Jassa Singh Ramgarhia (1723 -1803) was a prominent Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy. He became Baron of the Ramgarhia Army (misl). This period was an interlude, lasting roughly from the time of the death of Banda Bahadur in 1716 to the founding of the Sikh Empire in 1801. The period is also sometimes described as the Age of the Misls. The Sikh Confederacy (from 1716-1799) was a collection of small to medium sized political Sikh states, which were governed by barons, in Punjab. ... Baron is a specific title of nobility or a more generic feudal qualification. ... The Ramgarhia community is a tribe of the Punjab region in India which started from the Ramgarhia Misl (army). ... Banda Bahadur Banda Bahadur is revered as one of Sikhisms greatest warriors as well as one of its most hallowed martyrs. ... The Sikh Empire (from 1801-1849) was formed on the foundations of the Sikh Confederacy by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. ... // Misl (literal meaning: fighting clan or fighting band). ...

Early life

Ramgarhia was born Jassa Singh Thoka at Ichogil village in 1723, near the city of Amritsar into a Tarkhan family. His grandfather, Hardas was a resident of Sur Singh, a large village in the Lahore district. He took Pahul (the Sikh baptismal oath) from the hands of Guru Gobind Singh himself and leaving the plough, became one of his personal attendants. After the death of the Guru, he joined the forces of Banda Bahadur and took part in almost every religious battle under his flag against the Mughal Empire. Jassa Singh was five years old when Banda Bahadur attained martyrdom in Delhi. In 1716, Hardas Singh died in a skirmish. Amritsar (Punjabi: ), meaning Pool of the Nectar of Immortality, is the administrative headquarter of the Amritsar District in Punjab, India. ... The Tarkhan tribe inhabits the Punjab area of Northern India. ... Sobha Singh (painter)s impression of Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (Gurmukhi:ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਿਬੰਦ ਿਸੰਘ), (Born in Patna, Bihar, India, on 22 December 1666 as Gobind Rai – 7 October 1708, Nanded, Maharashtra, India) was the tenth and last of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Guru on November 11, 1675 following... Banda Bahadur Banda Bahadur is revered as one of Sikhisms greatest warriors as well as one of its most hallowed martyrs. ... The Mughal Empire at its greatest extent. ... For other uses, see Delhi (disambiguation). ...

After him, his son, Bhagwan Singh became the head of the family, and with two hundred followers entered the Imperial Mughal forces under the Governor of Lahore. Owing to his ability he rose to be a distinguished officer. He died fighting for his master in 1739 at Lahore, when Nadir Shah invaded India and the Governor resisted him ineffectually. Nadir Shah’s portrait from the collection of Smithsonian Institute Nadir Shah (Persian: نادر شاه) (Nadir Qoli Beg (Persian: نادر قلی بیگ), also Tahmasp-Qoli Khan (Persian: تهماسپ قلی خان) also Nadir Shah Afshar (Persian: نادر شاه افشار) ) (October 22, 1688 - June 19, 1747) ruled as Shah of Iran (1736–47) and was the founder of the short-lived Turkic Afsharid...

Bhagwan Singh had five sons. Jassa Singh, the eldest, now became the head of the family. He was appointed a Risaldar by the Governor of Lahore. He and his brothers were given the following five villages (one village to each brother) : Valla( which went to Jassa Singh), Verka, Sultanwind, Tung and Chabba. All of these are now in the Amritsar district. On the death of Khan Bahadur, the Governor of Lahore, in 1746, Jassa Singh, together with his followers, joined his Sikh brethren at Amritsar. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was one of the closest friends of Jhanda Singh Dhillon. Maharaja Jhanda Singh Dhillon (Died 1774), was a famous royal Sikh warrior of the late 18th century. ...

The Dal Khalsa: the Buddha Dal and the Taruna Dal

In 1733, the Mughal government decided, at the instance of Zakarya Khan, to lift the quarantine forced upon the Sikhs and made an offer of a grant to them. The title of Nawab was conferred upon their leader, with a jagir consisting of the three parganas of Dipalpur, Kanganval and Jhabal. Nawab (Urdu: نواب ) was originally the subadar (provincial governor) or viceroy of a subah (province) or region of the Mughal empire. ... A Jagir is a small territory granted by a ruler to an army chieftain (called a sardar in Marathi language) in recognition of his military service. ... A pargana is a former administrative unit of the Indian Subcontinent, used primarily, but not exclusively, by the Muslim kingdoms. ...

