The Bhangi Misl - an extract from “Sikhs in the Eighteenth Century” by Surjit Singh Gandhi

 SECTION ON BHANGI MISL Sardars in "Sikhs in the Eighteenth Century" (our Branch which became as important, not the Dhillon Branch).

Note a few corrections from me below :

Note 1 : sorry to say but Chet Singh Kahlon, son of Lehna is described as an imbecile. I personally do not agree with this assessment.

Note 2: Gurbaksh Singh Roranwala described as Sidhu Jat here not Sandhu.[needs to be checked as identified as Sandhu by Sir Leppel Griffin]

Note 3: Gujjar Singh identified as a Sandhu Jat…but I understand him to be a Dhillon for good reason.

Lehna Singh and Gujjar Singh

As it has been mentioned elsewhere, sometimes Misldars rose to such heights that they were considered equal to Sardars. Even at that stage, there existed no difference between Sardars and Misldars except that the Misldars paid respect to the Sardars. In the history of Bhangi Misl, some of the Misldars acquired so much prominence and their deeds were so much glaring that it is in the fitness of things that their achievements should be recorded separately. Two such Misldars were Lehna Singh and Gujjar Singh.The grandfather of Lehna Singh was an ordinary Jat of Sadowala. Being reduced to extremely adverse circumstances, he went to Mastipur near Kartarpur and was adopted there by a carpenter as his son. A son named Dargaha was born to him there and Lehna Singh was the son of this Dargaha.Lehna Singh was quite a boy when he ran away from home and reaching the village Aroranwala near Attari entered into service with Sardar Gurbakhsh Singh who was one of the principal Misldars of Hari Singh Bhangi. Gurbakhsh Singh had no son and adopted Lehna Singh as the one. Gujjar Singh, the other leader of this branch, was a grandson of Sardar Gurbakhsh Singh, being his daughter’s son. 

At the death of Sardar Gurbakhsh Singh, a quarrel arose between Gujjar Singh and Lehna Singh but after some fighting they came to terms and divided the estates of the late Sardar half and half.

These two Sardars, in due course of time, grew so powerful that they in conjunction with Sobha Singh took Lahore, where they ruled with some inter-missions until their death (1765).

The three joint governors of Lahore gave a very good account of themselves as administrators—so much so that two years later, when Ahmad Shah Abdali made his descent into the Punjab and three Sardars fled from Lahore, the citizens of Lahore submitted petition to the invader to confirm them as the Lahore governors in his own behalf. The Durrani chief actually invited these Sardars to come back but they rejected his offer and re-occupied the city after the Shah retired to his country.

For thirty years following these events, the joint governors of Lahore reigned in peace, till the invasion of India by Shah Zaman who had succeeded to Kabul throne in 1793.

In December 1793, Shah Zaman marched at the head of a large force and reached as far as Hasan Abdal unopposed. From there he sent Bahadur Khan and Ahmad Khan, the two of his generals, to march with their 7000 horse and conquer the Chaj Doab. His plans, however, were frustrated by a fresh disturbance at Herat caused by his brother Mahmud and he was compelled to return to his country. Suffice it to say that his troops under Ahmad Khan Shahanchi were defeated and put to flight by the Sikhs.

In December 1795 Shah Zaman marched once again into the Punjab. But this time too, he had to go back in view of the threat of Agha Muhammad Khan, the Persian King.

Shortly after this, the situation in India took a favourable turn for Shah Zaman. The princes of upper India, being hard-pressed by the English and the Marathas, had entered into negotiations with Zaman Shah to bring about another Durrani invasion of India. Thus, Ghulam Muhammad, the defeated usurper of Rohil Khand and the agents of Nawab Asif-ud-Daula, the Oudh Wazir, crossed the Punjab in 1795-96 to urge upon his majesty the necessity of an invasion. They assured him that in his venture, he would get full support from the entire mass of the Indian Muslims. Thus encouraged, the Shah started his march at the end of November, 1796. His army forded the Chenab and marched to Shahdara on the banks of the river Ravi. From this place, he despatched his grand Wazir Hafiz Sher Muhammad Khan to Lahore at the head of twenty thousand troops to occupy Lahore. Before his arrival Lehna Singh and Sobha Singh, the joint governors of Lahore, delivered the keys of the citadel to Mian Shah Cheragh, a descendant of the famous saint Abdul Qadir Jilani, and one of the leading Muhammadans of the city and retired. The capital of the Punjab thus fell into Shah’s hands unopposed. This happened on the 3rd of January 1797.

After the occupation of Lahore the Shah decided to chastise the Sikhs for their violent activities and sent parties in different directions to this effect. Since the time had changed and the Sikh power was in the ascendant, he thought it fit to adopt a mixed policy of conciliation and threats. It was on account of this that besides sending parties from here in all directions to apprehend the Sikhs, he offered to pardon those who paid homage to him at Lahore. As a result of this, some Sikh chiefs of the Punjab made their submission to him. In the meanwhile, Tippu Sultan, Sindhia and the Rohillas established their contracts with the Shah. The Muslims all over India rejoiced at the prospects of restoration of the Muslim rule in the country. The atmosphere was charged with high hopes.

