Kharak Singh

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This article is about the Maharaja. For 20th century political leader, see Baba Kharak Singh.

Maharaja Kharak Singh
Maharaja of Punjab
Maharaja of Lahore
Sarkar-i-Wallah[1]
Sarkar Khalsaji[1]
Detail of a painting of Maharaja Kharak Singh, Punjab or Delhi, circa early-to-mid 19th century
Maharaja of Punjab, Kashmir and Jammu
Reign27 June 1839 – 8 October 1839
Coronation1 September 1839
PredecessorRanjit Singh
SuccessorNau Nihal Singh
WazirDhian Singh
Born22 February 1801
Lahore, Punjab, Sikh Empire
Died5 November 1840 (1840-11-06) (aged 39)
Lahore, Punjab, Sikh Empire
ConsortChand Kaur Kanhaiyā[2]
SpousesBibi Khem Kaur Dhillon[3]
Kishan Kaur Samra
Inder Kaur Bajwa
IssueNau Nihal Singh
HouseSukerchakia
DynastySikh Empire
FatherRanjit Singh
MotherDatar Kaur
ReligionSikhism

Kharak Singh (22 February 1801 – 5 November 1840) was the second maharaja of the Sikh Empire, ruling from June 1839 until his dethronement and imprisonment in October 1839. He was the eldest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire and his consort, Maharani Datar Kaur. Kharak was succeeded by his only son Nau Nihal Singh.[2]

Early life

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Young Kunwar Kharak Singh (bottom left) sits opposite his father, Maharaja Ranjit Singh while the Top-row features with Sardar Budh Singh of Sukerchak paying respects to Shri Guru Har Rai ji (top right). The Middle row features Sardar Charat Singh (left) and his son Sardar Mahan Singh (right) the image is from Umdat-ut-tawarikh (vol. II)


Kharak Singh was born on 22 February 1801 in Lahore, Punjab to Sardar Ranjit Singh of Sukerchakia Misl and his second wife Datar Kaur Nakai, lovingly called Nakain by his father and popularly known as Mai Nakain or Maharani Nakain.[4][5] His mother was the daughter of Ran Singh Nakai, third ruler of the Nakai Misl.[6]

An horoscope was commissioned for newborn prince, as was customary among the nobility of the time. Horoscopes were regarded as valuable indicators of the character and destiny of a future ruler.[7] Astrologers suggested the prince be named according to the martial tradition of his family.[8]

The prince was named by his father[9] "Kharak" (ਖੜਕ) which means 'Wielder of the Sword' he was named after the unconquerable warrior mentioned in Dasam Granth. According to Gyani Sher Singh, Ranjit Singh knew the entire Dasam Granth by heart.

Ranjit Singh believed the birth of his son to be auspicious and his happiness was so great that Lahore was en fete. A full forty days were spent in alms giving, thanksgiving and celebration.[10][11][12][13][14]

Sohan Lal Suri, the court biographer of the Sukerchakia royal family in his magnum opus, Umdat-ut-Tawarikh mentions the baby prince’s arrival as a blessing to the local population and how everyone rejoiced.

"There was general pleasure and merry-making. The dust of distress and suffering was removed from the minds of the people. The persons who had been blinded with adversity procured the kohl of sight on account of abundant charities and alms. The oppressed ones derived great pleasure."

It was his birth that persuaded Ranjit Singh to proclaim himself the Maharaja of Punjab.[15]

To celebrate his birth, his mother, Datar Kaur, asked her husband, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, to rebuild Gurdwara Janam Asthan of Guru Ram Das in the Chuna Mandi Bazaar at the birthplace of Guru Ram Das Ji. She felt that the ancestral home of Guru Sahib was too small, so Ranjit Singh purchased the surrounding buildings from the Qazis and had the gurdwara constructed in the architectural style of Sri Harmandir Sahib.[16][17]

Photograph of Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das taken by Kahn Singh Nabha in the 1920s and published in the Mahan Kosh (1930)


The following year, adorned with Tilaka he was paraded through the streets of Lahore as Punjab's prince.[18]

In 1816 in a formal ceremony Kharak Singh was appointed Yuvraj Shri Tikka Kanwar by his father.[19]

Early military campaigns and alliances

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Fresco of young Kharak Singh with his entourage from the Haveli of his mother, Maharani Datar Kaur


