Hari Singh Dhillon
Encyclopedia
Maharaja
Hari Singh Dhillon (died 1764) was one of the most powerful, admired and famous of all the royal Sikh
warriors of the 18th century.
He was Maharaja of Amritsar
, Lahore
and large areas of central and western Panjab
. He was the nephew of Bhuma Singh Dhillon
, a famous Sikh soldier. They were a family of Jats of the Dhillon clan from the Malwa region of Punjab Moga District
. His military exploits were legendary and his defence of Amritsar
, with his army, from Afghan attacks is still remembered with much affection by the Sikh community today. His army became the most popular to join due to his tireless defence of Amritsar.
Such was the respect and admiration of the Sikh community for Hari Singh, that at the formation of the Dal Khalsa in 1748, he was democratically elected leader of the Taruna Dal founded in (1734) at Amritsar which is considered to be one of the greatest honours given, in the 18th century, to any Sikh.
He fought against the Afghans with the help of his friends Sardar Charhat Singh Sukerchakia (died 1770) (the grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
) and Baron Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
, during Ahmed Shah Abdali's sixth invasion of Punjab. He was an intelligent leader, a progressive soldier and a wise statesman
. The author of Tarikh-e-Punjab writes that "Hari Singh was clever, powerful and a man of shining abilities."
His two sons were Jhanda Singh Dhillon
and Ganda Singh Dhillon
. He based his HQ around Amritsar.
After the death of Sardar Hari Singh Dhillon, The Dhillon sardar
s went on to become the most powerful family in Panjab. They ruled over most of the major cities of Punjab
, including Amritsar
, Lahore
, Multan
, Chiniot
, Jhang
, Bhera
, Rawalpindi
, Hasan Abdal
, Sialkot
and Gujrat
and large areas of central and western Panjab. They were the first Sikh family to conquer Multan
, although they were unable to hold onto it. The Dhillon family's power brought them, some 30 years later after Hari Singh Dhillon, into conflict with their neighbours. They were eventually defeated by an alliance of rival Sikh misl
s, led by Ranjit Singh in 1799, 1801, 1802 and by 1810 the last Bhangi territories which stood in Gujrat district were annexed by Ranjit Singh
.
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Hari Singh Dhillon (died 1764) was one of the most powerful, admired and famous of all the royal Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
warriors of the 18th century.
He was Maharaja of Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
and large areas of central and western Panjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
. He was the nephew of Bhuma Singh Dhillon
Bhuma Singh Dhillon
Bhuma Singh Dhillon was a famous royal Sikh warrior of the 18th century in Punjab. He was a Jatt of the village of Hung, near Badhni in present day Moga district, who won a name for himself in skirmishes with Nadir Shah's troops in 1739. Bhuma Singh's latent genius as an organiser and commander of...
, a famous Sikh soldier. They were a family of Jats of the Dhillon clan from the Malwa region of Punjab Moga District
Moga District
Moga district is one of the Twenty districts in the state of Punjab in North-West Republic of India. It became the 17th district of Punjab State on 24 November 1995. It is also known as NRI district. Most Punjabi Non-resident Indians belong to rural areas of Moga District, who immigrated to the...
. His military exploits were legendary and his defence of Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, with his army, from Afghan attacks is still remembered with much affection by the Sikh community today. His army became the most popular to join due to his tireless defence of Amritsar.
Such was the respect and admiration of the Sikh community for Hari Singh, that at the formation of the Dal Khalsa in 1748, he was democratically elected leader of the Taruna Dal founded in (1734) at Amritsar which is considered to be one of the greatest honours given, in the 18th century, to any Sikh.
He fought against the Afghans with the help of his friends Sardar Charhat Singh Sukerchakia (died 1770) (the grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
) and Baron Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
Sultan ul Quam Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was a prominent Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy. He was also Misldar of the Ahluwalia Misl. This period was an interlude, lasting roughly from the time of the death of Banda Bahadur in 1716 to the founding of the Sikh Empire in 1801...
, during Ahmed Shah Abdali's sixth invasion of Punjab. He was an intelligent leader, a progressive soldier and a wise statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
. The author of Tarikh-e-Punjab writes that "Hari Singh was clever, powerful and a man of shining abilities."
His two sons were Jhanda Singh Dhillon
Jhanda Singh Dhillon
Maharaja Jhanda Singh Dhillon was a famous royal Sikh warrior of the late 18th century. Moreover, he was Maharaja of Amritsar, Lahore, Multan, Chiniot, Jhang, Bhera, Rawalpindi, Hasan Abdal, Sialkot and Gujrat...
and Ganda Singh Dhillon
Ganda Singh Dhillon
Maharaja Ganda Singh Dhillon was a famous royal Sikh warrior of the late 18th century. Moreover, he was Maharaja of Amritsar, Lahore, Multan, Chiniot, Jhang, Bhera, Rawalpindi, Hasan Abdal, Sialkot and Gujrat. His father was the legendary Hari Singh Dhillon, one of the most powerful, admired and...
. He based his HQ around Amritsar.
After the death of Sardar Hari Singh Dhillon, The Dhillon sardar
Sardar
Sardar is a title of Indo-Aryan origin that was originally used to denote feudal princes, noblemen, and other aristocrats. It was later applied to indicate a Head of State, a Commander-in-chief, and an Army military rank...
s went on to become the most powerful family in Panjab. They ruled over most of the major cities of Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
, including Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
, Chiniot
Chiniot
Chiniot is a city and administration headquarter of Chiniot District, in the state of Punjab, Pakistan. Located between the heart of river Chenab with the heads of small rocky hills, it is known for its wooden furniture architecture which has a great attraction in all over the world.- Name and...
, Jhang
Jhang
- Demographics :According to 1981 census of Pakistan population of Jhang was 1,970,944 with the 434,495 housing units in Jhang. In 1998 census, population of Jhang was 2,834,545, whose annually growth rate was 2.16%. Male population was 1,474,099 and female population was 1,360,446...
, Bhera
Bhera
Bhera is a city on the Jhelum river in Sargodha District, Punjab province of Pakistan. It lies at latitude 32.48 N, longitude 72.92.-Location:...
, Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
, Hasan Abdal
Hasan Abdal
Hasan Abdal is an historic town in Northern Punjab, Pakistan. It is located where the Grand Trunk Road meets the Karakoram Highway near the North-West Frontier Province province, northwest of Wah. It is 40 km northwest of Rawalpindi. It has a population of about over 50,000. It is famous for...
, Sialkot
Sialkot
Sialkot is a city in Pakistan situated in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometers from Indian-controlled Jammu.The...
and Gujrat
Gujrat
Gujrat is a city in Pakistan. It is the capital of Gujrat District and the Gujrat Tehsil subdivision in the Punjab Province. People living in Gujrat refer to themselves as Gujratis, which sometimes leads to confusion with people from the Indian state of Gujarat which adjoins Pakistan...
and large areas of central and western Panjab. They were the first Sikh family to conquer Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
, although they were unable to hold onto it. The Dhillon family's power brought them, some 30 years later after Hari Singh Dhillon, into conflict with their neighbours. They were eventually defeated by an alliance of rival Sikh misl
Misl
Misl generally refers to the twelve sovereign states in the Sikh Confederacy. The states formed a commonwealth that was described by Antoine Polier as an "aristocratic republic"...
s, led by Ranjit Singh in 1799, 1801, 1802 and by 1810 the last Bhangi territories which stood in Gujrat district were annexed by Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
.