03 Sikhs and Tussle for Kangra
1 Jassa Singh Ramgarhia
- After the death of Banda Bahadur, the Sikhs were organized in 12 Misls
- 1st Misl leader(chieftain) to Attack and Annex
- Initially lost to Raja Ghamand Chand but later annexed Kangra, consolidated rule after his death
- Kangra, Nurpur and Chamba in 1770 AD - from Ghamand Chand
- Dattarpur, Jaswa and Haripur
2 Jai Singh Kanhaiya
- Kanhaiya Misl
- Defeated Jassa Singh Ramgarhia
- in 1775 AD - Took Kangra
- With Sansar Chand and support of Sardar Jai Singh Kanhaiya
- In 1781-82, surrounded the fort of Nagarkot
- Nawab Saif Ali Khan (last Killedar)
- asked for help from Queen of Kahlur
- after death his in 1783, his soldiers surrendered and vacated the fort
- for (1783-85) or 4 yrs the Kangra Fort was under Jai Singh Kanhaiya
- Sansar Chand + Jassa Singh of Sukerchakia Misl + Jassa Singh of Ramgarhia Misl defeated Jai Singh Kanhaiya in Batala
- In 1786 AD, Jaisingh Kanhaiya handed over the Kangra Fort (Nagarkot) to Sansar Chand.
3 Sansar Chand - II
- Most powerful king of Kangra
- Golden period for Sansar Chand II - 1786 A.D. - 1805 A.D
- Became king @1775 AD.
- 1786 - won over Raja of Chamba in ‘Nerti Shahpur” battle.
- 1787 - took over the Kangra fort.
- 1794 - attacked Kehlur (Bilaspur) = starting point of his downfall.
- The Raja of Kehlur through “Alliance of Hill rulers” invited Gorkha Amar Singh Thapa to defeat Raja Sansar Chand.
- Gurkha Commander Amar Singh Thapa has conquered 30 hill states of Kumaon, Garhwal, Sirmaur and Shimla up to 1804 AD.
4 Amar Singh Thapa
- 1806 - defeated Sansar Chand at Mahalmorio (Hamirpur).
- Sansar Chand took shelter in the Kangra Fort, where he stayed for 4 years.
- AST sealed fort from all sides.
5 Jawalamukhi treaty, 1809
- 1809 - Sansar Chand visited Jawalamukhi & asked for the help of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
6 Maharaja Ranjit Singh
- 1809 - attacked Gorkhas, defeated Amar Singh Thapa & pushed them to the east of Satluj.
- Sansar Chand gave 66 villages & Kangra fort to Maharaja Ranjit Singh in exchange.
- MRS - made Desa Singh Majithia the Nazim (Governor) of Kangra fort & Kangra
- 1813 - took over Haripur (Guler), Nurpur & Jaswan in 1813 AD
- 1818- Datarpur
- 1823 - after the death of Sansar Chand, Anirudh Chand was allowed to seat on the throne in lieu of 1 lakh rupees nazrana (gift)
- 1825 - Kutlahar
- 1839 - death of MRS = the downfall of Sikhs started
- British arrival
- Raja Anirudh Singh denied Ranjit Singh proposal regarding marrying his daughter with the son of Raja of Jammu Dhyan Singh and asked for asylum from British.
- 1839 - under Venchura one army was sent to Mandi while the other was sent to Kullu
6.1 Ranjit Singh and Sansar Chand
- After Sansar Chand' s invasion of Kahlur (Bilaspur ), King Mahan Chand of
Kahlur called Gorkha Commander Amarsingh Thapa for help in 1804 AD. Amar Singh Thapa defeated Sansar
Chand at Mahalmorio in 1806 AD. Sansar Chand escaped and took refuge in Kangra Fort. Sansar Chand asks
Ranjit Singh for help. Jwalamukhi temple was treaty between Sansar Chan~ and Maharaja Ranjit Singh in
1809, according to which, in return for defeating the Gorkhas, Sansar Chand would give Kangra Fort and 66
villages to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Maharaja Ranjit Singh defeated Amar Singh Thapa. Sansar Chand handed
History of Himachal Pradesh 19
over the Kangra Fort and 66 villages to Ranjit Singh. Ma)laraja Ranjit Singh made Desa Singh Majithia the first
Sikh Killedar of Kangra Fort and governor of the hill states. Ranjit Singh performed religious rituals at the
Jwalamukhi temple and also offered a gold umbrella. Sansar Chand died in 1823 AD.