Kharak Singh was brought up in his family's martial tradition and assigned to a variety of military expeditions. While barely six years old, he was given the command of an expedition to conquer Sheikhupura the prince's mother then was gifted Sheikhupura Fort by his father.[20][21]

In 1811, at the age of ten, the precocious Kharak Singh reportedly asked his father for control over the estates of the Nakai Misl—his mother’s kingdom—promising that he would render a far greater tribute than his cousin, Kahan Singh Nakai. His request was granted. Despite the revered Baba Sahib Singh Bedi's support for the Nakais the Nakai estates were obvertaken by Kharak Singh claiming he is "the grandson of the Nakais" while Kahan Singh Nakai was allowed to retain Baherwal with a jagir worth Rs. 20,000.[22][23]

At a young age, he was engaged to Chand Kaur, the daughter of Jaimal Singh Kanhaiya of the Kanhaiya Misl, a match arranged by his father to ensure that the Kanhaiyas could not directly oppose the Sukerchakia heir-apparent.[24] Following his marriage in 1812, he was placed in charge of the Kanhaiya estates. That same year, he was deputed—along with Dewan Mokham Chand and his tutor, Ram Singh—to punish the recalcitrant chiefs of Bhimber and Rajouri. Later in 1812, Kharak Singh received the principality of Jammu as his jagir.[25][26]


Kunwar Kharak Singh rides his horse as his mother, Maharani Datar Kaur looks on.


Maharani Datar Kaur had a deep influence on her son and paid great attention to her son's education, as a result Kharak Singh mastered several languages and developed interests in cosmic sciences from an early age. Like his parents, Kharak Singh was deeply religious since childhood. He was a devout Sikh and admired for his piety and simplicity.[27]

Kharak Singh shared a close relationship with his parents, particularly with his mother.

He cared for her deeply and was devoted to her throughout his life.[28] Upon her death at Sheikhupura on June 20, 1838, he is recorded by Suri as having been inconsolable.[29] He mourned for twenty-one days, attended no public meetings, and was unable to eat properly. Ranjit Singh even remarked to his son that he had lost a great deal of weight.[30] His consort, Yuvrani Chand Kaur, personally supervised the distribution of alms in commemoration of her mother-in-law.[31]

Administration as the Crown Prince

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Fresco of Maharani Datar Kaur martially training her son, Kharak Singh

Since his birth Kharak Singh was heir of his father and in 1816 when he was merely 14, Maharaja Ranjit Singh officially anointed Kharak Singh as his heir apparent and coronated him "Yuvraj Shri Tikka Kanwar " (Crown prince).[32][33] Kharak was a popular and well liked crown prince. [34]

Since birth, Kharak Singh was the designated heir of his father. In 1816, at the age of 14, Maharaja Ranjit Singh officially anointed him as Heir apparent, coronating him Yuvraj Shri Tikka Kanwar (Crown Prince).[35][36] Kharak Singh was a popular and well-regarded crown prince.[37]

The same year, his mother, Mai Nakain took over his training for 18 months and even accompanied him to his expedition to Multan.[38]

He was invested with the command of Siege of Multan (1818). Duing the battle the queen herself oversaw the steady supply of grain, horses, and ammunition being sent to Kot Kamalia, a town equally distanced between Multan and Lahore.[39] In 1818, together with Misr Diwan Chand he commanded an expedition against the Afghan ruler of Multan Nawab Muzaffar Khan, achieving a decisive victory at the Battle of Multan.

The Crown Prince showed military talent hence was given a battalion to command during the Battle of Shopian, which resulted in the annexation of Srinagar and Kashmir into the Sikh Empire.[40][41] When the Sikh army entered the city of Srinagar after the battle, Prince Kharak Singh guaranteed the personal safety of every citizen and ensured the city was not plundered. The peaceful capture of Srinagar was important as Srinagar, besides having a large Shawl-making industry, was also the center of trade between Panjab, Tibet, Skardu, and Ladakh.[42]

He commanded during similar campaigns undertaken by his father, Ranjit Singh for the conquest of Peshawar during the Battle of Nowshera and against the Mazaris of Shikarpur.

In 1839, Ranjit Singh awarded Kashmir to Kharak Singh, which was seen as a check on the ambitions of Gulab Singh Dogra.[43]

Maharaja of the Sikh Empire

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Maharaja Kharak Singh on horseback

On the death of his father he was proclaimed the Maharajah and installed on the throne at Lahore Fort on 1 September 1839.

