Devta Ka Raj: A Study of Theocracy and the Cult of Mahasu Devta in the Pre-British Jaunsar-Bawar Region of Uttarakhand

Monarchical states worldwide have relied on claims to the divine for the legitimacy of their rule. The divine right of kings is seen throughout history and across disparate cultures in some iteration or form wherever monarchical states exist. In the Indian subcontinent, rulers and dynasties claim legitimacy in the name of a chosen deity. We come across cases of kings ruling in the name of a deity, claiming to be their earthly subordinate. However, due to historical and socio-cultural peculiarities in the Western Himalayan region, a unique political-theistic system emerged, where sometimes the cult of a deity assumed sovereignty and the right to rule. This was particularly the case in the Jaunsar Bawar region of Uttarakhand and the erstwhile Mahasu District of Himachal Pradesh, which is the location of the Mahasu Devta cult. Upon the extension of their rule in this region, the British found a unique political arrangement locally known as Devta ka Raj, or rule by the deity. This system of government was centered around the deity Mahasu Devta, who was acknowledged as the region’s king. Arik Moran has called this politico-religious arrangement a grassroots theocracy. The present paper employs a historical-analytical approach to examine the development and institutional structure of a distinctive form of government in the pre-modern Western Himalayas. It also analyzes the conceptual foundations of sovereignty and political legitimacy within this socio-political context.