Jassa Singh Ramgarhia
Encyclopedia
Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was a prominent Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy
. He was the Commander of the Ramgarhia
Sikh Cavalry misl (unit or group of Sikhs). 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. The period is also sometimes described as the Age of the Misl
s.
into a Tarkhan family . His grandfather, Hardas was a resident of Sur Singh, a large village in the Lahore district. Hardas Singh took Pahul (the Sikh baptismal oath) from the hands of Guru Gobind Singh
and leaving the plough, became one of the Guru's personal attendants. After the death of the Guru, he joined the forces of Banda Bahadur
and took part in almost every battle under the Sikh Jathedar's (commander) flag against the Mughal Empire
's forces. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was five years old when Banda Bahadur was executed in Delhi
.
In 1716 his grandfather, Hardas Singh died in a skirmish. His son, Bhagwan Singh then became the head of the family, and with two hundred followers entered the Imperial Mughal forces under the Governor of Lahore—Khan Bahadur. Where owing to his abilities he became a distinguished officer. During Nadir Shah's invasion of India
in 1739 he died in a battle near Lahore. Khan Bahadur surrendered to the Persian invader's forces and was left in place as Governor.
Bhagwan Singh had five sons, Jai Singh, Jassa Singh, Khushal Singh, Mali Singh and Tara Singh
. Jassa Singh, the eldest, now became the head of the family. He was appointed a Risaldar by Khan Bahadur. He and his brothers were given the following five villages (one village to each brother): Valla went to Jassa Singh, his four brothers were given Verka, Sultanwind, Tung and Chabba. All of these are now in the Amritsar district. On the death of Khan Bahadur in 1746, Jassa Singh, together with his followers, joined his Sikh brethren at Amritsar.
was conferred upon their leader, with a jagir
consisting of the three pargana
s of Dipalpur, Kanganval and Jhabal.
After some mutual discussion, the Panj Piare (five revered Sikhs) - Baba Deep Singh
, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, Hari Singh Dhillon
, Bhai Karam Singh and Bhai Buddh Singh decided to make Kapur Singh the Supreme Leader of the Sikhs. Kapur Singh was thus chosen for the title and became Nawab Kapur Singh.
Word was sent round to Sikhs passing their days in distant jungles and deserts that peace had been made with the government and that they could return to their homes. Nawab Kapur Singh undertook the task of consolidating the disintegrated fabric of the Sikh Jathas. They were merged into a single central fighting force (The Dal) divided into two sections - The Budha Dal, the army of the veterans, and the Taruna Dal, the army of the young. Hari Singh Dhillon was elected leader of the Taruna Dal. The former was entrusted with the task of looking after the holy places, preaching the word of the Gurus and inducting converts into the Khalsa Panth by holding baptismal ceremonies. The Taruna Dal was the more active division and its function was to fight in times of emergencies and fighting Afghan
armies of Ahmed Shah Abdali.
Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and Sultan ul Quam Baba Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
were then youngsters who led regiments under Hari Singh Dhillon in the Taruna Dal, reporting to Nawab Kapur Singh at Diwali
and Vaisakhi
.
by Sultan ul Quam Baba Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
. From these documents or misls, the principalities carved out by them came to known as Misl
s. Seven more groups were formed subsequently and, towards the close of century, there were altogether twelve Sikh Misls ruling the Punjab.
the Afghan Governor of Punjab was hunting for the heads of the sikhs, they dispersed and scattered in all directions. Jassa Singh and others in the band took refuge in the mud fort of Ram Rauni near Amritsar where they were surrounded and attacked during the ensuing period. In 1758 Adina Beg died and there was a power vacuum in Punjab and those who escaped from fort of Ram Rauni assumed the name of Ramgarhias and Jassa Singh became its head.http://www.searchsikhism.com/ramgharia.htmlhttp://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/warriors/ramgarhia.html The Misal ( Confederacy) was called Ramgarhia .
The main concentration of the Misl was in and around the Riarki area of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Batala (in Majha
). Ramgarhia constructed and fortified the mud fortress of Ram Rauni just outside Amritsar. It was named in honour of the founder of the city, the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das
. His Misl contained more than 10000 cavalry who were always on the move, helping the Dal Khalsa whenever the Mughals or Afghans attacked. Whilst the Mughal administration controlled the cities, it were the Sikhs who were in control of the villages. Twenty years earlier, Banda Bahadur had wreaked havoc on the Mughal administration by abolishing all taxes and the Zamindari system. Now only a "dasvand
" (10% of income) was levied on the Sikhs - as protection tax to pay for the armies.
