Hats off to Maharaja Ranjit Singh in adolescence.....by Dr. Jaswant Singh Puri
Patiala: The man who infused nationalism into the Punjabis with restless energy was Ranjit Singh Sukerchakia who rebuilt their earlier possessions. He got his legacy from his ancestors which consisted of a large district in the heart of the Punjab with a limitless ambition to grab territories.
As he reached the age of fifteen, he assumed control of the Sukerchakia estates and got wedded. The marriage brought him under the influence of his mother-in-law, Sada Kaur, who was the head of the Kanhayas. She was also responsible who directed his energy to unify Punjab.
Ranjit Singh had to besiege a Ramgarhia fortress to lessen the pressure on the Kanhayas. On way back to Gujranwala, Ranjit Singh stayed at Lahore for three days as the guest of Bhangi Sardars. He was able to receive useful information on the state of affairs in the city.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh now had become conscious of his visionary power. His earlier experiences had made him conscious that the Kanhayas were not very powerful. So he planned to gain some other misl to his side. Thus he initiated to develop some new relationships to the Chief of the Nakkais. He thus took a second wife in 1798, a sister of the Nakkai Sardar.
This marriage proved successful who had a rich understanding in dealing with the wayward Ranjit. However, Ranjit Singh carried out the plans that Sada Kaur had made for him.
She compromised herself to Ranjit Singh’s polygamy since she had higher ambitions and plans to execute. She had a soaring desire that for her own sake and the sake of her only child Ranjit Singh, he should follow and carry out the strategies that she had designed for him.
A conflict rose between Lakhpat Rai and Ranjit Singh’s uncle, Dal Singh. Lakhpat Rai lost his life while collecting revenue and rumours surged that Dal Singh might be instrumental and conspirator to abolish Lakhpat Rai.
Ranjit Singh now realized and had an inkling that he should very meticulously free himself from some dubious advisers and reign in the administration in his own hands. After a lot of hustle-bustle, Ranjit Singh gained the real commanding position of Sukerchakya misl and hard earned inheritance at the age of seventeen.
Sada Kaur
In the year 1798, the misl through years of baleful and destructive conflict, had been reduced in utter loss of power. Ranjit Singh was already wedded to the heiress of the Kanhaya estates. He wanted to befriend. Fateh Singh Ahluwalia. The Bhangis were the most forceful who swayed over Lahore, Amritsar, Gujrat and a huge territory of West Punjab. Ranjit Singh made up his mind to create a feud among the Bhangis and empower the other misldars to bow to his dominion. Such a fine planning and its execution in the nineteens shows Ranjit Singh’s wise strategy and its implementation.
References: -
- Ranjit Singh, Maharaja of the Punjab by Khushwant Singh.
- A History of The Sikhs, Second Edition, Vol-II, Khushwant Singh.
- The Real Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Fakir Syed Waheeduddin
- Empire of the Sikhs, The Life and Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, by Patwant Singh and Jyoti M. Rai.
February 24, 2025
-
-
Dr. Jaswant Singh Puri, Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa), Punjab Rattan, Member, Dewan Family
dr_ajit_puri@yahoo.co.in
Disclaimer : The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the writer/author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Babushahi.com or Tirchhi Nazar Media. Babushahi.com or Tirchhi Nazar Media does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.