(iv) Ranjil Singh and Aniruddh Singh : After the death of Sansar Chand, 1823, After given one lakh Nazraria, to
Ranjit Singh sat on the throne of Aniruddh Chand (Son of the Sansar Chand). In 1827, Ranjit Singh demanded
the hand of Aniruddh Chand' s sister for the son of his Diwan Dhyansingh, who Aniruddh Chand thought in
an arbitrarily manner, but later started to be deferred. When Maharaja Ranjit Singh himself left for Nadaun,
Aniruddh Chand and his mother took refuge in the English state with the daughters. While staying in Haridwar
for some days, Aniruddh Chand married his two sisters with the King Sudarshan Shah of Tehri Garhwal and
stayed in Arki, the capital city of Baghal province.
(v) Ranjit Singh and other hill states: In the 1813, Ranjit Singh took away the state of Haripur (Guler). His King
Bhup Singh was made a prisoner in Lahore. In the year 1815, the princely state Jaswan was occupied, as King
Umaid Singh of Jaswan accepted a Jagir in Rs:12000 instead of paying a heavy fine. The state of Nurpur was
also fined for being absent in Sialkot (1815) (like the Jaswant). Raja Veer Singh tried to pay the fine. Veer Singh
could not pay the fine. He was offered a proposal for taking a manor, which he refused and rebelled against the
Sikhs and went to the English territory along the hill route. Ranjit Singh was captured at Nurpur. Veer Singh
was arrested and sent to Amritsar in 1826 AD. Where after 7 years the king of Chamba freed him by filling the
fine. The Sikhs captured Kutlehar in 1825 AD.
In 1818, the Sikhs captured Dattarpur on the death of the king of Dattarpur, and in return, his successors were
granted a Jagir in Hoshiarpur. The state of Sibba was captured in 1809 by Ranjit Singh. On the advice of Dhyan
Singh, Ranjit Singh returned the kingdom to Govind Chand in 1830, because he married Dhyan Singh' s sons to
the princesses of the Sibba family. Mandi principals used to gave tax Rs 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh annually to Ranjit
Singh. Kullu principality also donated 50 thousand rupees annually to Ranjit Singh. Chamba principality cllso
came under Ranjit Singh' s rule under the rule of -Chadat Singh, but the independence of King of Chamba
continued. N araingarh of Sirmaur State_ was also captured by the Sikhs. In 1839, Ranjit Singh died.
(vi) General Venchura (1840 AD -1841 AD) : Under the leadership of General Vanchura of the Army, in 1840,
the army moved towards Kullu and Mandi. The King of Kullu surrendered. King of Mandi, Balbir Sen, who
was the son of a mistress, was imprisoned and sent to Amritsar. King Balbir Sen was kept in Govindgarh fort.
Balbir Sen was released in 1841 AD. Balbir Sen liberated his 12 forts from the Sikhs, but the Kamalahgarh fort
could only be captured after 1846 AD. The princely states of Bilaspur, Nalagarh, Sirmaur, Shimla remained the
survivors of British protection.
(vii) First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46) After the death of Ranjit Singh, in 1845-46, there was a fierce battle between the
Sikhs and the British. Lord Hardingwas ~e first Governor General of India at this time.
♦ Cause of war
• Tensions arise during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the British
• After the death of Ranjit Singh, the Sikh army became powerful.
• After the death of Ranjit Singh, increased military activity of the British on the banks of Sutlej.
• The intention of weakening the Sikh army by fighting the British army of Ranjit Singh' s mother Rani
Jinda. -
• In December 1845, the Sikh army crossed the Sutlej and infiltrated into English territories. -
♦ The Events of the War : December 13, 1845, the first war ,was fought between the British and the Sikhs,
which ended three months later.
• The battle of Sobraon (February 10, 1846 AD) : This ·was the last and decisive war between the Sikhs
and the British. The war ended with the death -of Sham Singh Attariwala on behalf of the Sikhs. The
British army crossed the Sutlej river and captured Lahore on February 20, 1846 AD. -
♦ The Result of the War : The British did not merge the entire kingdom into the British Empire with the aim
of maintaining Punjab as a buffer state between Afghanistan and India. The other British did not even have
such a·large army to keep it under control. The Treaty of Lahore was signed on March 9, 1846, after the
end of the First Sikh War.