. While drawing his salary from Mughals, Adina Beg Khan joined forces with the Jassa Singh Ramgarhia against the Mughals.
Jassa Singh used the good offices of Diwan Kaura Mal and had the siege lifted. The fort was strengthened and re-named Ramgarh. Jassa Singh, having been designated the Jathedar of the fort, became popular as Ramgarhia.
Manu’s death left Punjab without any effective Governor. It was again an opportune period for the Sikhs to organize themselves and gain strength. Jassa Singh rebuilt the fort and took possession of some areas around Amritsar. The Sikhs took upon themselves the task of protecting the people in the villages from the invaders. The money they obtained from the people was called Rakhi (protection charges).
The new Governor, Prince Timur, the son of Ahmed Shah Abdali, despised the Sikhs. In 1757, he again forced the Sikhs to vacate the fort and move to their hiding places. The fort was demolished, the Harimandir Sahib was blown up, and the sacred pool was filled with debris. The Governor decided to replace Adina Beg. Beg asked the Sikhs for help and they both got a chance to weaken their common enemy. Adina Beg won the battle. The Sikhs rebuilt Ramgarh and repaired the Harimandir Sahib. Beg was well acquainted with the strength of the Sikhs and he feared they would oust him if he allowed them to grow stronger, so he led a strong army to demolish the fort. After fighting valiantly, the Sikhs decided to leave the fort. Beg died in 1758.
and the Beas
rivers. He also added the Jalandhar
region and Kangra
hill areas to his estate. He had his capital in Sri Hargobindpur. The large size of Jassa Singh’s territory aroused the jealousy of the other Sikh Misls.
. The Ramgarhia's lost the Battle of Batala.
Later, Ahluwalia while hunting one day, happened to enter Ramgarhia territory where Jassa Singh’s brother arrested him. Jassa Singh apologized for the misbehavior of his brother, and honorably returned Ahluwalia with gifts. However, their old differences increased further. The other chiefs also took a grim view of this act.
Due to mutual jealousies, fights continued among the Sikh Sardars. In 1776, the Bhangis changed sides and joined Jai Singh to defeat Jassa Singh. His capital at Sri Hargobindpur was taken over and he and his forces were pursued from village to village. Finally he lost all his territory. He choose to cross the river Satluj, going over to Amar Singh, the ruler of Patiala.
Amar Singh welcomed the Ramgarhia sardar in order to make use of his bravery, fighting skill, and ruling experience. He gave him the areas of Hansi
and Hissar
which Jassa Singh handed over to his son. He himself joined Amar Singh to take control of the villages on the west and north of Delhi
, now forming parts of Haryana
and western Uttar Pradesh
. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia entered Delhi in 1783. Shah Alam II, the Mughal emperor, extended him a warm welcome. Ramgarhia left Delhi after receiving gifts from him.
Meanwhile to the north, differences over how to divide the Jammu state revenues, resulted in long time friends and neighbours Maha Singh
, Jathedar of the Sukerchakia Misl and Jai Singh, Jathedar of the Kanahya Misl, becoming enemies. This rancor resulted in a war which would change the course of Sikh history.
Maha Singh requested Jassa Singh Ramgarhia's aid. In the ensuing battle, Jai Singh Kanahya lost his son, Gurbaksh Singh in the fighting with the Sukerchakias and the Ramgarhias.
power if such internescine battles continued, she now worked to unite the waring misls in order to form a united, formidablé force. She was able to convince Maha Singh to adopt the path of friendship by offering the hand of her daughter, then only a child, to his son, himself just a young boy, Ranjit Singh
the future Maharaja of the Punjab. The balance of power now shifted in favor of this united Misl as other sardars also joined the union. Ranjit Singh was now the leader of the most powerful Sikh Misl ever.
, developed good relations with Ranjit Singh and they never fought again.
sub-grouping who became Sikhs, came to be known as Ramgarhia
s.
Sikh Confederacy
The Sikh Empire was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The empire, based around the Punjab region, existed from 1799 to 1849. It was forged, on the foundations of the Khalsa, under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from a collection of autonomous Punjabi Misls...
. He was the Commander of the Ramgarhia
Ramgarhia
The Ramgarhia community is an Indo Aryan ethnic tribe of the Punjab region in South Asia. They are named after Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia who was the leader of the Ramgarhia Misl...