Kharak Singh was a patron of arts and had commissioned a Sanskrit astronomy manuscript – the Sarvasiddhantattvacudamani.[38]

Though courageous and good in battle, Kharak was regarded as simple minded[44] and believed to lack his father's shrewdness and diplomatic skills.[44][45] He developed a close relationship with his tutor Chet Singh Bajwa after the death of his mother, who gained such an ascendancy over him as to render him a puppet.[45] This relationship with Chet Singh created tensions with Prime Minister Raja Dhian Singh.[45]

The Austrian physician, Johann Martin Honigberger who was present at court, described his coronation as a dark day for the Punjab, and referred to the Maharaja as a blockhead who twice a day deprived himself of his senses and spent his whole time in a state of stupefaction.[46] Historians challenge the popular oriental notion of Kharak Singh being considered "imbecile",[47] as said by Alexander Burnes and Henry Montgomery Lawrence -who had never met Kharak Singh.[48] Burns was the first to refer to Kharak Singh as imbecile but also mentions that Kharak was extremely kind hearted and noted that the prince was the master of an impressive military and good at the administrating and handling important strategic and governing duties assigned to him.[49]

Claude Martin Wade, who was at the Lahore Durbar for 16 years disagreed as well, stating that Kharak Singh was a man with a "mild and humane disposition, who was "loved by his dependants".[41] Wade suggests that Kharak Singh seemed to have a dismal reputation as he maintained a low profile.[41] Dr. Priya Atwal and Sarbpreet Singh note that Kharak Singh was politically intelligent and well versed in multiple languages, the most educated prince of Maharaja Ranjit Singh who not only led military expeditions but also diplomatic events.[50][49] Sarbjeet Singh states Kharak Singh along with his brothers was a victim of circumstance, something he labeled "A Shakespearean tragedy".

Death

[edit]

Raja Dhian Singh is known to resent the influence of Chet Singh Bajwa, tutor of Kharak Singh on the emperor, as well as the court. It was rumored that both the Maharaja and Chet Singh were secretly planning to sell out the Punjab to the British, pay them six annas in every rupee of state revenue and, worse of all, disband the Sikh army. Misled by these fictitious tales, the court and Nau Nihal Singh became estranged from Kharak Singh.[51]

Chet Singh was assassinated on 9 October 1839. Early that morning the conspirators entered the Maharaja's residence in the Fort and assassinated Chet Singh in the presence of their royal master, who vainly implored them to spare the life of his friend.

Kharak Singh was poisoned with white lead and mercury.[46] Within six months he was bedridden, and eleven months after the poisoning he died on 5 November 1840 in Lahore.[52][46] The official announcement blamed a sudden mysterious illness.[46] Though never proven, most contemporaries believed Dhian Singh to be behind the poisoning.[46] Dhian Singh also murdered one of Kharak Singh's wives, Rani Inder Kaur, by setting her on fire.[46] Two of Kharak Singh's wives committed sati on his funeral pyre.[53]

Dhian Singh had previously resisted attempts to allow Kharak training in statecraft, and on 8 October 1839 he instigated his removal from the throne with Nau Nihal Singh becoming de facto ruler.

Family

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Wives

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According to Priya Atwal, the known wives of Kharak Singh were:[54]

  • Chand Kaur Kanhaiya of the Kanhaiya Misl(1802-1842), daughter of Jaimal Singh Kanhaiya was the first wife and queen consort of Kharak Singh. They were married in 1811 when they were both only 10 years old. In 1821 she gave birth to their only son Nau Nihal Singh. Umdat-ut-Tawarikh, the chronological account of the reign of the Sukerchakia family by their historiographer Sohan Lal Suri states that she was murdered on the orders of her brother-in-law, Sher Singh and Prime Minister Dhian Singh. The account further states that Sher Singh ordered for "medicines" to be given to widows of her son to terminate their pregnancies to avoid any future claimants to the throne resulting in the death of her grandchild and daughter-in-law, Sahib Kaur[55]
  • Khem Kaur Dhillon from Kalalwali, daughter of Jodh Singh Kalalwala was the second wife of Kharak Singh. They were married pn 3 July 1815, given a pension worth Rs. 2,400. She had a jagir worth Rs. 12,000 that was confiscated as she colluded with the Multani rebels to overthrow the British her government in Punjab. Khem Kaur later adopted her cousin's son, Bhagwan Singh.
  • Kishan Kaur Samra (also known as Subhrawali), daughter of a Jatt zamindar from Gurdaspur was the third wife of Kharak Singh and they were also married 1815. She was the only queen to live after the fall of the Sikh Empire in 1849, had an annual pension paid by the British Raj of RS 2324 and died in Lahore in 1876 while living at the Lahore Fort.
  • Inder Kaur Bajwa was his last wife and they were married by proxy in a "chadar dalna" ceremony in 1816. She was a relative of Chet Singh Bajwa, Kharak Singh's tutor and close confidant.

