From the very beginning of his rule, in 1840s Maharajah Gulab Singh imposed a body of the harshest regulations upon the people of Kashmir and reduced them in effect to a state of humiliating bondage.
He was subsequently employed in settling the boundaries of the territory of Maharaja Gulab Singh, the new ruler of Kashmir, and in a mission to Gilgit.
Manmohan Singh | Maharaja Ranjit Singh | Anurag Singh | Yuvraj Singh | Ranjit Singh | Jagjit Singh | Vijay Singh | Guru Gobind Singh | Bhagat Singh | Karan Singh | Khushwant Singh | Jai Singh I | Hari Singh | Talvin Singh | Simranjit Singh Mann | Parkash Singh Badal | Yograj Singh | Upasana Singh | Tiger Jeet Singh | Satendra Singh | Raj Singh | Mulayam Singh Yadav | Karamjit Singh | Harbhajan Singh | Ajit Singh | Sukhbir Singh Badal | Rawal Ratan Singh | Rajendra Singh | Pradeep Singh | Jaspreet Singh |
The first ruler was Gulab Singh, who became Raja of Jammu and Kashmir through a grant from the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and subsequently accepted the throne of Kashmir.
The Misl was founded by Sardar Gulab Singh Dallewalia (d. 1759), who belonged to the Khatri community.
After the death of Sardar Gulab Singh in 1759, his Successor became Sardar Tara Singh Ghaiba (1717–1807), who ruled and further expanded his Misl up to Ambala (Haryana region).
His ancestors were close associates of Raja Nahar Singh's family for many generations and Gulab Singh's forefathers traditionally held the ranks of army chief successively in this predominantly Jat principality.