Tara Singh Ramgarhia
Encyclopedia
Tara Singh Ramgarhia was a prominent Sikh
leader, a Sardar
, brother of the famous Jassa Singh Ramgarhia
(1723–1803).
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 confederation of misl
s, or states.
The Sikhs had recovered from the period of Afghan influence in the Punjab
that culminated in the Wadda Ghalughara (great massacre) in 1764, a mass killing of the Sikhs by Muslims led by Ahmad Shah Abdali.
After that the three Ramgarhia brothers Jassa Singh, Mali Singh and Tara Singh were forced for a while to go into hiding, but later regathered their forces and recaptured their territory.
Jassa Singh's brothers precipitated a crisis when they attacked and made Jassa Singh Ahluwalia a prisoner when he was passing through their territory. Other Sikh rulers came to Jassa's aid. Mali Singh was driven out of Dhasua and then Batala
in 1780, while Tara Singh lost Kalanaur. The Samad of Tara Singh is currently located at village Thikdiwal, few Km North of Qadian, Batala, District Gurdaspur.
The son of Jassa Singh, Jodh Singh
, inherited his father's title in 1803. On Jodh Singh's death in 1815 a dispute broke out over the succession, with Tara Singh's son Diwan Singh one of the claimants. Maharaja Ranjit Singh
found this to be a good opportunity and conquered the Misl in the garb of settling the family dispute and eventually imprisoned the troublesome Ramgarhias and destroyed many of their strongholds.
Eventually Diwan Singh was released and was sent to Barmula in Kashmir to extend Ranjit Singh's Sikh empire in 1820. Diwan Singh ruled the difficult areas of Kashmir in Barmula for 14 years until he died in 1834. The area where he used to live was known as the Cantonment of Diwan Singh Ramgarhia. On his death, his Samad was constructed on the bank of the river near Barmula. Diwan Singh son Mangal Singh
, and grand son of Tara Singh's, fought the famous battle of Jamraud in Afghanistan with Hari Singh Nalwa and brought laurels to the Sikh empire. Due to his good work in the battle of Jamraud, Ranjit Singh returned a portion of Ramgarhis's Misl including the famous Bunga near Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Bunga was known as Bunga Sardar Mangal Singh until his descendants handed over to SGPC, Amritsar in 1972. His sword and fruit knife is still lying with the decedents of Mangal Singh, CSI.
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"...
leader, a 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...
, brother of the famous Jassa Singh Ramgarhia
Jassa Singh Ramgarhia
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 . 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...
(1723–1803).
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
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 the East, organized as a loose confederation of 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, or states.
The Sikhs had recovered from the period of Afghan influence in the 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...
that culminated in the Wadda Ghalughara (great massacre) in 1764, a mass killing of the Sikhs by Muslims led by Ahmad Shah Abdali.
After that the three Ramgarhia brothers Jassa Singh, Mali Singh and Tara Singh were forced for a while to go into hiding, but later regathered their forces and recaptured their territory.
Jassa Singh's brothers precipitated a crisis when they attacked and made Jassa Singh Ahluwalia a prisoner when he was passing through their territory. Other Sikh rulers came to Jassa's aid. Mali Singh was driven out of Dhasua and then Batala
Batala
Batala is a municipal council in Gurdaspur district in the state of Punjab, India. It is located about 30 km from Gurdaspur, the headquarters of the district....
in 1780, while Tara Singh lost Kalanaur. The Samad of Tara Singh is currently located at village Thikdiwal, few Km North of Qadian, Batala, District Gurdaspur.
The son of Jassa Singh, Jodh Singh
Jodh 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...
, inherited his father's title in 1803. On Jodh Singh's death in 1815 a dispute broke out over the succession, with Tara Singh's son Diwan Singh one of the claimants. Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
found this to be a good opportunity and conquered the Misl in the garb of settling the family dispute and eventually imprisoned the troublesome Ramgarhias and destroyed many of their strongholds.
Eventually Diwan Singh was released and was sent to Barmula in Kashmir to extend Ranjit Singh's Sikh empire in 1820. Diwan Singh ruled the difficult areas of Kashmir in Barmula for 14 years until he died in 1834. The area where he used to live was known as the Cantonment of Diwan Singh Ramgarhia. On his death, his Samad was constructed on the bank of the river near Barmula. Diwan Singh son Mangal Singh
Mangal Singh Ramgarhia
Mangal Singh Ramgarhia was a prominent Sikh leader, a Sardar, who participated in the first and second Sikh wars. Later he was appointed manager of the Golden Temple of Amritsar....
, and grand son of Tara Singh's, fought the famous battle of Jamraud in Afghanistan with Hari Singh Nalwa and brought laurels to the Sikh empire. Due to his good work in the battle of Jamraud, Ranjit Singh returned a portion of Ramgarhis's Misl including the famous Bunga near Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Bunga was known as Bunga Sardar Mangal Singh until his descendants handed over to SGPC, Amritsar in 1972. His sword and fruit knife is still lying with the decedents of Mangal Singh, CSI.