Sardar Chuhar Singh: Difference between revisions

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'''Sardar Chuhar Singh'''  (born c. 1743) of Jharauli was a prominent general of [[Shaheedan Misl]] and a close relative of  Sikh warriors [[Baba Deep Singh]] and [[Rai Singh Bhangi]].<ref>{{cite book|title= The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated of the Indian Empire.p.123.|year=1893|publisher=Macmillan and Co.London|author=Roper Lethbridge}}</ref> He originally came from the village [[Chung, India|Chung]], situated about 45&nbsp;km south of [[Amritsar]]. Under the command of [[Jassa Singh Ahluwalia]], he fought from Shaheedan Misl in the [[Battle of Sirhind (1764)]] against Mughal Faujdar of Sirhind, [[Zain Khan Sirhindi]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Gazetteer of the Karnal District: 1883|year=1883|publisher=Arya Press|author=Anonymous}}</ref> He secured  [[Jharauli]], [[Fatehgarh Atri]], [[Ajrana]] and seven other villages in the bet tracts of [[Markanda River, Haryana|Markanda River]] as his share of battle.<ref>{{cite book|title=Chiefs and families of note in the Punjab.p.45.|edition=1940|year=1940|publisher=Government Printing, Lahore|last1= Chopra|first1=Gulshan Lall|last2=Griffin|first2=Lepel Henry|last3=Massy|first3=Charles Francis|last4=Conran|first4=W L}}</ref> He had two sons, Karam Singh (d. 1808) and Mohar Singh (d. 1845). The younger Mohar Singh became in charge of the Jharauli estate. His elder son Karam Singh took control of the family estate at [[Chung, India|Chung]] that was finally incorporated to Lahore Darbar by [[Ranjit Singh]] after his death as issueless in 1808. Mohar Singh lost seven villages of the Jharauli estate to Bhunga Singh of Thanesar in 1780. The Jharauli estate remained under the [[Court of Wards (India)|Court of Wards]] during 1885-1893 and again between 1922-1947.

Sardar Chuhar Singh was born into the Waraich clan of Sindhu Jats, in the village [[Chung, India|Chung]] around 1743. The village was named Chung after the Waraich Jats who settled there in the time of addana maliks (tenants).<ref>{{cite book|title= Punjab District Gazetteer - Amritsar.p.591.|year=1986}}</ref> Motivated by Baba Deep Singh's teachings, he joined the Shaheedan Misl, led by Misl Karam Singh Shahid, grandson of Baba Deep Singh. At that time, the Sikhs of Mahja and Malwa were determined to conquer the Muslim province of Sirhind. Hence the seven Sikh Misls, including the Shaheedan Misl from this area, were united under the leadership of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia.<ref>{{cite book|title=History And Philosophy Of The Sikh Religion by K.Singh, 1914, p.280.}}</ref>

== Fall of Sirhind, 14 January 1764 ==

The total strength of Sikh army, [[Dal Khalsa (Sikh Army)|Dal Khalsa]], was 50,000.The Sikhs lay encamped in three divisions. The six misls of [[Budha Dal]] under Jassa Singh Ahluwalia were stationed at [[Bhaganpur]], while other five misls, [[Trauna Dal]], were at Punja and the [[Phulkian misl]] was at Patiala. Zain Khan was informed of this situation and determined to take advantage of their scattered forces. One night he suddenly issued out Sirhind and attacked Trauna Dal at village [[Pir Zain Khan Munayra]], seven miles east of Sirhind. Luckily the Sikhs had decided the last night to make a united attack on Sirhind and all three sections of them already on the move from their encampments. The news of Zain Khan’s attack was immediately conveyed to other two bodies and in a short time they surrounded Zain Khan on all sides. Zain Khan was forced to fight and found himself unable to cope with the situation. He maintained his position at night and in the early hours of the morning began to send his detachments with guns, swivels and matchlocks with a view to divert the attention of Sikhs away from himself, so that he might find time to escape. He was partially successful in his plans because the Tranuna Dal actually fell upon the baggage and busy themselves in plunder. But the Budha Dal under Jasa Singh Ahluwalia besieged him while he had gone only a little further. Zain  Khan evaded his besiegers for some time more, but in his attempt to escape he was shot dead. His Afghan troops fled in all directions in a state of panic, but they were hotly pursued and cut to pieces. A vast track of Sirhind, 220 miles longs and 160 miles wide, fell into hands of Sikhs. This vast illaka{{which lang|date=August 2021}} was divided among the Sardars.<ref>{{cite book|title=History Of The Sikhs Vol. IV The Sikh Commonwealth Or Rise And Fall Of Sikh Misls by Hari Ram Gupta.p.31}}</ref> From his share, Chuhar Singh retained  ten  villages for himself and gave the rest  to his lieutenants.

After appointing his sons at Jharauli and Chung, he came back to Amritsar and remained in the driving seat of [[Gurdwara Shahid Bunga Baba Dip Singh]] for a long period of time, where a few years back his elder [[Baba Deep Singh]] took his last breath while saving [[Golden Temple]] from [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]]’s army.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism:A-D|year=1995|publisher=Punjabi University, Patiala|author=Harbans Singh }}</ref> During this time, he also acquired much land from either side of Ravi and was accounted one of most powerful Sardars of his time. The year of his death is unknown. The descendants of Chuhar Singh now live in Jharauli, Chandigarh and London.

*History Of The Sikhs Vol. IV The Sikh Commonwealth Or Rise And Fall Of Sikh Misls by Hari Ram Gupta.[https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfTheSikhsVol.IvTheSikhCommonwealthOrRiseAndFallOfSikh/page/n136#search/Chuhar%20singh]

* Chiefs and families of note in the Delhi, Jalandhar, Peshawar and Derajat divisions of the Panjab (1890) by Massy, Charles Francis, 1845-[https://archive.org/details/chiefsfamiliesof00massrich/page/221?q=%E2%80%9CSardar+Jawala+Singh+Jarauli%E2%80%9D#search/%20Jarauli%E2%80%9D]

*Who's Who In India Vol 1, Native States. [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.83756/page/n539?q=Jharauli#search/Jharauli]

*''The Sikh Encyclopedia '' Online.[https://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/sikh-political-figures/chuhar-singh]

*Indian Princely States.[http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/ips/j/jharauli.html]  

* SHAHIDAN (misl)[http://members.iinet.net.au/~royalty/ips/families/misl_shahidan.html]

*History and Philosophy of the Sikh religion by K. Singh, 1914.[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.46356/page/n201?q=“The+misl+of+Shahids”]