Yamuna Nagar
—  city  —
Yamuna Nagar Location of Yamuna Nagar in Haryana and India
Coordinates	30°06′N 77°17′E / 30.1°N 77.28°E / 30.1; 77.28Coordinates: 30°06′N 77°17′E / 30.1°N 77.28°E / 30.1; 77.28
Country	India
State	Haryana
District(s)	Yamuna Nagar
Population • Density	532,000 (2001[update]) • 687 /km2 (1,779 /sq mi)
Sex ratio	877 ♂/♀
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 255 metres (837 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 135001 • Telephone • +1732 • Vehicle • HR-02

Yamuna Nagar  pronunciation (help·info) (Hindi: यमुनानगर, Punjabi: ਯਮੁਨਾਨਗਰ) is a city and a municipal corporation in Yamuna Nagar district in the Indian state of Haryana. This town is known for the cluster of plywood units. The older town is called Jagadhri. The Jagadhari Railway Station services the city. It is a green, clean and prosperous industrial city.^{[citation needed]} However, due to recent spur in Industrial units in and around the city have resulted in severe air, water and soil pollution issues.^{[citation needed]}

Geography[link]

Yamuna Nagar has the river Yamuna running through the district, and forming the eastern boundary with the neighbouring Saharanpur district. This boundary is also a state boundary, as Saharanpur is in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The distt. also separates the Yamuna system from the Satluj river system.

Towards its northern edge is a sub-mountainous region, which has more forest cover and lots of streams; it is the area where the river Yamuna flows out of the hills and into the plains. The northern boundary is also an interstate boundary with the state of Himachal Pradesh to the north. Sirmour in Himachal is the district to its north with the towns of Nahan and Paonta Sahib close to the boundary with Yamuna nagar.

To its west and northwest is Ambala district, and to its west and southwest is Kurukshetra district. To its south is Karnal district.

Demographics[link]

As of 2011^[update] India census,^[1] Yamuna Nagar had a population of 1,214,162 . Males constitute 53.27% of the population and females 46.73%. Yamuna nagar has an average literacy rate of 78.90 %, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85.10 %, and female literacy is 72.00 %.

History[link]

This town became the new home of the refugies who migrated to this part of the country after the partition of the country in 1947 .Rampura colony,model colony model town and camp areas of the cities were reserved for them only until 1970s.Yamuna Nagar was earlier known as 'Abdullahpur' which was later renamed by the city's eminent personalities after independence. Pre-independence, it was a small village with population concentrated around Jagadhri Railway Station. After partition of India, many migrants from Punjab in Pakistan chose to make Yamuna Nagar/Jagadhri their new home, and in the process. adding to the culture of the town. The area where land was allocated to the migrants, later developed into the Model Town area of Yamuna Nagar, the centre of the city area.The city is made on land which is acquired by government from various people and was used in developing the city.The area till now is dominated by the Punjabi community. The sanatan dharm sabha ,founded by Capt.Ishar singh chhibber,Mehta Ralla ram Mohan ,Nand kishor vohra and laxmidas vasudeva in 1950 which still is the biggest temple complex in the city. Mohyal sabha yamunanagar was founded by Mehta Deena nath Dutta,Mehta Ladda raam ,Capt. Sukhal chand ,Mehta Ralla ram mohan Mehta Prithvich and and Bodh raj dutta The ashoka pillar of delhi was found in the village of chaneti ,about 20 kms from yamunanagar.Archaeological survey of India has found many harrapan bricks and stones from the area. Also a stupa of ashoka's time was found in the nearby village

Health[link]

Yamuna Nagar has been a front runner in health and medical services the state of Haryana.

Other hospitals[link]

Health care services are a mirror of the governance's effectiveness. It reflects the extent to which the so called Govt. of the people, for the people and by the people care for the people. Distt. Yamuna Nagar, in this scenario typically represents varying aspects of this sector of the nation. To start with the rural areas where it is said that 72% of the population resides. The health services in the rural areas have witnessed a considerable improvements in comparison to what existed at the time of independence. Therefore, the Government surely played a role in the uplifting of health services. However, at the same time, when one weighs it in relation to the contemporaneous standards, he finds that there are gaping clefts existing. Whatever efforts have been taken by the govt. have fallen short of the actual care required. There do exist govt. healthcare centres but the paradox is that no Doctor is ready to render his services in these areas and postings at these places are treated as punishments. This is quite evident in Naharpur and Chhachhrauli Centres. And as one would expect, there is almost a complete absence of Private hospitals with good facilities in the rural areas. As a result, the rural people have to run to the nearest urban centres.

In urban areas, there seems to be a flood of hospitals. One can find these every here and there. But again, the hospitals worth hospitals are few. Though there is Civil Hospital in the Distt, but its sorry states have reduced it to mere centres of authorisation of the accidents, M.L.R. and other documentation related purposes. It is widely held that one would only turn to the Civil Hospital if he has plenty of free time and quite unfortunately, no money. These circumstances force people to turn towards the privately run hospitals, a brief description of which is given below.

• Sh. Suresh Chandra Memorial Eye Hospital
• Gaba Hospital – Mainly for trauma cases
• Santosh Hospital – new entrant. Consultation fee out of reach of the poor. Should be avoided to the extent possible.
• Sharma Hospital – An Average hospital
• Sihint Ent Hospital
• Goel Hospital – Orthopaedics. A very good hospital in care and patient satisfaction.
• Mahindra Hospital
• Aggarwal Hospital –
• Mukund Lal Civil Hospital
• Waryam Singh Hospital
• Masih Hospital
• Roop rani eye lasik hospital
• Rana Hospital, Kanahyia Sahib Chowk, Ynr
• vishal hospital

Education[link]

Schools[link]

Anshita public school

• S.D. Public School, Jagadhri
• Maharishi Vidya Mandir Public School
• Sacred Heart Convent School
• St. Thomas School
• St. Nishchal School
• Anand Public School
• National Public School
• Spring Field Public School
• M.L.N. Public School
• Vivekanand Public School
• Nav Prabhat School
• New Happy Public School, Bilaspur
• New Happy Public School, Chandpur
• New Happy Sr.Sec.School, ITI
• dav public school yamuna nagar

Colleges[link]

Yamuna Nagar has emerged as a destination for the graduate studies. Students have come here to pursue their education primarily from U.P, Himachal besides the local ones. Abundance of Girls colleges contribute to making it the highest female literacy Distt. in the State.