Sikh Cavalry misl (unit or group of Sikhs). This period was an interlude, lasting roughly from the time of the death of Banda Bahadur
Banda Bahadur
Banda Singh Bahadur was a Sikh warrior and martyr. He became part of struggle against the Mughal Empire in the early 18th century, after meeting Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh gave him the new name of Banda Singh Bahadur...
in 1716 to the founding of the Sikh Empire in 1801. The period is also sometimes described as the Age of the 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.
Early life
Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was born at Thoka Ichogil village in 1723, near the city of AmritsarAmritsar
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...
into a Tarkhan family . His grandfather, Hardas was a resident of Sur Singh, a large village in the Lahore district. Hardas Singh took Pahul (the Sikh baptismal oath) from the hands of Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
and leaving the plough, became one of the Guru's personal attendants. After the death of the Guru, he joined the forces of Banda Bahadur
Banda Bahadur
Banda Singh Bahadur was a Sikh warrior and martyr. He became part of struggle against the Mughal Empire in the early 18th century, after meeting Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh gave him the new name of Banda Singh Bahadur...
and took part in almost every battle under the Sikh Jathedar's (commander) flag against the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
's forces. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was five years old when Banda Bahadur was executed in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
In 1716 his grandfather, Hardas Singh died in a skirmish. His son, Bhagwan Singh then became the head of the family, and with two hundred followers entered the Imperial Mughal forces under the Governor of Lahore—Khan Bahadur. Where owing to his abilities he became a distinguished officer. During Nadir Shah's invasion of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1739 he died in a battle near Lahore. Khan Bahadur surrendered to the Persian invader's forces and was left in place as Governor.
Bhagwan Singh had five sons, Jai Singh, Jassa Singh, Khushal Singh, Mali Singh and Tara Singh
Tara Singh Ramgarhia
Tara Singh Ramgarhia was a prominent Sikh leader, a Sardar, brother of the famous Jassa Singh Ramgarhia .In the late 18th century the Sikh domains were at their maximum extent, with territories that stretched from the Indus in the West almost as far as Delhi in the East, organized as a loose...
. Jassa Singh, the eldest, now became the head of the family. He was appointed a Risaldar by Khan Bahadur. He and his brothers were given the following five villages (one village to each brother): Valla went to Jassa Singh, his four brothers were given Verka, Sultanwind, Tung and Chabba. All of these are now in the Amritsar district. On the death of Khan Bahadur in 1746, Jassa Singh, together with his followers, joined his Sikh brethren at Amritsar.
The Dal Khalsa: the Buddha Dal and the Taruna Dal
In 1733, the Mughal government decided, at the insistence of Zakarya Khan, to stop the persecution of the Sikhs and made an offer of a grant to them. The title of NawabNawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
was conferred upon their leader, with a jagir
Jagir
In historic India, a jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond his lifetime, in recognition of his military service...
consisting of the three pargana
Pargana
A pargana is a former administrative unit of the Indian subcontinent, used primarily, but not exclusively, by the Muslim kingdoms.Parganas were introduced by the Delhi Sultanate, and the word is of Persian origin. As a revenue unit, a pargana consists of several mouzas, which are the smallest...
s of Dipalpur, Kanganval and Jhabal.
After some mutual discussion, the Panj Piare (five revered Sikhs) - Baba Deep Singh
Baba Deep Singh
Baba Deep Singh is revered among Sikhs as one of the most hallowed martyrs in Sikhism and as a highly religious person. He is remembered for his sacrifice and devotion to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus....
, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, Hari Singh Dhillon
Hari Singh Dhillon
Maharaja Hari Singh Dhillon 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...
, Bhai Karam Singh and Bhai Buddh Singh decided to make Kapur Singh the Supreme Leader of the Sikhs. Kapur Singh was thus chosen for the title and became Nawab Kapur Singh.
Word was sent round to Sikhs passing their days in distant jungles and deserts that peace had been made with the government and that they could return to their homes. Nawab Kapur Singh undertook the task of consolidating the disintegrated fabric of the Sikh Jathas. They were merged into a single central fighting force (The Dal) divided into two sections - The Budha Dal, the army of the veterans, and the Taruna Dal, the army of the young. Hari Singh Dhillon was elected leader of the Taruna Dal. The former was entrusted with the task of looking after the holy places, preaching the word of the Gurus and inducting converts into the Khalsa Panth by holding baptismal ceremonies. The Taruna Dal was the more active division and its function was to fight in times of emergencies and fighting Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
armies of Ahmed Shah Abdali.
Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and Sultan ul Quam Baba 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...
were then youngsters who led regiments under Hari Singh Dhillon in the Taruna Dal, reporting to Nawab Kapur Singh at Diwali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
and Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi is an ancient harvest festival celebrated across North Indian states, especially Punjab by all Punjabis regardless of religion. In Sikhism the Khalsa was founded on same day as the Vaisakhi festival, so Sikhs celebrate twice as much....
.
The rise of the Misls
The Taruna Dal rapidly grew in strength and soon numbered more than 12,000. To ensure efficient control, Nawab Kapur Singh split it into five parts, each with a separate command. The first group was led by Baba Deep Singh, the second by Karam and Dharam Singh, the third by Kahan singh and Binod Singh of Goindwal, the fourth by Dasaundha Singh of Kot Budha and the fifth by Vir Singh Ranghreta and Jivan Singh Ranghreta. Each group had its own banner and drum, and formed the nucleus of a separate political state. The territories conquered by these groups were entered in their respective papers at the Akal TakhtAkal Takht
The Akal Takht of the Timeless One or Seat of God. It is one of the five seats of temporal authority of the Sikhs equivalent to any parliament of world sovereign country. Akal means The Timeless One - another term for God. Takht means 'seat' or 'throne' in Persian...
by Sultan ul Quam Baba 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...
. From these documents or misls, the principalities carved out by them came to known as 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. Seven more groups were formed subsequently and, towards the close of century, there were altogether twelve Sikh Misls ruling the Punjab.
The Ramgarhia Misl
In 1716 Ahmed Shah Durrane left Lahore, Adina BegAdina Beg
Adina Beg was the governor of the Punjab for a few months in 1758.Adina Beg was born Dina Arain in Sharakpur, near Lahore, now in Sheikhupura district of Pakistan. His family belonged to the Arain agriculturalist caste...
the Afghan Governor of Punjab was hunting for the heads of the sikhs, they dispersed and scattered in all directions. Jassa Singh and others in the band took refuge in the mud fort of Ram Rauni near Amritsar where they were surrounded and attacked during the ensuing period. In 1758 Adina Beg died and there was a power vacuum in Punjab and those who escaped from fort of Ram Rauni assumed the name of Ramgarhias and Jassa Singh became its head.http://www.searchsikhism.com/ramgharia.htmlhttp://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/warriors/ramgarhia.html The Misal ( Confederacy) was called Ramgarhia .
The main concentration of the Misl was in and around the Riarki area of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Batala (in Majha
Majha
Majha is a region of the Punjab comprising the modern districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran in the Indian State of Punjab and the districts of Narowal, Lahore and Kasur in the Pakistani Province of Punjab. The term previously applied to Panjabis living north of the Sutlej...
). Ramgarhia constructed and fortified the mud fortress of Ram Rauni just outside Amritsar. It was named in honour of the founder of the city, the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das
Guru Ram Das
Guru Ram Das was the fourth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and was given the title of Sikh Guru on 30 August 1574.-Early life:Ram Das was born in Lahore, Punjab on 24 September 1534[1] to a Sodhi family of the Khatri clan. His father was Hari Das and his mother Anup Devi. His wife was Bibi Bhani,...
. His Misl contained more than 10000 cavalry who were always on the move, helping the Dal Khalsa whenever the Mughals or Afghans attacked. Whilst the Mughal administration controlled the cities, it were the Sikhs who were in control of the villages. Twenty years earlier, Banda Bahadur had wreaked havoc on the Mughal administration by abolishing all taxes and the Zamindari system. Now only a "dasvand
Dasvand
Dasvand literally means a tenth part and refers the act of donating ten percent of ones harvest, both financial and in the form of time and service such as seva to the Gurdwara and anywhere else. It falls into Guru Nanak Dev's concept of kirat karo. This was done during the time of Guru Arjan Dev...
" (10% of income) was levied on the Sikhs - as protection tax to pay for the armies.
Mir Mannu becomes the new Subedar of the Punjab
Mir Mannu became the new governor of the Punjab on April 9, 1748. He appointed Kaura Mal as his new Diwan (minister). After taking control of the administration of the provinces, he employed his army to fight the Sikh misls or fighting orders. The Sikhs left the territory and moved to other states. The Sikh Chiefs asked Jassa Singh Ramgarhia to liaise with the subedar(governor) of the Jullundur Doab, Adina Beg KhanAdina Beg
Adina Beg was the governor of the Punjab for a few months in 1758.Adina Beg was born Dina Arain in Sharakpur, near Lahore, now in Sheikhupura district of Pakistan. His family belonged to the Arain agriculturalist caste...