After some mutual discussion, five revered Sikhs - Baba Deep Singh, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, Hari Singh Dhillon, Bhai Karam Singh and Bhai Buddh Singh decided to make Kapur Singh the Supreme Leader of the Sikhs. Kapur Singh was thus chosen for the title and became Nawab Kapur Singh. Baba Deep Singh (1682-1757) is revered as one the most hallowed martyrs in Sikh history. ... Hari Singh Dhillon (Died 1764), one of the most powerful, admired and famous of all the Sikh warriors of the 18th century. ...

Word was sent round to Sikhs passing their days in distant jungles and deserts that peace had been made with the government and that they could return to their homes. Nawab Kapur Singh undertook the task of consolidating the disintegrated fabric of the Sikh Jathas. They were merged into a single central fighting force (The Dal) divided into two sections - The Budha Dal, the army of the veterans, and the Taruna Dal, the army of the young. Hari Singh Dhillon was elected leader of the Taruna Dal. The former was entrusted with the task of looking after the holy places, preaching the word of the Gurus and inducting converts into the Khalsa Panth by holding baptismal ceremonies. The Taruna Dal was the more active division and its function was to fight in times of emergencies and fighting Afghan armies of Ahmed Shah Abdali. Ahmad Shah Durrani Ahmad Shah Abdali (c. ...

Led by Hari Singh Dhillon (leader of Taruna Dal), Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia were then youngsters who led their regiments under Taruna Dal, reporting to Nawab Kapur Singh at Diwali and Vaisakhi. Diwali, also called Deepavali, is a major Hindu festival that is very significant in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. ... Vaisakhi (Punjabi: , , also known as Baisakhi) marks the beginning of the new Spring year and the end of the harvest in India. ...

The rise of the Misls

The Taruna Dal rapidly grew in strength and soon numbered more than 12,000. To ensure efficient control, Nawab Kapur Singh split it into five parts, each with a separate centre. The first batch was led by Baba Deep Singh, the second by Karam Singh and Dharam Singh, the third by Kahan singh and Binod Singh of Goindwal, the fourth by Dasaundha Singh of Kot Budha and the fifth by Vir Singh Ranghreta and Jivan Singh Ranghreta. Each batch had its own banner and drum, and formed the nucleus of a separate political state. The territories conquered by these groups were entered in their respective papers at the Akal Takht by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. From these documents or misls, the principalities carved out by them came to known as Misls. Seven more groups were formed subsequently and, towards the close of century, there were altogether twelve Sikh Misls ruling the Punjab. Goindval is a place in Amritsar district in Punjab province in India. ... The Akal Takht (Punjabi: , ) is the second holiest shrine of the Sikhs. ... // Misl (literal meaning: fighting clan or fighting band). ...

The Ramgarhia Misl

In 1716 Ahmed Shah Durrane left Lahore, Adina Beg the Afghan Governor of Punjab was hunting for the heads of the sikhs, they dispersed and scattered in all directions. Jassa Singh and others in the band took refuge in the mud fort of Ram Rouree near Amritsar where they were surrounded and attacked during the ensuing period. In 1758 Adina Beg died and there was a power vacuum in Punjab and those who escaped from fort of Ram Rouree assumed the name of Ramgarhias and Jassa Singh became its head.[1][2]The Misal ( Confederacy)was called Ramgarhia .

The main concentration of the Misl was in and around the Riarki area of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Batala (in Majha). Ramgarhia constructed and fortified the mud fortress of Ram Rauni just outside Amritsar. It was named in honour of the founder of the city, the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das. His Misl contained more than 10000 cavalry who were always on the move, helping the Dal Khalsa whenever the Mughals or Afghans attacked. Whilst the Mughal administration controlled the cities, it were the Sikhs who were in control of the villages. Twenty years earlier, Banda Bahadur had wreaked havoc on the Mughal administration by abolishing all taxes and the Zamindari system. Now only a "dasvand" (10% of income)was levied on the Sikhs - as protection tax to pay for the armies. Majha is name of the region of Punjab (India) comprising of the districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran Sahib. ... Sri Guru Ram Das Ji (Punjabi: ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮ ਦਾਸ ਜੀ) (24 September 1534 – 1 September 1581) was the fourth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Guru on 30 August 1574 following in the footsteps of Guru Amar Das. ... The Zamindari System is a kind of feudal system, introduced by the Mughals to collect taxes from peasants. ... Dasvand means to donate 10% percent of ones harvest to the Gurdwara. ...