The anxiety to choose a good college is sensible among senior school students. The list of prominent colleges is as below.

• Mukand Lal National College
• Maharaja Agrasen College
• D.A.V College by HARE KRISHNA MAHARAJ for Women
• Hindu Girls' College
• Guru Nanak Khalsa College
• Guru Nanak Girls COLLEGE
• Global Research Institute of Management and Technology
• Tanya gaba and anshita chanana chamar public school

Management Institutes[link]

• Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Management and Technology
• *Guru Nanak Khalsa Institute of Technology and Management studies
• Guru Gobind Singh Institute of Technology and Management Studies
• Tilak Raj Chadha Institute of Management & Technology
• JaiPArkash Management and Information Technology
• Shree Ram Institute of Business & Management,pounta sahib Road,Vill Urjani, Chhachhrauli, Yamuna Nagar.
• Asian college of Management & Technology, Dhorang Yamuna Nagar
• Guru Gobind Singh College of Pharmacy, Fountain Chownk, Yamuna Nagar

Engineering colleges[link]

• Haryana engineering college, jagadhri
• Maharishi Ved Vyas Engg. College.Jagadhri
• Shri Ram Institute of Engineering & Technology, Pounta sahib Road, vill Urjani, Teh. Chhachhrauli, Yamuna Nagar
• Institute of Science and Technology Klawad, Klawad
• Ganpati Institute of Technology and Management, Bilaspur
• Global Research Institute of Management and Technology, Radaur
• Seth Jaiprakash Mukand lal Institute of Engineering & Technology, Radaur
• Yamuna Group of Institutions Village Gadholi, P O Gadhola, Distt. Yamuna Nagar
• Shri Siddhi Vinayak Engineering college, Shahpur, Bilaspur

Medical colleges[link]

• J.N. Kapoor DAV Centenary Dental College

Religious places[link]

Yamuna Nagar has the appreciable past record of not allowing the communalising tendencies to part people on the lines of religion, language or any other divisive forces. Different religion co exist harmoniously and is expected to take forward these trends. Prominent religious centre of the twin cities are:

• Chitta Mandir
• Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir
• Gita Bhawan
• Santpura Gurudawara
• Chandpur Masjid
• Buria Sahib Gurudwara
• Jodian Sahib gurudwara
• Maa kali mandir
• Dayalu hanuman mandir
• Giri mandir
• Dera Baba Chaa Wala
• Shree Khera Mandir
• Kapal Mochan(Bilaspur)
• Gumthala Rao(Ganga-Dushara mela)
• Sahaja yoga Free meditation center at (MOHIYAL BHAWAN)

Industries[link]

Yamuna Nagar is well known for its industries. It has emerged as an important industrial destination in the state. This has been despite its relatively isolated location from rest of the state. Due to expanding industries, the city kept on extending geographically. This is primarily due to an increasing number of immigrants. This led to an intermixing of diverse culture. It also has to do with the rural ambiance which is reported to have undergone a lot of change. With increasing population, the trading aspects became brighter and the city went on becoming the second highest revenue generator of Haryana, immediately after Faridabad that owes its position largely to its prime location.

The city produces sugar machinery, paper machinery along with highly efficient equipments for petro-chemical plants, which are shipped to various refineries across the country. The city is also known for its Plywood productions, which is attributed to the easy accessibility of primary raw material – poplar tree. It has also one of India's largest railway carriage and wagon repair workshops. Recently, Reliance Industries has also installed a thermal power plant in the town. Haryana Urban Development Authority has done major development work in the land-stretch linking the city with Jagadhri, the other part of twin city.

• Kay Iron Works (Yamuna Nagar) Pvt. Ltd
• Kay Bouvet Engineering Pvt. Ltd.
• C.B.M Engineering works
• Yamuna Power & Infrastructure Ltd.
• Navyug Engineering Corporation
• Jamna Auto Industries Ltd. (JAI)
• Saraswati Sugar Mill (Asia's Largest Sugar Mill)
• Bilt Paper Mill
• Wine Mill (country liquor)
• Railway Workshop, Jagadhri Workshop
• Stone Crushing And Screening Units (approximately 200 in number)
• Steel Utensil, Jagadhri
• Instrumentation units
• OEM's foe auto parts
• United industries
• Plywood factories (approximately 300 in number)
• Match Industries
• Techno Cutters' (Manufacturer of Drills, Reamers and HSS Cutters)
• Medicine Industries
• ISGEC, manufacturing hydraulic and mechanical presses and boilers
• Special Steel, instrumentation for oil & gas refineries
• Priti Chemical Industries (Manufacturer of Hypo and washing soda )
• Plastic Industries

Despite being the second highest revenue-generating city after National Capital Region there has been less development in Yamuna Nagar.^{[citation needed]}

Agriculture[link]

Due to the presence of plenty of water and good fertile soil main crops are sugarcane, rice, wheat and garlic, etc. One of the main source of the income of farmers of Yamuna Nagar is agri-forestry, in which farmers grow poplar and eucalyptus besides conventional farming.The main villages of the Yamuna nagr are Kharwan, Radaur,Attawa ,Gumthala Rao,Kandroli, Jathalana,Naharpur, Karera -khurd etc.

