Sardar Lehna Singh Kahlon of the Bhangi Misl - why we should remember him.

-

Sardar Lehna Singh Kahlon of the Bhangi Misl was a fearless warrior who dedicated his life to fighting for the Sikh Qaum. Born in Mustfapur near Kartarpur, Jalandhar, Lehna Singh had an adventurous life that started when he was adopted at the age of ten by Sardar Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu, a prominent warrior of the Bhangi Misl.

Lehna Singh grew up during tumultuous times for the Sikhs, a time when they were being hunted down and martyred. He fought at a time when the Sikhs had great martyrs like Bhai Taru Singh and Bhai Mani Singh, whose sacrifices left a profound impact on his consciousness. Later, as the Governor of Lahore, he built shrines to honor these martyrs.

Lehna Singh's courage and sagacity were even praised by the Afghan King Ahmad Shah Abdali of the Durrani Empire himself. Despite being offered gifts and the position of Governor of Lahore, Lehna Singh refused and instead took Lahore by force in 1765, becoming its ruler for 32 years. He ruled alongside Sardar Gujjar Singh and Sardar Soba Singh and together they held the fort during a time of chaos and invasions.

Lehna Singh's rule enabled Maharaja Ranjit Singh to eventually claim full sovereignty over Punjab and Kashmir. Interestingly, Lehna Singh was related to Maharaja Ranjit Singh through his aunt Raj Kaur, who had married Sardar Sahib Singh, son of Sardar Gujjar Singh. Sardar Gujjar Singh was Lehna Singh's adopted nephew, being the son of Sardar Gurbaksh Singh's sister Mai Lakshmi.

Lehna Singh held the Bhangi Misl Toppe, which the British referred to as Kim's Gun. He lived in the citadel of the Lahore Fort, ruling wisely and justly. While there are some reports of heavy taxation during his son's reign, it is up to historians to verify these claims but we know that the inhabitants of Lahore had twice appealed to the Afghans to reinstate him as governor as he was a just and kind ruler.

Even the British knew about Lehna Singh's reputation as a formidable ruler. Warren Hastings, the head of the East India Company, sent Major James Browne to Delhi to assess the situation. Major James Browne corresponded with Lehna Singh through his lawyer or vakil Lajpat Rai in letters written in Persian.

Lehna Singh paid his respects to Maharaja Ranjit Singh on behalf of his nephew Gujjar Singh, who had passed away in 1780. However, this meeting was not without controversy. Ranjit's father Mahan Singh had created divisions in Gujjar Singh's family, which ultimately led to the death of both of Gujjar Singh's sons.

Despite the upheavals in his personal life, Lehna Singh Kahlon will always be remembered as a brave and just ruler who fought fiercely for the Sikh Qaum during a difficult time in their history

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sardar Lehna Singh Kahlon of the Bhangi Misl - my relationship with him.

-
Image
Welcome to this blog dedicated to the memory of Sardar Lehna Singh Kahlon, the illustrious ruler of Lahore who reigned alongside his nephew, Sardar Gujjar Singh Bhangi, and Sardar Sobha Singh Kanhaiya from 1765 to 1797. Our aim is to pay homage to their legacy and shed light on their contributions to Sikh history. One of the most significant artifacts that showcases Sardar Lehna Singh Kahlon's grandeur and authority is his portrait, which is housed in the V&A Museum in London. The portrait is widely acknowledged as that of Sardar Lehna Singh Kahlon, as he was the ruler of Lahore who negotiated with Major James Browne of the East India Company in 1783. This fact is corroborated by Dr. Gurinder Singh Mann's book, "The British and the Sikhs," which further attests to the historical significance of the portrait. We hope that this blog serves as a platform to honor the memory of Sardar Lehna Singh Kahlon, Sardar Gujjar Singh Bhangi, and Sardar Sobha Singh Kanhaiya, wh
Read more

Another portrait of Sardar Lehna Singh Kahlon of the Bhangi Misl, during a meeting of Misldars.

-
Image
Greetings, readers! We are excited to share with you another fascinating portrait featuring our relation, Sardar Lehna Singh Kahlon of Lahore, alongside other Misldars. The portrait captures a crucial moment in the late 1700s when these Misldars gathered to discuss their strategy. In the portrait, you can clearly see Sardar Lehna Singh Kahlon sitting right in the middle - the second greybeard from the bottom right. He is quite distinctive, as you can see from the original portrait posted earlier from the V&A Museum in London, which we have also included below. It is possible that his son, Chet, may also feature in the portrait, perhaps sitting somewhere close to him. We hope that this additional information adds to your appreciation and understanding of Sardar Lehna Singh Kahlon and the significant role he played in Punjab's history. Source : https://jatchiefs.com/the-notable-chiefs-of-punjab-in-1799/
Read more

Conquest of country from Lahore to Attock by Sardar Gujjar Singh Bhangi - took twelve years.

-
Image
 The country between rivers Jhelum and the Indus was full of ravines, and it was an arid area. Between Rohtas and Rawalpindi, a distance of about 100kms Jherar, Jagatpur, Perwala and Pakoke Sarae were the strongholds of the Gakhars, a hardy and numerous tribe of great valour. Sultan Mukarram Khan of Perwala, Karmullah Khan of Dhani, and Mansur Khan of Gheb submitted to Gujar Singh. The districts of Dhani and Gheb were famous for a fine breed of horses and mules. It enabled Gujar Singh to equip his army better. Pothohar also fell to Gujar Singh. It consisted of two parganahs, Wangli and Perwala. Wangli contained eight tappas with its headquarters at Karla Town. In addition to Gakhars, there were other tribes such as Awans, Dhunds and Gulers. They were widely scattered. But their thickest population was in the districts of Jhelum and Rawalpindi. In Jhelum district they occupied the tracts of Awan Kari lying across river Gabir. They occupied a strong position in Rawalpindi district. The A
Read more