♦ The terms of the treaty of Lahore (March 9, 1846. AD): The Sikh claims on all ·areas south of th-e--sutlej
River ended. All the territories between Beas and Sutlej came under British occupation. The Sikhs had to
pay 1.5 cror~ rupees as war compensation. The nwnber of soldiers Wc\5 reduced (20 thousand footmen and
12 thousand cavalry). The British_resident Sir Henry Lawrence was placed in the Sikh court. Dalip Singh
was accepted as Maharaj. The British Army was allowed to move into Lahpre State. It was decided to have
an English army in Lahore to protect Maharaj Dalip Singh.
20 General Knowledge- (Him I P·raoesn)
♦ Role of Hill Kings in the War : Most hill kings collabourated with the British in th war and fired th S1kh"l
out of their kingdom. King Shamsher Singh of Guler escaped the Sikh from Haripur Fort.
(viii) Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49 AD)
♦ Due to the Second Sikh War : Sikh wanted to take revenge for their fir t defeat. Lord Dalhou i want d
to join the Sikh kingdom in the British Empire. Because of that, the econd ikh war wa fought two years
after the first Sikh war.
♦ Events of war
• The battle of Ramnagar was fought between the British commander Lord Gough and the Sikh ardar
Sher Singh on November 22, 1848, in which there was no decision to defeat.
• On January 13, 1949, both sides suffered heavy loss in the battle of Chillianwala. The AngJo-lndian
sent Charles Napier as Commander in place of Lord Gough.
• Lord Gough defeated Sikhs in the Battle of Gujarat (21 February 1849) before reaching Charle a pier.
This war is also called the war of 'Topo'. After the victory of the Multan, with the arrival of General
Wish army, Lord Gough army increased to two million and won a decisive victory. Akram Khan, a boy
from Afghanistan's ruling companion Muhammad's son, supported the Sikhs. The Sikhs put weapon
on March 13, 1849.
♦ War result
• The Sikh Empire was merged into the English Empire on March 29, 1949.
• Maharaja Dilip Singh was sent to England on 50 thousand pounds annually.
7 Questions
7.1 Question Answers
| Question | Answer | |
|---|---|---|
| In which year did Maharaja Ranjit Singh get the Kangra Fort from Sansar Chand? | 1809 AD | PGT (History)-2000 |
| In 1770, who prevented King Ghamand Chand from defeating him by expanding his kingdom? | Jassa Singh Ramgarhia | HAS (Main)-2008, HAS (Main) -1999, HAS (Pre) - 2006 |
| Who destroyed Raja Sansar Chand's ambition to form an independent Hindu kingdom in Himachal Pradesh? | Maharaja Ranjit Singh | HAS (Main) - 2005 |
| Who mediated between King Sansar Chand and Rarngarhia Sardar Jaisingh on the issue of rights over the Kangra fort? | Maharaja Ranjit Singh | HAS (Main)-2001 |
| Which Sikh, divided into 12 Misls, ruled in 1809 AD on some parts of Himachal Pradesh (Kangra)? | Maharaja Ranjit Singh (Desa Singh Majithia) | Statistical Asst. Exam-2009 |
| With whom was Jaisingh Kanhaiya cleared of Kangra fort? | Ziva khan | |
| In which year did the forces of Maharaja Ranjit Singh occupy Mandi? | In 1839 | |
| Maharaja Ranjit Singh traveled to Kullu. | In 1808 | |
| On March 9, 1846, what did the Sikhs give to the British as a war damage | Kullu, kangra, Lahaul spiti | |
