Jassa Singh Ramgarhia: Difference between revisions

From SikhiWiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
JASSA SINGH RAMGARHIA (1723-1803), founder of the Ramgarhia chiefship and one of the prominent military leaders of the Sikhs in the second half of the eighteenth century, was born in 1723 at Ichogill, a village 20 km cast of Lahore.  
Jassa Singh Ramgarhia (1723 -1803) was a prominent Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy. He became Baron of the Ramgarhia Army (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 period is also sometimes described as the Age of the Misls.


His grandfather, Hardas Singh (d. 1716) had received pahul, the vows of the Khalsa, at the hands of Guru Gobind Singh and had fought in the campaigns of Banda Singh Bahadur. His father, Bhagvan Singh was killed in a fight against Nadir Shah during his invasion of India in 1739.
==Early life==


Young Jassa Singh then joined the jathd of Nand Singh Sarighania and learnt the art of warfare at an early age. In 1745, he was deputed to settle terms with Adina Beg, the faujddr of the Jalandhar Doab, who was harassing the Sikhs under instructions from Nawab Zakariya Khan, the Mughal governor of Lahore.  
Ramgarhia was born Jassa Singh Thoka at Ichogil village in 1723, near the city of Amritsar into a Tarkhan family. His grandfather, Hardas was a resident of Sur Singh, a large village in the Lahore district. He took Pahul (the Sikh baptismal oath) from the hands of Guru Gobind Singh himself and leaving the plough, became one of his personal attendants. After the death of the Guru, he joined the forces of Banda Bahadur and took part in almost every religious battle under his flag against the Mughal Empire. Jassa Singh was five years old when Banda Bahadur attained martyrdom in Delhi. In 1716, Hardas Singh died in a skirmish.


The faujddr, Adina Beg, prevailed upon Jassa Singh to accept office under him, with a minor command of a regiment consisting of 100 Sikhs and 60 Hindus.  
After him, his son, Bhagwan Singh became the head of the family, and with two hundred followers entered the Imperial Mughal forces under the Governor of Lahore. Owing to his ability he rose to be a distinguished officer. He died fighting for his master in 1739 at Lahore, when Nadir Shah invaded India and the Governor resisted him ineffectually.


The Sikhs were greatly annoyed at the conduct of their envoy, but Jassa Singh did not remain with Adina Beg for long. When in October 1748, the Sikhs gathered at Amritsar to celebrate the festival of Divali, Mir Mannu, the new provincial governor, marched upon the city to expel the Sikhs.  
Bhagwan Singh had five sons. Jassa Singh, the eldest, now became the head of the family. He was appointed a Risaldar by the Governor of Lahore. He and his brothers were given the following five villages (one village to each brother) : Valla( which went to Jassa Singh), Verka, Sultanwind, Tung and Chabba. All of these are now in the Amritsar district. On the death of Khan Bahadur, the Governor of Lahore, in 1746, Jassa Singh, together with his followers, joined his Sikh brethren at Amritsar. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was one of the closest friends of Jhanda Singh Dhillon.


The Sikhs disappeared into the neighbouring jungle, but 500 of them took shelter within their newly built fortress, Ram Rauni, and defied the Mughal force.
==The Dal Khalsa: the Buddha Dal and the Taruna Dal==


The mudfortress was besieged and skirmishes continued for four months in which two hundred Sikhs lost their lives. The survivors requested Jassa Singh to come to their rescue. Jassa Singh left Adina Beg, and made an appeal to Kaura Mall, the Diwan of Lahore and a Sahajdhari Sikh, to save the Sikhs from destruction. At the Diwan's intercession, Mir Mannu raised the siege, though the fortress of Ram Rauni was completely destroyed.
In 1733, the Mughal government decided, at the instance of Zakarya Khan, to lift the quarantine forced upon the Sikhs and made an offer of a grant to them. The title of Nawab was conferred upon their leader, with a jagir consisting of the three parganas of Dipalpur, Kanganval and Jhabal.


