The Rajas of the Punjab by Lepel H. Griffin/The History of the Patiala State:Part I

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The Rajas of the Punjab by Lepel H. Griffin
Printed by the Punjab Printing Company, Limited, Lahore 1870
The History of the Patiala State:Part I
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The Sidhu Jat clan

The family of Pattiala belongs to the Sidhu - Jat clan, whose villages are widely scattered over the tract of country lying between the Ravi and the Jamna. North of the Satlej the clan has lost its importance, and the war of 1849, and the annexation of the Panjab, broke, for ever, the power of the last great Sidhu family of Attari, one member of which, Raja Sher Singh, commanded the Sikh troops at Chilianwala, where the incapacity of an English General and the gallantry of the Sikhs almost drew upon the British Army a calamity as crushing as that which had befallen it, eight years before, in Afghanistan.

The only other Sidhu families, Trans-Satlej, whose names have any historical interest, are those of Attariwala, Sidhu, Bhilowal and Sowrian, but these are now poor and of no political importance.*

South of the Satlej, however, the Sidhus are more powerful than ever ; and among them are numbered the independent Princes of Pattiala, Nabha, Jhind and Faridkot ; the Sirdars of Bhadour, Malod and Badrukhan ; the Bhais of Kythal and Amowli, and many other Chiefs of less note.

* The Sidhus Trans-Satlej have descended from ancestors who seem to have returned to Rajasthan, and re-emigrated to the Panjab in the sixteenth century.

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The founder of the clan

Like almost all the Jat tribes, the Sidhus are of Rajput Origin1, and trace their ancestry to Jesal or Jesalji, a Bhatti Rajput, and founder of the State and city of Jaisalmer, who was driven from his kingdom by a successful rebellion in A. D. 1180 ; and wandered northwards where Pirthi Raj was then King of Ajmer and Dehli and the most powerful monarch in Hindostan. Near Hissar, Jesal determined to settle, and here four sons were born to him, Salvahan, Kalan, Hemhel and Pem. The third of these, Hemhel, sacked the town of Hissar, seized a number of villages in its neighborhood, and overran the country up to the walls of Dehli. He was driven back by Shamsuddin Altamas, the third Tartar King of Dehli, but was afterwards received into favour and made Governor of the Sirsa and Battinda country in A. D. 1212, He built the town of Hansar, where he died in 1214, and was succeeded by his son Jandra, who was only remarkable as the father of twenty-one sons, from whom as many clans have descended ; Batera being the ancestor of the Sidhus, Manjalrab, son of Batera, rebelled against the Dehli Government and was captured and beheaded at Jaisalmer. He left one son, Undra, commonly known as Anand Rai, who was the father of Khiwa, the last pure Rajput of the family. Khiwa first married a Rajputni, but she bore him no children, and he then took, as a second wife, the daughter of one Basir, a Jat zamindar of Neli. This marriage was considered a disgrace by his Rajput kinsmen, and Khiwa was ever afterwards known as "Kot" which signifies in the Punjabi dialect, an alloy of metals, or any inferior and degrading admixture.

:1. These Bhattis at that time were Jats and not Rajputs as the Rajput word did not exist at that period where as Jats existed from much earlier time.Laxman Burdak (talk) 23:15, 3 December 2012 (EST)

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The birth of Sidhu

Khiwa, however, obtained what he desired, an heir ; but the first wife, jealous of her rival, bribed the midwife to substitute a girl for the boy, whom she took into the jungle and threw into a dry water-course. Shortly afterwards a man passing by, saw the infant, and having no children of his own, imagined that it had been sent by Heaven to console him, so he took it home and adopted it as his son. But the midwife was unable to keep the secret ; the Rajputni wife was compelled to confess her guilt, and, after a long search, the boy was found and restored to his father. He was named Sidhu, and from him the Sidhu tribe has derived its name.*

The descendants of Sidhu

Sidhu → Bur → Bir → Sitrah → Jertha → Mahi → Burar

Sidhu, who was, according to Rajput custom, reckoned as of the caste of his mother, a Jat, had four sons, Dhar, sometimes called Debi, Bur, Sur and Rupach.

From the first has descended the families of Kythal, Jhumba, Amowli and Sadhowal ; and

from the second the Phulkian Chiefs.

Sur, the third, has no family of any note among his descendants, who, however, are numerous in Battinda and Firozpur ;

while those of Rupach, the youngest, reside at Pir-ki-kot and Ratrya in the Firozpur district.

Bir, the son of Bur, had two sons, the eldest of whom, Sidtilkara, did not marry, but became an ascetic.

Sitrah, the younger, had two sons, Jertha and Lakumba, from the second of whom the family of Attari, in the Amritsar district, has sprung.

His son Hari, gave his name to Hariki on the Satlej, near the spot where the battle of Sobraon was fought, and also founded the villages of Bhatta and Ghima.

* A similar tradition exists regarding the founder of the Shergil Jat tribe.— vide Punjab Chiefs, pp. 852 452.

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Jertha had one son, Mahi or Maho, and from him descended, in successive generations, Gala, Mehra, Hambir and Burar.

Burar gave his name to the Burar tribe. He was a brave and a successful man and waged continual warfare with the Jaid and Dhaliwal Jats, and the Muhammadan Bhattis of Sirsa, who had sprung from the same original stock as himself; also with the Chattarsal Rajputs, against whom he fought at Fakarsar, Theri and Kot Ladhoha, at which last place it is said that two thousand fell on the side of Burar, and a still larger number on that of the Rajputs, while the Fort of Ladhoha passed into the possession of the conqueror.

Burar had two sons, Paur and Dhul, the younger of whom is the ancestor of the Raja of Faridkot, and of the Burar tribe, which holds almost the whole of the districts of Mari, Mudki and Muktsar, Buchan, Mehraj, Sultan Khan and Bhadour in the Firozpur district, the whole of Faridkot, and many villages in Pattiala, Nabha, Jhumba and Malod.

The two brothers quarrelled, and the elder, Paur, being worsted, fell into great poverty, in which his family remained for several generations, till Sanghar restored their fortunes. When the Emperor Babar invaded India in 1524, Sanghar waited on him at Lahore and entered his army with a few followers ; but soon afterwards he was killed at the battle of Panipat, on the 21st April 1526, when Babar defeated Ibrahim Lodi, with great slaughter, and gained the Empire of Dehli. This victory did not, however, lead him to forget the services of Sanghar, to whose son Bariam, he gave the Chaudhriyat* of the waste country

* A Chaudhri was, in the tine of the Empire, the head-man in a certain District, for the revenue collection of which he was responsible, receiving a percentage on the collections. His office was termed “Chaudhariyat."

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to the south-west of Dehli, which office was confirmed to him by Humayun, the son and successor of Babar, in 1554. The name of Bariam is the only one by which this chief is historically known, but it was not his original name, and was given him by the Emperor in honor of his bravery, and signifies brave, Buhadar. He lived for the most part at Neli, the village of Sidhu's maternal relations, and also re-built Bhidowal, which had become deserted. He was killed about the year 1560, fighting with the Bhattis, and with him fell his grandson Suttoh. He left two sons, Mehraj, (commonly known as Maharaj) who succeeded to the Chaudhriyat, and Garaj, whose descendants people five villages in the Firozpur district. The only son of Mehraj had been killed in his father’s lifetime, and Pukko, the grandson, succeeded, but he was soon after killed in a skirmish with the Bhattis at Bhidowal. He had two brothers, Lukho and Chaho ; the descendants of the first live in Jakepal ; and of the second at the village of Chaho, some eight miles distant from Bhadour in the Ludhiana district. His sons were Habbal and Mohan, the latter of whom was confirmed as Chaudhri ; but he fell into arrears with the Government, and finding himself unable to pay what was due, and also being much harassed by his hereditary foes the Bhattis, he fled to Hansi and Hissar, where his relations were numerous, and, collecting a considerable force, returned home and defeated the Bhattis near Bhidowal. By the advice of Guru Har Govind, the sixth of the Sikh prophets, he founded the village of Mehraj or Maharaj, naming it after his great-grandfather.

The founding Mehraj

From this village twenty-two others have been peopled, known as the Bais Maharajkian ; and the jagirdars inhabiting

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them, known as the Maharajkian Sikhs, are now upwards of seven thousand in number.

Mohan, with his eldest son Rup Chand, was killed, according to the custom of his family, in a fight with the Bhattis, about the year 1618, and Karla, the next surviving son, succeeded to the Chaudhriyat and the guardianship of his deceased brother's sons, Phul and Sandali. The three other sons of Mohan helped to found Mehraj, where their descendants still live. Soon after Mohan's death, Har Govind again visited Bhidowal, and Kala, who had faith in the Guru's power and blessing, told his nephews that when they should see the Saint, they were to place their hands on their stomachs as if suffering from hunger. This they did, and Har Govind asking the reason, was told by Kala that the boys were starving. " What" said the Guru " matters the hunger of one belly, when these boys shall satisfy the hunger of thousands." He then asked the name of the children, and on hearing that of Phul (blossom), he said " the name shall be a true omen, and he shall bear many blossoms."

The great ancestor of the Phulkian Chiefs

Phul was the second son of Rup Chand, by Mai Umbi, a Jitani Jat woman. He was educated by a celebrated fakir named Samerpuri, who taught him the art of feigning death by stopping his breath, an accomplishment which had for him a most tragical result. In the year 1627, Phul left Mehraj and founded a village five miles distant, which he called after his own name. He received firman

* This art is mentioned several times in the Shastras, and in the Sikh Granth, under the name of पुरानायामं puranayam or stopping breath, and in Persian habs-i-dam, or retention of the breath. The Hindus believed the breath was drawn up into the brain, which was supposed to be the seat of life.
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or deed of grant from the Emperor Shah Jehan confirming to him the office which had been for so many years held by his family. The prophecy of Guru Har Govind was fulfilled, and Phul had seven children from whom have descended many noble families.

The death of Phul

The death of Phul is said to have happened in the following manner. The Governor of Sirhind had thrown him into prison on failure to make good his revenue collections, and Phul, seeing no other way to escape, practised the accomplishment he had learnt from Samerpuri, and, suspending his breath and showing no sign of vitality, was supposed by his guardians to be dead, and his body was given for cremation to his friends, the Pathans of Maler Kotla, who conveyed it to his home. It so happened that his first wife, Bali, alone knew the mysterious power possessed by her husband, and she was absent on a visit to her father. The younger wife, believing her husband dead, placed his body on the funeral pile

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and burnt him in the orthordox manner. Shortly afterwards Bali arrived, and, hearing of what had taken place, declared that Phul had been burnt alive. Rajji was so disconcerted by her mistake, that she abandoned the village and went to live with her brother-in-law, Sukhan Nand, a Burar, while Bali and her children continued to reside at the village of Phul.

The sacred pool of Ganga

Previous to the death of Phul, which took place in 1652 — the dates of the decease of members of the family are not known with any accuracy, and the reason is said to be that it was not customary with this tribe to convey the ashes of their dead to Hardwar, where Brahmans keep up registers of the deaths of those whose final ceremonies they perform, but to cast them into a sacred pool at the village of Ganga, in the Moga division of the Firozpur district. This pool acquired sanctity through a fakir named Kalunath, a Dhaliwal Jat, who, when importuned to accompany a body of pilgrims to the Ganges at Hardwar, declined, but sent as a substitute, his staff and gourd, which he directed should be thrown into the sacred river. On the return of his friends, he enquired if they had complied with his directions, and they replied that they had ; but on visiting the pool outside the village, both gourd and staff were found floating on the surface of the water. Thence forward the pool was considered holy ; pilgrimages were made to it, and into it the ashes of the dead were thrown. It has now lost much of its old sanctity, and, although a fair is held at Ganga, annually, at the Baisakhi, it is only the Jhan Jats of the Cis-Satlej and the Ramana Dhaliwal Jats, who hold it in respect.

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Genealogy of Phul, the ancestor of Patiala rulers

The genealogy of the family, from the date of flight of Jesal from his Capital, till the death of Phul, including twenty-nine generations, is as below : —

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The sons of Chaudhari Phul and and their descendants

From Tilokha, the eldest son of Chaudhri Phul, have descended, as has before been said, the families of Nabha and Jhind. Rama, the ancestor of the Pattiala family, was the second son of Phul. These brothers, the sons of the Chaudhri's first marriage, appear, after his death, to have at once taken the lead in the family. They induced their four half-brothers, sons of the second marriage, to give up all claim to the estates of their father on the ground that they were unable to pay their quota of the dues demanded by the Imperial authorities at Dehli, and they divided the ancestral land between them-selves ; Tilokha, the elder, succeeding to the office of Chaudhri; The village of Gumti was assigned to Chanu, Jhandu and Takht Mal, the younger sons of Phul, and is still inhabited by their descendants, who are known as the Laudhgharian* Sirdars.

The founding of the village of Bhai Rupa

The village of Bhai Rupa was founded by the brothers Tilokha and Rama, about the year 1680, and, being held to the present day by the Phulkian Chiefs in equal shares, is the best possible proof of the original equality of the houses of Pattiala, Jhind, Nabha, Bhadour and Malod. When the question of the supremacy of Pattiala over Bhadour was pending in 1854, the Maharaja stated that his ancestor had given Bhadour a share in this village to strengthen himself against the probable encroachments of Nabha and Jhind; the real truth being that Rama and Tilokha shared equally, and their sons inherited their shares according to custom and

* Laudh, signifies ‘small' in the Punjabi dialect; ghar — 'house’ and “Laudhgharia" consequently signifies the younger branch.
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Hindu law ; before the names of Nabha, Pattiala and Jhind were known and while their feuds and rivalries were still unborn. The village of Bhai Rupa is situated in Nabha territory, and about eight miles to the north of the town of Phul.

Rughu, the sixth and last son, settled in the village of Jiundan, about eight miles to the south-west of Phul. From this village he had taken his wife, and his descendants still own its lands.

The Patiala genealogy

The Patiala genealogy

The following is the Pattiala genealogy:

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Rama the founder of the Pattiala family

Rama, or Ram Chand, is said to have first distinguished himself by attacking and dispersing a large body of marauders who were passing the village of Phul laden with plunder ; and, obtaining by his success some considerable wealth, he founded the village of Rampur, and began, after the example of the robbers he had despoiled, to attack such of his neighbours as were less powerful than himself. He made a raid into the Bhatti country and defeated Hassan Khan, one of the old enemies of his family, with much loss, near the village of Chandah, and carried off much spoil, money, horses and cattle. His next victory was over the Muhammadan Chief of Kot, whom he defeated after a sharp fight, and plundered his camp.

He obtains the Collectorship of jungle Ilaqa : The Dehli Empire was at this time fast falling to decay, and could with difficulty of the maintain its authority in the out-lying districts beyond the Jamna.

Rama thought the opportunity a good one to increase his own authority ; and as he had a friend at the Court of the Muhammadan Governor of Sirhind, in the person of his cousin Chen Singh, he was able to obtain permission to superintend what was then known as the jungle Ilaka or waste district, on promise of payment of all his arrears of revenue. Chen Singh was to act with him as Joint-Governor ; but, as might have been anticipated, the cousins soon quarrelled. Chen Singh, through whose influence alone the appointment had been obtained, and who had access to the Sirhind Darbar, was not content with his share of the income of the district, and tried to obtain a reversal of this order in Rama's favor, and obtain the whole district for himself. Hearing

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His murder of his cousin


of this intrigue, Rama lost no time in taking action to maintain his authority, and caused his cousin Chen Singh to be murdered in the Faridkot territory, whither he had gone on business.

And death

This crime was never punished, nor even investigated by the Dehli Government, which had enough to do to take care of itself; but it did not go unavenged, for Biru and Ugar Sen, the sons of Chen Singh, watching their opportunity, killed Rama at Kotla, in the year 1714.

At the time of his death Rama was not far from his eightieth year. He was a follower of Guru Govind Singh, although neither he nor his sons, with the exception of Ala Singh and Ram Singh, took the name of Singh as an affix to their own.

The sons of Rama

He married Sabi, the daughter of a Bhuttar zamindar of Nanun, who bore him six sons, Duna, Subha, Ala Singh, Bakhta, Ladha, and Budha.

  • The first of these was the founder of the Bhadour family.
  • Subha, the second son, died in 1729, and his only son, Jodh, the same year ; and Hodiana, which he had conquered and made his residence, came into the possession of his brother Ala Singh.
  • Bakhta, the fourth son, was the ancestor of the Malod family, while of the last two brothers,
  • Budha and Ladha, who took the name of Ram Singh, no descendants are now living.

The families of Bhadour and Malod

A detailed account will hereafter be given of the, families of Bhadour and Malod, which were soon overshadowed by the more powerful Pattiala house. But there seems no truth whatever in the state-

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ment made by Pattiala that, from the time of the death of his father, Ala Singh claimed supremacy over his brothers and that they rendered him service as the head of the house.

The Phulkian families originally equal and independent of each other:

Each brother was absolutely independent ; and if two or more joined in a common enterprise, it was on terms of perfect equality. Ala Singh was not, moreover, the eldest son of Rama, as Pattiala authorities would wish to prove, but the third son ; and Duna, the Bhadour ancestor, would have been the head of the family, had primogeniture been then the rule. But it was only after the time of Ala Singh, the founder of the Chiefship of Pattiala, that primogeniture was adopted as the rule of that family ; if indeed it was formally adopted, for the Rajas denied or asserted it as seemed most convenient to themselves. At any rate, before Ala Singh's death, the rule which prevailed in the Phulkian family, as among the Jat Sikhs generally, was that of equal division between the sons ; and, among the smaller Phulkian families, this custom, more or less modified, obtains to the present day. Nabha, Jhind and Pattiala alone of the thirteen Phulkian houses assert the rule of primogeniture, and even these have, more than once, endeavoured to set it aside.

Ala Singh the third son of Rama

Ala Singh was twenty-three years of age when his father was murdered, and his first thought was to avenge him. For sometime no opportunity occurred, but, about two years after Rama's death, his assassins, Kamola, Biru and Ugarsen, with a small body of attendants, paid a visit to Gumti, information of which having reached Ala Singh and his brother Subha, they hastily collected a few horsemen, surrounded

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the village, and attacked them. Kamola and his followers made a gallant defence, but were over-powered, and Biru, Kamola and eighteen of their attendants, were slain.