| Name of son of Sansar Chand, whose war was fought with Ranjit Singh? | Aniruddh | |
| Which treaty was entrusted to the British by the Sikhs in all the hilly areas of the Sutlej river? | Treaty of Lahore (1846 AD) | HP Research Officer - 2017 |
| Which Vikram Samvat was signed between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Sansar Chand, the volcanic treaty which gave the Kangra Fort and Sandhata district to Lahore (Sikhs)? | Vikrami 1866 AD in Shravan 5 (1809 A.D.) | HP Range Forest Officer - 2017 |
| ### 7.2 Objective Questions | ||
| 1. Which princely state's king was ran away to the mountains to avoid the invasion of the army of soldiers around 1840? | ||
| 2. | ||
| (A) Mandi | ||
| (C) Kullu | ||
| (C) Kullu HP PGT (Commerce)-Dec 2016 | ||
| (B) Suket | ||
| (D) Kahlur | ||
| Which princely state's king was captured by the | ||
| Sikh army around 1840 AD? | ||
| (A) Su~et | ||
| HP PGT (Economics)-Dec 2016 | ||
| (B) Mandi | ||
| (C) Kullu | ||
| Ans: (B) Mandi | ||
| (D) all these | ||
| 3: Who led the Sikh army against Suket and Mandi | ||
| princely states around 1840 AD? | ||
| Ans. | ||
| HP PGT (Geography)-Dec 2016 | ||
| (A) Ranjit Singh | ||
| (B) General Ventura | ||
| (C) Sher Singh | ||
| (D) Jassa Singh Ramgarhia | ||
| (B) General Ventura | ||
| History of Himachal Pradesh | ||
| 4. Which jagir was granted by Maharaja Ranjit | ||
| Singh to King Ranveer Chand around 1846 AD? | ||
| Ans. | ||
| 5. | ||
| Ans. | ||
| 6. | ||
| HP Asst. Architect (PWD)-2015 | ||
| (A) Pathiar and Kharot | ||
| (B) Solasinghi and Chaurnukhi | ||
| (C) Sujanpur Tira | ||
| (D) Mahalrnorio | ||
| (D) Mahalrnorio | ||
| Was the last state of the Kangra group losing its | ||
| independence from the Sikhs? | ||
| HP Assitant Fincmce Officer (HPCL)-2015 | ||
| (A) Kutlehar (~) Guler | ||
| (C) Dattarpur · (D) Kullu | ||
| (D) Kullu | ||
| The first Sikh to invade the hills of Kangra was 1 | ||
| Sardar- HP Mining Officer-2015) | ||
| Ans. | ||
| 21 | ||
| (D) In the form of a donation of the gurdwara m | ||
| Himachal Pradesh | ||
| (B) In return for helping Gorkhas at the time of | ||
| defeat | ||
| 11. In which year, General Zorawar Singh Joined the | ||
| Ans. | ||
| 12. | ||
| area of Lahaul Spiti in his Sikh state. | ||
| (A) 1737 | ||
| (C) 1842 | ||
| (C) 1842 | ||
| HP Stat. Asst. (Pre)-2012 | ||
| (B) 1573 | ||
| (D) 1627 | ||
| After defeating the Gorkhas, who was the first | ||
| Najim or Governor of Kangra Hill appointed by | ||
| Maharaja Ranjit Singh? HP Stat. Asst. (Prt')-2012 | ||
| HP High Court Clerk-2014, HP Clcrk-2010) | ||
| (A) Desa Singh Majithia | ||
| (B) Dhyan Singh | ||
| (C) Bhan Singh | ||
| (A) Jassa Singh Ramgarhia (D) Bir Singh | ||
| (B) J ai Singh Kanhaiya | ||
| 1 | ||
| Ans. | ||
| I 13. | ||
| (A) Desa Singh Majithia | ||
| Which of the following mediated between King | ||
| Saw,ir Chand and Jai Singh Ramgarhia to resolve | ||
| Ans. the dispute over the fort of Kangra? | ||
| 7. | ||
| Ans. | ||
| 8. | ||
| Ans. | ||
| 9. | ||
| Ans. | ||
| (C) Gurbaksh Singh | ||
| (D) Maharaja R~jit Singh | ||
| (A) Jassa Singh Rarngarhia | ||
| In which year did Jai Singh Kanhaiya defeat Jassa | ||