Tourism[link]

Located at the base of Shivalik Hills, Yamuna Nagar has moderately developed tourism industry. The [[Government of Haryana|state government] owns and maintains a Haryana Tourism guest house, Grey Pelican on the banks of the river Yamuna, close to river's exit from the hills.^[2]

Hotels : Orchid Square (rated number one of the city) Model Town, Gobindpuri Road,Bikano Chowk (http://orchidsquarehotel.com/index.html) ^[3]

Social Organisations[link]

There are various social organisations in the district such as:

• Utthan Institute of Development & Studies(for social causes,research, training, advocacy and issue based networking)
• Koshish Institute of Disability Management & Rehabilitation (for the welfare, education and training of mentally retarded, hearing and speech impaired,spastics, children with cerebral palsy etc.)
• Madhur Milan Institute of Family Life Education & Counselling (for family disputes,marital maladjustment,domestic violence, child custody, child care, legal aid etc.)
• Heritage Hermitage- Bujurg Kuteer (Welfare Centre for the Aged)
• Mahila Suraksha and Vikas Manch (about 150 centres for enabling and empowerment of women)
• Niramaya Institute of Community Health and Social Medicine (for women, children and adolescent health & nutrition education and support services)
• District Red Cross
• District Child Welfare Council

Besides there are some clubs in the town such as:

• Lions club (Distt 321 A2),
• Yamuna Club,
• Rotary Club
• Gymkhana Club

The city is one of the better developed cities of Haryana and has good educational and medical facilities. It has the highest literacy rate in Haryana.

Additional Information[link]

Western Yamuna canal of the river Yamuna flows on one side of the city. These canal servers the irrigation needs of the farmers. The canal has century old path ways, called pattri locally, on both sides which serve has connecting routes between villages even today and also help the irrigation department to maintain the canal and provide a perfect scenic walk with water on one side and green lush farms on other hand.

The river marks the boundary of the district with the state of Uttar Pradesh which borders the city on the eastern side of river Yamuna. The neighbouring city is Saharanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh. In the north, the district borders the state of Himachal Pradesh, Sirmaur being the district and the towns of Nahan and Paonta Sahib being the towns nearby. Tajewala headworks from where the Yamuna canal is diverted is also north of the city. Jagadhri is an adjoining town famous for its stainless steel industry.

References[link]

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External links[link]

• Yamuna Nagar district

v t e Yamuna Nagar district topics Geography Hathni Kund Kalesar National Park Tajewala Cities and towns Bilaspur Buria Chhachhrauli Farakhpur Fatehpur Jagadhri Kansepur Mustafabad Radaur Sadaura Sasauli Yamuna Nagar Transport NH 73 Colleges and Schools Mukand Lal National College Maharaja Agrasen College, Jagadhri Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Management and Technology Seth Jai Parkash Mukand Lal Institute of Engineering and Technology S.D. Public School, Jagadhri Industries BILT ISGEC Jamna Auto Industries People Akram Khan (politician) Naresh Kamboj R. K. Kamboj Sanjeev Rajput Suraj Bhan

Ranjit Singh
Maharaja of Punjab
Ranjit Singh
Reign	12 April 1801 – 27 June 1839
Coronation	12 April 1801
Full name	Ranjit Singh
Titles	Sher-e-Punjab (Lion of Punjab) Maharaja of Lahore Sarkar Khalsaji (Head of State) Napoleon of East[1] Lord of Five Rivers[2]
Born	13 November 1780[3]
Birthplace	Gujranwala
Died	20 June 1839
Successor	Kharak Singh
Father	Maha Singh
Mother	Raj Kaur

Maharaja Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 20 June 1839) was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.

Early life[link]

Ranjit Singh belonged to a Sikh clan of Northern India.^[4][5] He was born in Gujranwala, now in modern-day Pakistan. According to some historians, into a Jatt Sikh family^{[6][7][8][9][10][11]} and some that he was born into a Sansi Sikh family^{[5][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]} who were Sukerchakia misldars.^[5] As a child he suffered from smallpox which resulted in the loss of one eye. At the time, much of Punjab was ruled by the Sikhs under a Confederate Sarbat Khalsa system, who had divided the territory among factions known as misls.

Ranjit Singh's father Maha Singh was the Commander of the Sukerchakia misl and controlled a territory in the west Punjab based around his headquarters at Gujranwala. After his father's death he was raised under the protection of Sada Kaur of the Kanheya Misl.^[21] Ranjit Singh succeeded his father at the age of 18.^[22] After several campaigns, he conquered the other misls and created the Sikh Empire.

Pashtun King Amir Ahmad Shah Abdali 1747–1772 of Afghanistan Durrani Known as Kings of Kings first crossed the Indus River in 1748, the year after his ascension – his forces sacked and absorbed Lahore during that expedition. The following year (1749), the Mughal ruler was induced to cede Sindh and all of the Punjab including the vital trans Indus River to him, in order to save his capital from being attacked by the Afghan Pashtun forces of the DurraniEmpire.

The Pashtun King Amir Ahmad Shah Abdali 1747–1772 was not Interested as a Policy to remain in his Domain of India as a King but rather wanted to live the Life of a General or Soldier always on the Move and in Battle to Uphold his Kingdom

Then in 1756-57, in what was his fourth invasion of India, Ahmad Shah sacked Delhi Agra, Mathura, and Vrndavana.

However, The Pashtun King Amir Ahmad Shah Abdali 1747–1772 did not displace the Muslim Mughal dynasty as a Policy, which remained in nominal control as long as the ruler acknowledged Ahmad Shah Abdali suzerainty over the Punjab, Sindh, and Kashmir.

He installed a puppet emperor, Alamgir II, on the Mughal throne, and arranged marriages for himself and his son Timur Shah 1772 – 1793 into the imperial family that same year.

Ahmad Shah Abdali married the daughter of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah.Leaving his second son Timur Shah 1772 – 1793 (who was wed to the daughter of Alamgir II) to safeguard his interests, Ahmad Shah Abdali 1747–1772 finally left India to return to Afghanistan.

About 30 years before Maharaja Ranjit Singh came to power in 1799, Lahore and its environs were ruled by a triumvirate of Sikhs which included Lehna Singh Majithia as the Lahore Governor.