He avenged his fathers death:

Ugarsen, escaping, fled to Semeke, which was at once attacked and pillaged, and Ugarsen had again to seek safety in flight.

Soon after this Ala Singh established a Thana or Police station in Sangirah, at the request, it is said, of the people of that place, who suffered from the oppression of the Chiefs of Kot and Jagraon, and he held the village though its former owners tried their best to oust him.

He leaves Bhadaur to his elder brother Duna:

In 1718 he left Bhadaur to his elder brother Duna and rebuilt Barnala, which had fallen into ruins, and where he took up his residence. Here one of Ala Singh's most powerful and trouble-some neighbours was Sohnde Khan, a Muhammadan of Rajput origin, who owned the village of Nima, but whose occupation was rather robbery than husbandry ; and who, besides 300 horsemen of his own, could count on the assistance of Rai Kalha, the Chief of Kot, his relation, who was too powerful for Ala Singh to care to offend him. Sohnde Khan died in 1731, and his adopted son Nigdhi Khan, disgusted at being refused a share with the two sons of the deceased, took service with Ala Singh, and persuaded Sardul Singh, the son of the latter, to join him in an attack upon the village of Nima, which they captured and destroyed.

He is attacked by Rai Kalha of Kot, but holds his own: When the Rai of Kot, who was then a powerful Chief, heard of this, he determined to punish the audacious Sikh, and collected a large force.

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led by Dalel Khan of Halwarah, Kutbuddin Khan of Mulsian, and other Rajputs of Thattar and Talwandi of the same caste as Sohnde Khan ; Jamal Khan, Chief of Maler Kotla, and Nawab Syad Asad Ali Khan, the Imperial General of the Jalandhar Doab. Outside the walls of Barnala a battle was fought, in which fortune declared on the side of Ala Singh, And the Imperial for Asad Ali Khan having fallen General slain early in the day, his troops became disheartened and withdrew from the field. The Maler Kotla and Kot troops followed the example, and the retreat soon became a rout, in which the Sikhs took many prisoners and the greater part of the enemy's baggage.

The fame of Ala Singh increases:

This brilliant success at once made a great improvement in the position of Ala Singh. He Was looked upon as one of the most rising Chiefs, under whom both glory and plunder might be won ; and many a zamindar, from across the Satlej, came to Barnala to take service, sometimes alone, sometimes with two or three horsemen behind him. All that a Sikh Chief asked, in these days, from a follower, was a horse and a matchlock. All that a follower asked was protection and permission to plunder in the name of God and the Guru, under the banner of the Chief.

The qualities of a chief

There was little question of pay. All Sikhs were theoretically equal, their religion in its first youth was too pure a theocracy to allow distinctions of rank among its adherents, and he who, like Amar Singh Majithia, could pierce a tree through with an arrow, or, like Hari Singh Nalwa, could kill a tiger with a blow of his sword, might soon ride with followers behind

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him, and call himself a Sirdar. The time came when, like the Jews, the Sikhs took a King, and, in some degree, forgot the dream of equality which had been so dear to them.* But all the great families north and south of the Satlej have the same origin : the law of force, the keen sword and the strong hand, were the foundations upon which Sikh society, as indeed every other society in the world, was reared. Thus to attract followers by his power and success was the main desire of every Sikh : who they were or what were their antecedents was a matter of little consequence, if only they could fight and ride, and this almost every Sikh could do, as the English discovered in 1845 and 1849.

Sikh life in AD 1760

In these days every village became a fort, built on a high mound to overlook the plain country, with but one entrance and narrow lanes in which two men could hardly walk abreast. A neighbour was synonymous with an enemy, and the husbandmen ploughed their fields with their matchlocks by their side. No man could consider his land, his horse, or his wife his own, unless he was strong enough to defend them ; for although the Sikh leaders were best pleased with the spoil of Muhammadans or the capture of an Imperial convoy, they were more robbers than patriots, and plundered with much impartiality. One thing in their favor must be said, which raises them far above the Pindaris of Central India or the Dacoits of Bengal : they fought and plundered like men, and

* Ranjit Singh never forgot to honour the democratic feeling or rather the theocratic feeling of the Sikhs. He professed to rule, by the grace of God’ like any Christian King ; the name of the Guru was on his coins, and he was no more than chosen leader of the people, with whom he was always popular, though the Chiefs had little love for him.
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not like demons. There are few stories in Sikh history of outrage to women and torture to men, such as stain the pages of South Indian history with cruelty and blood. Many a pretty Jatni girl was, it is true, carried off in a foray, but she was generally a willing captive. She had been taught to consider courage and strength the only qualities to desire in a husband, and was quite ready to yield herself a prize to the man who had won her in fair fight, and who would make her his lawful wife, though he had killed her brothers and burned their village. Yet, while the Sikhs were undoubted robbers, and though cattle lifting was the one honorable profession amongst them, as on the Scottish border a few hundred years ago, their enthusiasm for their faith, their hated to the Muhammadans who had so long trampled them under foot, who had killed their prophets and thrown down their altars, gave them a certain dignity, and to their objects and expeditions an almost national interest.

The Sikhs were never a united people:

But they were at no time a united people. During the eighteenth century each never a united people. During the eighteenth century each leader was absolutely independent, conquering and plundering on his own account ; and only joining other Chiefs to make an attack on the common enemy, the Muhammadan. Ranjit Singh contrived to make a compact kingdom out of the Punjab proper, north of the Bias, but he did not unite the Sikh people generally under his rule. At the time of his greatest power, in 1830, there may have been 1,250,000 Sikhs in the whole Punjab. But of these 500,000 lived to the south of the Satlej, under the rule of Chiefs who looked upon Ranjit Singh as an upstart and hated him even more than they feared

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him, if indeed this were possible. The Sikhs of the Cis-Satlej States had, indeed, a secret sympathy with their northern co-religionists, as was very evident during the Satlej campaign ; but they had never united with them for any common object during the nineteenth century. Even the Sikhs of the Jalandhar Doab were only partially under the rule of Ranjit Singh. Their leader was the Ahluwalia Chief, who claimed to be the equal of the Maharaja ; and although he was compelled to send a contingent to every campaign and often to attend himself, yet he hated the Lahore Government fully as much as the Cis-Satlej Chiefs, and always looked for protection and countenance to the English, who, had they chosen, might have moved their boundary to the Bias thirty-five years earlier than they did, and have maintained themselves there without a struggle. But it was thought politic to leave a barrier of independent Chiefs between British territory and that of Lahore ; a policy intelligible enough and perhaps wise, but denied or forgotten on the only occasions when it should have been remembered.

Ala singh makes war on the Bhattis

The victory of Ala Singh over the Afghans was gained in 1731, and he then again attacked his hereditary foes the Bhattis, the Chief of whom was Muhammad Amir Khan, son of Hassan Khan of Bhatner ; with his followers and relatives Allahdad Khan of Buhai, Wilayat Khan and Inayat Khan of Hariau. The Bhatti country was, however, a very difficult one to conquer, with little forage and less water, while the inhabitants were as warlike as the Sikhs. Ala Singh made no impression upon them worthy of

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record, though, for ten years, a desultory warfare was carried on, with varying results.

He allies himself with the Ruhillas:

About this time Ala Singh made friends with Ali Muhammad Khan, a Hindu convert of Rampur in Rohilkand, who had been adopted by a Muhammadan officer, and who founded a Rohilla State in the country between the upper Ganges and the hills. In 1741, however, Ali Muhammad was a servant of the Empire, and had charge of the sub-division of Sirhind. Ala Singh accompanied him on several expeditions, one of them against Rai Kalha of Kot, who was defeated and fled to Pakpattan, his brother, Mokham Khan, being killed. But the Sikh Chief was too independent to be long on good terms with any Imperial officer ; and he soon saw that his residence at the Court of Ali Muhammad would be dangerous and asked for his dismissal.

He imprisonment and escape:

This the Governor refused, arrested him and throw him into prison, where he might have perished but for the devotion of one of his followers who had no very good reason to love him. This was Karma, one of the relations of Chen Singh, who, it will be remembered, was murdered by Ala Singh's father. He had entered the Pattiala service, but knew that he was thought not to have forgotten the family feud and to be consequently a dangerous character. To prove his devotion to his leader, he made his way at night to the place where Ala Singh was imprisoned, and, changing clothes with him, allowed him to make his escape. This fidelity was not un-rewarded, Karma became the most trusted of Ala Singh's followers, and the family of Chen Singh was

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allowed to return to their home and rebuild their deserted village.

He reduces refractory villages:

Soon after this, Ali Muhammad left Sirhind for Rohilkand, so that the quarrel between him and Ala Singh ended ; and the latter had leisure to reduce to submission several refractory villages, which had been induced by Sirdar Jodh Singh of Battinda to throw off his authority, and this work be successfully accomplished in about five months.

Ala Singh built the fort of Bhawanigarh:

In the year 1749, Sirdar Ala Singh commenced to build the Fort of Bhawanigarh, but tho progross of the work was interrupted by a petty Rajput Chieftain of the neighbourhood, named Farid Khan, who fancied that his own independence would be in danger by a fort so near his village. Not being able himself to storm the building, he set out for Sirhind to invoke the aid of the Imperial Governor. But Ala Singh had heard of his intention, and intercepting him, routed his party with considerable loss and seized all his land, about one-fourth of the Samana parganah.

He conquered Sanawar and Founded Patiala

Three years later the district of Sanawar was conquered for Ala Singh by one of his Sirdars, Gurbaksh Singh Kaleka. The district was known as Chaurasi, (eighty-four) from the number of its villages, one of which was Pattiala, now the capital of the territory, where Ala Singh, in the year 1753, built a mud fort in order to overawe his new possessions, and left Sirdar Gurbaksh Singh in charge. Diwan Lachman Narain, one of the officers of Samand Khan or Abul Samad Khan of Sirhind

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fled to this Chief for protection, and his surrender was at once demanded by his master, who, being refused, marched to Sanawar to enforce his demand. Sirdar Gurbaksh Singh then sent the Diwan to Pattiala, as being a place of greater security, and, joining the force of Ala Singh, they together attacked Abul Samad Khan and defeated him, securing a large quantity of plunder.

In company of Bhai Gurbaksh Singh he attacks Battinda :

The next expedition of the Chief was against Jodh or Jodh Singh, a Sirdar who possessed the district of Battinda,and against whom Bhai Gurbaksh Singh, the founder of the Bhaikian family of Kythal, had asked assistance. Ala Singh sent a considerable force, but his troops were repulsed, and he then called to his aid the Sikhs from the north of the Satlej, who were only too glad to assist in any expedition where plunder was to be obtained. They overran and pillaged the country, and then recrossed the Satlej, leaving Bhai Gurbaksh Singh in posses- sion.* Ala Singh then turned his arms against Iniyat Khan and Wilayat Khan, the Rajput Chiefs of Buhai and Buloda, who were somewhat trouble- some neighbours. They called to their aid the Bhatti Chiefs, Hassan Khan and Muhammad Amin Khan, but these were unwilling to interfere, and the Rajputs were compelled to fight alone, which they did gallantly, being themselves killed in the field with several hundred of their followers. The Pattiala Chief lost almost as many men, but he seized the district of Buloda, which he soon afterwards surrendered to Bhai Gurbaksh Singh. The district

* An account of the Kythal family is given later.

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The District of Mung conquered by Sirdar Lal Singh

of Mung was next added to the Pattiala territory, by Lai Singh, son of Sirdar Ala Singh. This young man was brave and energetic, and begged his father to make over to him some territory to manage. Ala Singh told him to win it for himself. He took counsel with Sirdar Khan, the original proprietor of Mung, who had been expelled by the Bhatti Chiefs, Abu Khan and Salim Khan, and his assistance was readily given, for he hoped, if not to recover the district for himself, to avenge himself upon those who had dispossessed him. While the Bhatti Chiefs were absent, Sirdar Khan made his way into the fort with a few followers, and signaled his success to Lai Singh, who brought up the main body of the troops and took possession of the village and adjoining district, which has been held by Pattiala ever since.

Ala Singh again attacks the Bhattis.

Sirdar Lai Singh and his father then overran the district of Sohana, Jamalpur, Dharsul and Shikarpur, belonging to Muhammad Amin Khan and Muhammad Hassan Khan, Bhattis. These Chiefs invited the Imperial Governor of Hissar to help them, and he sent a detachment ; but, in the engagement which followed, at Khodal near Akalghar, the Bhattis were defeated ; nor was their second venture more fortunate, for, after three days skirmishing, Ala Singh made a night attack on the Bhatti camp which was completely successful and Muhammad Amin escaped with difficulty and fled to Hissar. He then, to ensure cordial assistance from Nawab Nasir Khan, the Governor, gave him his daughter in marriage and set to work to raise as large a force as possible, hoping to retrieve his past defeats. The Sikhs and

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the Bhattis, supported by the Imperial troops, met at Dharsul, but neither party cared to risk a general engagement. For seven or eight days the hostile forces lay opposite each other, skimishing and fighting in a desultory manner; and it was more the chance of the death of Nasir Khan, the Governor, which gave the victory to the Sikhs, for the Imperial troops disheartened by the loss of their leader left the field, and the Bhattis were then at once attacked by Ala Singh with all his troops and put to flight with great loss. This engagement, which did much to consolidate Ala Singh's power and increase his reputation, was fought in 1757.

The invasion of Ahmad Shah Durani of Kabul

For ten years previous to this time, the Durani monarch of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah, had made almost annual expeditions into Hindostan, and, in 1748, 1756 and 1761, had marched as far south as Sirhind and Dehli. The conduct of the Prince towards the Sikhs was generally conciliatory, and he would have been glad to enlist them on his side, first against the Dehli Government and then against the Mahrattas, whom he defeated in turn. But the Sikhs, although they hated the Dehli Government, bore no love to the Afghans. They had no wish to aid in building up at Dehli an empire stronger than that which preceded it, and to bind the yoke more firmly on their own necks. They were hoping for a Sikh republic and a time when all Northern India would be the heritage of the Khalsa ; when all hostile creeds should have fallen before the sword of the Guru. Besides this, they were unable to resist the temptation to plunder which the presence of a large army, with an immense train of baggage and innu-

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merable camp-followers implied ; and they hovered about the Afghan line of march, cutting off supplies and doing what damage they could, but never making a direct attack, for their own discipline was so slight that they entertained a reasonable dread of regular troops.

The Sikhs attack Zin Khan, the Afghan Governor of Sirhind :

Ahmad Shah had, in 1761, appointed Zin Khan as the Governor at Sirhind, and the moment the Durani monarch had had turned his face homewards, the Sikhs attached his Lieutenant, and it would have been difficult for Zin Khan to hold his own, had it not been for the aid of several Muhammadan Chiefs in the neighbourhood, among them Jamal Khan of Maler Kotla and Rai Kalha of Raikot. The next year Ahmad Shah again invaded India, and determined to punish the Sikhs for their audacity in attacking Sirhind.

Sikhs collect to oppose Ahmad Shah:

All the Phulkian Chiefs, the Singhpurias, the Faizullapurias, the Bhais of Kythal, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and many others had collected to oppose the passage of the Shah, near Barnala, which was then the chief town of the Pattiala territory. The Sikhs, for the first time, met the Afghans in the open field, and the result was the most crushing defeat that they had ever received, their loss being estimated at 20,000 men, though this is probably an exaggeration. The Afghan troops then took possession of Barnala and plundered it. Ala Singh was captured and taken before Ahmad Shah, and a ransom of four lakhs of rupees was demanded for his life. This, the Chief, with some difficulty,

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paid, and Ahmad Shah, who was a man of great sagacity, thinking it would be wiser to conciliate the Sikhs after having given them, in their late defeat, so convincing a proof of his power, embraced Ala Singh, and gave him a dress of honor with the title of Raja.

The consequences of good fortune:

It was, in March 1762, that Ala Singh obtained this title, and the jealousy and indignation of the other Chiefs was very great. They declared that he had betrayed them, and that the title was the price of his treachery ; and that it was unworthy for a Sikh to bear a title conferred by a Muhammadan, a foreigner and an enemy. The Sikhs were ready to turn upon Ala Singh and avenge upon him their defeat, had it not been for Sirdar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, who was at this time far more influential than Ala Singh himself, and who took his side in the dispute. Matters were at length smoothed over, but it was necessary for Ala Singh to prove by his actions that he was not a servant of the Durani King. No sooner had Ahmad Shah returned to Kabul, than the Sikhs began to recover their courage and to coalesce against the Muhammadans. The confederacies, both north and south of the Satlej, for once laid aside their feuds and jealousies and united to make one great effort against Sirhind, which the Sikhs especially hated, as it was there that the two sons of Guru Govind Singh had been put to death by the Muhammadans. Ala Singh joined with ardour in the expedition, for he had to clear his character in the eyes of his countrymen. The Sikh confederacies from the north of the Satlej assembled in great numbers in the neighbourhood of Sirhind.

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The Sikhs again attack Sirhind and capture it, December 1763:

After having taken possession of the town and fort of Kussur, below Lahore; and Ala Singh, with several of the other Phulkian Chiefs, joined them, till the army, almost entirely horse, numbered 23,000 men. Zin Khan, the Governor of Sirhind, trusting to that dread of regular troops which the Sikhs had ever shown, came without the town to give them battle, but he was killed and his force utterly routed. The Sikhs immediately took possession of the town, which they almost completely destroyed, to avenge the murder of the children of their prophet, and the province of Sirhind was divided among the conquerors.

The town made over to Ala Singh:

The town and its neighbourhood was made over to Raja Ala Singh, chiefly through the influence of Sirdar Gurbaksh Singh, his friend and a nephew of the great Singhpuria Chief, Kapur Singh, and other portions became the property of the Chamkor, Rupar, Sialba, Buria, Kythal and Shahabad Chiefs, and are in part held by them to the present day. Ala Singh made no attempt to rebuild the city of Sirhind, which is still considered accursed by the Sikhs, but removed the greater number of the inhabitants to his new town of Pattiala, where he soon afterwards built a masonry fort from the proceeds of the custom duties collected at Sirhind which was on the high road between Kabul and Dehli, a position to which the misfortune of its being thrice sacked was, in a great measure, attributable.

