In the eighteenth century Sikhs were very successful in establishing twelve principalities or confederacies called Misals (Misal is a Arabic word means alike or equal [4]). At least nine of these Misals were founded by the Jats. The history of each of the Misals founded in the eighteenth century by the Jats is briefly described below [6, 7, 15-17].
Bhangi Misal
This powerful Misal of the Sikhs was founded by Bhim Singh of the Jat background. The name "Bhangi" is derived from the members of the confederacy who made use of Bhang, an intoxicating drug manufactured from hemp [7, 16]. Bhim Singh was succeeded by his nephew named Hari Singh belonging to the Dhillon clan of the Jats. Hari Singh's sons, Jhanda Singh and Ganda Singh played an instrumental role in strengthening the Misl. Also, they are credited for constructing the Bhangi fort at Amritsar (the holy city of the Sikhs in Punjab) and enlarging and beautifying the town with many noble edifices [7] in the later part of the eighteenth century.
Kanhya Misal
The first chief of this Misal was Jai Singh, a Jat of the Sandhu clan belonging to a village named Kanah, fifteen miles from Lahore (now in Pakistan) [7, 16]. The name of the Misal is derived from the name of Jai Singh's village and one time the Misal was the strongest of the Sikh confederacies north of the river Sutlej in Punjab [7].
Nakai Misal
The chief of this Misal was Hira Singh, a Jat of the Sandhu clan [7, 16]. The area lying between Lahore and Gogaira (now both in Pakistan) was called Naka country and during the middle of the eighteenth century A.D., Hira Singh took possession of it; thus the Misal became known as Nakai Misal.
Singhpuria Misal
This is also known as the Fyzulpuria Misal after a village near Amritsar (Punjab) called Fyzullapur. The Misal was founded by a Jat landlord named Kapur Singh Virk who later on was popularly known as Nawab Kapur Singh Virk [7]. He died at Amritsar in A.D. 1753.
Krora Singhia Misal
Sometimes it is also known as the Panjgarhia Misal, from the village of its first chief, Karora Singh. Karora Singh belonged to the Jat background [7] and the Misal was popularly known after his name.
Nishanwala Misal
Two Jats named Sangat Singh and Mohar Singh were the founder of this Misal [7]. These two warriors were the standard-bearers of the assembled Khalsa (baptized Sikh or pure) army, hence, the name Nishanwala was given to this Misal.
Sukerchakia Misal
This Misal was founded by Charat Singh, a Jat of the Sandhawalia clan and grandfather of the Maharaja (great King) Ranjit Singh, the ruler of the Sikh empire of the nineteenth century [7]. The Misal is named after the native village of Charat Singh, called Sukerchak in Amritsar district of Punjab or Manjha country [15].
Phulkia Misal
As per Latif [7], the chief of this Misal was a Jat named Phul of the Sandhu (Sidhu?) clan; thus the Misal is known by his name. Phul had seven sons who became the ancestors of the royal families of Patiala, Nabha, and Jhind States (now in modern Punjab).
Ramgarhia Misal
Latif [7] wrote, "The founder of the Misal was Khoshal Singh, a Jat of Mouza Guga near Amritsar, Punjab. After his death he was succeeded by Nodh Singh of Sahangi also near Amritsar. Three most daring brothers named Jassa Singh, Mali Singh, and Tara Singh of Tarkhan (carpenter) background and belonging to Mouza Sarsang in the Lahore district (now in Pakistan) became devout followers of Nodh Singh. After the death of Nodh Singh, Jassa Singh became the chief of the Misal. The Misal seized the fort of Ram Raouni (Fortalice of God) and then renamed it Ramgarh (God's Fort [17])". Later on the Misal was popularly known as the Ramgarhia Misal. The largest Bunga with two watchtowers, at the Complex of the Harmandar Sahib was built by the Ramgarhia Misl. The Bunga served as home base for the Ramgarhias during the yearly visits to the Temple and also as a military barracks from which the Ramgarhias could defend the Sacred Site. A gaint block of granite called the 'Coronation Stone' of the Grand Mughals is located in the second floor of the Bunga in the open balcony area. During the period when the Sikhs controlled Delhi the stone on which Emperors were installed and from which they read their edicts was removed from the Lal Killa and carted to Amritsar. This is said to be the very same stone from which the death sentences for Guru Tegh Bahadur and Banda Bahadur were pronounced.
Misaldars select a Punjab ka Maharaja
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, a Jat of the Sandhawalia clan and of the Sukerchakia Misal integrated all the Misals and ultimately established the Sikh empire in the North-West India, which ended with the British takeover in 1849. One time the Sikh empire embraced the whole of the undivided Punjab (prior to the creation of Pakistan), Kashmir, and a part of Tibet. Even though Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a Jat and a Sikh, during his rule he treated every individual and community very fairly which won him the admiration of people inside and outside his empire.
Members of his government belonged to the different communities of his empire. For example, his Foreign Minister was a Muslim and his Treasurer, a Hindu. Commanders of his army were Sikhs, Jat Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, French, Italian, and Americans. French and Italian Generals of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army had fought in the battle of Waterloo alongside Napoleon and later on joined the Sikh army. These Generals were Allard, Court, and Ventura [6]. Two of his famous Punjabi Generals were Hari Singh Nalwa and Sham Singh Attariwala (a Jat of the Sidhu clan [16]). Maharaja Ranjit Singh also employed several Western medical doctors and artists. According to Cunningham [6] in 1844 the estimated revenue of the Sikh Kingdom was 32.475 million in 1844 rupees and the breakdown for the army's forces was:
- Infantry (92,000)
- Cavalry (31,800)
- Field Artillery (384 Guns)
Ranjit Singh was the only ruler in South Asia who could have opposed British rule in India but he had befriended the British with which he entered into peace treaties. He died on June 27, 1839 and was succeeded by his son Kharak Singh. A year later on November 5, 1840 Kharak Singh also passed away (said to have been poisoned by the Dogra Brothers) and on the same day that his son Nau Nihal Singh became the de facto Maharaja, he was wounded in a suspicious freak accident while returning from his father's funeral, rushed from the scene and locked away from his family and friends by his father's Vasir, Dylan Singh Dogra (a Rajput who had declared allegance to Maharaja Ranjit Singh but did not, himself, become a Sikh). When the other Sikh courtiers finally forced the doors open to the chambers where Kanvar-Maharaja Nau Nihal Singh was held, he was found dead and in a much worse condition than when he was carried away on a palki with only minor injuries. Dylan Singh Dogra would now abandon the court of the Mahrani who wished to wait for the imminant birth of the Kanvar's child and move to the camp of Sher Singh, Kharak Singh's half-brother who was soon, after laying seige to The Lahore Darbar, proclaimed Maharaja of the Sikh Kingdom only to be assassinated a few years later along with his son and the treacherous Dogra Vazir.
Finally, the youngest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Dalip Singh, became the ruler of the Sikh Kingdom and in A.D. 1849, after two failed Anglo-Sikh wars, his Kingdom became a part of the British Empire. The young Dalip Singh was taken to England by the British authorities and became a close friend of Queen Victoria's family. Interestingly, General Sir MacMunn [14] wrote, "Then was the Punjab annexed and the boy, Dalip Singh, eventually sent to be brought up in England with ample revenues. To him his friend, Colonel Sleeman, the famous Indian political officer, wrote, "I see you are going to live in Kent (district in South-East England). You will be among your own people there, for you are a Jat and the men of Kent are Jats from Jutland", and no doubt he was speaking ethnological truth". Dalip Singh died in Paris on October 22, 1893 [18].
No comments:
Post a Comment