Pradyumna Shah
{{short description|Ruler of Garhwal Uttarakhand}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Pradyumna Shah
| succession = Raja of Garhwal
| image = Detail of Raja Pradyumna Shah, from a painting of Raja Pradyumna Shah of Garhwal State seated with his younger brother, Parakram, Garhwal, ca.1785 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Portrait of Raja Pradyumna Shah, Garhwal, ca.1785
| reign = 1785 – 14 May 1804
| coronation = 1785
| cor-type = Enthronement
| predecessor =
| successor =
| spouse =
| issue =
| full name =
| father =
| mother =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date = 14 May 1804
| death_place = Pauri Garhwal, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
| signature =
| religion = Hinduism
| succession1 = Raja of Kumaon
| reign1 = 1779 – 1785
| cor-type1 = Enthronement
| coronation1 = 1779
| dynasty = Panwar Dynasty
}}
Pradyumna Shah or Pradyuman Shah, also known as Pradyumna Chand, was the 54th ruler of the Panwar Dynasty and the last independent monarch of the Kingdom of Garhwal. Before that he had also served as the Raja of the Kingdom of Kumaon until he was defeated and expelled. He reigned over Garhwal from 1785 to 14 May 1804, until his defeat to the Gurkha forces after the Battle of Khurbura occurred near Dehradun.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=olP_A60L-CMC&q=Pradyumna+Shah+garhwal+king+ruler&pg=PA288|title=Garhwal Himalayas: A Study in Historical Perspective|first=Ajay S.|last=Rawat|date=11 November 2002|publisher=Indus Publishing|via=Google Books|isbn=9788173871368}}{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/memorial-of-garhwal-king-lying-desolate-and-forgotten/articleshow/67314556.cms|title=Memorial of 54th Garhwal king in Dehradun lying desolate, forgotten | Dehradun News - Times of India|website=The Times of India|date=31 December 2018 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/king-pradyumna-deserves-a-memorial-196230|title=King Pradyumna 'deserves' a memorial|first=Tribune News|last=Service|website=Tribuneindia News Service}}
Background and life
Maharaja Pradyuman was possibly placed on the throne from 1785 to 1804. Before ruling the Garhwal, he was enthroned as the Raja of Kumaon from 1779 to 1785. During the Coronation ceremony, he was given the name "Pradyman Chand" under which he initially began ruling the territory. The Maharaja was defeated and expelled from Kumaon by Raja Mohan Chand.{{cite book | last=Strahorn, Eric A., 1965- |title=An environmental history of postcolonial North India : the Himalayan Tarai in Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal (eBook, 2009) [WorldCat.org] | via=WorldCat.org | url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/839827279 | access-date=2021-09-17 |oclc=839827279}} He was then placed on the throne of Garhwal where he started administering Garhwal.{{Cite web|url=http://uou.ac.in/book/uttg/historical-background|title=Historical Background | Uttarakhand Open University|website=uou.ac.in|access-date=11 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614084958/http://uou.ac.in/book/uttg/historical-background|archive-date=14 June 2013|url-status=dead}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GEOwDwAAQBAJ&q=Pradyuman+Shah+garhwal+king+ruler&pg=PT31|title=A Comprehensive Study of UTTARAKHAND|first=HIMANSHU KAFALTIA, GUNJAN SHARMA|last=KAFALTIA|date=18 September 2019|publisher=Notion Press|via=Google Books|isbn=9781646506057}}
Death
{{Main|Battle of Khurbura}}
When Pradyuman's became the king of Garhwal, his kingdom came under the attack of Gurkhas. The king along with his 10,000 soldiers fought the battle when Gorkhas infiltrated through Kotdwara. After 13 days-long battle, the king died on 14 May 1804 while trying to save his kingdom.{{Cite web|url=https://tehri.nic.in/history/|title=History | District Tehri Garhwal, Government of Uttarakhand | India}}{{Cite web| title=District census handbook - Garhwal | url=http://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/0506_PART_B_DCHB_GARHWAL.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151114014256/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/0506_PART_B_DCHB_GARHWAL.pdf | archive-date=2015-11-14}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.livehindustan.com/uttarakhand/dehradun/story-the-story-of-maharaja-pradyumna-shah-of-garhwal-princely-state-1112085.html|title=VIDEO: गढ़वाल रियासत के वीर योद्धा का समाधि स्थल बदहाल|website=Hindustan Dainik}}