
Dhamrait Clan Connection
According to native accounts they came to Punjab around 11 00 AD to fight Muhammad Ghazni and other Turk invaders. Ancestors of The Saini Yadubansi Rajputs from the kingdom of Delhi and Mathura migrated to Punjab and Surrounding Areas. Their ancestor founded the fort of Dhameri in Pathankot which was renamed to Nurpur later on. The Desendants started being knowns as Saini clan of Dhamrait which may be derived from the name of Dharam Pal which was supposedly founded by Raja Jeth Pal in 1095 AD. This Raja Jeth Pal is likely given as Jaita Pal in Bhat Mookji's geneaology. Not only this , the name "Dhampal" is also found as a clan among Jadhava line of Marathas. It is to be noted that Dhamrait is a major and dominant clan of Sainis in Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur districts of Punjab. In the hills the same clan is found among Pathania Rajputs as Dhamrial. This clan is linked with the fort of Dhameri. Further, there is a Dhameri near Delhi as well which gives the suggestion that the identical ancestors of Pathanias and Saini Rajputs moved from this region and founded another town with the same name to preserve the memory of original home near Delhi and Mathura.