Mir Mannu becomes the new Subedar of the Punjab

Mir Mannu became the new governor of the Punjab on April 9, 1748. He appointed Kaura Mal as his new Diwan (minister). After taking control of the administration of the provinces, he employed his army to fight the Sikh misls or fighting orders. The Sikhs left the territory and moved to other states. The Sikh Chiefs asked Jassa Singh Ramgarhia to liaise with the subedar(governor) of the Jullundur Doab, Adina Beg Khan. While drawing his salary from Mughals, Adina Beg Khan joined forces with the Jassa Singh Ramgarhia against the Mughals. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The Jullundur Doab is the tract of land lying between the Sutlej and Beas rivers in Punjab state of India. ...

The siege of Ram Rauni

The Sikhs gathered in Amritsar on Diwali,1748. Adina Beg proceeded towards Amritsar and besieged Ram Rauni. Mir Mannu came down from Lahore with an army to assist Beg in the siege.

Jassa Singh used the good offices of Diwan Kaura Mal and had the siege lifted. The fort was strengthened and re-named Ramgarh. Jassa Singh, having been designated the Jathedar of the fort, became popular as Ramgarhia.

Fighting tyranny

Mannu intensified his violence and oppression against the Sikhs. There were only 900 Sikhs when he surrounded the Ramgarh fort again. The Sikhs fought their way out bravely. The army demolished the fort. The hunt for and torture of the Sikhs continued until Mannu died in 1753.

Manu’s death left Punjab without any effective Governor. It was again an opportune period for the Sikhs to organize themselves and gain strength. Jassa Singh rebuilt the fort and took possession of some areas around Amritsar. The Sikhs took upon themselves the task of protecting the people in the villages from the invaders. The money they obtained from the people was called Rakhi (protection charges).

The new Governor, Prince Timur, the son of Ahmed Shah Abdali, despised the Sikhs. In 1757, he again forced the Sikhs to vacate the fort and move to their hiding places. The fort was demolished, the Harimandir was blown up, and the sacred pool was filled with debris. The Governor decided to replace Adina Beg. Beg asked the Sikhs for help and they both got a chance to weaken their common enemy. Adina Beg won the battle. The Sikhs rebuilt Ramgarh and repaired the Harimandir. Beg was well acquainted with the strength of the Sikhs and he feared they would oust him if he allowed them to grow stronger, so he lead a strong army to demolish the fort. After fighting valiantly, the Sikhs decided to leave the fort. Beg died in 1758. Timur Shah (1748 - 18 May 1793), the second son of Ahmad Shah and the second of the Durrani Dynasty, was the King of Afghanistan from 16 October 1772 until his death. ... Ahmad Shah Durrani Ahmad Shah Abdali (c. ... The Golden Temple Harmandir Sahib (also Hari Mandir, Harimandar and other variants) (Punjabi: ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ) is the most sacred gurdwara in all of Sikhism, located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. ...

The Ramgarhia Misl Estate

Jassa Singh Ramgarhia occupied the area to the north of Amritsar between the Ravi and the Beas rivers. He also added the Jalandhar region and Kangra hill areas to his estate. He had his capital in Sri Hargobindpur. The large size of Jassa Singh’s territory aroused the jealousy of the other Sikh Misls. The Ravi River (Punjabi: , Urdu: ) is a river in India and Pakistan. ... Beas is a small town in the Punjab state of India, located between the cities of Amritsar and Jalandhar along the banks of the river Beas. ... Jalandhar   (Punjabi: ) is an ancient city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. ... Kangra is a town in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh state in northern India, and lends its name to the district of the same name. ...

Intra Misl wars

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

Later, Ahluwalia while hunting one day, happened to enter Ramgarhia territory where Jassa Singh’s brother arrested him. Jassa Singh apologized for the misbehavior of his brother, and honorably returned Ahluwalia with gifts. However, their old differences increased further. The other chiefs also took a grim view of this act.