. While drawing his salary from Mughals, Adina Beg Khan joined forces with the Jassa Singh Ramgarhia against the Mughals.
The siege of Ram Rauni
The Sikhs gathered in Amritsar on Diwali,1748. Adina Beg proceeded towards Amritsar and besieged Ram Rauni. Mir Mannu came down from Lahore with an army to assist Beg in the siege.Jassa Singh used the good offices of Diwan Kaura Mal and had the siege lifted. The fort was strengthened and re-named Ramgarh. Jassa Singh, having been designated the Jathedar of the fort, became popular as Ramgarhia.
Fighting tyranny
Mannu intensified his violence and oppression against the Sikhs. There were only 900 Sikhs when he surrounded the Ramgarh fort again. The Sikhs fought their way out bravely. The army demolished the fort. The hunt for and torture of the Sikhs continued until Mannu died in 1753.Manu’s death left Punjab without any effective Governor. It was again an opportune period for the Sikhs to organize themselves and gain strength. Jassa Singh rebuilt the fort and took possession of some areas around Amritsar. The Sikhs took upon themselves the task of protecting the people in the villages from the invaders. The money they obtained from the people was called Rakhi (protection charges).
The new Governor, Prince Timur, the son of Ahmed Shah Abdali, despised the Sikhs. In 1757, he again forced the Sikhs to vacate the fort and move to their hiding places. The fort was demolished, the Harimandir Sahib was blown up, and the sacred pool was filled with debris. The Governor decided to replace Adina Beg. Beg asked the Sikhs for help and they both got a chance to weaken their common enemy. Adina Beg won the battle. The Sikhs rebuilt Ramgarh and repaired the Harimandir Sahib. Beg was well acquainted with the strength of the Sikhs and he feared they would oust him if he allowed them to grow stronger, so he led a strong army to demolish the fort. After fighting valiantly, the Sikhs decided to leave the fort. Beg died in 1758.
The Ramgarhia Misl Estate
Jassa Singh Ramgarhia occupied the area to the north of Amritsar between the RaviRavi River
The Ravi is a trans-boundary river flowing through Northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of the six rivers of the Indus System in Punjab region ....
and the Beas
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
rivers. He also added the Jalandhar
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
region and Kangra
Kangra district
Kangra is the most populous district of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Dharamsala is the administrative headquarters of the district.-Geography:Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh is situated in Western Himalayas between 31°2 to...
hill areas to his estate. He had his capital in Sri Hargobindpur. The large size of Jassa Singh’s territory aroused the jealousy of the other Sikh Misls.
Intra Misl wars
Although Jai Singh Kanhaiya and Jassa Singh Ramgarhia were once close friends, their rivalries led to a pitched battle between them and their allies. The chiefs of the Bhangi Misls joined the Ramgarhias and their associates. Jai Singh Kanhaiya was joined by Charhat Singh Sukerchakia and Jassa Singh AhluwaliaJassa 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...
. The Ramgarhia's lost the Battle of Batala.
Later, Ahluwalia while hunting one day, happened to enter Ramgarhia territory where Jassa Singh’s brother arrested him. Jassa Singh apologized for the misbehavior of his brother, and honorably returned Ahluwalia with gifts. However, their old differences increased further. The other chiefs also took a grim view of this act.
Due to mutual jealousies, fights continued among the Sikh Sardars. In 1776, the Bhangis changed sides and joined Jai Singh to defeat Jassa Singh. His capital at Sri Hargobindpur was taken over and he and his forces were pursued from village to village. Finally he lost all his territory. He choose to cross the river Satluj, going over to Amar Singh, the ruler of Patiala.
Amar Singh welcomed the Ramgarhia sardar in order to make use of his bravery, fighting skill, and ruling experience. He gave him the areas of Hansi
Hansi
Hansi is a city and a municipal council in Hisar district in the Indian state of Haryana. Its 2011 population is estimated to be 1,34,568. It is located at a distance of east of Hisar on National Highway 10. Geographically, it is semi-arid with around 46 cm of annual rainfall. It appears...
and Hissar
Hisar, India
Hisar city, previously spelled Hissar, is the administrative headquarters of Hisar district, in the state of Haryana, in northwestern India. Hisar was founded in 1354 CE, as Hissar-e-Firoza by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1351 to 1388. on the demolished ruins...
which Jassa Singh handed over to his son. He himself joined Amar Singh to take control of the villages on the west and north of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, now forming parts of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
and western Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia entered Delhi in 1783. Shah Alam II, the Mughal emperor, extended him a warm welcome. Ramgarhia left Delhi after receiving gifts from him.