Ahmad Shah makes no attempt recover Sirhind.:


The next year the Durani monarch again invaded India, but he was too wise to attempt the experiment of placing another Governor in Sirhind,

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to succeed and share the fate of the unfortunate Zin Khan, He received Ala Singh with an appearance of cordiality, and granted him the Chiefship of the chalka or district ; on his agreeing to pay three and a half lakhs of rupees a year, as revenue. A portion of this was paid at once : and Ala Singh promised to remit the remainder to Kabul, but of the fulfillment of this promise there is no record. His grand-daughter, Bibi Rajinda, the only child of his son Bhumian Singh, who had died in 1742, offered indeed to pay the balance for him ; but this offer Ala Singh did not accept, pleading the Hindu rule which prohibits a man from borrowing or being under an obligation to his sister or his daughter. He probably thought, and with justice, that Ahmad Shah at Kabul would be a creditor more easy to evade than Bibi Rajinda at Pattiala.

The death of Ala Singh AD 1765

Raja Ala Singh accompanied Ahmad Shah on return journey as far as Lahore, and then returned to Pattiala, where he died in August 1765.

His character

Among the Sikh Chiefs of his day, Ala Singh was certainly one of the most distinguished. He was gallant and at the same time prudent, and laid strongly the foundations of the most important of the Cis-Satlej States. It is not easy to determine his exact relative position with reference to other Chiefs, for the number of troops which each could bring into the field is either exaggerated or unknown, but he was probably the most powerful Chief south of the Satlej ; although the Kythal family soon became dangerous rivals, and not less so that they were related to the Phulkian house. Of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia

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the Pattiala Chief always showed great jealousy, which the remembrance of his good offices with the Sikhs, after the obnoxious title of Raja had been conferred by Ahmad Shah, did not dispel. Indeed, after the conquest of Sirhind, and when Jassa Singh had recrossed the Satlej, Ala Singh seized his share of the plunder, eight villages, and held them in spite of protests and force.

His family

Ala Singh only married one wife, Fattoh, the daughter of Chowdhri Khana, a Subhran zamindar of Kaleke. A story was told of her that, at her birth, her mother, disappointed at having a daughter when she had earnestly desired a son, put the new born child in an earthen vessel and buried it in the ground. A wandering mendicant of the name of Devi Dass, happening to pass and seeing the mother in tears, enquired the cause of her grief. She confessed to him what she had done, and the mendicant told her to disinter the child, for of her would be born a famous race, which should rule all the neighbouring country. The child was taken out of the ground unhurt, and eventually became the wife of Ala Singh, bearing him three sons, Sardul Singh, Bumian Singh, and Lal Singh, all of whom died in the life-time of their father, and a daughter, Bibi Pardhan, who was married to a zamindar of small consideration, and nothing is known of her descendants.

Sardul Singh, the eldest son:


Sardul Singh, the eldest son married, as his first wife, the daughter of a Sirdar at Bhikhe, who became the mother of Maharaja Amar Singh. His second wife was the widow of his first cousin Jodh, whom he married

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according to Sikh custom, by karewa or chaddar dalna, a simple and unorthodox rite, always used in the marriages of widows. Little is known of Sardul Singh who died in 1753. He was a brave soldier, but most of the Sikhs were brave ; and he died from hard drinking, a virtue as common as bravery among his countrymen.

The second son Bhumian singh:

Bhumian Singh, the second son, left one daughter, Bibi Rajinda, who has before been mentioned. She was married to Tilok Chand, Chaudhri of Bhagwara, who died before her, and she succeeded to her husband's property according to Sikh custom. The succession to the property on her death was claimed by her grandson Jodh Singh, a daughter's son. According to Sikh custom no estate can descend in the female line and the sons of daughters are not counted among the legal heirs. Chuhar Mal, the brother of Rajinda's husband, consequently ejected Jodh Singh and put him to death, and the family of the latter have now become extinct, though a son, Sahib Singh by name, was living in 1820.

Lal Singh, the youngest son:

The youngest son, Lal Singh, died childless, and from the same cause as his brother, excessive drinking. He added Mung to the Pattiala territory. His widow Bibi Bhagan survived him many years.

The Succession to Raja Alam Singh

When Raja Ala Singh died, there were two claimants for the Chiefship, Himmat Singh and Amar Singh, the sons of Sardul Singh and the grandsons of the late Raja. Of these, Himmat Singh was the elder by several years, but he was the issue of an irregular marriage, his mother, as has before been mentioned.

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having been the widow of Jodh, the first cousin of Sardul Singh.

The chaddar dalna marriage

The custom of chaddar dalna ( throwing the sheet), or karewa, marriage, was universal among the Sikhs, and the children of such marriages were often considered inferior in position to those of the regular marriage (shaddi or vyah) contracted with a virgin and with all the ceremonies customary among the Hindus.

The most common, as well as the most highly respected form of karewa, is where a widow is taken to wife by her husband's brother, a custom which seems to have formerly prevailed among the Jews.

If a widow chose to refuse this new alliance, she was at liberty to do so, but in that case her life was as miserable and austere as that of the ordinary Hindu widow ; and few Sikh women, consequently, refused to remarry, though they generally chose the younger brother of their husband, in preference to the elder, whom strict custom assigned to them.

The marriage of a widow with the cousin of her husband, as was the case with the mother of Himmat Singh, was considered less reputable, and there was some doubt as to the legitimacy of the issue. Still less respectable were marriages with widows unconnected with the family or women of strange clan and caste, which were considered altogether irregular, little better than concubinage, and the issue had no right to succeed to the property, real or personal, of the father, and could only claim a bare maintenance.

Raja Amar Singh succeeds his father

Amar Singh, the second son of Sardul Singh, was born in 1747, and was, consequently, eighteen years old when

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his grandfather died. He and his grandmother, Rani Fattoh, had been residing at Anahadgarh or Barnala, fifty miles to the westward of Pattiala. When they heard the unexpected news of Ala Singh's death, they left in all haste for the capital, and the Rani, who was a woman of great ability, as many of the ladies of the Pattiala family have been, placed her grandson on the vacant "gaddi,"* and declared that he was by right and by the proclaimed wish of Ala Singh, his successor in the Chiefship. The ministers and officials, whatever they may really have thought of the claims of Himmat Singh, did not attempt any diversion in his favor. The action of Rani Fattoh had been so prompt and her influence was so great, that there was no opposition; and, in full Durbar, all the Chiefs and Officers of Pattiala presented their offerings (nazr) to Amar Singh as the new Raja.

The rebellion of Himmat Singh:

Himmat Singh was not a man to lose a principality without an effort. He hastened from Hariana, where he had been employed with troops, to Pattiala, and asserted his claim to the Chiefship, taking possession of a great part of the town of Pattiala and the neighbouring country. The Sirdars of Jhind and Nabha, however, with the Kythal Chief, exerted their influence in favour of the younger brother ; and Himmat Singh was compelled to retire. He then seized the district of Bhawanigarh, and captured a portion of the country belonging to the Afghans of Maler Kotla. Amar Singh marched against him

* The term 'gaddi' litorally ‘cushion,' is used among Indians as “throne” among other races. For the English expression “mounted the throne” 'gaddi nishi’ 'seated on the cashion’, is used in Hindustani, and “takht nishin" 'seated on the throne' in Persian.

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and beseiged the town of Bhawanigarh, but Rani Fattoh persuaded the brothers to make friends, and Himmat Singh was left in possession.

Amar Singh captures Payal and Isru:

The year after his accession, in 1766, Amar Singh captured the town of Payal, near Ludhiana, from the Kotla Afghans, with the aid of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and other of the Trans-Satlej Sikhs; and, after that, Isru, belonging to the same proprietors, Jassa Singh taking one-fourth of the revenue of the town ; but later, by an arrangement with Amar Singh, he became possessed of the whole of the Isru district. Sirdar Jassa Singh had given the young Chief the Pahal, or baptism, always a bond of affection among the Sikhs, and there was more sincere friendship between them than had existed in the time of Ala Singh.

Ahmad Shah’s last invasion and his kindness to Amar Singh:

In 1767, Ahmad Shah for the last time invaded India, but he advanced no further than Ludhiana. Here he was met Amar Singh, who was cordially received, and the title of Raja which had been granted to his grandfather, was continued to him with additional honor, as "Raja-i-Rajgan Buhadar."* Valuable presents on this occasion were also given him, with a flag and a drum, insignia of an independent prince. In honor of this reception, Amar Singh spent a lakh of rupees in ransoming the captives who had been taken by the Dehli Emperor in the neighbourhood of Mathura and Saharanpur, gaining for himself the popular title of “Bandi Chhor" or " Releaser of captives.”

* Cunningham, in his Histoiy of the Sikhs, states that on this occasion Amar Singh received the title of Maharaja. But this was granted kter, by Akbar II in 1810, on the recommendation of General Ocbterlony. The sanad is still in possession of the family.
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War with the Afghans of Maler Kotla:

Soon after Ahmad Shah had left India for the last time, Raja Amar Singh renewed the old quarrel of his family with the Afghans of Maler Kotla. Jamal Khan, the Chief who had done most injury to Pattiala by persuading Ahmad Shah to sack Barnala, had been killed in battle, and the family had become divided — Ata-ulla Khan being the most influential of Jamal Khan's sons. This Chief, after the Raja had taken Tibba, one of his villages, by assault, found that he was unable to resist so powerful an enemy successfully and made peace which for many years remained unbroken.

Amar Singh then sent a thousand men against With the Chief of Gharib Das of Manimajra,* who, Manimajra, during the coufusion which followed the death of Ala Singh, had managed to take possession of the fort and district of Pinjor, an ancient Hindu town, in the low hills above Ambala ; and where the Pattiala Chief has now a favorite sum-

* Gharib Das was the founder of the Manimajra family. After the death of Zin Khan, the Governor of Sirhind, and the break up of the Imperial power, he took possession of 84 villages, which is father Ganga Ram had held as a revenue officer for the Empire, and farther extended his territory by seizing the fort of Pinjor. Here the Raja of Nahan attacked him, but without success ; and placing his father in charge, Gharib Das left intent on fresh conquest. It was during this absence that the Raja of Nahan having obtained aid from Pattiala, attacked the fort as described in the text, and captured it, Ganga Ram being slain. Gharib Das hastened back, but was not strong enough to attempt to recapture the fort. He, however, expelled the Nahan Raja from Chandangarh, which he had captured shortly before.
Gharib Das died in 1783, leaving two sons, Gopal Singh and Parkash Chand. The elder of these did excellent service in 1809, and again in the Gurkha campaign of 1814. Sir D. Ochterlony was about to recommend him for anew jagir, but he requested instead the title of Raja, which was given to him. He died in 1816, and was succeeded by Hamir Singh, who only survived his father a few years. Goverdhan Singh, his son, was loyal in 1845, and gave a detachment which was engaged at Mudki and elsewhere. He died in 1847, and was succeeded by Gurbaksh Singh, who died in 1866, when his younger brother Bhagwan Singh, now 22 years of age, inherited the estate of 77 villages worth Rs. 38,458 a year.

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mer residence and gardens which are celebrated for their beauty over all Northern India. The place was very strong, and Bakhshi Lakhna, a Dogra General whom the Raja sent with a thousand men to reduce it, aided by the Rajas of Hindur and Kahlur, and Nahan, had a month and a half of hard fighting. But they were at last successful, and Gharib Das allied himself with the Chiefs of Sialba and Rupar* in order to attack the Raja of Nahan† to whom the Raja of Pattiala had left the fort, and with whom he had contracted a strong friendship, exchanging turbans with him at Banaur. The Pattiala force lost three hundred men in this attack on Pinjor.

The attack on Kot Kapura :

One hundred miles due west of Pattiala, and near the town of Faridkot, was the fort of Kot Kapura, belonging to a Burar Chief named Jodh Singh.†† One of this

* The founder of the Sialba family was Sirdar Hari Singh, who, about 1763, when the Sikhs became powerful, took possession of a large part of the country at the fort of the hills, both Cis and Trans-Satlej, the principal districts of which were Sialba, Rupar, Khizabad, and Kurali. He had several sons, but only two survived him, Charrat Singh and Dewa Singh, to the former of whom he gave the Rupar ilaka, worth about Rs. 80,000 a year ; and to the latter Sialba with the other estates Trans and Cis-Satiej, worth nearly two lakhs. This partition was made in 1792, the year before his death. Rupar has lapsed, and of the Sialba estate, the present Chief only retains villages worth about Rs. 30,000 a year.
† Nahan is a very ancient Rajput principality, about 40 miles due south of Simla. The territory of the Raja, worth about a lakh per annum, was confirmed to him after the Gurkha campaign of 1814, in perpetuity, by a Sanad dated 21st September 1815.
†† The Kot Kapura family were of the same stock as the Phulkians. Ballan was the founder of the family, and, under the Emperor Akbar, was appointed Chaudhri of the Burar tribe. His son Kapura built the fort which bears his name, and became an independent Chief. He died in 1711. His eldest son Sukha succeeded him. Jodh Singh, the Chief mentioned in the text was the eldest son ; and Hamir Singh, the second son, whose quarrel with his brother and report of the insult offered to the memory of Raja Ala Singh, in naming the horse after him, occasioned the death of Jodh Singh, was the founder of the house of Faridkot, the history of which is recorded later.

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Sirdar's followers had stolen from the fort of Phul a horse and a mare which he presented to his master who was not in the least degree averse to receiving stolen property. It was reported to Raja Amar Singh that the Kapura Chief had been audacious enough to name the horse Ala and the mare Fattoh, after the names of the Raja's grandfather and grand-mother. Amar Singh was much offended and sent to demand the surrender of the horses. Jodh, confident in his strength, tore the Pattiala letter in pieces and sent no reply.

Death of its chief Jodh Singh :

On this Amar Singh marched against Kot and encamped five miles from the fort. Jodh, with one of his sons and an attendant, mounted a chariot and went out to reconnoitre but fell into an ambuscade laid by the Pattiala force and was surrounded and slain, after having killed several of the enemy with his bow and arrows, in the use of which he was very expert. Jit Singh, his son, who had accompanied him, was so severely wounded that he died three day afterwards. Jodh's head was cut off and carried to Amar Singh, who was much distressed as he had no wish to take the Chiefs life. He gave up all intention of besieging the fort and returned to Pattiala.

Another Bhatti expedition:

The Raja then turned his arms against the Bhattis, and subdued Aharma and Singha ; but the Bhatti Chiefs attacked his camp at night, and occasioned great loss and confusion. After this he left the campaign, which, from the nature of the country, was of a most difficult character, to be conducted by Sirdar Hamir Singh of Nabha. While at Rori, a small

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town on the border of the present Sirsa district, two men, Gajjai Singh and Jit Singh, paid a visit to the Raja, and begged him to help them to avenge an insult one of their women had received at the hands of Sukhchen Singh, a Sabo zamindar of great repute, owner of the strong fort of Govindgarh, which commanded the town of Battinda.

Siege of fort of Gobindgarh :

Only too glad of an opportunity for interference, Amar Singh sent a force against Sukhchen Singh and followed quickly himself. He gained possession of the town of Govindgarh, but the fort was too strong to take by assault and he had no artillery of sufficient power to reduce it. He was compelled to try and starve Sukhchen Singh out, and for a whole year the fort was besieged without success, till the owner, tired of his resistance, proposed to surrender if the Raja would raise the siege and promise him safety. Amar Singh agreed to this, but before drawing off his troops and returning to Pattiala, he insisted that Kapur Singh, son of the Chief, with four or five of his principal officers, should be given him as hostages. The siege was then raised, but Sukhchen did not give up the fort, and it was not till four months later that he visited Pattiala, accompanied by Sodhi Bharpur Singh, a man whose sanctity was so generally respected by the Sikhs that Sukhchen thought his company of more value than any safe conduct from the Raja. Arriving at Pattiala, he asked for the release of the hostages, agreeing to remain himself in confinement until the fort was surrendered. To this the Raja consented, and Kapur Singh, with the other hostages, returned to Govindghar and at once began to strengthen the defences and increase the garrison. On the

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news of this reaching the Raja, he sent orders to assault the fort without delay and treated Sukhchen Singh with great severity, to the indignation of Sodhi Bharpur Singh who protested against such treatment of a man who had been persuaded to come to Pattiala under his solemn assurance of safety. At length, Sukhchen, weary of his rigorous imprisonment, sent an order to his son to make over the fort to the Pattiala officials, which was done, and Sukhchen released. This acquisition was made in 1771, and the Battinda district has been held by Pattiala ever since.

The Mahratts march northwards:

Soon after this, a Mahratta General, Janka Rao, marched in the direction of Pattiala, to tho consternation of Amar Singh who sent off all his treasure and family jewels to Bhattinda, which, lying amidst sandy wastes, was not likely to be attacked. But, after all, the Mahratta did not visit Pattiala, coming no further north than Pihoa, sixteen miles beyond Thanesar and a famous place of pilgrimage, situated on the Sarsati, the Sanskrit Saraswati* Here he remained for a short time and then returned.

Himmat Singh again rebel:

Relieved from his fear of being himself plundered as he had so often plundered others, Raja Amar Singh set out to punish some refractory zamindars in the neighbourhood of Battinda. Sirdar Himmat Singh considered the absence of the Raja so far from the capital a good opportunity to recover the rights of

* The Saraswati is mentioned in some of the most ancient Sanskrit writings, and was a stream of great sanctity. Saraswati was the wife of Brahma and the Goddess of wisdom. Wandering one day in the deserts about Thanesar, she was surrounded by demons, and to escape them, changed herself into the stream which bears her name. The Saraswati is supposed to have an under-ground connection with the Gauges.

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which he considered himself to have been unjustly deprived, went with all speed to Pattiala and professing himself to have none but the most loyal intentions, was admitted with his followers into the fort by Sirdar Sukhdas Singh Kaleka, who had been left in charge.