How elusive these hopes were, appeared soon after. Intelligence was received of the rebellion of his brother Mahmud at Herat and Shah was compelled to retire to his own country leaving behind Ahmad Khan Barakzei, as incharge of the country between the Jhelum and the Sind.

Soon after the departure of the Durrani chief, the joint governors re-occupied the city. But in the same year (1797) Lehna Singh and Sobha Singh died. Lehna Singh was succeeded by his imbecile son, Chet Singh, and Sobha Singh by his son Mohar Singh who was no better than Chet Singh. The citizens of Lahore met together, and to escape the unjust and tyrannical rule of the joint governors, wrote an application to Ranjit Singh inviting him to occupy the city. Ranjit Singh accepted the offer and occupied the city of Lahore, the traditional capital of the Punjab. This happened in the month of July, 1799.

Gujjar Singh

Gujjar Singh was the son of Natha Singh, a poor cultivator and a Sandhu Jat of village Bhuri Asal also called Borashal situated near Khem Karan. In his teens he went to his maternal uncle Gurbakhsh Singh Bhangi of village Roranwala 2 km from Attari. He took Pahul from him and joined his band. Gradually he won over Gurbakhsh Singh and made him the head of his band. He captured Amargarh and began to reside there. He united his band to the army of Hari Singh Bhangi, the head of Bhangi Misl.

Gurbakhsh Singh had no son. He adopted Lehna Singh as a son. On Gurbakhsh Singh’s death Gujjar Singh claimed the whole estate and property of the deceased, but after some fighting they came to terms and divided the estates of the late Sardar half and half. In 1765, he in conjunction with Lehna Singh and Sobha Singh occupied Lahore.

Gujjar Singh exercised his suzerainty over the eastern part of Lahore lying outside its walls. Sobha Singh seized Niaz Beg village while Lehna Singh took possession of the city and its fort.

Gujjar Singh’s possession was almost a jungle very sparsely populated. He invited the people to live there. He sank forty wells to assure supply of water to them. He also constructed 15 shops and 150 houses. A mosque was also built for his Muslim subjects.

Gujjar Singh was not content with the occupation of the aforesaid portion of Lahore city. He, therefore, left his eldest son Sukha Singh at Lahore and himself marched to the north west at the head of a strong force. He seized Eminabad, Wazirabad, Chakrali, Sodhra. The pargana of Sodhra contained Begowala Bhopalwala, Havanwala, Mitranwali and Sohowala. In all he captured 150 villages in Gujranwala district. In December 1765, he along with Charat Singh Sukarchakia marched upon Gujrat. Sultan Muqarrab Khan, the head of Gakhar tribe inhabiting the region between Chenab and Indus rivers offered tough resistance but he had to save his life by escaping from the fort of Gujrat in which he had shut himself up after suffering defeat outside it.

Even in his escape he could not find safety. He was surrounded just one and a half km from Gujrat by the Sikh army. Flabbergasted Muqarrab Khan rode an elephant and descended into a fast flowing rivulet adjacent to the village of Gheduwal. When the elephant reached the other bank there was no Muqarrab Khan on its howdah. According to Hari Ram Gupta, he clandestinely rode a horse and dashed on till he reached the bank of the river Jhelum. There he was captured and put to death by his rival Gakhar chief Himmat Khan of Domeli, 30 km to the west of river Jhelum.

According to Ganesh Das Wadehra, the Sikhs first plundered the entire camp of Muqarrab Khan, then Gujrat city. The people were struck with terror. They fled away to Jalalpur, Shadipur, Akhnoor and other places far and near. The Waraich Jats who held 170 villages in Gujrat district and 41 villages in Gujranwala submitted quietly.

The Chaj Doab was divided between two Sardars. Gujjar Singh’s territory extended from river Jhelum to Waso Sohawa. Charat Singh’s share was from Kunjah to Miani. The most important places belonging to Gujjar Singh in the Chaj Doab were Gujrat, Jalalpur and Islamgarh.

After the conquest of Gujrat, Gujjar Singh turned his attention towards the Chibs who held fifty villages in Gujrat district, besides possessing the tract of Khari Kharyali stretching from the forts of Mangla and Naushehra on river Jhelum in the hilly region upto the Chenab. He tried to subdue them but failed in his mission. The Chibs, however, undertook not to create disturbances. About the same time he reduced to subjection the Muslim hilly states of lower Kashmir region. He defeated Sulaiman Khan of Bhimber and made him his tributary. Mirpur Kotli and Poonch fell afterwards. These successes prompted Gujjar Singh to conquer the Kashmir valley. He made an attack on the governor of Kashmir, but suffered a defeat because his soldiers had no experience to fight at high altitude. Gujjar Singh returned to Gujrat with great difficulty.