Mir Mannu's death in November 1753 plunged the Punjab into anarchy. The Sikhs again emerged into the open and decided to rebuild the Ram Rauni fort. Jassa Singh was assigned to this task and he, with the help of his contingent, reconstructed the fortress and named it Ramgarh. Since then Jassa Singh, earlier known as Ichogillia after the name of his village, or ihokd (carpenter, the caste he came from) began to be called Ramgarhia in appreciation of the work done by him.
After some mutual discussion, 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.


In April 1758, Adina Beg became governor of the Punjab. He sent a strong force under Mir 'Aziz Bakhshi to clear the forests in which Sikhs had taken shelter. A large number of them including Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, Jai Singh Kanhaiya and Amar Singh Kirigra, fled to Amritsar and took shelter in the fortress. Ramgarh was besieged.  
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 and Jai Singh made numerous sallies killing a large number of the besiegers, but were ultimately forced to evacuate. After Adina Beg's death in September 1758, the roving bands of the Sikhs returned. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and Jai Singh Kanhaiya united and within a short time they seized large slices of territory in four out of the five Doabs; they occupied the fertile tract called Riarki to the north of Amriisar embracing the district of Gurdaspur. Within a decade Jassa Singh became one of the leading figures of the Dal Khalsa.  
Led by Hari Singh Dhillon (leader of Taruna Dal), Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia were then youngsters who led their regiments under Taruna Dal, reporting to Nawab Kapur Singh at Diwali and Vaisakhi.


In 1770, he led plundering expeditions into the hills. The local rajas sought safety in submission and Jassa Singh collected a tribute of 2,00,000 rupees from the Karigra states. He built a fort at Talvara on the left bank of the Beas and stationed his brother, Mali Singh, with 4,000 horse, in the fort. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia along with other Sikh sarddrs, fought many a pitched battle against the Afghan invader, Ahmad Shah Durrani.
==The rise of the Misls==


As the Afghan threat receded, the Sikh sarddrs began fighting among themselves. The RamgarhiaKanhaiya cleavage over their adjoining territories in the districts of Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur widened.  
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 centre. The first batch was led by Baba Deep Singh, the second by Karam Singh 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 batch 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 Takht by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. From these documents or misls, the principalities carved out by them came to known as Misls. Seven more groups were formed subsequently and, towards the close of century, there were altogether twelve Sikh Misls ruling the Punjab.


In the battle of Dinanagar in 1775, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia joined the Bharigi sarddrs against the forces of the Kanhaiyas and the Sukkarchakkias. Soon a rift appeared between Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and Jassa Singh Ahluvalia when the latter wrested Zahura, a Ramgarhia territory, and conferred it upon Baghcl Singh Karorsirighia. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and Jassa Singh Ahluvalia became sworn enemies of each other.
==The Ramgarhia Misl==


Jai Singh Kanhaiya joined Jassa Singh Ahluvalia and the Ramgarhia Sardar had to flee the Punjab.
In 1716 Ahmed Shah Durrane left Lahore, Adina Beg 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.[1][2]The Misal ( Confederacy)was called Ramgarhia .


Driven out of the Punjab, Jassa Singh became a soldier of fortune. He took possession of Hissar and raised a large body of irregular horse, his depredations extending to the gates of Delhi and its suburbs and into the Gangctic Doab.  
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.


Jassa Singh and other Sikh chiefs conquered Delhi and entered the Red Fort. Jassa Singh Ahluvalia ascended the throne on 11 March 1783, but Jassa Singh Ramgarhia challenged his right to do so at which the Ahluvalia chief vacated the royal seat.
==Mir Mannu becomes the new Subedar of the Punjab==


Jassa Singh Ramgarhia then invaded Meerut and levied an annual tribute of 10,000 rupees on the Nawab. Soon a body of 30,000 horse and foot under him and Karam Singh crossed into Saharanpur district, ravaging it freely.
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 Khan. While drawing his salary from Mughals, Adina Beg Khan joined forces with the Jassa Singh Ramgarhia against the Mughals.