The rule of these three Sikh chieftains started when Afghan, Pashtun Amir Ahmad Shah Abdali 1747–1772, As a Policy decided to give Lahore to a sardar named Lehna Singh Majithia.

Lehna Singh Majithia teamed up with two other Sikh chieftains to secure the environs around Lahore in 1765 and that is how the triumvirate of Lehna Singh Majithia,Gujjar Singh Banghi and Suba Singh came to occupy power in and around Lahore.

For thirty long years Lehna Singh Majithia,Gujjar Singh Banghi and Suba Singh ruled supreme and kept paying the Afghan Pashtun Ahmad Shah Abdali 1747–1772 and his offspring Timur Shah 1772 – 1793 an annual sum as Taxes.

The Lahore Fort and the Walled Lahore City and its gates went to Lehna Singh Majithia. He was, for formal purposes, the Governor of Lahore, and was so recognized.

To Suba Singh went the area to the south of the Walled Lahore City, and he resided in the garden of Zubaida Begum in Nawankot, where he built a small fort for himself.

The area between Amritsar and Lahore, or more correctly between the Shalamar Gardens and Lahore, went to Gujjar Singh Banghi.

Gujjar Singh Banghi erected that part of the city, then a jungle and invited people to settle there. He also dug wells to supply water. A mosque was also built for the Muslims in the area. He also built himself a small fort called Qila Gujar Singh. Today, a few walls of that old fort can be seen in a street between today’s Nicholson Road and Empress Road, and the area is still called Qila Gujar Singh.

On a final note, their rule of ended when Ranjit Singh besieged the Lahore Fort in 1799 and the three chieftains Lehna Singh Majithia,Gujjar Singh Banghi and Suba Singh fled, leaving the city firmly in the hands of the young man from Gujranwala Ranjit Singh.

Lehna Singh Majithia, was later made Mahraja Ranjit Singhs most able ministers and advisers and a General in His Army

The Maharaja[link]

Ranjit Singh's Empire

Sher e Punjab Ranjit Singh

Ranjit Singh was crowned on 12 April 1801 (to coincide with Baisakhi). Sahib Singh Bedi, a descendant of Guru Nanak Dev, conducted the coronation.^[23] Gujranwala served as his capital from 1799. In 1802 he shifted his capital to Lahore. Ranjit Singh rose to power in a very short period, from a leader of a single Sikh misl to finally becoming the Maharaja (Emperor) of Punjab.

He then spent the following years fighting the Afghan invaders, driving them out of the Punjab. He also captured Pashtun territory including Peshawar (now referred to as North West Frontier Province and the Tribal Areas). This was the first time that Peshawari Pashtuns were ruled by Punjabis. He captured the province of Multan which encompassed the southern parts of Punjab, Peshawar (1818), Jammu and Kashmir (1819). Thus Ranjit Singh put an end to more than a thousand years of Muslim rule. He also conquered the hill states of punjab including north of Anandpur Sahib, the largest of which was Kangra.

When the Foreign Minister of the Ranjit Singh's court, Fakir Azizuddin, met the British Governor-General of India, Lord Auckland, in Simla, Lord Auckland asked Fakir Azizuddin which of the Maharaja's eyes was missing, Azizuddin replied: "The Maharaja is like the sun and sun has only one eye. The splendor and luminosity of his single eye is so much that I have never dared to look at his other eye." The Governor General was so pleased with this reply that he gave his gold watch to Azizuddin.

Ranjit Singh's Empire was secular, none of the subjects were discriminated against on account of their religions.^[24] The Maharaja never forced Sikhism on his subjects and respected all religions.

Secular Sikh rule[link]

The empire of the Sikhs was most exceptional in that it allowed men from religions other than their own to rise to commanding positions of authority. Besides the Singh (Sikh), the Khan (Muslim) and the Misr (Hindu Brahmin) feature as prominent administrators. The Christians formed a part of the militia of the Sikhs. In 1831, Ranjit Singh deputed his mission to Simla to confer with the British governor general, Lord William Bentinck. Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa, Fakir Aziz-ud-din and Diwan Moti Ram ― a Sikh, a Muslim and a Hindu representative ― were nominated at its head.

Externally, everyone in the Sikh empire looked alike; they sported a beard and covered their head, predominantly with a turban. This left visitors to the Punjab quite confused. Most foreigners arrived there after a passage through Hindustan, where religious and caste distinctions were very carefully observed. It was difficult for them to believe that though everyone in the Sarkar Khalsaji looked similar, they were not all Sikhs. The Sikhs were generally not known to force either those in their employ or the inhabitants of the country they ruled to convert to Sikhism. In fact, men of piety from all religions were equally respected by the Sikhs and their ruler. Hindu sadhus, yogis, saints and bairagis; Muslim faqirs and pirs; and Christian priests were all the recipients of Sikh largess. There was only one exception – the Sikhs viewed the Muslim clergy with suspicion. Mullahs were not looked upon kindly, as they were known to rightly defend their religion.^[25]

In their conquests, the Sikhs never perpetrated atrocities as by invaders into the sub-continent. It was true that the Sikhs held a grudge against the Afghans for the atrocities they had perpetrated, over decades, against them. Before them, the Mughals had hunted down the Sikhs like animals in the field. Every Sikh carried a price on his head. The Afghans had caused havoc and mayhem in the Punjab during the lifetime of both Ranjit Singh's father and grandfather. Despite that, during the rule of the Sikhs there were no reports of torture of the kind routinely inflicted upon the Sikhs by some of the Muslim rulers of Hindustan and subsequently by the Afghan invaders. The Sikhs were reportedly a most tolerant nation.