Issues

[edit]

The known male issues of Kharak Singh were:[54]

Legacy

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Fresco of a tree and flowers from Maharaja Kharak Singh's Haveli within the Lahore Fort

A haveli known as Kharak Singh's Haveli, located in Shahi Qila, Lahore, is associated with him.[56] In 2023, a treasure-trove of historical documents was discovered at the haveli.[56]


See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Suri., Sohan Lal (1961). Umdat-ut-tawarikh ['Umdat at-tawārīh, engl.] An outstanding original source of Panjab history by Lala Sohan Lal Suri. OCLC 163394684.
  2. ^ a b Āhlūwālīā, M. L. "KHAṚAK SIṄGH MAHĀRĀJĀ (1801–1840)". Encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Punjabi University Patiala. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  3. ^ ""Bibi Khem Kaur Dhillon", URL accessed 11/16/06". Archived from the original on 18 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  4. ^ Bengal, Past & Present: Journal of the Calcutta Historical Society. The Society. 1926.
  5. ^ Von Hügel, Baron Charles. Travels in Kashmir and the Punjab. p. 149.
  6. ^ Griffin, Lepel Henry (1890). The Panjab Chiefs: Historical and Biographical Notices of the Principal Families in the Lahore and Rawalpindi Divisions of the Panjab. Civil and Military Gazette Press.
  7. ^ Atwal, Priya (15 January 2021). Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-756694-7.
  8. ^ Vaḥīduddīn, Faqīr Sayyid (1965). The Real Ranjit Singh. Lion Art Press.
  9. ^ Vaḥīduddīn, Faqīr Sayyid (1965). The Real Ranjit Singh. Lion Art Press.
  10. ^ Lafont, Jean Marie (2002). Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Atlantic Publishers & Distri.
  11. ^ Suri, Sohan Lal. Umdat-ut-Tawarikh.
  12. ^ Maharaja Ranjit Singh: First Death Centenary Memorial. Khalae College. 1939.
  13. ^ Maharaja Ranjit Singh, as Patron of the Arts. Marg Publications. 1981.
  14. ^ Vaḥīduddīn, Faqīr Sayyid (1965). The Real Ranjit Singh. Lion Art Press.
  15. ^ Singh, Khushwant (24 March 2009). Ranjit Singh. Penguin Books India. ISBN 978-0-14-306543-2.
  16. ^ Baig, Ali Usman (27 June 2022). "Ali Usman Baig : Gurdwara Sri Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das Chuna Mandi Bazar, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan (2020)". Ali Usman Baig. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  17. ^ Suri, Sohan Lal (2001). Umdat Ut-tawarikh. Guru Nanak Dev University. ISBN 978-81-7770-072-5.
  18. ^ Sood, D. R. (1968). Ranjit Singh. National Book Trust, India.
  19. ^ Maharaja Kharak Singh, June 27, 1839-November 5, 1840: Select Records Preserved in the National Archives of India, New Delhi. Department of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University. 1977.
  20. ^ Atwal, Priya (15 January 2021). Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-756694-7.
  21. ^ DK (25 April 2023). Sikhs: A Story of a People, Their Faith and Culture. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-593-84942-2.
  22. ^ Suri, Lala Sohan Lal (1961). UMDAT-UT-TAWARIKH: An Outstanding Original Source of Panjab History ; Daftar III, Parts (I-V) ; Chronicle of the Reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh ; 1831-1839 A.D. S. Chand & Company.
  23. ^ Bhagat Singh. History Of The Sikh Misals.
  24. ^ Atwal, Priya (15 January 2021). Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-756694-7.
  25. ^ Latif, Syad Muhammad (1891). History of the Panjáb from the Remotest Antiquity to the Present Time. Calcutta Central Press Company, limited.
  26. ^ Atwal, Priya (15 January 2021). Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-756694-7.
  27. ^ Vaḥīduddīn, Faqīr Sayyid (1965). The Real Ranjit Singh. Lion Art Press.
  28. ^ Lala (Lala.), Sohan Lal Suri (1961). Umdat-ut- Tawarikh: Daftar 3. Chand.
  29. ^ Lala (Lala.), Sohan Lal Suri (1961). Umdat-ut- Tawarikh: Daftar 3. Chand.
  30. ^ Lala (Lala.), Sohan Lal Suri (1961). Umdat-ut- Tawarikh: Daftar 3. Chand.
