The state was founded in 1828, when Nawab Khan, the ruler of Amb, granted the area of Phulra as a small principality to his son, Maddad Khan Tanoli. There is some uncertainty as to whether Phulra ranked as a full princely state of India before 1919, and until then it may have had the status of a feudatory landed estate, but it was given British imperial state recognition as Phulra was recognised as a princely state in 1828 and 1921, in the official Imperial Gazetteer of Indian Empire. Phulrah had been under suzerainty of the Raja of Kashmir until 1889, when it accepted a British protectorate, entering into a subsidiary alliance with British India.
The state was ruled by a collateral line of the hereditary Tanoli Nawabs (rulers) of Amb. Amb and Phulra together were sometimes referred to as "Feudal Tanawal".[3]
Nawab Ata Muhammad Khan Tanoli (1879–1932) State was founded.
1932-1950
Nawab Abdul Latif Khan Tanoli (1907–1950)
September 1950
State of Phulra abolished
Descendants of Maddad Khan
Maddad Khan, the original Khan of Phulra, had two branches of offspring.[4] After the State of Phulra was abolished, both these branches continued to reside in the area. The descendants of its last Nawab, Abdul Latif Khan Tanoli, remained in the area as private residents.[5]
Of the junior branch, Maddad Khan Tanoli had four sons from one wife: Ameer Khan Tanoli, Abdullah Khan Tanoli, Arsla Khan Tanoli and Hussain Khan Tanoli, whose son was Safiullah Khan Tanoli.[6][7] From his second wife, Bahadur Khan Tanoli had one other surviving son.[6] Their descendants are living today as private citizens in Gojra, Masand, Doga, Shergarh, Kangra, and in Rawalpindi.[6]