At present, flushed by a series of victories, they (the Sikhs) have a zeal and buoyancy of spirit amounting to enthusiasm; and with the power of taking the most exemplary revenge, they have been still more lenient than the Mohammedan were ever towards them".^[26][27][28]

— Masson

The horses were attacked with an epidemic disease from which a Mohammedan, who resides in a neighboring sanctuary, is believed to have cured them. Though a Mohammedan the Sikhs repaired and beautified his temple, which is now a conspicuous white building that glitters in the sun. I have always observed the Sikhs to be most tolerant in their religion…^[29]

— Alexander Burnes, British Agent, narrating an incident at Royal Stud-Farm, Putte

The Sikhs were never accused of the routine inhuman behaviour attributed to the Muslims. In fact, they made every attempt not to offend the prejudices of Muslims noted Baron von Hügel, the famous German traveler,^[30] yet the Sikhs were referred to as being harsh. In this regard, Masson's explanation is perhaps the most pertinent:

"Though compared to the Afghans, the Sikhs were mild and exerted a protecting influence, yet no advantages could compensate to their Mohaomedan subjects, the idea of subjection to infidels, and the prohibition to slay kine, and to repeat the azan, or summons to prayer".^[31]

Hinduism emphasizes the sanctity of cows,^[32] which has carried over into Sikhism. The ban on cow slaughter was universally imposed in the Sarkar Khalsaji.^[33]

The Sikhs never razed places of worship to the ground belonging to the enemy. The Sikhs were utilitarian in their approach. Marble plaques removed from Jahangir's tomb at Shahdera were used to embellish the Baradari inside the Fort of Lahore, while the mosques were left intact. Forts were destroyed however, these too were often rebuilt ― the best example being the Bala Hissar in Peshawar, which was destroyed by the Sikhs in 1823^[34] and rebuilt by them in 1834.^[35]

Gurdwaras built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh[link]

Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple)

At the Harmandir Sahib, much of the present decorative gilding and marblework date back from the early 19th century. The gold and intricate marble work were conducted under the patronage of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Maharaja of the Punjab. The Sher-e-Punjab (Lion of the Punjab) was a generous patron of the shrine and is remembered with much affection by the Sikhs. Maharaja Ranjit Singh deeply loved and admired the teachings of the Tenth Guru of Sikhism Guru Gobind Singh, thus he promoted the teachings of the Dasam Granth (the Tenth Granth) and built two of the most sacred temples in Sikhism. These are Takht Sri Patna Sahib, the birth place of Guru Gobind Singh, and Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, the place where Guru Gobind Singh took his final rest or mahasamadhi, in Nanded, Maharashtra in 1708.

Ranjit Singh's generals[link]

Jean-François Allard became a General in the army of Ranjit Singh.

Ranjit Singh encircled himself with an array of strong generals and soldiers. They were men from different clans, castes and regions

These included:

• Mahan Singh Mirpuri
• Hari Singh Nalwa
• Desa Singh Majithia
• Hukma Singh Chimni
• Dewan Mokham Chand
• Fateh Singh Ahluwalia
• Veer Singh Dillon later Jallaha of Gurdaspore
• Sawan Mal
• Sirdar Gulab Singh Pahuwindia
• Sham Singh Attariwala
• Sardar Sangat Singh Saini
• Sher Singh
• Shaikh Elahi Bakhsh^[36]
• General Ghause Khan (Mian Ghausa)^[37]
• Sultan Mahmud Khan (Son of Ghause Khan)^[38]
• Zorawar Singh
• Chattar Singh Attariwalla
• Balbhadra Kunwar – Gorkhali General who served for Ranjit Singh after the Anglo-Gorkha war (1814–1816).
• Mahan Singh Mirpuri
• Akali Phula Singh
• Lehna Singh Majithia
• Misr Diwan Chand

Among his European Mercenary Generals were:

• Jean-François Allard
• Jean-Baptiste Ventura – Italian (Modena)
• Paolo Di Avitabile – Italian (Naples)
• Claude August Court – French

Americans of note:

• Josiah Harlan – American general and later governor of Gujrat
• Alexander Gardner – American (Scots – Irish)

Conquests[link]

Runjeet Singh and his Suwarree

Ranjit Singh's earliest conquests as a young misldar (baron) were effected by defeating his coreligionists, the heads of other Sikh Sardaris (popularly known as the Misls). By the end of his reign, however, he had conquered vast tracts of territory strategically juxtaposed between the limits of British India to the East and the powerful Afghan Empire to the West. The land that eventually became the Kingdom of the Sikhs had been ruthlessly subjected to the worse kind of atrocities by invading armies coming through the Khyber Pass into the Indian sub-continent, over eight centuries.

In 1799, Ranjit Singh captured Lahore and made it his Capital. After the capture of Lahore, Ranjit Singh rapidly annexed the rest of the Punjab, the land of the five rivers. Having accomplished this, he extended his empire further north and west to include the Kashmir mountains and other Himalayan kingdoms, the Sind Sagar Doab, the Pothohar Plateau and trans-Indus regions right up to the foothills of the Sulaiman and Hindu Kush mountains.

Ranjit Singh took Amritsar from the Bhangi Sardari and followed this with the more difficult conquest of Kasur, the fabled twin city of Lahore, from the Pathans.^[39] With the conquest of Multan the whole Bari Doab came under his sway.^[40] In the year 1819, Ranjit Singh successfully annexed Kashmir.^[41] This was followed by subduing the Kashmir mountains, west of the river Jhelum (today, Hazara in Pakistan and Pakistan Administered Kashmir).^[42]

The most significant encounters between the Sarkar Khalsaji and the Afghans were fought in 1813, 1823, 1834 and in 1837. In 1813, Ranjit Singh's general Dewan Mokham Chand led the Sikh forces against the Afghan forces of Shah Mahmud led by Fateh Khan Barakzai.