Seizes Pattiala Fort:

He then threw off all disguise, seized the fort and proclaimed himself the rightful Chief and Amar Singh a usurper. On receipt of this terrible news the Raja hurried back to Pattiala and encamped at Samana to take council with his friends, for the reduction of the fort by assault was a difficult and doubtful operation. To this place he invited all the Sirhind Chiefs and a large number responded to his call ; Sirdar Tara Singh, the Chief of Rahon ; the Afghan Nawab of Maler Kotla ; the Rais of Kot ; Sirdar Hamir Singh of Nabha ; Raja Gajpat Singh of Jhind ; Bhais Dhanna Singh and Sukha Singh of Kythal ; and Bhai Desu Singh, the father of the famous Lal Singh whose power later became too formidable to Pattiala. There were, moreover, Manjha Chiefs and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia ; while Kirat Parkash, the Raja of Nahan, remembering that Amar Singh had helped him in his difficulties, came with his troops, without waiting for an invitation at all.

But his friends stand aloof:

Himmat Singh perceived that he could not long resist the large force which had assembled to attack him and was altogether disappointed at the result of his attempt. He had fancied that the neighbouring Chiefs, even those of Phulkian blood, who were jealous of the increasing predominance of Pattiala, would be only too glad to encourage any project

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which might divide or destroy the power of the State ; and there is no doubt that any calamity which might happen to Pattiala would be hailed with a certain satisfaction. But Himmat Singh had been too hasty in his action and declared against his brother before he had made sure of allies. The name of Amar Singh was now dreaded : he had been a successful General, and it was well understood that any attack upon him, that failed to crush him, he would most certainly avenge. So it happened that Himmat Singh remained shut up in the fort without any of his declared friends.

He is compelled to surrender:

Bhai Desu Singh of Kythal, the Rajas of Jhind and Nabha, or the Rai of Kot, who had exchanged turbans with him, offering their help ; and at last, seeing preparations made for assaulting the fort, he was easily persuaded by the Chiefs above named to surrender. Amar Singh had no wish to proceed to extremities, and readily consented to allow his brother life and liberty, and he even, with the vain hope of rendering him content, increased his jagirs by the grant of several villages from the district of Darbah. But Himmat Singh was not disposed to abandon intrigue ; his claim he considered good, for he was an elder brother, and, although by a Karewa marriage his mother had been lawfully married according to the custom of the Jats, and he could not rightfully be held to be illegitimate. Even supposing that he had forfeited the title to succeed to the Chiefship, yet equal division among sons was the almost universal rule and he was entitled to a half-share of the territory which his grandfather Ala Singh, had won. Thinking as he did, and with much right on his side, it was not to

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And soon after dies:

be expected that Himmat Singh would ever live as a loyal subject, and it was fortunate for the peace of the territory, that, in 1774, two years after his attack on Pattiala, he died from excessive drinking at Langowal, and his estates, Bhawanigarh, Darbah and Dhoarah, were resumed by Amar Singh who married the widow by Chaddar dalna.

The birth of Sahib Singh AD 1774

The same year, Amar Singh's first wife, Rani Raj Kour, gave birth to a son, Sahib Singh, who afterwards became Maharaja.

The quarrel between Jhind and Nabha :

During the spring of 1774, a fierce quarrel arose between the Chiefs of Jhind and and Nabha, the dispute having its origin during the marriage festivities of Sirdar Mahan Singh, Sukarchakia with the daughter of the Raja of Jhind. An account of this quarrel, which had unfortunate consequences for Nabha, will be found elsewhere. The Raja of Pattiala, who was invited to make peace between the Chiefs, in reality encouraged the continuance of the quarrel, for although quite ready to join the other Phulkian families in repulsing any attack which might be made against their common safety from without, he was not sorry to see Jhind and Nabha exhausting themselves in a contest from which nothing but increased influence could result to himself.

The capture of Sefabad:

Only four miles to the north east of Pattiala was a strong fort, which had been built by Nawab Sef Khan, and called Sefabad after his own name. Its nearness to the town was a sufficient reason for Amar Singh to desire to capture it, and this reason was strengthened by the death of Sef Khan, leaving two young sons under the guardianship of Gul Khan, his principal follower.

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Without, then, the pretence of a quarrel to justify his violence, Raja Amar Singh invested the fort and after seven days' siege so battered the walls, that Gul Khan was compelled to surrender and the Raja took possession. He behaved with consideration to the children of Sef Khan, giving them the village of Chhota Rasulpur for their support while to Gul Khan he made an allowance of 7 Rupees a day, which he enjoyed till his death.

Raja Amar Singh visits Nahan:

In this attack on Sefabad, the Raja of Nahan had assisted his friend Amar Singh, and after its successful conclusion he retired to his hills, where he soon after died, leaving a son, Jagat Parkash, who was unable to maintain order in his territory, and Raja Amar Singh accordingly visited Nahan, and aided him to reduce the rebellious Chiefs to obedience.

Marches againtt the Bhattis.:

He then prepared for a campaign on an extensive scale against the Bhatti country to the south of Pattiala, and, in the winter of 1774, marched to Begran, a strong fort now in the Hissar district, which he invested. The Bhatti Chiefs made an effort to relieve it and a sharp fight took place beneath the walls, in which Amar Singh was victorious, losing about one hundred killed and four hundred wounded : one of his Generals, Sirdar Natha Singh Kaleka, being among the slain. The loss of the Bhattis was still heavier and the Raja gained possession of the fort.

Seizes Fatehabad and Sirsa:

He then took possession of Fatahabad and Sirsa and invested Rannia, then a strong fort some eight miles west of Sirsa, held by Muhammad Amin Khan, Bhatti. While before Rannia, news arrived that Rahimdad Khan, the Governor of Hansi, had, by the orders of the Dehli

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The Imperial troops repulsed before Jhind:

Emperor, attacked Jhind and was then besieging Raja Gajpat Singh in his capital. All the Phulkian Chiefs were summoned to aid their kinsman, and leaving Sukh Das Singh to carry on the siege of Ranni, the Raja marched to Fatehabad from whence he sent a strong detachment to Jhind, under Diwan Nanun Mal. This General successfully effected a junction with the Kythal and Jhind troops and a joint attack was made upon the enemy who were defeated with great slaughter. After this, the Diwan, in company with Raja Gajpat Singh, overran the Hansi and Hissar districts, establishing the authority of his master, while Gajpat Singh took possession of parts of Kohana and Rohtak.

Rannia is captured and the whole of Sirsa country conquered :

When Amar Singh heard of the defeat of Rahimdad Khan before Jhind, he marched from Fatehabad to Hansi, and after having collected the revenue, which was the same thing as plundering as extensively as he was able, he returned to Pattiala, where, four months later, he had the satisfaction of hearing from Sukhdas Singh of the full of Rannia.

On this he again marched southwards, and the whole of which is now the Sirsa district being under his authority, he was able to collect a large sum of money as as revenue.

The fort of Bhatner :

He thought of attacking the fortress of Bhatner, but its position in the desert, where no supplies could be obtained and its reputed strength, induced him to abandon the intention and leave the Bhatti Chiefs, Muhammad Amin Khan and Muhammad Hassan Khan in quiet possession.

* The town of Bhatner is situated a few miles from the western border of the Sirsa district, on the banks of the Gaggar, a fierce and deep
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The condition of Dehli Empire AD 1775:

The Dehli Empire had fallen into confusion and decay from weakness and inefficiency of its rulers. Had it possessed, at this time, able ministers and competent Generals, it might have recovered all the authority that it had lost. The Mahratta power had been broken by the crushing defeat of Panipat in January 1761, when its army had been almost totally destroyed, and Ahmad Shah Durani was dead, leaving a son, Timur Shah, who had little of his father's ambition and made no determined effort to reconquer northern India. It seemed that in Najaf Khan the Empire had at last found a minister of the ability necessary to retrieve its fortunes. This chief determined to recover the districts which the Sikhs had annexed after the defeat of Rahimdad Khan at Jhind, and, heading the Imperial troops, he recovered Karnal and part of Rohtak. The name of the Empire was still a word of power with the undisciplined Sikhs who knew their inability to stand against regular troops in the field, and they sought the aid of Zabitah Khan, the son of the Rohilla Chief Najibullah, who, in the time of Ahmad Shah, had possessed so much influence at the Court of Dehli. With this accession of strength, which had been duly paid for, Raja Amar Singh was in a position to treat with the Imperial minister and a meeting was arranged at Jhind. Here the Raja consented to surrender the districts of Hansi, Hissar,

torrent near the hills, but here a mere thread of water or altogether dry, except in the rainy season. The Gaggar was a fruitful source of dispute among the Chiefs whose territories lay on its bank. The obtaining its water was prosperity and food harvests; its diversion was barrenness and famine ; and volume after volume of the old official records are filled with correspondence relating to the just distribution of the water, and the settlement of disputes regarding it.

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and Rohtak, and was allowed to retain Fatahabad, Rannia and Sirsa, promising to pay on their account a fixed revenue to the Dehli Treasury, The Raja of Jhind was also permitted to retain the seven villages from the territory he had seized.

The compromise with the Delhi Minister:

This compromise, so dishonorable to the Dehli Government, was said to have been brought about by the treachery of Najaf Khan, and his second in command, Najab Goli Khan, who were heavily bribed by the Sikhs. The story is probably true ; for there was no other reason to induce the minister to surrender districts which had been taken violent possession of by rebels and which he had the power to recover. The Dehli officials were notoriously corrupt, and, if Najaf Khan was known to be open to bribes, there were certainly no scruples on the part of the Sikh Chiefs about offering them.

Faridkot territory overrun, A. D. 1777 :

In the year 1777, the Raja of Pattiala sent a force Under Chaudhri Singh Daya, to overrun the Faridkot and Kot Kapura districts, but no attempt was made to take formal possession of them ; and the Raja had, more-over, plenty on his hands in keeping the people of his newly acquired territories in order. They were wild, lawless, and had never known what it was to pay tribute or revenue, and one fortified village after another took long to reduce, while its reduction was of little advantage.

The Chief of Manimajra again attack:

Raja Amar Singh had not forgotten the doubtful contest, in 1768, with Gharib Das of Manimajra and Sirdar Hari Singh of Sialba and Rupar, and, in 1778, he determined to reduce these Chiefs under his authority. The estates of the first named were in the plain,

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where the river Gaggar debouches from the hills, and the Pattiala force, before Gharib Das had time to summon his friends to his assistance, had overrun the country and forced him to shut himself up in his fort For three months he held out bravely, but seeing no prospect of release from his position, he offered a large sum of money to the Pattiala Chief to retire and leave him in undisturbed possession of his estate.

Sirdar Hari Singh of Sialba attacked:

This was accepted, and Amar Singh then marched against Sialba, sixteen miles to the north-west of Manimajra. But Sirdar Hari Singh had heard of the Raja's intentions, and, as he was both rich and well connected, he had called to defend him many of the most famous fighting Sirdars, Jassa Singh Ramgharia ; * Gurdit Singh and Diwan Singh Laudawala ; Karam Singh Shahid, of Shahzadpur ;† Gurbaksh Singh Ambala, and a number of the smaller Chiefs who only fought for pay and plunder and were indifferent as to the side on which they fought.

* Sirdar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was the most distinguished leader of the confederacy of that name. He first fortified the village of Amritsar, now the principal city in the Punjab, and took possession of almost all the northern portion of the Bari Doab, the country between the Rivers Bias and Ravi. A confederacy of Chiefs was formed against him, the Bhangis, Kanheyas and Sukarchakias, headed by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, and he was expelled from the Doab and fled to Sirsa and Hariana, where he supported himself by plunder and by selling his services to whoever would buy them, as on the above occasion to Hari Singh Sialba. In 1783 Sirdar Jassa Singh returned to Amritsar, and re-covered a large part of his possessions. They were, however, confiscated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, on the death of his son Jodh Singh, in 1816. The present representative of the family is Sirdar Mangal Singh, in charge of the Golden Temple at Amritsar.
† The Shahid Misl was one of the smaller Sikh confederacies, and obtained its name (Shahid, martyr) and origin in the following manner:— Guru Govind Singh, flying from his enemies in the time of the Emperor Aurangzeb, took refuge in the little village of Talwandi, in the jungle to the south of Bhattinda. Here he remained 10 days; and, after the Guru’s death, a temple was raised in Talwandi to his memory, and the name changed to Damdama which signifies 'a breathing place. The first Mahant or priest put in charge of the shrine was Dip Singh, who was

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But defeats the Patiala force:

The force of the Raja of Pattiala marched to Sialba, where Hari Singh came out to meet it with his mercenaries.

The Pattiala General had no idea of the number that would be opposed to him, but he had no option but to fight, for it was too late to retreat ; and was utterly routed with the loss of several hundred men, among whom was Bakshi Lokhna. Diwan Nanun Mal was also wounded, and Sirdars Chandu Singh and Mahan Singh were taken prisoners.

Raja Amar Singh determines to avenge

Raja Amar Singh was much distressed at this defeat, and, determining: to avenge it, sent messengers to his kinsmen and friends to assemble at Pattiala with all their forces. First among his relations came his cousin, Bibi Bajindar of Phagwara, a rich widow, as fond of fighting as any of the Pattiala men, who marched with three thousand followers through the territory of the Chiefs who had fought on the side of Hari Singh, harrying and pillaging, till she arrived

killed in action with the Governor of Lahore, and became a shahid or martyr. Sadda Singh his chela, or disciple, succeeded him at the shrine. He, however, like his predecessor, was founder of fighting than praying, and attacked the Muhammadan Governor of Jalandhar, and at Adhkola was killed in a skirmish, his head being severed from his body. He is said to have neither fallen from his horse nor to have given up fighting, and he galloped a long distance and cut down many of the enemy before he died. Hence the family, or rather the followers of the Mahant of Damdama took the name of “the martyrs”.

Karm Singh, mentioned in the text, succeeded Sudda Singh, and took possession of the country about Rannia and Damdama, Khari, Jaroli and Faizallapur. He was the real founder of the famly, for he was the first to marry, and left, on his death in 1784, two sons, Gulab Singh and Mehtab Singh, the former of whom succeeded him, and was one of the first Chiefs to offer assistance to the British, as a Sanad of Sir D. Ochterlony dated 4th January 1804, proves. Sirdar Gulab Singh died in 1844, and Shiv Kirpal Singh, then only six years old, succeeded. He has estates worth Ks. 80,000 a year, and is still the guardian of the Damdama shrine, which brings in about Rs. 1,000 a year in offerings. Dharm Singh, the brother of Karam Singh, had a share in the original territory, but he died without issue and his widow was married by his brother.

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at Pattiala. Then came the Kythal brothers, Dhanna Singh and Sukha Singh, although Bhai Desu Singh, the most influential of the three, was, in heart, a friend of the Sialba Chief ; and the Chiefs of Nabha and Jhind, with the Maler Kotla Nawabs, now allies of Pattiala after their long hostility ; a detachment of Nahan troops under Mian Kishan Singh ; Jai Singh of Lidhran * Tara Singh Dallehwala,† and his follower Saunda Singh Khannah †† Budh Singh Faizullapuria,§ and others of less note. The command of the Pattiala troops was given to Sirdar Chuhr Singh Malod, while the contingents of the Chiefs marched under their own

* Jai Singh was a Manjha Jat, who, about 1763, having joined the Nishanwala confederacy, obtained 27 villages of Lidhran, and 7 of Khar. After the great defeat of the Sikhs by Ahmad Shah, he fled to the hills and found on his return that the Raja of Pattiala had seized his Khar villages. A long dispute was the result, not ending for many years. A compromise was at last effected by which Pattiala kept three villages and Lidhran four. Jai Singh died in 1773, and was succeeded by his son Charat Singh, who was one of the chiefs who accepted British protection in 1809. On the death of the latter, the estate was divided by General Ochterlony by " chundaband " i.e., according to the number of the wives, of whom there were three. Sirdar Budh Singh is now the head of the family, enjoying as his share of the jagir, Rs. 4571 a year; but the number of sharers has increased to eleven, and from continual sub-divisions, the Lidhran estates will soon be indistinguishable. Their total value is at the present time Rs. 23,558.
† The Dallehwala confederacy took its name from the village of Sirdar Tara Singh, who was its principal leader, and who, with his followers, took possession of a great portion of the upper Jalandhar Doab, and the northern part of the Ambala and Ludhiana districts. In Firozpur he seized Dharamkot and Fatahabad. Tara Singh was killed at the siege of Narain Garh in 1807 ; and Maharaja Ranjit Singh seized his large possessions and distributed than among his Generals, Diwan Mohkam Chand receiving the lion's share.
†† Saunda Singh was one of the followers of Tara Singh Gheba. He was not a man of any distinction. He left one son, Dya Singh, who died without male issue, and the estate of Rs. 30,000 eventually came into possession of Dya Kour, daughter of Saunda Singh, and widow of Hari Singh, the nephew of Raja Bhag Singh of Jhind. At her death it lapsed to the Jhind State.
§ Sirdar Budh Singh Faizullapuria owned the north-western corner of the Ambala district, on the bend of the Satlej, from near Keritpur to Machiwara. A portion of this territory, the illaka of Bharatpur, descended to his grandson Amar Singh, who died in 1847. Subha Kour, the widow of his son Kirpa Singh, was allowed the four villages of Kot Bala, Aspur, Himatpur and Bharatpur Khas, for her life.

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leaders. Arrived before Sialba, one or two skirmishes took place with the mercenaries collected by Hari Singh, but the Pattiala leader determined to leave as little as possible to chance and offered a rupee a day to those of the opposite party who would join him. The effect was immediate, and the force of the Sialba Chief day by day wasted away, and some of the Chiefs who had promised him their assistance began to desert him ; among others. Sirdars Karm Singh and Dharam Singh Shahid, and the Buria Sirdars, Rai Singh and Bhag Singh.* At last, Sirdar Hari Singh found himself left almost alone, and had no option but to make such terms for himself as he best could. He accordingly submitted, presented a nazr in token of obedience to the Raja of Pattiala, who withdrew his troops without attempting to retain possession of any of the Sialba territories.