| Singh Ramgarhia and capture Kangra? | ||
| (A) 1770AD | ||
| (C) 1780 AD | ||
| (B) 1775AD | ||
| HP Asst. Prof (ASH) Maths-2016 | ||
| (B) 1775AD | ||
| (D) 1785AD | ||
| Which year did the kingdom of Dattarpur come | ||
| under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh? | ||
| (A) 1709AD | ||
| (C) 1799AD | ||
| (D) 1809AD | ||
| HP Head Master-2012 | ||
| (B) 1779AD | ||
| (D) 1809AD | ||
| Which main demand led to bitterness in relations | ||
| between. Maharaja Ranjit Singh and King | ||
| Aniruddh Chand of Kangra? | ||
| . HP Naib Tehsildar (Main)-2013 | ||
| (A) Rs. 2 lakhs;- Oemand for auction · . | ||
| (B) Demand for occupancy of Kangra Fort | ||
| (C) ~ddh Chand's sister demands marriage | ||
| to Dhyan Singh~:s son | ||
| (D) Aniruddh Chand's growing nexus with the | ||
| British | ||
| (C) Aniruddh Chand' s sister demands marriage | ||
| to Dhyan S~gh' s son | ||
| l | ||
| 10. Why did King Sansar Chand give Kangra Fort | ||
| and 66 villages to Maharaja Ranjit Singh? | ||
| HP Stat. Asst. (Pre)-2012 | ||
| (A) In return for the Defense of the British | ||
| (B) · In return for helping Gorkhas at the time of | ||
| defeat | ||
| . (C) As a gift on the coronation in the form of a | ||
| king | ||
| (A) Saif Ali Khan | ||
| (B) Jiwan Khan | ||
| (C) Maharaja Ranjit Singh | ||
| (D) Raja Birbal | ||
| HAS (Prc)-2006 | ||
| Ans. (C) Maharaja Ranjit Singh | ||
| 14. In 1770, who forced Raja Ghamchand to pay hi | ||
| tribute? HAS (Pre)-2007 | ||
| (A) Jassa Singh | ||
| (B) Amar Singh Thapa | ||
| (C) Ahmad Shah Abdali | ||
| (D) Jai Singh | ||
| Ans. (A) Jassa Singh | ||
| 15. In 1759 AD, who was appointed by Ahmad Shah | ||
| Durrani as Governor of Punjab? | ||
| (A) Ghamand Chand (B) Hamir Chand | ||
| (C) Abhay Chand (D) Ghurnan Chand | ||
| Ans. (A) Ghamand Chand | ||
| 16. In what year did the Sikh army occupy Mandi's | ||
| 'Kamlahgarh fort'? | ||
| (A) 1860 | ||
| (C) 1840 | ||
| (B) 1850 | ||
| (D) 1830 | ||
| Ans. (C) 1840 | ||
| 17. Which year was the Treaty of Jwalamukhi | ||
| between King Sansar Chand and Maharaja Ranjit | ||
| Singh signed? | ||
| (A) 1806AD | ||
| (C) 1808AD | ||
| (B) 1807 AD | ||
| (D) 1809 AD | ||
| Ans. (D) 1809 AD | ||
| 18. | ||
| Ans. | ||
| Guler was a part of which princely state till 1846- | ||
| 1876 AD? | ||
| (A) Kangra | ||
| (C) Sikh (Punjab) | ||
| (C) Chamba | ||
| (B) Chamba | ||
| (D) Jammu | ||
| General Knowledge (Himachal Pradesh) | ||
| 19. In which did Maharaja Ranjit Singh had grabbed 21. To whom did Maharaja Ranjit Singh entrust the | ||
| estate of 'Nadaun' in 1830 AD? | ||
| Ans. | ||
| 20. | ||
| Ans. | ||
| the 'Jasvan' state? | ||
| (A) 1809 | ||
| (C) 1814 | ||
| (C) 1814 | ||
| (B) 1812 | ||
| (D) 1818 | ||
| Whom did Maharaja Ranjit Singh gifted the Jagir | ||
| of 'Rajgir' in 1828? | ||
| (A) Sansar Chand | ||
| (C) Fateh Chand | ||
| (C) Fateh Chand | ||
| (B) Hira Chand | ||
| (D) Aniruddh Chand | ||
| (A) Narendra Chand (B) Kalyan Chand | ||
| (C) Jodhbir Chand (D) Fateh Chand | ||
| Ans. (C) Jodhbir Chand | ||
| 22. In which year Maharaja Sansar Chand died? | ||
| (A) 1824 | ||
| (C) 1773 | ||
| Ans. (A) 1824 | ||
| HP Asst. Prof (Sanskrit)-2018 | ||
| (B) 1858 | ||
| (D) 1802 |