After the death of Jassa Singh Ahluvalia in October 1783, there were further fissures in the Dal Khalsa. Jai Singh Kanhaiya and Mahari Singh Sukkarchakkia fell out. Mahari Singh won over to his side Raja Sarisar Chand of Karigra and invited Jassa Singh Ramgarhia to come back to the Punjab and make a bid to recover his lost possessions.
==The siege of Ram Rauni==


Jassa Singh Ramgarhia returned to the Punjab and allied himself with the Sukkarchakkias in order to destroy his old foe, Jai Singh Kanhaiya. Together they marched upon the Kanhaiya citadel of Batala in 1787. Jai Singh was defeated and his son Gurbakhsh Singh killed. Jassa Singh recovered all his lost territories and set himself up at Batala, which he fortified by a thick wall.
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.


At the height of his power, Jassa Singh's territory in the Ban Doab included Batala, Kalanaur, Dinanagar, Sri Hargobindpur, Shahpur Kandl, Gurdaspur, Qadiari, Gliuman, Matteval, and in the Jalandhar Doab, Urmur Tanda, Sarih, Miani, Garhdivala and Zahura. In the hills Karigra, Nurpur, Mandi and Chamba paid him a tribute of two lakh of rupees.
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.


Jassa Singh died on 20 April 1803 at the age of 80.
==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 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. 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 lead 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 Ravi 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.
==Intra Misl wars==
Although Jai Singh Kanhaiya and Jassa Singh were close friends, strong differences arose between them because of mutual jealousy. The chiefs of the Bhangi Misl also developed differences with Jai Singh. As a result, a big battle was fought between Jai Singh, Charhat Singh Sukerchakia and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia on one side and Bhangis, Ramgarhias and their associates on the other side. The Bhangi side lost the battle.
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 was followed from village to village, and finally forced to vacate all his territory. He had to cross the river Satluj and go 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.
Because of the differences arising out of the issue of dividing the Jammu state revenues, long time friends and neighbours Maha Singh, Jathedar of Sukerchakia Misl and Jai Singh, Jathedar of the Kanahya Misl, became enemies. This resulted in a war which changed the course of Sikh history.
Maha Singh requested Jassa Singh to help him. In the battle, Jai Singh lost his son, Gurbaksh Singh while fighting with Ramgarhias.
==The unification of the Misls==
Jai Singh's widowed daughter-in-law, Sada Kaur, though very young, was a great statesperson. She saw the end of Khalsa power through such mutual battles. She could foresee that to rule the Punjab, Sikh Misls must give up their mutual jealousies and unite to form one big power. She was able to convince Maha Singh to adopt the path of friendship. For this she offered the hand of her daughter, then only a child, to his son, Ranjit Singh (later the Maharaja of the Punjab), who was then just a boy. The balance of power shifted in favor of this united Misl. Some other sardars also joined them. This made Ranjit Singh the leader of the most powerful union of the Misls.
==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.
==Demise==
Jassa Singh was eighty years old when he died in 1803. His son, Jodh Singh, developed good relations with Ranjit Singh and they never fought again. Because of Jassa Singh Ramgarhia's Tarkhan roots, Tarkhans who became Sikhs, came to be known as Ramgarhias.




Revision as of 08:24, 6 June 2007

Jassa Singh Ramgarhia (1723 -1803) was a prominent Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy. He became Baron of the Ramgarhia Army (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 period is also sometimes described as the Age of the Misls.

Early life

Ramgarhia was born Jassa Singh Thoka at Ichogil village in 1723, near the city of Amritsar into a Tarkhan family. His grandfather, Hardas was a resident of Sur Singh, a large village in the Lahore district. He took Pahul (the Sikh baptismal oath) from the hands of Guru Gobind Singh himself and leaving the plough, became one of his personal attendants. After the death of the Guru, he joined the forces of Banda Bahadur and took part in almost every religious battle under his flag against the Mughal Empire. Jassa Singh was five years old when Banda Bahadur attained martyrdom in Delhi. In 1716, Hardas Singh died in a skirmish.