The Raja quarrels with Bhai Desu Singh:

After the return from Sialba, Raja Amar Singh sent a force against Bhai Desu Singh of Kythal, who had

* The Buria Chiefship was formerly of considerable importance. Its founders were Nanan Singh a Jat of Jhawal Mandan in the Manjha, and Bhag Singh and Rai Singh brothers, all Bhangi Sikhs, who, in 1764, seized the fort of Buria, which the year before bad been abandoned by Lachmi Narain, an officer of Zin Khan, the Muhammadan Governor of Sirhind, and had been taken quiet possession of by a few Narwaria Sikhs. They were not allowed to keep their conquest without opposition, and the Afghans of Aurangabad, coalescing with the Narwarias, enticed Nanun Singh and Bhag Singh to the Aurangabad fort, and put them to death. Rai Singh, and Bhag Singh the adopted son of the murdered Nanun Singh, avenged their relatives ; and seized more territory, in all 204 villages, which they divided ; Rai Singh taking 84 villages, forming his estates of Jugadri and Dyalghar ; and Bhag Singh, 120, the estate of Buria. Bhag Singh died in 1785, and his son Sher Singh was killed in an engagement with the British at Saharanpur in 1804. After his death a long dispute arose between the widows and the sons of the late Sirdar Jaimal Singh and Gulab Singh, which ended in the estate being divided between the sons ; and on the death of Jaimal Singh in 1817, Gulab Singh succeeded to the whole. He died in 1844, and his son Jiun Singh is the present Chief. Buria ranks third among the minor Chiefships, with a revenue of Rs. 42,000.
The present Chief is a Jagirdar Magistrate, and is very highly respected. His sister Karm Kour, married the late Maharaja Narindar Singh of Pattiala.


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not assisted him in the late campaign, his sympathies being notoriously on the side of Sirdar Hari Singh ; but Bhais Dhanna Singh, Sukha Singh and Takht Singh, the brothers of Desu Singh, arranged matters between the parties and prevented any contest, which indeed the Raja was glad to avoid as the hostile attitude of the Dehli Government now gave him full employment.

The new minister at Dehli and his campaign AD 1779:

Nawab Majd-ud-doulah Abd-ul-ahd was now minister at Delhi. He was an ambitious and covetous man and was not destitute of ability ; but he had little courage, and it was audacity alone which, in the last days of the Empire, could command success. He determined, however, to make an effort to recover the Malwa country from the Sikhs, and set out from Dehli, in November 1779, with a considerable force and accompanied by Prince Farkhunda Bakht. He reached Karnal without meeting any resistance and here was joined by Sirdar Bhagel Singh Krora Singhia ; * Sahib Singh Khundawala and Karam Singh Shahid. The envoys of Bhai Desu Singh Kythal had accompanied the Nawab from Dehli, and there is little doubt that this Chief hoped, by early submission, to gain the favor of the Imperial party and obtain an advantage over his rival, Amar Singh of

* The Krora Singhia confederacy was founded by Krora Singh, with two companions Mastan Singh and Karam Singh. Sham Singh, who succeeded Mastan Singh, gave his name to a minor confederacy. The Kalsias were the most powerful of this misl, whose principal possessions lay between the Jamna and the Makanda rivers, bounded on the south by the Buria territory.
Sirdar Bhagel Singh was one of the principal Chiefs of the Krora Singhias. His head quarters were Chiloundi. The family is extinct. After the death of Bhagel Singh, his widows, Ranis Ram Kour and Raj Kour, held Chiloundi for many years, and when they died the estate lapsed to the British Government.

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Pattiala, whom he would have been delighted to crush. But in this he was totally disappointed. The Nawab much wished to reconquer the Malwa territory, but he wanted more; and Bhai Desu Singh was reputed to be rich.

Bhai Desu Singh fined:

On a charge of not having paid his arrears of revenue he was seized, and four lakhs of rupees were demanded from him as a fine. Of this he contrived to pay three lakhs ; and for the payment of the balance, he gave his son Lai Singh as a hostage.*

* The Kythal family was of so much importance in the Cis-Satlej States, and their history is so closely connected with that of Pattiala, that a sketch of it is essential here. The genealogy of the family is as follows :—
The genealogy of the Kythal family
The Kythal family have the same origin as the Phulkian. Gurbuksh Singh, the founder of the Chiefship, was the son of Bhai Ramdyal, who had a great reputation as a saint. The son was a fine soldier and an able man, but he had little of the saint about him, and thought more of annexing territory than of religion. He was a great friend of Raja Ala Singh of Pattiala, and they made many expeditions together, and he helped the Raja out of more than one difficulty. The possessions of Gurbuksh Singh were divided among his sons ; but they soon increased them. Desu Singh captured Kythal from some Afghans, Bhikh Baksh Khan and Nihmat Khan, and, with his brother Budha Singh, seized Thanesar, though the town and fort were afterwards taken from them by Sirdar Bhanga Singh, the fiercest and most feared of all the Cis-Satlej chiefs. When Desu Singh died in 1781, Lal Singh was in confinement as a rebel against his father, and Behal Singh, the elder son, did all he could to keep his brother in prison ; but he contrived to escape, killed his elder brother and took possession all the estates of his father, which he much enlarged by new acquisition. Lal Singh was, at the time of the British advance northwards, in 1809, the most powerful Cis-Satlej Chief, after the Raja of Pattiala. He was a very' able man, though utterly untrustworthy, and so violent and unscrupulous that the English authorities had the greatest difficulty in persuading him to maintain
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Raja Amar Singh and the Sikhs promise obedience:

In the meantime the Sikh Chiefs had not been idle, but had sent in all directions to summon the Khalsa to oppose the Muhammadan inroad. But the Nawab marched on, believing he should meet with no opposition, and at the village of Gharam, about 16 miles from Pattiala, he was met by Diwan Nanun Mal, whom the Raja had sent to express his devotion to the Empire generally and the Nawab in particular.

But secretly collect the forces of the Khals for battle:

But the Khalsa force was marching from the other direction towards Pattiala ; the Kanheya Sirdars, Jai Singh and and Hakikat Siugh* ; Jassa Singh Ramgarhia ; Tara Singh Gheba ; Jodh Singh † of Wazirabad, and many others ; while at Pattiala, the Phulkian Chiefs, Jhind, Nabha, Bhadour and Malod, had collected all their troops. The Nawab, who had expected unresisting submission, was terrified when he heard of this gathering of the clans. He knew how keenly these wild warriors scented plunder and blood, and that in a few days fifty thousand horsemen could assemble on the plains of Sirhind.

And the Nawab makes a hasty retreat:

His only thought was of retreat, and, according to Sikh tradition, he gave the Chiefs, by the interested advice of Bhagel Singh Krora Singhia, the greater portion

anything like order. In 1819, the Government allowed him to succeed to the share of the estate held by Mai Bhagbari, the widow of his first cousin Karam Singh. Partab Singh the elder son and then the younger son, Udai succeeded, but on the death of the latter without issue in 1843, the whole of the Kythal estate lapsed to Government, with the exception of that portion which had been acquired by the founder of the family, Bhai Gurbuksh Singh, and to which the collaterals of the Arnowli branch were permitted to succeed.
* Sirdars Jai Singh and Hakikat Singh were rival leaders of two sections of the great Kanheya confederacy. Their history in given at length in "The Punjab Chiefs," pp. 315—338.
† Jodh Singh Wazirabadia was the most powerful Chief in the Rechna Doab, and was much dreaded by even Maharaja Ranjit Singh. His history will be found in " The Punjab Chiefs," pp. 409—413.
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of the three lakhs of rupees which he had extracted from Bhai Desu Singh, on their agreeing not to molest his retreat. The Muhammadans say, on the other hand, that the Sikhs bribed the Nawab to retire, and this is perhaps more probable. At any rate, Lal Singh, the son of Bhai Desu Singh, was carried a prisoner to Dehli and there tortured as his father had not paid the balance of the tribute claimed from him.

The death of Raja Amar Singh AD 1781

In February 1781, Raja Amar Singh, who was only thirty-five years of age, died of dropsy brought on by excessive drinking. During the last year of his life little had occurred worthy of notice.

The birth of Maharaja Ranjit Singh:

Three months before his death, there had been born, at Gujranwala, forty miles north of Lahore, a child nearly related to himself, who was destined to shake the power of the Phulkian house to its foundation and build up in the Punjab a military Empire as formidable as any yet founded in Hindustan, strong both for defence and for aggression. If Raja Amar Singh had lived, or had been succeeded by rulers as able as himself, the Cis-Satlej States might have been welded into one kingdom and their independence might have been preserved, both against the Lahore monarchy on the one hand and the British Government on the other.

The decay of Patiala Power

But, after his death, the leadership of the Cis-Satlej Sikhs passed from the feeble hands of Pattiala. For many years the only persons in that family who possessed wisdom, energy or courage, were women ; and the power and influence which had been won, with so much labor, by Ala Singh, Lal Singh and Amar Singh, day by day diminished, till no one cared to

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follow Pattiala in council or the field, and the only safety of its Chief against an adventurer of his own creed and blood was found in imploring the protection of a foreign power and trusting to the swords of others for defence. Raja Amar Singh would have found a nobler way of saving his kingdom ; and it was a misfortune for Pattiala that he died before he had consolidated his conquests, leaving to his child successor the dangerous legacy of his victories and his fame, with the envy of the more powerful Chiefs Jhind, Nabha, Kalsia and Kythal, who strove to undermine and destroy the hated supremacy of Pattiala.

The character of Amar Singh

Amar Singh was not altogether a character to admire and he had a fair share the vices faults of his age, but he made Pattiala the most powerful State between the Jamna and the Satlej. He formed a successful coalition against the Muhammadan power, which possessed indeed only the shadow of its former greatness, but at the name of which India had learned to tremble, and it needed a brave heart and a bold hand to drag away the imperial robes and show the world that the place of the giant had been filled by a tottering scare-crow which a push might over-throw. The conquests of Amar Singh were unscrupulous and often without the shadow of excuse or provocation; but princes can only be judged by success and by the use which they have made of their opportunities, It is true that the ambition of Amar Singh was personal and he cannot be classed with those statesmen who have no policy but the glory and prosperity of their country, and to whom infamy itself is welcome if they can leave their coun-

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try more strong and more respected. He was but a fine specimen of a barbarian ; rude, courageous, impulsive, generous and ignorant. He had a quick intelligence and a strong arm, and his success was well deserved ; though whether success entitles a man to praise and admiration, is a point on which the world and its teachers have agreed to differ.

Raja Sahib Singh’s accession

Raja Sahib Singh, the new Chief of the Pattiala State, was a child six Years of age. It would have been a hard task for a man, however able, to maintain order in a country so lately conquered, inhabited by warlike and independent races, and to ward off the attacks of powerful neighbours and rivals. For a child, surrounded by greedy and unscrupulous servants, who found their own profit in his weakness and inexperience, there could be little hope of a successful or happy reign.

Diwan Nanun Mal:

Through the influence of Rani Hukman, the grand-mother of the young Chief, Diwan Nanun Mal was appointed prime minister and no better choice could have been made. The Diwan, an Aggarwal Bannia of Sunam, was a man of great experience and honesty. He had served Raja Amar Singh well, both in the council and in the field, and his principal fault was an undisguised contempt for the rude Sikh Sirdars, which may not have been undeserved but which they repaid with hatred and suspicion.

The rebellion of the Governor of Bhawanigarh:

No sooner had the young Chief taken his seat on the masnad than rebellion broke out in all quarters. The first to throw off the Chiefs authority was the Governor of Bhawanigarh; Sirdar Mahan Singh, the brother of

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Mai Deso, step-mother of Raja Sahib Singh, and the widow of Himmat Singh, on whose death she had been married by the late Raja. Immediately on hearing of the Governor's revolt, Diwan Nanun Mal summoned the Phulkian Chiefs to send in their contingents and marched against Bhawanigarh which he invested. Mahan Singh was assisted by Sirdar Tara Singh Gheba and held out for more than three months; until his ally was induced to desert him, when he surrendered It would have been well if an example could have been made of this rebel, but Nanun Mal did not feel himself strong enough to put to death so powerful a Chief and one so nearly connected with the reigning family, and the only punishment inflicted was degradation from his office as Governor of Bhawanigarh.

Rebellion at Kot Sumer:

Before this affair was settled, another outbreak occurred at Kot Sumer, headed by Rajo, the widow of Sirdar Baksho Singh of Saboka. The fort held by this lady was very strong, and, before the Diwan was able to reduce it, he was summoned away to quell a still more serious revolt at Bhikhe, which Sirdar Ala Singh, the brother of Rani Khem Kour, one of Raja Amar Singh's widows, had seized, with the aid of the zamindars of the neighbourhood, expelling the Pattiala Governor, Thamman Singh, from the town and fort.

The revolt of Sirdar Ala Singh at Bhhike:

The Ranis and their relations had, at this time, great power in Pattiala. They all, with the exception of Ram Hukman, hated Nanun Mal for his efforts to maintain economy and to restrain their extravagance within due bounds ; and the Diwan found himself opposed and thwarted in every possible way. He, however.

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mustered a large force composed of Pattiala, Jhind, Nabha, Maler Kotla, Bhadour, and Ramgarhia troops, and, accompanied by Rani Hukman, marched against Bhikhe and invested the village. After a few days skirmishing, Ala Singh, seeing further resistance hopeless, escaped from Bhikhe by night, and fled to his home at Talwandi, whither he was pursued by the Diwan and captured. He was imprisoned at Pattiala for a time, but, on the intercession of Sodhi Nahr Singh of Anandpur, a man of great sanctity, he was at length released, on payment of a heavy fine, and allowed Dhamon and other villages for his support.

The Great famine of 1783:

To add to the difficulties of the Pattiala administration, tho year 1783 was one of the famine as terrible as any that has ever devastated Northern India.* The year previous had been dry and the harvest poor ; but, in 1783, it entirely failed. The country was depopulated; the peasants abandoning their villages and dying in thousands of disease and want : but little revenue could be collected; the Country swarmed with bands of robbers and dacoits, and the state of anarchy was almost inconceivable. The neighbouring Chiefs began to seize for themselves the Pattiala villages, and all who dared threw off Pattiala authority and declared themselves independent.

The action of the Diwan:

Diwan Nanun Mal did not lose heart. He A man of extraordinary resource and his powers appeared to rise with danger. He sent to Lucknow for trained gunners and officers who could discipline his troops after the European fashion, and set to work to

* Known as the ‘Chalia’ the year being, according to Hindu computation, 1840 A. V. ( forty " Chalia ".)

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reduce the insurgents to order and recover the Pattiala territory which had been lost. First he marched against Sardul Singh, the Governor of Mulepur, a relation of Rani Khem Kour, who, after the unfortunate rebellion of her brother, had sent to Sardul Singh for safety all her money and jewels. The Diwan had besieged the town for twenty days, when one of his own officers, named Karam Beg, bribed, it is supposed, by Sardul Singh attempted to assassinate. The murderer was cut down by the attendants, but the Diwan received a severe sword wound and was carried to the neighbouring village of Anandpur Kesoke where he lay in great danger.

The death of Rani Hukman and imprisonment of Nanun Mal

Rani Hukman, who had come to Mulepur to visit the Diwan, died at this time from an illness caused, in great by anxiety; and Nanun Mal lost in her the best and the most influential of his friends. She seems to have thoroughly understood that he was the only man who could restore the State to prosperity, and gave him her warm support. On her death, the Diwan's enemies, Rani Khem Kour, Soman Singh Dhali, Bibi Pardhan, great-aunt of the Raja, and others, gathered courage, arrested him at he was lying wounded at Anandpur and sent him a prisoner into Pattiala.

Rani Rajindar of Phagwara :

Fortunately for Nanun Mal and the country, there was another woman of sense in the Pattiala family. This was Rani Rajindar of Phagwara, a first cousin of Raja Amar Singh and who had helped him in former difficulties. Hearing of the state

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of affairs, she assembled a force, and, it herself, marched to Pattiala, released Diwan Nanun Mal and re-instated him in in place as minister. She had not arrived a day too soon ; for, no sooner had the Diwan been imprisoned, than the neighbouring Sirdars renewed their encroachments and Pattiala itself was in imminent danger of being sacked by some of the hostile confederacies of Sikhs.

Nanun Mal, finding that he could not count upon the support or Sympathy of any of the Pattiala nobles in his attempt to restore order, opened negotiations with Dhara Rao, a Mahratta leader, who had been for some time in the country about Dehli, where several of the more powerful Sikhs Chiefs, who held estates between the Satlej and the Jamna, had joined him. Among these were Bhagel Singh Krora Singhia ; Diwan Singh Laudah ; Bhanga Singh and Mehtab Singh of Thanesar.* Sirdar Bhagel Singh,

* The founder of the Thanesar family was Mith Singh, a Jat of Sirhali near Patti in the Manjha, and received the Pahal from Gurdial Singh, who obtained for him the poet of personal attendant (garua bardar, a servant who carries a drinking vessel and water) to Tara Singh, Gheba. Mith Singh, in 1765, offended with the conduct of his master, induced 200 of his troopers to desert, and set up for himself. Being absolutely without means, he determined on a bold stroke, and attacked Thanesar, where were two forts, one in possession of the Shaikhs and the other belonging to Bhai Desu Singh of Kythal. That belonging to the Shaikhs was captured, and the other, after the death of Mith Singh, was gained by bribing the Commandant, and the surrounding country was taken possession of by his nephews Bhag Singh, and Bhanga Singh, who divided it between them, the latter obtaining the larger share. Bhanga Singh, who died in 1815, joined the British force when, under Lord Lake, it came north of the Jamna, and was rewarded with additional territory. He was, however, of a most savage and untameable character, and gave a great deal of trouble. Bhag Singh died twenty-four years before his brother, leaving four sons, who were, if possible, more audacious and violent than their uncle, Bhanga Singh. In 1806, Bhanga Singh, with the aid of the Ladwa Chief, seized Dhowa, which he held till his death. He left a son Fatah Singh, and a daughter Karam Kour, who was married to Maharaja Karm Singh of Pattiala. There was also an illegiti-

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who had then great influence to the south of the Satlej, arranged matters with the Mahratta, who consented to assist Nanun Mal for a consideration of two lakhs of rupees; and straightway marched from Kamal to Thanesar, where Sirdar Bhanga Singh had his fort, and where he was joined by the Diwan, Rani Rajindar and Raja Gajpat Singh of Jhind, who, before their departure from Pattiala, had seized and imprisoned Sirdar Soman Singh, fearing lest he might give trouble during their absence. Having joined forces, they marched against some of the neighbouring Chiefs, the Mahratta receiving tribute from the Bhais of Kythal and recovering Kot and other Pattiala villages from the Sirdars of Ambala. During this march, Raja Gajpat Singh fell ill, and, returning to his residence of Sufidun, died there at the close of 1789.