Meanwhile to the north, differences over how to divide the Jammu state revenues, resulted in long time friends and neighbours Maha Singh
Maha Singh
Maha Singh Upon the death of his father, Charat Singh , he succeeded to the leadership of the Sukerchakia Misl. His son Ranjit Singh succeeded him and established the Sikh Empire...
, Jathedar of the Sukerchakia Misl and Jai Singh, Jathedar of the Kanahya Misl, becoming enemies. This rancor resulted in a war which would change the course of Sikh history.
Maha Singh requested Jassa Singh Ramgarhia's aid. In the ensuing battle, Jai Singh Kanahya lost his son, Gurbaksh Singh in the fighting with the Sukerchakias and the Ramgarhias.
The unification of the Misls
Sada Kaur, the newly widowed wife of Gurbaksh Singh, proved to be a great statesperson. Seeing the end of KhalsaKhalsa
+YouWebImagesVideosMapsNewsMailMoreTranslateFrom: ArabicTo: EnglishEnglishHindiEnglishAllow phonetic typingHindiEnglishArabicAssumptionGoogle Translate for Business:Translator ToolkitWebsite TranslatorGlobal Market Finder...
power if such internescine battles continued, she now worked to unite the waring misls in order to form a united, formidablé force. She was able to convince Maha Singh to adopt the path of friendship by offering the hand of her daughter, then only a child, to his son, himself just a young boy, Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
the future Maharaja of the Punjab. The balance of power now shifted in favor of this united Misl as other sardars also joined the union. Ranjit Singh was now the leader of the most powerful Sikh Misl ever.
Establishment of the Sikh Kingdom of the Punjab
When the Afghan invader, Shah Zaman, came in 1788, the Sikhs, however, were still divided. The Ramgarhia and Bhangi Misls were not willing to help Ranjit Singh to fight the invader, so the Afghans took over Lahore and looted it. As soon as the Afghans went back, Ranjit Singh occupied Lahore in 1799 but the Ramgarhias and Bhangis did not accept him as the leader of all the Sikhs. They got the support of their friends and marched to Lahore to challenge Ranjit Singh. The forces, who were 12 miles outside the city, were finalizing their plans to attack, when the Bhangi leader died. This discouraged Jassa Singh and he returned to his territory.Death
Maharaja Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was eighty years old when he died in 1803. His son, Sr. Jodh Singh RamgarhiaJodh Singh Ramgarhia
Jodh Singh Ramgarhia was a prominent Sikh leader in the Punjab, the son of Jassa Singh Ramgarhia who inherited Jassa's position on his death in 1803...
, developed good relations with Ranjit Singh and they never fought again.
Trivia
Because of Jassa Singh Ramgarhia's Tarkhan roots, TarkhanTarkhan (Punjab)
The Tarkhan , तरख़ान tarkhān) are considered a Punjabi tribe in Pakistani Punjab while a caste in Indian Punjab. They are carpenters by occupation....
sub-grouping who became Sikhs, came to be known as Ramgarhia
Ramgarhia
The Ramgarhia community is an Indo Aryan ethnic tribe of the Punjab region in South Asia. They are named after Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia who was the leader of the Ramgarhia Misl...
s.
Family
See also
www.thesikhmisl.com- Baba Deep SinghBaba Deep SinghBaba Deep Singh is revered among Sikhs as one of the most hallowed martyrs in Sikhism and as a highly religious person. He is remembered for his sacrifice and devotion to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus....
- Nawab Kapur SinghNawab Kapur SinghNawab Kapur Singh is considered one of the pivotal figures in Sikh history, under whose courageous leadership the Sikh community traversed one of the darkest periods of its history. He was the organizer of the Sikh Confederacy and the Dal Khalsa. Nawab Kapur Singh is regarded by Sikhs as a leader...
- MislMislMisl 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"...
- Ramgarhia Misl
External links
- Ramgarhia
- Jassa Singh Ramgarhia
- Ramgarhia.com/History
- http://thesikhmisl.com/The_Sikh_Misl/Welcome.html