After him, his son, Bhagwan Singh became the head of the family, and with two hundred followers entered the Imperial Mughal forces under the Governor of Lahore. Owing to his ability he rose to be a distinguished officer. He died fighting for his master in 1739 at Lahore, when Nadir Shah invaded India and the Governor resisted him ineffectually.

Bhagwan Singh had five sons. Jassa Singh, the eldest, now became the head of the family. He was appointed a Risaldar by the Governor of Lahore. He and his brothers were given the following five villages (one village to each brother) : Valla( which went to Jassa Singh), Verka, Sultanwind, Tung and Chabba. All of these are now in the Amritsar district. On the death of Khan Bahadur, the Governor of Lahore, in 1746, Jassa Singh, together with his followers, joined his Sikh brethren at Amritsar. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was one of the closest friends of Jhanda Singh Dhillon.

The Dal Khalsa: the Buddha Dal and the Taruna Dal

In 1733, the Mughal government decided, at the instance of Zakarya Khan, to lift the quarantine forced upon the Sikhs and made an offer of a grant to them. The title of Nawab was conferred upon their leader, with a jagir consisting of the three parganas of Dipalpur, Kanganval and Jhabal.

After some mutual discussion, 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.

Led by Hari Singh Dhillon (leader of Taruna Dal), Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia were then youngsters who led their regiments under Taruna Dal, reporting to Nawab Kapur Singh at Diwali and Vaisakhi.

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 centre. The first batch was led by Baba Deep Singh, the second by Karam Singh 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 batch 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 Takht by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. From these documents or misls, the principalities carved out by them came to known as Misls. 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 Beg 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.[1][2]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.

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 Khan. 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 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. 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 lead 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 Ravi 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.

Intra Misl wars

Although Jai Singh Kanhaiya and Jassa Singh were close friends, strong differences arose between them because of mutual jealousy. The chiefs of the Bhangi Misl also developed differences with Jai Singh. As a result, a big battle was fought between Jai Singh, Charhat Singh Sukerchakia and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia on one side and Bhangis, Ramgarhias and their associates on the other side. The Bhangi side lost the battle.

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 was followed from village to village, and finally forced to vacate all his territory. He had to cross the river Satluj and go 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.

Because of the differences arising out of the issue of dividing the Jammu state revenues, long time friends and neighbours Maha Singh, Jathedar of Sukerchakia Misl and Jai Singh, Jathedar of the Kanahya Misl, became enemies. This resulted in a war which changed the course of Sikh history.

Maha Singh requested Jassa Singh to help him. In the battle, Jai Singh lost his son, Gurbaksh Singh while fighting with Ramgarhias.

The unification of the Misls

Jai Singh's widowed daughter-in-law, Sada Kaur, though very young, was a great statesperson. She saw the end of Khalsa power through such mutual battles. She could foresee that to rule the Punjab, Sikh Misls must give up their mutual jealousies and unite to form one big power. She was able to convince Maha Singh to adopt the path of friendship. For this she offered the hand of her daughter, then only a child, to his son, Ranjit Singh (later the Maharaja of the Punjab), who was then just a boy. The balance of power shifted in favor of this united Misl. Some other sardars also joined them. This made Ranjit Singh the leader of the most powerful union of the Misls.

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.

Demise

Jassa Singh was eighty years old when he died in 1803. His son, Jodh Singh, developed good relations with Ranjit Singh and they never fought again. Because of Jassa Singh Ramgarhia's Tarkhan roots, Tarkhans who became Sikhs, came to be known as Ramgarhias.


References 1. Gupla, LIari Ram, ffistoly of the Sikhs, vol. IV. Delhi 1982 2. Scc`tal, Sohan Singh, Thf Sikh Afi`ifil.`i and the Panjfih. Liiclhiana, n.d. 3. Khushwant Singli, A Hisl.ofy of the Sikhs, vol.1. Princclon, 1963

Retrieved from "https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php?title=Jassa_Singh_Ramgarhia&oldid=33121"