  31. ^ Lala (Lala.), Sohan Lal Suri (1961). Umdat-ut- Tawarikh: Daftar 3. Chand.
  32. ^ Singh [Author, Ranjit (2013). Golden Crystal. Unistar Books. ISBN 978-93-5113-048-2. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  33. ^ Archives, India (Republic) National (1977). Maharaja Kharak Singh, June 27, 1839-November 5, 1840: Select Records Preserved in the National Archives of India, New Delhi. Department of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University.
  34. ^ Atwal, Priya (2020). Royals and Rebels.
  35. ^ Singh [Author, Ranjit (2013). Golden Crystal. Unistar Books. ISBN 978-93-5113-048-2. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  36. ^ Archives, India (Republic) National (1977). Maharaja Kharak Singh, June 27, 1839-November 5, 1840: Select Records Preserved in the National Archives of India, New Delhi. Department of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University.
  37. ^ Atwal, Priya (2020). Royals and Rebels.
  38. ^ a b "Book Review: The Hidden History of Female Agency in the Sikh Empire". The Wire. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  39. ^ Chopra, Gulshan Lall (1929). The Panjab as a sovereign state (1799-1839). Uttar Chand Kapur & Sons. OCLC 16516859.
  40. ^ Suri, Sohan Lal (2001). Umdat Ut-tawarikh. Guru Nanak Dev University. ISBN 978-81-7770-072-5.
  41. ^ a b c Atwal, Priya (15 January 2021). Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-756694-7.
  42. ^ Chopra, Gulshan Lall (1929). The Panjab as a sovereign state (1799-1839). Uttar Chand Kapur & Sons. OCLC 16516859.
  43. ^ Vanit Nalwa, Hari Singh Nalwa, "champion of the Khalsaji" (1791-1837), Manohar, New Delhi, 13 January 2009
  44. ^ a b Bobby Singh Bansal, Remnants of the Sikh Empire: Historical Sikh Monuments in India & Pakistan, Hay House, Inc, 1 Dec 2015,
  45. ^ a b c C. Grey, European Adventurers of Northern India, 1785 to 1849, Asian Educational Services, 1996,
  46. ^ a b c d e f William Dalrymple, Anita Anand, Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World's Most Infamous Diamond, Bloomsbury Publishing, 15 June 2017
  47. ^ Sheikh, Majid (23 June 2019). "HARKING BACK: Exquisite haveli with bloody tales of treachery". Dawn. Pakistan. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  48. ^ Swamy, M. R. Narayan. "Palace Women, Princes in Sikh Empire". South Asia Monitor. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  49. ^ a b Atwal, Priya (24 September 2020). Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. C. Hurst (Publishers) Limited. ISBN 978-1-78738-308-1.
  50. ^ Singh, Sarbpreet (2019). The Camel Merchant of Philadelphia: Stories from the Court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Tranquebar by Westland Publications Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-88689-47-2.
  51. ^ "Koh-i-Noor Diamond", Dictionary of Gems and Gemology, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p. 500, 2009, doi:10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_12469, ISBN 978-3-540-72795-8, retrieved 12 September 2021
  52. ^ G. S. Chhabra, Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume-2: 1803-1920), Lotus Press, 2005, p.176
  53. ^ Shanker, Rajkumari (21 September 2015). "Women in Sikhism". In Sharma, Arvind (ed.). Religion and Women. State University of New York Press. p. 200. ISBN 9781438419602.
  54. ^ a b Atwal, Priya. "Appendices: Queens of the Sikh Empire - Appendix II. List of All Known Queens of the Empire". Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. Oxford University Press. pp. 216–223. ISBN 9780197548318.
  55. ^ Atwal, Priya. Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire.
  56. ^ a b Atta, Ayesha (6 October 2023). "300-year-old documents found in Kharak Singh's Haveli". Samaa. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
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Preceded by Maharaja of the Sikh Empire
27 June 1839 – 8 October 1839 		Succeeded by