The Diwan then, in company with Dhara Rao, marched against Banur. This town, which is of some importance, is situated about 12 miles to the north west of Ambala, and was defended by two forts, an old imperial one, called Zulmgarh, and another of more recent date. This town, with the neighbouring villages had been conquered by the Singhpuria Sirdars.* But Raja

mate son, Sahib Singh, born of a slave girl, who was not allowed to succeed to a share with Fatah Singh, though maintenance was given him. Fatah Singh died in 1819, leaving two widows, who succeeded him, although the mother managed the estate which, in 1850, escheated to Government.
Only one of the sons of Bhag Singh left Issue, Jamiyat Singh, who died in 1834, when the estate lapsed.
* The Singhpuria was a very powerful family, and its founder, Kapur Singh, was undoubtedly the most distinguished of the Sikh leaders before the days of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Ala Singh of Pattiala. He was known as " Nawab” ; almost the only instance of a Sikh taking a Muhammadan title ; and conquered the village, and country about Faizullapur, near Amritsar, from Faizulla Khan, and gave it the name of

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Raja Amar Singh, who had assisted in its conquest, obtained a half share of the revenue. During the troubles which followed the death of Amar Singh, Sirdar Khushhal Singh Singhpuria had seized the whole district. He was however able to make but faint resistance to the force brought against him, and the Diwan was able to recover the Pattiala share of the town.

Dhara Rao retires to Karnal:

After this success, Nanun Mal, by means of forced contributions from Chiefs and zamindars, contrived to pay the Mahratta the two lakhs as agreed, and to induce him to leave for Karnal Sirdar Baghel Singh Krora Singhia remained behind to assist in reducing refactory subjects and to obtain what the Diwan had promised him for his services in negotiating with the Mahrattas.

From Banur, the Diwan marched southwards, collecting fines and contributions Kythal, Makiran and Serai, Singhpura, from which the family take its name, though it is as frequently known as Faizullapuria. Nawab Kapur Singh died at Amritsar in 1753, giving what command over the Khalsa army any one Chief could in these days be said to possess, to Sirdar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. His territory, however descended to his nephew Khushhal Singh, who equaled his father’s reputation and obtained possession of a large tract of country worth about 4 lakhs of rupees a year, both Cis and Trans-Satlej, including Jalandhar, Bulandgarh, Singhpura, Patti, Nurpur, Behrampur, Ghanoli and Bhartgarh. He was one of the most active against the Muhammadans, and it was one of his troopers who killed the Afghan Governor, Zin Khan in 1763. After this he seized Ludhiana and Banur, with the assistance of Pattiala, which State afterwards received a half share of the latter district. Khushhal Singh had two sons, of whom one, Sudh Singh, died in his Other's life-time, and the second, Budh Singh, succeeded to the estate in 1795. All the Jalandhar territory was seized by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the Sirdar had to take up his residence Cis-Satlej under British protection, where, in 1812, he held estates worth Rs. 54,000 a year. Budh Singh died in 1816, and his estate was divided among his sons, seven in number, by “Chundawand” i. e., in shares according to the number of wives.

At the present time there are four distinct branches of the Singhpuria family, the Chief of which is represented by Sirdar Jai Singh of Manoli, who holds half of the ancestral estates. The remainder is divided among the brandies of Ghanoli, Bungah and Kandola.

Only one of the sons of Bhag Singh left Issue, Jamiyat Singh, who died in 1834, when the estate lapsed.

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Doraha, where he was repulsed from the fort by the Sikhs. He aided Sirdar Dalel Singh Malod to recover the village of Sehnke, of which his younger brother Bagh Singh had taken forcible possession ; and then attacked Kot Kapura on which he was able to make no impression, but he built a mud fort about three miles distant, at Dholan, to overawe the place, and then marched against the Bhattis, who had recovered all the territory of which Raja Amar Singh had deprived them. He overran the country and collected some arrears of revenue due from Sangah, Chandah and Bhinah, but had only indifferent success elsewhere, and, being quite unable to hold the country he had ravaged, returned to Pattiala, where Sirdar Bhagel Singh was dismissed with the promised money.

Marriage of Raja Sahib Singh with a Bhangi lady AD 1787:

In 1787, Raja Sahib Singh was married to Rattan Kour, daughter of Sirdar Ganda Singh Bhangi,* who had long been dead, but his grandson Gulab Singh still held, though with diminished authority, the city of Amritsar and its neighbourhood, and was a powerful Chief, and the marriage was performed with proportionate splendour.

The dispute between Sirdar Chuhr Singh of Bhadour and Maler Kotla:

About this time, Ata-ulla Khan, the Chief Maler Kotla, asked for the help of Bhadouria who had seized several of his villages. The Maler Kotla Nawab had become a fast friend of Pattiala and it was necessary to assist him; but Chuhr Singh was now too powerful to be attacked with impunity, so an arrangement was made by which the latter gave up

* For an account of Sirdar Ganda Singh Bhangi, vide “Punjab Chiefs”, pp. 385—398.
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the villages he had seized, in return for others of the same value from Pattiala territory.

The invasion of Amba Rao Maharatta

The expedition of Dhara Rao to Pattiala had taught the Mahrattas that the country to the north of the Jamna was a good field for plunder, and, in the spring of 1788, another Chief, named Amba Rao, determined to try his fortunes in that direction. He persuaded Ghulam Kadir Khan, the son of Zabita Khan Rohilla, who had died three years before, to join him ; and, at Karnal, Sirdar Bhagel Singh Krora Singhia made his submission, for this Chief was generally the first to welcome an invader and follow him as a jackal the lion, to obtain a share of the prey, however insignificant. The Pattiala Diwan met the invaders at a village in the Kythal territory, where the Mahratta levied a contribution which Pattiala assisted to pay on the mortgage of seven villages which Bhai Lal subsequently released.

Amba Rao did not make much by his expedition. The Rohilla Chief, Ghulam Kadir, either quarrelled with him or was bribed by the Sikhs, and retired towards Dehli which he soon afterwards took by storm, disgracing himself by permitting every kind of atrocity and putting out the eyes of the Emperor Shah Alam with his own hand. After Ghulam Kadir's departure, Amba Rao could make little impression on the Sikh Chiefs who profuse in promises which they had no intention to fulfil ; and, much disappointed with the result of his expedition, he recrossed the Jamna. Diwan Nanun Mal again attacks the Singhpuria chief but without Success:

Diwan Nanun Mal was now induced by Sirdar Hari Singh of Sialbah to make an other attack upon Kiushhal Singh Singhpuria who had taken Awankot-

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and other villages of the Sialbah territory. Their joint forces first attacked Kotlah, a small fort held by Man Singh, son-in-law of the Singhpuria Chief, and reduced it without much difficulty. Thence they went to Awankot and invested the place, but Budh Singh, son of Sirdar Khushhal Singh, with Tara Singh Gheba, Rai Singh Bhangi,* and other Chiefs, came to the rescue and compelled the raising of the siege. Nanun Mal sent to Pattiala forreinforcements, and Ata-ullah Khan of Maler Kotla, Rai Muhamad of Rai Kot†, with some Nabha and Kythal troops soon joined him, but the fighting, which was little more than skirmishing, was indecisive, and it was thought advisable to abandon any further attempt on Awankot. The campaign of Diwan Nanun Mal had been successful on the whole. He had reduced to submission a great number of refractory villages and collected arrears of revenue of which the State treasury was much in need, for war, famine and the exactions of the Mahrattas had effectually emptied it. He had, moreover, recovered much of the territory which the neighbouring Chiefs had

* This was the Chief of Jagadri.
† The Chiefs of Rai Kot who, at the beginning of the century, possessed considerable territory, were Muhammadan Rajputs, immigrants from Jaisalmer, which Tulsi Das, their great ancestor, left in 1323, A. D ; settling at Mogal, afterwards Faridkot, and adopting the Mnhammadan faith. His second son Gopal, founded Shahjahanpur in the Ludhiana district, and Rai Kalha, another of his descendants, the town of Talwandi in A. D. 1478. The family became of some importance, and, about 1620, obtained possession of the town of Ludhiana, which had been founded 140 years before by Yusaf and Nihang, two Lodi Chiefs, whence the name of the town. From Ludhiana the Rai Kot Chiefs were expelled by Sahib Singh Bedi, but they afterwards recovered it ; and, at the end of the 18th century, owned Rai Kot, Talwandi, Jhandiala, Jagraon, Baddowala, Ludhiana, Basia and other districts. Rai Alyas, the last Chief, died in 1802, and his mother Nur-ul-nisad succeeded him. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in 1809, seized the whole territory and divided it between his allies, [Raja Bhag Singh]] of Jhind, Raja Jaswant Singh of Nabha, Sirdar Gurdit Singh Ladwa and Diwan Mohkam Chand. A few villages alone were left, which have descended to Rai Imam Baksh, the present representative of the family.
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seized during the troubles which followed Raja Amar Singh's death and had shown himself to be not only brave but far-seeing and anxious for the good of the State,

The Unpopularity of the Diwan:

But the Diwan was too honest to be successful.In a Native State, during a long minority, the general rule of practice is corruption of the grossest and most unblushing kind ; and should chance place an honest man in power, he is at once assailed by the crowd of parasites and slaves who hate a character which is a perpetual menace and reproach to themselves ; and he must be strong as well as honest, to defy his enemies who include in their ranks every man in the State except himself. Nanun Mal besides was of so proud a disposition that he did not care whom he offended. He had given many of the most lucrative offices of the State to his sons and relatives, and excited the greatest dislike by his custom of smoking his hukka in Durbar, when giving audience to Sikh Chiefs, tobacco being odious to them and forbidden by their creed.

The dislike of the Raja to him:

Raja Sahib Singh was now fourteen years old. It is difficult to Say what was his natural disposition, for the chief object of his Ministers was to confine his attention to pleasure, nautches, hunting and elephant fights, that he might be disposed to leave State affairs to their management. Against the Diwan they poisoned his mind, hinting that it was his intention to seize the power for himself and with this object was intriguing with the Mahrattas, while even if he designed to leave the Raja nominal authority, all real power would be taken away. It was easy to induce the boy to believe stories such as these

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to which the pride of the Diwan and his family gave some colour, and he began to hate Nanun Mal as bitterly as his courtiers did.

New danger to Pattiala:

Other dangers were now impending. The crimes of the infamous Ghulam Kadir Khan Rohilla and the misfortunes of the tortured and insulted Emperor had been well avenged by Sindhia Mahdaji, the great Mahratta leader, who drove the Rohilla from Dehli pursued and captured him at Mehrat and put him to death with tortures. The Emperor Shah Alam was again placed, with all honour, on the throne of Dehli, and Sindhia set himself to reduce to obedience the country north of the Jamna in the name of the Emperor.

Another Mahratta invasion:

The Mahratta force marched northwards, commanded by Rane Khan Dadaji and Ali Buhadar Peshwa. At Thanesar they halted some time, and the Pattiala Dur- bar began to hope that this might be the limit of the expedition ; but Bhanga Singh of Thanesar annoyed the Mahrattas so much by plundering their baggage and intercepting their convoys, that they marched to Ajrara eight miles nearer to Pattiala. At the capital there was great dismay. The treasury had been drained by the late war, and it was not the Mahratta custom to retire from before a town with empty hands, and what was not freely given they were quite prepared to take. In this emergency Diwan Nanun Mal did not know where to turn for aid. He visited the ladies at the palace, and advised them to leave Pattiala for Mung or Bhattinda, where they would be in greater safety, till the storm had blown over. Rani Rajindar, who now began to distrust the Diwan's loyalty, and who

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did not know what fear was, refused to leave Pattiala; and told Nanun Mal that it was his duty as Prime Minister to make arrangements with the invaders, and, if necessary, to buy them off. The Diwan felt that in the Rani he was losing his only friend, and, knowing that he was suspected, formed the design of leaving Pattiala for ever. But he determined to make an effort to raise some money, and calling together the subordinate Chiefs, visited the Mahratta camp where he made himself very useful to Rane Khan, introducing the different Chiefs and giving information as to the amount of nazrana which each could pay.

The enemy demand tribute:

The Pattiala contribution was at last demanded. The Diwan being either really unable to find the money or more probably wishing to punish the coolness with which he had been treated by Rani Rajindar, sent her news of what was demanded and begged her to take measures for the payment, without delay, as, in default of payment, the city of Pattiala would certainly be attacked. But the Rani was as proud as Diwan and as brave as she was proud, and returned answer that Nanun Mal was Minister and must pay the Mahratta fine himself. Convinced as she was of the Diwan's treachery, she determined to take immediate action to counteract it, and sent an officer to seize Devi Ditta, the Diwan's son, whom she placed in confinement as a guarantee for the father's good conduct. This hasty action had deplorable results. The Diwan, seeing that all hope of reconciliation with the Rani was lost, and that his only chance of regaining power was in Mahratta interference.

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at once persuaded Dadaji to march to Pattiala with 30000 men.

The Mahratta army appears before the city of Pattiala:

The force encamped at Sohlar, about two miles from the town, whence a message was sent to the Rani directing her to deliver up the Diwan's son, for until he was released Nanun Mal refused to take any steps towards obtaining the nazrana. The Rani was prepared to defend the city; but she gave up Devi Ditta, thinking it unadvisable to press matters to extremities. Several of the neighbouring Chiefs tried to arrange terms, and, notably, Sirdar Bhagel Singh Krora Singhia, who was compelled to meddle in the business of every one between the Satlej and Dehli ; but Rani Rajindar declined to pay a single rupee. She made several visits to the Mahratta camp, following the example of Mai Deso, the mother of Raja Jaswant Singh of Nabha, who had been fortunate enough to secure good terms for her son. But Diwan Nanun Mal and Rani Rajindar were able to settle nothing, each declaring that the other was the proper person to pay the fine ; the truth being that the treasury was empty ; the Chiefs and the people had been ground down by exactions till they could give nothing more, and whoever satisfied the Mahratta demands, would have to do so from private means, which, in the case of both the Rani and the Diwan, were very large.

The Mahrattas, at last, tired of waiting, insisted upon the fort of Sefabad, situated a few miles north-east of the city known as Bahadargarh, being placed in their hands.

To this the Diwan consented, through Rani Rajin-

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dar opposed it. No sooner had the Mahrattas obtained the fort, than they thought to hasten the payment of the nazrana by a display of force ; and for a month and a half skirmishes were frequent between the Sikhs and the Mahrattas, though the leaders on either side were unwilling to come to a complete rupture, Rani Rajindar still refused to pay and declared herself willing to march with the Mahrattas to Mathra, where she would arrange matters with Sindhia himself. The Mahratta retire with the Rani and the Diwan:

To this Rane Khan and Dadaji were compelled to consent, and the Rani, With a strong force, marched southwards, the Mahrattas insisting on Diwan Nanun Mal accompanying them ; but, at Karnal, he induced them, on consideration of his services, to release him, and take his son Devi Ditta with them instead.

Raja Sahib Singh confiscates the Diwan’s property

No sooner had the Mahratta army disappeared, Raja Sahib Singh, who had taken shelter at a distance from the capital, marched to Dhodan or Bhawanigarh, where, instigated by his followers, who were determined on the ruin of the Diwan, he confiscated much of Nanun Mal's property, and thence to Barnala, where he seized and imprisoned Narinda Rai, one of the Diwan's sons, and collector of the districts of Hodiana and Barnala. From this town he marched southwards to Mong (Monak or Akalgarh ) of which Ditta Mal, the third son of the Diwan, was commandant, and who, at first, refused to surrender the fort. But his troops knowing the Diwan's fortunes were on the ebb refused to act against the Pattiala forces, the fort was given up, and four lakhs of rupees plundered. The Raja found that spoliation was an easy way

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of raising money, and, after a hurried visit to Pattiala, he left for Ghanor, and besieged the fort which was defended by Zugi Mai and Diwan Mal, nephews of the Minister.

The Diwan takes refuse at Shahabad:

Nanun Mal was on his road back from Karnal when he heard of all that his enemies had accomplished against him.

Understanding that, till fortune changed, it would be madness to return to Pattiala where he could only expect imprisonment or death, he took refuge with Sirdar Karm Singh of Shahabad.*

The treachery of the Chief of Shahabad:

This Chief promised him not only protection but assistance to recover his power in Pattiala, but treacherously wrote to Raja Sahib Singh, telling him of the arrival of the fugitive and urging him to take Ghanor before the Diwan could raise troops and come to the help of his relatives. Nanun Mal with difficulty collected a small force and marched to the relief of the fort ; but on the road he heard of its capture, his men deserted, and he was obliged to seek a new asylum in the Kythal territory, where he took up his residence at the little village of Chikah, close to the Pattiala

* Karm Singh was an immigrant from the Manjha, in 1759. The Shahabad district had been seized by several Chiefs of the Nishania confederacy, the widow of one of whom, Himat Singh, gave to Karm Singh five villages. In return for this kindness, Karm Singh obtained a grant of her whole estate from Dehli, and ousted her from all but the village of Islamabad. This conduct scarcely agreed with his agnomen of “Nirmala” or spotless. He died in 1808, leaving four sons, Ranjit Singh, Sher Singh, Kharak Singh, and Kahn Singh, who divided the estate equally between them in 1811. Kharak Singh died without issue, in 1831, and his share was balloted to his full brother Sher Singh. The latter died in 1861, and his only son, Kesra Singh, a year and a half later, when the estate, valued at Rs. 11,500, was resumed by Government. The other shares are still held by Sirdars Dharm Singh, Kishan Singh and Partab Singh. The two former are the sons of Sirdar Ranjit Singh, and their estate is worth Rs 5,237 per annum ; while that of Partab Singh, the son of Kahn Singh is worth Rs. 3,682.