Following this encounter, the Afghans lost their stronghold at Attock. Subsequently, the Pothohar plateau, the Sindh Sagar Doab and Kashmir came under Sikh rule. In 1823, Ranjit Singh defeated a large army of Yusafzai tribesmen north of the Kabul river, while the presence of his Sikh general, Hari Singh Nalwa prevented the entire Afghan army from crossing this river and going to the aid of the Yusafzais at Nowshera. This defeat led to the gradual loss of Afghan power in the trans-Indus region. In 1834, when the forces of the Sarkar Khalsaji marched into Peshawar, the ruling Barakzais simply fled the place without offering a fight.^[43] In April 1837, the real power of Maharaja Ranjit Singh came to the fore when his commander-in-chief, Hari Singh Nalwa, kept the entire army of Amir Dost Mohammad Khan, the Wali of Kabul, at bay, with a handful of forces till reinforcements arrived from Lahore over a month after they were requisitioned.^[44]

Geography of the Sikh Empire[link]

The former haveli of Nau Nihal Singh, the grandson of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab, Lahore

The Sikh Empire was also known as Punjab, the Sikh Raj, and Sarkar Khalsaji,^[45] was a region straddling the border into modern-day People's Republic of China and Islamic Republic of Afghanistan then popularly referred to as the Kingdom of Cabul.^[46] The name of the region "Punjab" or "Panjab", comprises two words "Punj/Panj" and "Ab", translating to "five" and "water" in Persian. When put together this gives a name meaning "the land of the five rivers", coined due to the five rivers that run through the Punjab. Those "Five Rivers" are Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab and Jhelum, all tributaries of the river Indus, home to the Indus Valley Civilization that perished 3000 years ago. Punjab has a long history and rich cultural heritage. The people of the Punjab are called Punjabis and they speak a language called Punjabi. The following modern day political divisions made up the historical Sikh Empire:

• Punjab region till Multan in south^[47]
  • Punjab, India
  • Punjab, Pakistan
  • Ganganagar, India
  • Haryana, India. Including Chandigarh.
  • Himachal Pradesh, India

• Kashmir, conquered in 1818, India/Pakistan/China^[48][49]
  • Jammu, India
  • Gilgit, Northern Areas, Pakistan (Occupied from 1842 to 1846)^[50]
• Khyber Pass, Afghanistan/Pakistan^[51][52]
  • Peshawar, Pakistan^[53] (taken in 1818, retaken in 1834)^[54]
  • North-West Frontier Province and FATA, Pakistan (documented from Hazara (taken in 1818–22)^[55] to Bannu)^[56]
• Parts of Western Tibet (1841), China^[57]

The Harmandir Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple) is the temple of worship of Sikhs.

Legacy and aftermath[link]

The Samadhi of Emperor Ranjit Singh in Lahore, Pakistan

Maharaja Ranjit Singh died in 1839, after a reign of nearly forty years, leaving seven sons by different queens. He was cremated. His ceremony was performed by both Sikh and Hindu priests, his wife Maharani Mahtab Devi Sahiba, the Princess of Kangra, daughter of Maharaja Sansar Chand, the Empress of Punjab, committed Sati with Ranjit's body as Ranjit's head lay in her lap, some of the other wives also joined her and committed Sati.^[58] The throne went to his eldest son Kharak Singh, who was not entirely fit and prepared for ruling such a vast empire. Some historians^[who?] believe that the other heirs would have forged an even more durable, independent and powerful empire, had they come to the throne before Kharak Singh. However, the empire began to crumble due to poor governance and political infighting among his heirs. The princes died through internal plots and assassinations, while the nobility struggled to maintain their power.^[59]

In 1845 after the First Anglo-Sikh War, Ranjit Singh's Empire was defeated and all major decisions were managed by the British East India Company. The Army of Ranjit Singh was reduced, under the peace treaty with the British, to a nominal force. Those who gave the stiffest resistance to the British were severely punished and their wealth confiscated. Eventually, Ranjit Singh's youngest son Dalip Singh, was crowned Maharaja of Punjab in 1843 succeeding his brother, Maharaja Sher Singh. In 1849, at the end of the Second Anglo Sikh War, it was annexed by British India from Dalip. Thereafter, the British took Maharaja Dalip Singh to England in 1854, where he was put under the protection of the Crown. Dalip Singh's mother, Maharani Jind Kaur, escaped and made her way to Nepal where she was given refuge by Sri Teen Maharaja Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal, who then negotiated on her behalf to allow her to be reunited with her son. Maharani Jind Kaur and her son met at Spence's Hotel, Calcutta, on 16 January 1861, after some thirteen and half years apart. She was granted permission to come to England. A residence was taken up at No. 1 Lancaster Gate (now No. 23).

Maharaja Ranjit Singh's throne, c. 1820–1830, Hafiz Muhammad Multani, now at V & A Museum

Jind Kaur stayed for a short while at Mulgrave Castle, later she was placed in the charge of an English lady at Abingdon House, Kensington. On the morning of 1 August 1863, Maharani Jind Kaur died peacefully. Her body was temporarily housed at London's Kensal Green Cemetery, and in the spring of 1864, Duleep Singh left for India and arranged for the cremation of her body.

Portrait of Maharaja Ranjit Singh

In the spring of 1864, Maharani Jind Kaur was cremated at Nasik in Bombay on the Panchvati side of the river. The authorities would not allow Dalip Singh to cremate his mother in the Punjab. On the left bank the Maharaja erected a small samadh built as a memorial in the memory of his mother. For a number of years the Kapurthala State Authorities maintained the memorial until 1924, when her remains were dug out and brought to Lahore by her granddaughter, Princess Bamba Sutherland, and deposited at the Samadh of Maharajah Ranjit Singh.

Dalip Singh was converted to Christianity in his youth, upon reuniting with his mother during his adult years, he reconverted to Sikhism, he then petitioned the Crown to have his kingdom returned. He never received any justice or the respect he deserved. He died in 1893, in Paris, France.

Maharajah Dalip Singh had three sons. The eldest Prince Victor was born on 10 July 1866, followed by Prince Frederick in 1868, and then Prince Albert Edward Alexander Dalip Singh (died at the age of thirteen), who was born on 20 August 1879.