In 1766-67 Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded Punjab for the eighth time. Gujjar Singh along with other Sardars gave Abdali a tough time. On January 17, 1767 the Durrani commander-in-chief Jahan Khan reached Amritsar at the head of 15000 troops. Gujjar Singh, Charat Singh and Hira Singh opposed him and killed at least six thousand Afghan soldiers. This disquieting news reached Abdali when he was resting at Jalalabad on the bank of river Beas. Leaving his baggage there, he rushed to help Jahan Khan. The Sikhs showed remarkable agility. They lost no time to take possession of the Abdali’s baggage.

Ranjit Dev of Jammu apprehending some harm from Abdali, sent tribute to him understandably to pledge his loyalty. Gujjar Singh and Jhanda Singh who did not like his allegiance to Abdali led an expedition to Jammu, and imposed a fine on the Raja.

In the summer of 1767, Gujjar Singh and Charat Singh conquered Jhelum and Rohtas. Both these places came in possession of Charat Singh. A little after Sultan Mukarram Khan of Perwala, Kar Ullah Khan of Dhani and Masur Khan of Gheb submitted to Gujjar Singh. All these chiefs belonged to Gakhar Tribe.

After this, he alongwith his son Sahib Singh captured Rawalpindi, an insignificant place in those days containing a few huts of Rawal Hindu mendicants but strategically very important being situated at the junction of two highways from Kabul to Lahore and from Kabul to Kashmir. Rawalpindi area was inhabited by hardy and warlike people such as Awans, Dhinds and Gulers. The victory over them greatly enhanced the prestige of Gujjar Singh. Gujjar Singh gave the charge of Rawalpindi to Milkha Singh Thepuria. He occupied Hasan Abdal 46 km from Rawalpindi and entrusted it to Kale Khan Bhangi. He also went to Attock 53 km from Hasan Abdal and assigned the area between Hasan Abdal and Attock to Ram Singh Pada. Tappa Tarali and Qila Ratala were given to Charat Singh (brother of Gujjar Singh). Kalra and Pothohar were assigned to Jodh Singh Atariwala.

Gujjar Singh took about twelve years to subjugate north western area of the Punjab. The Awans, Dalals, Ghebas, Guleras, Janjuas, Jedras, Khatra, Runials and Tarkhels of the Jhelum and Rawalpindi districts and the Salt Range all gave way before him. In this difficult task, he was assisted by Charat Singh Sukarchakia. 

By 1770, the Gakhars were completely subdued. In the pargana of Fatehpur Baorah, the Gakhars owned 669 villages. Out of these 192 villages were granted by Milkha Singh deputy of Gujjar Singh in Jagir to the most notable tribes. These estates called Mushakhsa were subject only to a trifling tribute.

For the defence of the city of Amritsar, Gujjar Singh laid the foundation of Qila Gujjar Singh. Charat Singh Sukarchakia also built a fort to the north of Darbar Sahib, while that of Jassa Singh Ramgarhia lay to the east and that of the Bhangis to the south.

The last days of Gujjar Singh were full of shocks. His eldest son Sukha Singh who had been assigned Lahore was married to the daughter of Bhag Singh Hallowala. His second son lived at Gujrat and was married To the sister of Mahan Singh in 1774. Fateh Singh managed the ancestral estate Rangarh, 30 km from Amritsar towards Lahore. Of the three brothers Sahib Singh was the most ambitious and most selfish and had no filial and brotherly considerations.

As long as Charat Singh lived there were perfect cordiality between the two Misls. But after his death in (1774) his son and successor Mahan Singh grew jealous of Gujjar Singh’s power. Unable to face the Bhangis in the field, he resorted to the cunning. He inveigled upon Sahib Singh to set himself up as an independent chief. Sahib Singh was taken in and started defying his father— so much so that he led an expedition to snatch Lahore from Sukha Singh. In the grim battle that took place in the suburb of Lahore, Sukha Singh was killed. Gujjar Singh was deeply hurt and angered. He advanced upon Gujrat to punish Sahib Singh. After some fighting Sahib Singh fled to Islamgarh. At this moment Mahan Singh succeeded in cajoling Gujjar Singh to forgive his son. Gujjar Singh allowed Sahib Singh to remain at Gujrat.

After some time, Mahan Singh attacked Rasul Nagar. Ahmad Khan Chatha resisted but ultimately had to escape into Gujjar Singh’s camp to save his life. Sahib Singh very cleverly made the Chatha chief over to Mahan Singh’s men against the wishes of his father who had already refused to hand him over to Mahan Singh. Gujjar Singh felt much perturbed at the perfidy of Sahib Singh. He reprimanded Sahib Singh, who instead of feeling remorse openly insulted him. This plunged Gujjar Singh into the abyss of sorrow and despair. He returned to Lahore where he died a broken-hearted man. Khushwaqt Rai places his death in 1788. Ganesh Das Wadehra and Muhammad Latif concur with him. In our computation, he expired early in 1790.

Gujjar Singh was a good soldier, a great general, an adept strategist, a strong and skilled administrator. He was the first to establish Sikh supremacy at Rawalpindi and Bhimber. He maintained peace and order in his territory and greatly encouraged agriculture and industry.

Sorry about the formatting!