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The fall of the Diwan and his family:

frontier. All his estates were confiscated, his property seized, and his relations expelled from office or placed in confinement.

Rani Rajindar returns to Pattiala

In the meantime, Rani Rajindar had paid her visit to Sindhia at Mathra and had been well received, arranging for the payment of the nuzrana, and leaving Devi Ditta Mal as a guarantee for the fulfillment of the stipulated conditions. On returning to Pattiala, she found the arts which had been so effectual against the Minister had been employed with equal success against herself, and that the foolish Raja had been persuaded to fear her power as too great for his safety and dignity and to believe her in alliance with Nanun Mal to restore the old order of things and reduce the Chief to the mere cypher for which his intellect and vices so eminently fitted him.

Her death, A. D. 1791:

She made several attempts to see Raja Sahib Singh, but he persistently avoided her, and, at last, wearied out and mortified at the ingratitude which repaid the most devoted service with suspicion and insult, she took to her bed and died at Pattiala after a short illness.

Her Character:

Rani Rajindar was one of the most remarkable women of her age. She possessed all the virtues which men pretend are their own, courage, perseverance and sagacity, without any mixture of the weaknesses which men attribute to women ; and, remembering her history and that of Ranis Sahib Kour and Aus Kour, who, some years later, conducted, with so much ability, the affairs of the Pattiala State, it would almost appear that the Phulkian Chiefs excluded, by direct enactment, all women from any share of power from

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the suspicion that they were able to use it far more wisely than themselves.

Nanun Mal's last effort for power

Diwan Nanun Mal had ruled so long in Pattiala that he was unable to resign all hope of regaining his authority without another struggle, and looked about for some powerful and discontented Chief whom he might use to obtain his object. He found a suitable instrument in Ata-ulla Khan, the Nawab of Maler Kotla, from whom Pattiala had taken many villages at different times considerably reducing the Afghan Chiefs territory. The Diwan assured him that his opportunity to recover his lost lands was now come ; that the Pattiala treasury was empty and the people oppressed and discontented, while the Raja was entirely in the hands of men without courage or energy, who would be unable to help him in any serious emergency. This was all true enough ; but the Diwan had overrated the influence that he still possessed in Pattiala. He was almost universally disliked, and his immediate relations, who alone desired his success, had fallen with his fall and were unable to assist him. Ata-ulla Khan collected his troops and marched as far as Khanpur, some fourteen miles from Pattiala, in company with Nanun Mal. Here he was met by the Pattiala force, headed by Sirdar Chuhr Singh Bhadour and Dalel Singh Malod, and after several trifling engagements in which the Maler Kotla troops were invariably worsted, he discovered that the advice of the Diwan had been evil ; that no Pattiala feudatories came to join him, and he wisely made his submission, which, being accepted, he returned to his own territory.

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The death of Nanun Mal AD 1792:

Diwan Nanun Mal did not long survive this failure of all his hopes and died at Maler Kotla in 1792, deserted by his old friends and despised by his new ones whom he had counseled so unwisely.

His character:

An estimate of his character is difficult, as Pattiala records are almost the only source of information, and that Court cannot look with favor on a Minister who directly rebelled against his Chief But for his rebellion there were many excuses, while his great services to the State were indisputable. He alone saved Pattiala from utter collapse after the death of Raja Amar Singh, when every neighbouring Chief was ready to dismember it and when feudatories and subjects were in open revolt. That he oppressed the people is true, but he was compelled to find money for necessary war. He also insulted and alienated the Chiefs and their hostility was the cause of his downfall. His conduct at the time of the Mahratta invasion is open to grave suspicion ; and Rani Rajindar, who was remarkably acute, was convinced of his dishonesty. But although he doubtless desired to benefit himself, for he was avaricious in the extreme, there is no proof that he did not do his best for the State. Ministers at Native Courts are not to be judged by the standard which European morality has set up, and even were they so judged, there are may instances in European countries of Statesmen and Generals who have rendered conspicuous services to their country and whose names are justly remembered with gratitude, who have yet made use of their opportunities to enrich themselves and their families. Rebellion against his Chief cannot be justified ; but all the excuse which is ever possible for rebellion he

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certainly had. Raja Sahib Singh was a mere puppet in the hands of greedy and unscrupulous men who had no thought except for themselves, and whose intrigues against the Minister were prompted by no other motives than jealousy and a desire to obtain the power of helping themselves from the State Treasury. It was rather against these creatures than against the miserable child who was called Raja that the Diwan took up arms. His fate was that which generally awaits Ministers of ability and honesty in Native States ; and the intrigues which overthrew him are the very proof of his capacity and devotion to the interests of his country.

The successors of Diwan and their fate:

The successors of Nanun Mal in the favor of of Raja Sahib Singh were Syad Mir Ilahi Baksh and Kesar Mal, a Khatri, whose influence soon became as distasteful to the Sikhs as that of the old Minister had been ; and Sirdar Albel Singh Kaleka, Fatah Singh Mihrmah and Munshi Ramdyal, who had before been favorites but who were now neglected, determined to get rid of them. Accordingly, in open Durbar, and in the very presence of the Raja himself, these ruffians assassinated the Syad ; Dyal Singh Rorah and Sukha Singh Dhillon being the actual murderers. Diwan Kishan Chand, one of the Syad's party, was also severely wounded and escaped with difficulty.

A new ministry, A. D. 1793 :

Raja Sahib Singh fled to his private apartments, but he could only reward the men who had murdered friends, and Albel Singh was created Minister and Ramdyal Chief Munshi. This was in 1793. The Raja was unable to trust the men whom he had raised to power, and believed, with some justice, that they might some day serve him in the same way that they had served

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Ilahi Baksh ; but the only person in whom he could trust was his sister Rani Sahib Kour, who had married Sirdar Jaimal Singh Kanheya* the master of a great part of the Bari Doab, above Dinanagar.

Rani Sahib Kour becomes Chief Minister of Pattiala

To her he sent, begging her to pay him a Visit at Pattiala and when she arrived he proclaimed her his Chief Minister, with Tara Singh, one of her own people, as Deputy ; and Diwan Singh, the nephew of Nanun Mal, was again taken into favor and made Finance Minister or Diwan. She had not been long at Pattiala when she heard that her husband, at this time a young man of twenty-one, was in difficulties and hard pressed by his cousin Fatah Singh.

She accordingly begged a force from her brother which he willingly granted, and, heading it herself, she marched to Fatehgarh and rescued her husband who had been captured by Fatah Singh, returning soon after this exploit to Pattiala in triumph.

The Cis-Setlaj States invaded by Anta Rao Mahratta:

In 1794, a large Mahratta force, under the command of Anta Rao and Lachhman Rao, crossed the Jamna and marched in the direction of Pattiala, the smaller Chiefs making their submission and even the larger ones, Jhind and Kythal, sending agents to make their compliments and express their devotion. But the lady who now ruled the feeble Pattiala Chief was as courageous as her cousin Rani Rajindar, and was inclined to yield to the invaders without a struggle. Raja Bhag Singh of Jhind; Jodh Singh Kalsia; † Bhanga Singh and

* For the history of this family, vide " Punjab Chiefs" pp. 322--338.
† The Chief of Kalsia takes rank above all Cis-Sutlej Chiefs, except Pattiala, Jhind, Nabha, Maler Kotla and Faridkot. The founder of the

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Mehtab Singh of Thanesar, and the Bhadour Sirdars, Dip Singh and Bir Singh, agreed to join her, while Sirdar Tara Singh Gheba sent a detachment, and the whole force, numbering together about 7000 men, marched to meet the enemy near Mardanpur, a few miles from Ambala, where a brisk engagement took place ; but the Sikhs, who were far inferior in discipline and numbers to the Mahrattas, began to give way.

The gallantry of Sahib Kour:

Retreat would have soon turned to flight had not Bibi Sahib Kour, who had come herself with the troops, leaving her brother in his zanana at Pattiala, stepped down from her chariot (Rath) and, drawing her sword, declared that the Sikhs would be for ever disgraced if they allowed her, a woman and the sister of their Chief, to be slain, for she was determined never to retreat. This gallantry so shamed and encouraged the soldiers, that they returned with renewed fury to the fight, which they maintained, though with considerable loss, till nightfall, neither

family was Sirdar Gurbuksh Siugh of Kalsia in the Manjha, one of the Krora Singhia confederacy, and a companion of Sirdar Bhagel Singh of Chiloundi. He was not a man of much note, bat his sou Jodh Siugh, born in 1751, possessed great ability, took possession of the District of Chichrowli, and, on the the death of Sirdar Bhagel Singh, was acknowledged as the head of the Krora Singhia confederacy. He conquered Dehra and Basal from Sirdar Khazan Singh ; Lotal and Achrak ; and encroached upon Pattiala and Nabha territory, bat Raja Sahib Singh gave to Hari Singh, son of Jodh Singh, his daughter Karm Koar as wife, in 1803, and thus quieted a most dangerous neighbour. In 1807 he fought under Maharaja Ranjit Singh at the siege of Nariangarh, and was rewarded with estates at Budala, Kaneri and Chubbal. At the time of the treaty of 1809, the Kalsia territory was worth two lakhs and a half per annum. Jodh Singh gave a great deal of trouble to his neighbours and to the British Agent, and no one was sorry when he died at Multan, where he had been left in command of a detachment after the seize in 1818. Only the elder son, Sobha Singh, survived him, and held the estate till 1858. Both he and his son Lehna Singh did good service in the mutinies and supplied a contingent of 20 foot and four sowars. The latter received a sanad conferring the right of adoption in March 1862. Sirdar Lehna Singh has lately died, and his only son Bishan Singh, aged 16, is now Chief of Kalsia. The estate is worth about Rs. 1,30,000 a year, with a population of 62,000.

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side being able to claim the victory.

Night attack on the Mahratta camp:

The Sikh Chiefs now wished the lady to return to Pattiala while she was able, as the next day must bring with it their defeat, but she refused ; and their case being desperate, proposed a Night attack on the Mahratta camp.


The very audacity of the proposal contained its best chance of success, the troops were immediately put under arms, and, just before day-break, attacked the Mahrattas, who were taken completely by surprise.

The enemy retire:

The Sikhs did little more than gallop through the camp, cutting down those of the enemy they met, and the Mahrattas suffered no great loss ; but the confusion caused was very great, and the next day, Anta Rao, hearing that large Sikh reinforcements were approaching, retired towards Karnal.

In 1794, a man, half fanatic arid half impostor, and as dangerous, greedy and unscrupulous as such characters usually are, appeared to disturb the Cis-Satlej States. This was Bedi Sahib Singh, the lineal descendant of Baba Nanak, the first and most revered of the Sikh Gurus. His father, Jit Singh, was a quiet man who had never left his village of Unah, where a pious disciple had given the grand-father, Kala Dhari, a little farm ; but Sahib Singh, knowing the fanatical and superstitious character of the Sikhs, thought it would not be difficult to influence them to his own advantage. Accordingly, he proclaimed a religious war against the Maler Kotla Afghans, whom he accused of killing cows, as great an offence in the eyes of a Sikh as of any other Hindu.*

* Another reason given in the " Gosha-i-Punjab** for the enmity of Sahib Singh to the Afghans of Maler Kotla, was that Sher Muhammad Khan, the grand-father of Ata-ulla-Khan, had eloped with a woman of the
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He induced Sirdars Tara Singh Gheba, Bhagel Singh, Bhanga Singh Thanesar, and several other Chiefs to join him, all men who thought little of religion and a great deal of plunder, and who considered a religious cry as good as any other, so long as they could kill and pillage.

He attacks the Afghans of Maler Kotla:

The unfortunate Maler Kotla Afghans, who ne attacks the were probably as innocent of the Kotla. charge brought against them as most other victims of religious enthusiasm, prepared for defence. Ata-ulla-Khan was still the head of the house, and, with his four nephews, Wazir Khan, Fatah Khan, Himmat Khan and Dalel Khan, made a short resistance, but they were overpowered and defeated, and fled to Kotla which the Bedi immediately invested, Ata-ulla-Khan sent off messengers to Raja Sahib Singh begging for assistance, and as a Pattiala force, under Bakshi Seda and Sirdar Chen Singh, was encamped close by, at Amargarh, it soon reached the town. Bedi Sahib Singh was a sacred character, and the Sikh soldiers were unwilling to fight against him ; but after a paying him a sum of money and threatening the Sirdars who ccompanied him with the future vengeance of Pattiala, the Bedi was induced to withdraw across the Satlej.

The Bedi makes another raid in 1798 and attacks Rai Kot:

Four years later, in 1798, the Bedi preached, at Amritsar, a second religious war against tho Afghans of Rai Kot, family of Guru Govind Singh, and induced her to accept Muhammadanism. It was to avenge this insult and to recover the bones of the lady that Sahib Singh attacked Kotla. But a Bedi, descendant of Nanak, would have no object in avenging an insult offered to Govind Singh, a Sodhi, of which family there were many members to defend its honor. Sahib Singh only made religion an excuse to loot a comparatively defenceless town.

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on the same pretext as the last. These infidels, he declared, had killed kine, and their lands should be taken away and given to him. The Sikhs again crossed the Sutlej, about 7,000 in number, and overran the Rai Kot district, which included Jagraon, Rai Kot, Ludhiana and the neighbouring country.

The Chief, Rai Alyas, was only fifteen years of age, but his principal Officer, Roshan Khan, made a gallant stand at the village of Jodh, and although outnumbered four to one, fought the whole day and would have repulsed the Sikhs had he not been killed by a musket shot, when his troops, disheartened, took to flight. Rai Alyas sent to his neighbours for help, and the Chiefs of Pattiala and Jhind, with Bhai Lai Singh of Kythal and Jodh Singh Kalsia, collected their forces and marched towards Ludhiana, driving the Sikhs before them and recovering the villages which the Bedi had seized. Karm Singh of Shahabad and Budh Singh Faizullahpuria, who had been active supporters of the Bedi, deserted him and went over to the other side.

The Bhai driven out of the Rai Kot village:

The Phulkian Chiefs were not disinterested in their action, and Pattiala annexed Badowal, a few miles south of Ludhiana, and three other forts, as the price of her assistance, while the fort at Wakha was mortgaged to Bhai Lal Singh. *

Driven out of some villages, Bedi Sahib Singh seized others. To Mansur he was invited by the zamindars, weary of the tyranny of Sher Khan the Collector of Rai Alyas, and the Naobat fort came

* Pattiala records speak of the help given to Maler Kotla, Rai Kot, and other Chiefs, as given to her feudatories or “Zaildars” whom it was the duty of the paramount to aid. This is of course untrue. Rai Kot and Maler Kotla, though less powerful, were quite as independent as Pattiala herself, and would have laughed at the idea of being her zaildars.

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He attacks Ludhiana:

into his possession, while he built a new one in the village of Doghari. The Hindus and Sikhs of the town of Ludhiana then invited him there, and he surprised the town by night and besieged the fort which was defended by Hassan Khan. The Bedi built a mud fort on the spot where the " Suthhri-ki-Dharamsal " is now situated, and prepared for a regular siege. Rai Alyas did not know where to look for help.

The Chief asks the assistance of George Thomas of Hansi:


He induced the Chiefs of Philor, Sudha Singh and Kour Singh, to come into the fort, but their assistance was not of much value, and he at length sent to George Thomas, an English adventurer, who had become very powerful and who ruled the country about Hansi and Hissar. Thomas, who was rapidly extending his territory, was only too glad of an opportunity of interference in the affairs of any of the Cis-Satlej States, and at once left Hansi with strong force.

And the Bedi retires:

The Bedi, hearing of his near approach, raised the siege of Ludhiana and retired across the Satlej ; while Thomas, having no further excuse for interference, returned to Hansi.

Expedition to Nahan AD 1796.


Between the first and second visits of Bedi Sahib Singh to the Cis-Satlej country, a Pattiala expedition had been sent to Nahan, to assist the Raja, who had, as usual, got into difficulties with his people, who were in open rebellion. Rani Sahib Kour was at the head of the force and remained at Nahan for three months, settling the affairs of the little State and reducing the insurgents to obedience.

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The rise of George Thomas

George Thomas,* who had come to the assistance of the Rai Kot Chief, was an Englishman of some tact and courage, who had come to India in the year 1781, and had Wandered about the country seeking his fortune for several years, till he was taken into the service of the famous Zebun Nissa, more commonly known as Begum Samru.

Leaves her for the Mahrattas:

In 1792, for some misconduct, he was reduced in rank, and left her service in disgust for that of Apa Khandi Rao, a Mahratta Chief, relative of Madhaji Sindhia, and master of the Jhajjar, Dadri, and Narnol territory. Thomas raised troops for the Mahrattas and instructed them as well as he was able in the European system of drill, and, in return, the district of Jhajjar was assigned him in jagir. Here he built a fort which he named "Georgegarh," but which, by the people, was corrupted into " Jahazgarh."

He sets up for himself:

When Bawa Rao, the nephew of Apa Khandi Rao, succeeded his uncle, Thomas became independent, and, taking possession of Hansi and Hissar, begain to encroach on the neighbouring States. He had a force of eight regiments of foot, a thousand horsemen and about fifty guns ; and he strengthened the old fort of Hansi, which he made his capital. In 1797, he made overtures to the principal Sikh Chiefs, inviting them to join him in a combined resistance to the Mahrattas, and in the conquest of Northern India ; but they regarded him with suspicion, for his selfish aims were barely concealed, and they thought that to

* The history of George Thomas has been written and no more of it will consequently be noticed here than is necessary to explain his connection with Pattiala history from 1798 to 1802. The work is now, however, very rare.- The Military memoirs of George Thomas,410, by W. Frankin, Calutta, 1803.

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help him would only be to resign their own independence.

And attacks the town of Jhind:

Thomas, unable to cajole the Sikhs, determined on subduing them, and taking advantage of the absence of the principal Chiefs at Lahore, in 1798, to oppose the invasion of Shah Zaman Durani of Kabul, he laid siege to Jhind, the nearest Sikh town, being not more than twenty miles north-east of Hansi. Hearing of this danger the Phulkian Chiefs hurried back and assembled their forces for the relief of Jhind. The Kythal troops were under the command of Sirdars Sawan Singh, Saman Singh and Diwan Ramdyal ; while Gurdit Singh of Ladwa and the Thanesar Chiefs, Bhanga Singh and Mehtab Singh, were induced to join by considerable presents. They had not yet fallen so low as to fight for honor or for a friend, without the hope of some personal gain.

