Mahan Singh Sukerchakia

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Samadh of Mahan Singh Sukerchakia, in Gujranwala

Mahan Singh Sukerchakia (d. 1792), was the Son of Sardar Charat Singh Sukkarchakia (d. 1770), and Mai Desan (d. 1778). He had a Sister named Raj Kaur, who later got married to Sardar Sahib Singh Dhillon (d. 1811), of Bhangi Misl.

He was married to Bibi Raj Kaur, the daughter of Rajah Gajpat Singh (d. 1789), a Sidhu Jatt of the royal Phulkian Jind State. His second marriage was to Bibi Mai Kaur, the daughter of Sardar Jai Singh, a Maan Jatt chieftain of village Mughal Chak, near Gujranwala, where the HQ of Mahan Singh was located. Bibi Raj Kaur, gave birth, to Ranjit Singh in 1780, at Gujranwala, who was destined to become the Sikh ruler of the Punjab, in 1799. Bibi Mai Kaur, also gave birth to a Son, he became the foster brother of Ranjit Singh.

Mahan Singh as the new leader of the Sukerchakia Misl he captured the Rohtas Fort from Nur ud-Din Bamezai, a general of Ahmad Shah Durrani. With the help of Jai Singh Kanheya he laid a four month siege to Rasool Nagar and captured the city from Pir Mohammed, its Chattha leader. The reputation he gained as a result of the siege led to Sardars loyal to the Bhangi Misl defecting to him He continued to expand his territory and captured Pindi Bhattian, Sahiwal, Isakhel, Kotli Loharan, and Jhang. In 1784-5, He used a feud between rulers to raid Jammu, but because he gained a great degree of wealth without sharing or informing his partner Jai Singh Kanheya, Jai Singh refused his attempts to reconcile. Maha Singh then created an alliance with Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and defeated the Kanheya Misl at the Battle of Batala. During the Battle of Batala Jai Singh Kanheya's son and successor, Gurbaksh Singh Kanheya, was killed.

His widow, Sada Kaur betrothed her daughter to Ranjit Singh, Maha Singh's Son. Sada Kaur would later succeed to the leadership of the Kanheya Misl and aided Ranjit Singh in his early victories. In 1792, he died during the siege of Sodhra in Gujranwala, which was being occupied by the Bhangi Misl.


See also