Chet Singh

Chet Singh, military commander, engineer and a kardar, i.e. a revenue officer, under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1831, he became engineer-in-charge for constructing a bridge over the River Sutlej for the Ropar meeting between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Governor-General William Bentinck. He constructed another bridge at Harike in 1837 to enable the British commander-in-chief to cross over the Sutlej for his visit to Lahore. Earlier in 1833, he was appointed kardar of the Sutlej estates of the Maharaja. In 1835, he was deputed to Anandpur Sahib to settle the dispute between the local Sodhi factions. Chet Singh was on guard duty near the gate on the fateful evening (5 November 1840) when its archway fell upon Kanwar Nau Nihal Singh returning from the funeral of his father, Maharaja Kharak Singh. During the first Anglo-Sikh war, Chet Singh commanded the Ropar division along the western bank of the Sutlej. In the second Anglo-Sikh war, he fought in the battle of Ramnagar (22 November 1848) when he was taken prisoner by the British.

References

1. Suri, Sohan Lal, `Umdat-ut-Twankh. Lahore, 1885-89

2. Griffin, Lepel, Ranjit Singh. Delhi, 1957

3. Gupta, Hari Ram, Panjab on the Eve of First Sikh War. Chandigarh, 1956