Prince Victor Albert Jay Dalip Singh was Maharajah Dalip Singh's eldest son. He was honourable A.D.C. to Lord Halifax, and was promoted to Captain in 1894, but his military career, however, was a shambles, his interest lay in other things and he resigned in 1898. During the First World War, he was ordered to remain in Paris and not to leave, but shortly after the war ended, Prince Victor died on 7 June 1918, without any issue.

Princess Sophia, the youngest of the Maharajah's daughters. On 22 August 1948, Princess Sophia died in her sleep. Her solicitor arranged for her cremation at Golders Green on 26 August. It was her request that her ashes be taken to India for burial.

Princess Catherine was born on 27 October 1871, and was named Catherine Hilda Dalip Singh. Princess Catherine died peacefully in her bed on the night of Sunday 8 November 1942 at her home in Penn, aged seventy-one. The cause of death was said to be heart failure. She was cremated.

Princess Ada Irene Helen Beryl Dalip Singh, born on 25 October 1889. On 8 October 1926, she committed suicide, local fishermen dragged her body from the sea, off Monte Carlo. She was apparently much aggrieved with the death of her brother Prince Frederick who had died two months earlier.

Princess Pauline Alexandrina Dalip Singh, born 26 December 1887, her death was unrecorded, she disappeared in war-torn France during the Second World War.

Princess Bamba Sutherland (Princess Bamba Sofia Jindan Dalip Singh) was born on 29 September 1869 in London, a year after her brother Prince Frederick. In England, Princess Bamba began styling herself as the Queen of Punjab. She was truly her father's daughter and had her father's rebellious nature and seemed to be the more aggrieved one among her siblings. She was the most affected at the realisation of who she was and her ancestry. She was often visited by her cousin Karl Wilhelm, grandson of Ludwig Muller, at Hilden Hall, by which time she was already dreaming of going back to India to die. In his memoirs Karl Wilhelm referred to Princess Bamba as 'the true heiress of Ranjit Singh' meaning that she was most conscious of the actual desperate situation of the whole family. 'She considered the Punjab and Kashmir as the lost possession of her family and was absolutely furious when the border between Pakistan and India was drawn right across the Punjab.' In Princess Bamba's eyes, Pakistan or India did not exist, there was just the Punjab and its capital Lahore. She met distant relatives throughout her travels in India, trying to have one last glimpse of the glory that she was denied. She located the families of Wazir Ishwari Singh Katoch of Kangra and Hari Singh Nalwa, both residing in Nabha at the time. She met members of several Hindu and Sikh royal families in an attempt to prevent the division of her grandfather's empire.

On 10 March 1957, Princess Bamba, the daughter of Maharaja Dalip Singh, died of heart failure at the age of eighty-nine, the last of the family. Her funeral was conducted in a Christian ceremony in Lahore. The rites were witnessed by a select few Pakistani dignitaries, the Pakistani authorities did not allow any of her distant relatives to attend, Sikh or Hindu, nor were any Sikhs in Pakistan allowed to attend her rites, thus no Sikh was present at Princess Bamba's funeral, the last of Dalip Singh's line.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh is remembered for uniting the Punjab as a strong nation and his possession of the Koh-i-noor diamond. Ranjit Singh willed the Koh-i-noor to Jagannath Temple in Puri, Orissa while on his deathbed in 1839.^[58] His most lasting legacy was the golden beautification of the Harmandir Sahib, most revered Gurudwara of the Sikhs, with marble and gold, from which the popular name of the "Golden Temple" is derived.

He was also known as "Sher-e-Punjab" which means the "Lion of Punjab" and is considered one of the three lions of modern India, the most famous and revered heroes in Indian subcontinent's history. The other lions are Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha ruler. The title of "Sher-e-Punjab" is still widely used as a term of respect for a powerful man.

Captain William Murray's memoirs on Maharaja Ranjit Singh's character:

Ranjit Singh has been likened to Mehmet Ali and to Napoleon. There are some points in which he resembles both; but estimating his character with reference to his circumstances and positions, he is perhaps a more remarkable man than either. There was no ferocity in his disposition and he never punished a criminal with death even under circumstances of aggravated offence. Humanity indeed, or rather tenderness for life, was a trait in the character of Ranjit Singh. There is no instance of his having wantonly infused his hand in blood."^[60][61]

Many famous folk stories about Maharaja portray a leader and the inspiration Maharaja Ranjit Singh was. In one famous incident, when Maharaja was about to cross the badly flooded river near Attock (now in Pakistan and called Kabul River). One of Maharaja's generals reported this fact to Maharaja, saying that the river cannot be crossed and it is now an Atak (an obstacle in Hindi) for us. Maharaja retorted "eh Attock uhna lai atak hai, jehna de dillan wich atak hai" or "This river Attock is an obstacle for those, who have obstacles in their hearts", then crossed the river successfully. The army and other generals followed his lead.^{[citation needed]}

Another famous folk story about the Maharaja is that he was accidentally hit by a stone thrown by a 5-year-old boy, who actually wanted to hit a fruit tree to knock down some of its fruit. When he was brought before the Maharaja, Ranjit Singh gave him a gold coin. He said, "How can I punish him for hitting me with a stone, when this tree will give him fruit for the same?"^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

• Baradari of Ranjit Singh
• History of Punjab
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Generals
• Preminder Singh Sandhawalia
• Sikh Empire

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Heath, Ian (2005), The Sikh Army 1799–1849, Oxford: Osprey Publishing (UK), ISBN 1-84176-777-8 
• Lafont, Jean-Marie Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Lord of the Five Rivers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002 ISBN 0-19-566111-7
• Marshall, Julie G. (2005), Britain and Tibet 1765–1947: a select annotated bibliography of British relations with Tibet and the Himalayan states including Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan (Revised and Updated to 2003 ed.), London: Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-33647-5 
• Sandhawalia, Preminder Singh Noblemen and Kinsmen: history of a Sikh family. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1999 ISBN 81-215-0914-9
• Waheeduddin, Fakir Syed The Real Ranjit Singh; 2nd ed. Patiala: Punjabi University, 1981 ISBN 81-7380-778-7 (First ed. published 1965 Pakistan).