Due to mutual jealousies, fights continued among the Sikh Sardars. In 1776, the Bhangis changed sides and joined Jai Singh to defeat Jassa Singh. His capital at Sri Hargobindpur was taken over and he was followed from village to village, and finally forced to vacate all his territory. He had to cross the river Satluj and go to Amar Singh, the ruler of Patiala. The Sutlej, also known as Satluj, is the longest of the five rivers of Punjab (five waters) that flows through Northern India, with its source in Tibet near Mount Kailash. ...

Amar Singh welcomed the Ramgarhia sardar in order to make use of his bravery, fighting skill, and ruling experience. He gave him the areas of Hansi and Hissar which Jassa Singh handed over to his son. He himself joined Amar Singh to take control of the villages on the west and north of Delhi, now forming parts of Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia entered Delhi in 1783. Shah Alam II, the Mughal emperor, extended him a warm welcome. Ramgarhia left Delhi after receiving gifts from him. Hansi is an ancient town in the Hisar District in the state of Haryana in India. ... Hissar (also spelled Hisar or Hissarya) is a small resort town in Bulgaria, in Plovdiv Region. ... For other uses, see Delhi (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: , Urdu: ‎, translation: Northern Province, IPA: ,  ), also popularly known by its abbreviation U.P., is the most populous and fifth largest state in the Republic of India. ...

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

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

The unification of the Misls

Jai Singh's widowed daughter-in-law, Sada Kaur, though very young, was a great statesperson. She saw the end of Khalsa power through such mutual battles. She could foresee that to rule the Punjab, Sikh Misls must give up their mutual jealousies and unite to form one big power. She was able to convince Maha Singh to adopt the path of friendship. For this she offered the hand of her daughter, then only a child, to his son, Ranjit Singh (later the Maharaja of the Punjab), who was then just a boy. The balance of power shifted in favor of this united Misl. Some other sardars also joined them. This made Ranjit Singh the leader of the most powerful union of the Misls. Khalsa which means Pure is the name given by Guru Gobind Singh to all Sikhs who have been baptised or initiated by taking Amrit in ceremony called Amrit Sanchar. ... Maharaja Ranjit Singh (Punjabi: ), also called Sher-e-Punjab (The Lion of the Punjab) (1780-1839) was a Sikh ruler of the Punjab. ...

Establishment of the Sikh Kingdom of the Punjab

When the Afghan invader, Shah Zaman, came in 1788, the Sikhs, however, were still divided. The Ramgarhia and Bhangi Misls were not willing to help Ranjit Singh to fight the invader, so the Afghans took over Lahore and looted it. As soon as the Afghans went back, Ranjit Singh occupied Lahore in 1799 but the Ramgarhias and Bhangis did not accept him as the leader of all the Sikhs. They got the support of their friends and marched to Lahore to challenge Ranjit Singh. The forces, who were 12 miles outside the city, were finalizing their plans to attack, when the Bhangi leader died. This discouraged Jassa Singh and he returned to his territory. Sultan Shah Zaman From The Book of One Thousand and One Nights. ...

Demise

Jassa Singh was eighty years old when he died in 1803. His son, Jodh Singh, developed good relations with Ranjit Singh and they never fought again.

Trivia

Because of Jassa Singh Ramgarhia's Tarkhan roots, Tarkhans who became Sikhs, came to be known as Ramgarhias. A Sikh man wearing a turban The adherents of Sikhism are called Sikhs. ... The Ramgarhia community is a tribe of the Punjab region in India which started from the Ramgarhia Misl (army). ...

See also

• Baba Deep Singh
• Nawab Kapur Singh
• Misl

Baba Deep Singh (1682-1757) is revered as one the most hallowed martyrs in Sikh history. ... Nawab Kapur Singh (1697-1753), he is considered one of the most revered, pivotal and legendary figures in Sikh history, whose leadership, decisions and courage led the tiny Sikh community against some the most darkest periods in Sikh history ever. ... // Misl (literal meaning: fighting clan or fighting band). ...

References

• "The heritage of the Sikhs" by Harbans Singh
• "History of the Sikhs, Volume 1" by Khushwant Sungh
• The Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of Sikh Misls. (Date:2001, revised edition. ISBN:8121501652)
• http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/warriors/ramgarhia.html

External links

• Ramgarhia

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