The combination against him:

The combined force marched to Jhind, but in several skirmishes that took place the Sikhs were worsted, till a large detachment of Pattiala troops arrived, commanded by the gallant lady Sahib Kour. The force of the allies cannot have numbered less than 25,000 men, and is estimated, in some traditions, at 40,000. After some further skirmishing, Thomas, seeing that he was over-matched, raised the the siege and retired to Mehm whither Raja Bhag Singh pursued him, pillaging several villages of the Hansi district. But Thomas' retreat was only a blind ; and at night he attacked the Sikh camp with two thousand men, at Narawind, twelve miles to the south of Jhind. The Sikhs had kept no watch and were carousing after their imaginary

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The quarrels among the Sikh leaders:

triumph of the day before, when Thomas' horsemen galloped through the camp. The Sikhs took to flight in all directions, losing a large number of men and much baggage. The allied army after this defeat became completely demoralized. The jealousies between the Chiefs were so fierce that no disaster could happen without it being attributed to treachery ; and, this occasion, Pattiala declared that Sirdar Jaswant Singh of Nabha had planned the night attack in concert with Thomas, to avenge a scornful speech of Bibi Sahib Kour who had said that the Nabha soldiers, in comparison with those of Pattiala, were no better than sweepers (Chumars). In proof of this treachery it was observed that, although the Jhind and Pattiala troops had suffered most severely in this night attack, the Nabha contingent had lost neither men nor baggage. It is impossible to say how far this story of treachery is true; and the probability is, that it was invented to account for a discreditable defeat, as the myth of Raja Tej Singh's treachery was invented to excuse the defeats of Firoshahr and Sobraon. Karm Singh " the spotless," ( Nirmala ) was also accused of having accepted Rs. 5,000 from Thomas to set the example of running away. Bribed or not, he certainly ran away with the great- est alacrity.

The Sikhs make peace with Thomas:

After this defeat the Phulkian Chiefs were content to make peace with Thomas, who on his part, had so many enemies, that he was delighted to make friends with the Sikhs, who were his only possible allies in the event of a rupture with the Mahrattas, which he saw was sooner or later inevitable.

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Raja Sahib Singh quarrels with his sister

No sooner had danger from without ceased, than Raja Sahib Singh dissensions were renewed within ; and the weak-minded Sahib Singh, influenced by his favorites, who were jealous of Rani Sahib Kour's power, began to treat his sister with great coldness.

The new cause of family discord :

There was, moreover, a new element of discord in the person of Rani Aus Kour, daughter of Sirdar Gurdas Singh of Chattah, whom the Raja had married in 1792, and who, in 1797, bore him a son and heir who was named Karm Singh. This lady, both clever and ambitious, thought the influence possessed by Bibi Sahib Kour over the Raja belonged legitimately to her, and coalesced with his Court officials against Sahib Kour who was accused to her brother of many imaginary offences. Of these, the first asserted that she had herself kept the elephant given by the Raja of Nahan as a return for the services rendered in restoring order in his State. As Rani Sahib Kour had performed all the work at Nahan, while her brother was squandering health and money among pimps and prostitutes at Pattiala, she might well have pleaded her right to keep the present. It was also alleged, as a crime, that she had built, in 1795, a fort near Sunam, in her jagir, without her brother's permission, and had changed the name of the village of Bhirian to Ubhowal, which it still retains. When the Rani saw that the evil advice of his favorites had more weight with the Raja than all her services, she left Pattiala in disgust for Bhirian, where her new fort stood.

Her flight from Pattiala:

This conduct seemed to confirm the Raja's suspicious, and he ordered her to leave Bhirian and return to her husband at Fatahgarh,

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The Raja's first military expedition:

The Rani had been so long accustomed to command that she was not disposed to obey, and took no notice of this order ; on which the Raja himself marched against the fort and was making preparations to reduce it when Bhai Dal Singh and other mutual friends succeeded in persuading him that it would not be for his fame to commence his military career by fighting with his sister, and in inducing the Rani to submit and return to Pattiala. On the road, however, suspicious, with very good reason, of the intentions of her brother, she escaped and returned to Bhirian, when all the negotiations had to be commenced afresh.

The treatment of Sahib Kour:

At last, on promises of safety, she consented a second time to return to Pattiala ; but when the Raja had conveyed her as far as Dhodan Or Bhawanigarh, he placed her in confinement in the fort. She soon contrived to escape, changing clothes with one of her servants, and returned to Bhirian, where she lived without further molestation for some time.

Her death, AD 1799.'

She died in 1799, the unjust treatment that she had received having probably shortened her life.


George Thomas again attachS the Sikhs.

The peace which George Thomas had made with Jhind was not of long duration. He had a large force which he was only able to pay by expeditions against neighbouring States, and the Jhind and Kythal villages were nearest at hand and most defenceless. In 1799, he renewed his attacks, and the Phulkian Chiefs, with Bhai Lal Singh of Kythal, again coalesced to resist him. A fight took place between Thomas and Bhadour troops at Dirbah, in which the former was victorious, and he then marched northwards and pillaged the town of Bhawanigarh, though he did

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Thomas ravages the Pattiala territory

not attempt to attack the fort. Thence he proceeded to Ghanor, half way between Ambala and Pattiala, where he was met by Diwan Singh, but it was not Thomas' desire to fight, and he marched back to Sunam, plundering the villages and devastating the country. Near Narangwal, the Jhind forces, with Sirdar Tara Singh Gheba, came up with him, and an undecided engagement took place in which both parties lost many men. Thomas now pretended to be anxious for peace, and remained quiet for some time, sending proposals for a settlement of their differences to the Phulkian camp. But he suddenly broke off negotiations and disappeared, and was next heard of plundering the village of Rajwanah. The Pattiala troops pursued, Thomas retiring as they advanced, and at length, he left the Pattiala territory, where he had done great damage, and entered that of Kythal.

Invades Kythal:

Bhai Lal Singh had now to hasten to defend his own possessions, while the Pattiala troops remained at Akalgarh, prepared to march if their assistance was required ; and Raja Bhag Singh returned to Jhind which promised to be the next object of attack. So it happened to be ; for having plundered with impunity many Kythal villages and having been vainly pursued by the Sikhs, he marched southwards and attacked Sufidon, in Jhind territory, defended by a weak garrison.

And attacks and captures Sufidon:

Raja Bhag Singh went at once to its relief, but, before his arrival, the fort which was old and half in ruins, had fallen into the invader's hands. It was useless for Thomas to remain shut up in a fort, so he gave battle to Raja Bhag Singh beneath the walls of the town. His

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good fortune had, on this occasion, deserted him, and But him defeated in the Jhind Raja was victorious, and Thomas forced to retire with all haste, having lost about 500 men, and recover himself at Kalwah in Kythal territory.

This desultory fighting had now lasted a very long time and both parties were thoroughly exhausted, especially the Sikhs who had most to lose. Their towns and villages were sacked and the harvest destroyed, while the rapidity of the enemy's movements made it almost impossible to overtake him ; and the discipline be maintained made an attack upon him, even with far superior numbers, a proceeding of doubtful wisdom. In their extremity they determined to make peace on any terms, and, when they had once induced Thomas to retire, to invoke against him the aid of the French General who was commanding, with much brilliancy and success, the northern division of the Mahratta Army, and whose disciplined troops would be able to meet Thomas on equal or superior terms.

Peace concluded between Thomas and Sikhs AD 1801:

Thomas was anxious for rest, and as his expedition had been rich in plunder, he was not difficult to satisfy, and, abandoning the territories of the allies, he returned to his fort of Hansi, early in the year 1801.

General Perron commandor of the Marhatta army of the North India:

The principal Cis-Satlej Chiefs, Pattiala, Jhind, Nabha and Kythal, then resolved to send a joint embassy to General Perron at Dehli, and ask his assistance.

This officer had succeeded the Comte de Boigne, a Savoyard, who had entered the service of Sindhia about the year 1785, and had, by his energy and

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knowledge of military science, made the Mahratta army the most formidable owned by any native prince in India. He left India in 1796, and was succeeded by General Perron, also a man of conspicuous ability, who extended the Mahratta authority northwards beyond the Jamna and commanded a powerful and highly trained army. It was to this officer that Raja Bhag Singh of Jhind, Bhai Lal Singh of Kythal, and two Sirdars, Chen Singh and Hamir Singh, on the part of Pattiala, addressed themselves.

He resolved to assist the Sikhs:

The General was willing to assist them, for the increasing power of George Thomas had excited both his jealousy and alarm ; and he saw in this adventurer a rival whose influence, unless checked in time, might endanger his own.

Bourquin sent against Thomas:

He accordingly received the deputation with great consideration, and dispatched a force under one of his Lieutenants, Louis Bourquin, to act with Bourquin sent the Sikh troops against Thomas. No Pattiala troops joined in the expedition, but Jhind and Kythal detachments, with the Mahratta force under Bourquin, marched to Chinargarh, and thence to Bedi, where they came up with Thomas, and an engagement was fought in which the advantage remained with the latter, Bourquin losing so many men that he was compelled to wait for reinforcements from General Perron.

Thomas defeated and compelled to abandon Hansi:

When these arrived he again assumed the offensive and compelled Thomas to retire to Hansi. Here he was surrounded, and, after an obstinate defence, surrendered, and abandoning all his conquests, retired into British territory, never again disturbing the peace of the Cis-Satlej States.*

* George Thomas died about a year after this. His career shows not so much what a determined and clever man can do among races-

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The rise of the British power:

But a power was now rising before which Mogals, Mahrattas and Sikhs had alike to yield. Year by year the red line which marked the British possessions was advanced further to the north. Bengal, Benares, Oude, Allahabad, Cawnpur, Farrukhabad, had in turn fallen ; till, on the 11th of September, 1803, General Lake defeated the Mahratta army commanded by Bourquin, beneath the walls of Dehli, and four days later entered the capital of Hindostan as a conqueror. On the 1st of November the battle of Laswari was fought, when the Mahrattas were again defeated with great lose ; and Sindhia, by the treaty of Sirji Anjengaom, ceded Sirsa, Hissar, Rohtak, Dehli, Gurgaon and Agra, to the British Government. The three first named districts were not, however, taken under British administration till the year 1809.

The Sikh estimate of English:

The Cis-Satlej Chiefs miscalculated the strength of the English. They had besides made friends with the Mahrattas ; Bourquin had just over-thrown their most dangerous enemy ; and for these reasons they fought on the side of the Mahrattas at Dehli against the English. Among those present in this battle were Gurdit Singh Ladwa, Bhanga Singh of Thanesar and many minor Chiefs, though it does not

* inferior in energy and knowledge, but how complete was the anarchy and confusion in India at the close of the last century. Thomas was an able man in some respects, but his ability was in no way remarkable. But, when he obtained power, at the time of the disintegration of the Dehli monarchy, and while the Mahratta power was now threatening to become predominant and now appearing about to crumble into ruins, India was in perhaps a more anarchical state than at any other period of her history, and any adventurer, untroubled with scruples and of ordinary capacity, might have carved out for himself a kingdom.

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appear that the Phulkian Chiefs or the Bhai of Kythal were present or sent a contingent.

The English attack and rout the Sikhs

During the whole of the year 1804, the Sikhs in the neighbourhood of the Jamna, incited by Amir Khan, the Rohilla Chief, and Jaswant Rao Holkar, Mahratta, continued to be hostile, and large parties constantly crossed the river and ravaged the country.* On the 18th of December 1804, Colonel Burn, leaving his camp standing, made a forced march of twenty miles and surprised and completely routed the Sikhs ; and Raja Bhag Singh and Bhai Lal Singh, wise in their generation, joined the English army with their forces on the 26th January 1805, bearing letters from Colonel Ochterlony to Colonel Burn, who bestowed presents upon them and treated them with politeness.† The hostile Sikhs, some 6,000 in number, were at this time encamped at Mullah, some twenty miles to the south-east of Panipat, but retired when the British force marched against them, and their movements were so rapid that they were not overtaken, but after having been driven for two months from one place to another, they thought it expedient to recross the Jamna into their own territory.

An amnesty proclaimed by the British General AD 1805:

An amnesty was proclaimed in the month of March 1805, by the Commander-in- Chief to all those Sikhs who would agree to observe peace and abstain from operations against the English, and in a short

* Lord Lake to Colonel Ochterlony, 2nd February 1804. ColonelB to Colonel Ochterlony, 4th March, 28th March, 6th Jane, 8th June, 28th November, 30 th November and 2nd December 1804.
† Colonel Burn to Colonel Ochterlony, 20th December 1804, 30th January 1805.

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time this was accepted by Rai Singh of Jagadri, whose brother Sher Singh had been mortally wounded in the engagement with the English of the preceding year, and by all the Chiefs in arms, with the exception of Sirdar Gurdit Singh Ladwa who was expressly excluded from its provisions, although he had not been so active against the English as the Jagadri Chiefs, and his fort of Karnal, which Raja Bhag Singh had lost some years before, was captured by the English in April.*

Jaswant Rai Holkar takes refuse in the Punjab:

In October 1804, Jaswant Rai Holkar, who had just gained a great triumph over the brigade of Colonel Monson, laid siege to Delhi with 20,000 men, but was repulsed by General Ochterlony and Colonel Bum, after a most gallant defence which lasted nine days. Two months later, at Fatahgarh and Deeg, Generals Lake and Fraser utterly routed the Mahrattas, inflicting on them immense loss, while their leader, Holkar, left without an army, and after vain attempts to create a new one south of the Jamna, went northwards to seek among the Sikh Chieftains more reliable, if not more efficient aid, than he could obtain from Sindhia,

* Colonel Burn to Colonel Ochterlony, 29th March, 31st March, 2nd, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, of April 1805. Sirdars Sahib Singh and Gurdit Singh of Ladwa were members of the Krora Singhia confederacy. They were Sansi Jats of the village of Bain Poin, ten miles of south of Amritsar, and joined the troop of Mit Singh Rohela, about 1758. After the defeat of Zin Khan, Governor of Sirhind, in 1763, they seized Bahein, Shamghar and Ladwa. The last named district fell to the share of Gurdit Singh. In a skirmish with Agha Shafih, near Karnal, Sahib Singh was killed, and Gurdit Singh took the whole estate, with the exception of Shamghar, given to the brother of Sahib Singh's widow, and twelve villages given to Bhagwan Singh the adopted son of the deceased. Gurdit Singh was granted the district of Badowal by Ranjit Singh. He was succeeded by his son Ajit Singh, who built a bridge over the Sirsuti or Saraswati at Thanesar, and obtained the title of Raja. He rebelled in 1845 ; his estates were confiscated, and he was imprisoned at Allahabad. He contrived to escape, after killing his keeper, and after long wanderings is supposed to have died in Kashmir. His children are still living in the North West Provinces.

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who hated him while he was compelled to appear his friend. He remained for some months at Pattiala, and obtained large contributions from both Raja Sahib Singh and Rani Aus Kour, between whom there was a violent quarrel, but he was not able to induce the Raja to give him much active assistance ; and when General Lake had seriously taken the field against him, in October 1805, and entered the Punjab in pursuit, he was compelled to take flight to Amritsar, where, on the 11th of January 1806, a treaty was concluded between Holkar and the British Government, by which the former gave up all possessions in North India ; while Sirdar Ranjit Singh of Lahore agreed to give the Mahratta no assistance.

The dispute at Pattiala between Raja Sahib Singh and the Rani

It is now necessary to return to Pattiala, where the disputes between the Raja and and the Rani Aus Kour had grown more bitter than ever and their unfortunate results were seen in all the neighbouring States. The Rani turned her arms against Raja Jaswant Singh of Nabha and Raja Bhag Singh of Jhind, having for her allies, Bhai Lal Singh of Kythal and Sirdar Bhanga Singh of Thanesar.

The mediation of Ranjit Singh of Lahore requested:

The contest was continued for some time with varying success and much bloodshed, till, at length, Raja Bhag Singh, desirous of putting an end to it in a manner favorable to himself and his ally of Nabha, requested the aid of his nephew Ranjit Singh of Lahore. Raja Jaswant Singh of Nabha joined in his request, for he had just been defeated by the Pattiala Chief at Mirwana, and was eager for revenge. Ranjit Singh was only too glad of an opportunity of interference, and, on the 26th of

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July, 1806, crossed the Satlej with a force which was estimated at 30,000 horse, though half this number would be nearer the truth, accompanied by Sirdar Fatah Singh Ahluwalia; Gurdit Singh Ladwa and other Chiefs. On the 28th he took possession of Doladhi, a town belonging to the Raja of Pattiala and the subject of dispute between him and Nabha, and some twenty two miles to the north of the capital ; and the following day he reached Nabha. *

The English mistrust the motives of Lahore Chief:

It does not appear that the British authorities had been requested to decide the dispute between Nabha and Pattiala; and although they desired to believe the friendly professions of Ranjit Singh, yet they viewed his approach with some distrust and anxiety. Raja Bhag Singh indeed wrote, assuring the Resident at Dehli that the only object of his nephew's visit was to settle the disputes which had arisen at Pattiala itself and among the petty Chieftains in the neighbourhod ; but it was still considered advisable to strengthen the Karnal garrison in case Ranjit Sing should enter the district in force. But he had no wish to offend the English, and there was abundant territory which he could seize without rousing their jealousy. He proceeded no further south than Ambala and Thanesar, and then retired north-wards, having done little to restore friendship between the Pattiala Raja and his wife, but receiving from both large sums of money to secure his good will. The position of his uncle Raja Bhag Singh he considerably strengthened, giving to him the

* Circular of Resident Dehli to all Residents, Magistrates, &c., dated 1st November, 1806. Captain Murray to Sir E. Colebrooke dated 12th April and 11th May 1828.

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town of Ludhiana and its surrounding villages, which he had taken from the Mussalman Rajputs of Raikot, who had held it for about two hundred years.*


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