Further reading[link]

• Umdat Ut Tawarikh by Sohan Lal Suri, Published by Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar .
• The Real Ranjit Singh by Fakir Syed Waheeduddin, published by Punjabi University, ISBN 81-7380-778-7, 1 Jan 2001, 2nd ed. First ed. published 1965 Pakistan.
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh: First Death Centenary Memorial, by St. Nihal Singh. Published by Languages Dept., Punjab, 1970.
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his times, by J. S. Grewal, Indu Banga. Published by Dept. of History, Guru Nanak Dev University, 1980.
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh, by Harbans Singh. Published by Sterling, 1980.
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh, by K. K. Khullar. Published by Hem Publishers, 1980.
• The reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh: structure of power, economy and society, by J. S. Grewal. Published by Punjab Historical Studies Dept., Punjabi University, 1981.
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh, as patron of the arts, by Ranjit Singh. Published by Marg Publications, 1981.
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Politics, Society, and Economy, by Fauja Singh, A. C. Arora. Published by Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, 1984.
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his Times, by Bhagat Singh. Published by Sehgal Publishers Service, 1990. ISBN 81-85477-01-9.
• History of the Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh, by Shri Ram Bakshi. Published by Anmol Publications, 1991.
• The Historical Study of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Times, by Kirpal Singh. Published by National Book Shop, 1994. ISBN 81-7116-163-4.
• An Eyewitness account of the fall of Sikh empire: memories of Alexander Gardner, by Alexander Haughton Campbell Gardner, Baldev Singh Baddan, Hugh Wodehouse Pearse. Published by National Book Shop, 1999. ISBN 81-7116-231-2.
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Last to Lay Arms: The Last to Lay Arms, by Kartar Singh Duggal. Published by Abhinav Publications, 2001. ISBN 81-7017-410-4.
• Fauj-i-khas Maharaja Ranjit Singh and His French Officers, by Jean Marie Lafont. Published by Guru Nanak Dev University, 2002. ISBN 81-7770-048-0.
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh, by Mohinder Singh, Rishi Singh, Sondeep Shankar, National Institute of Panjab Studies (India). Published by UBS Publishers' Distributors with National Institute of Panjab Studies, 2002. ISBN 81-7476-372-4,.
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Lord of the Five Rivers, by Jean Marie Lafont. Published by Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN 0-19-566111-7.
• The Last Sunset: The Rise and Fall of the Lahore Durbar, by Amarinder Singh. Published by Roli Books, 2010.
• Glory of Sikhism, by R. M. Chopra, Sanbun Publishers, 2001.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sikh Empire

• Maharaja Ranjit Singh Biography
• True Account of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
• Extra profile from sikh-history.com
• Foreign officers in Ranjit Singh's Court
• Ranjit Singh profile from sikh-history.com
• Ranjit Singh
• Official government of Pakistan cultural history article on Maharaja Ranjit Singh
• RoyalArk on Punjab's dynasty, includes extensive bios
• Genealogy of Lahore (Princely State) Queensland University

Biographies

• Ranjit Singh military career profile
• Detailed article on Ranjit Singh's Army
• Ajitweely
• Article on Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum
•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Ranjit Singh". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2012)

Gippy Grewal
Background information
Birth name	Rupinder Grewal
Born	(1982-01-02) 2 January 1982 (age 30) Koom Kalam, Ludhiana, Punjab (India)
Genres	Bhangra
Occupations	Punjabi singer & Actor
Associated acts	Honey Singh, Diljit Dosanjh, Sukshinder Shinda
Website	http://www.merapunjab.net/

Gippy Grewal (or Rupinder Grewal) is a Punjabi Singer and Actor.

Biography[link]

He is a Jatt Sikh, born in village Koom Kalam, Ludhiana, Punjab on January 2, 1982. He was enrolled in a Hotel Management course prior to entering the Punjabi Music Industry. ^[1]

Singing Career[link]

He made is debut with the album "Chakk Lai" which went on to became an instant success and brought him into the limelight in the Punjabi Music Industry. He then went on to further his success with albums like "Nasha," "Phulkari," "Phulkari 2 Just Hits" and "Gangster." His 2012 song "Angreji Beat" a collaboration with Honey Singh for his album International Villager stormed the Punjabi Music Charts worldwide and is now featured in Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone's Bollywood film Cocktail that releases in July 2012.

Acting Career[link]

He made his debut in Punjabi Films in a supporting role in 2010 with the superhit film Mel Karade Rabba opposite Jimmy Shergill and Indo-Canadian actress Neeru Bajwa. He followed that up with a lead role in Jihne Mera Dil Luteya with Diljit Dosanjh which became the biggest hit in Punjabi Cinema.^[2] In April 2012 his film Mirza - The Untold Story released with the highest opening for a Punjabi film opposite UK-Punjabi actress Mandy Takhar. His next movie Carry On Jatta pairs him with critically acclaimed Bollywood actress Mahie Gill, it releases in July 2012. He then joins forces with Jazzy Bains who will be making his Punjabi film debut in Best of Luck opposite Miss India Universe 2008 Simran Mundi. ^[3]

Discography[link]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

1. ^ "Gippy Grewal Biography". cinebasti.com. http://www.cinebasti.com/celebrity/Gippy-Grewal/6257/biography. Retrieved 24 April 2012. 
2. ^ "Business Today - Punjab Takes Center Stage With Its Own Hits". http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/punjabi-film-industry-and-bollywood/1/19574.html. 
3. ^ "Best of Luck Gippy and Jazzy". http://merapunjab.net/2012/04/best-of-luck-gippy-grewal-jazzy-b/Gippy. Retrieved 26 April 2012. 

Gippy Grewal Page

External links[link]