| Sada Kaur | |
|---|---|
| Rani ofSarkar-e-Khalsa Chief of Kanhaiyas | |
 A sketch of Sada Kaur by Kehar Singh, court artist of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. | |
| Born | c. 1762 Rauke Kalan,Dallewalia Misl,Sikh Confederacy (present-dayPunjab,India) |
| Died | 1832 (aged 69–70) Lahore,Punjab,Sikh Empire (present-dayPunjab,Pakistan) |
| Spouse | Gurbaksh Singh Kanhaiya (m.1768- 1785 his death) |
| Issue | Mehtab Kaur |
| Dynasty | DhaliwalJat (by birth) Kanhaiya Misl (by marriage) |
| Father | Daswandha Singh Dhaliwal |
| Religion | Sikhism |
Rani Sada Kaur (Punjabi: ਸਦਾ ਕੌਰ;c. 1762 – 1832) was aSikh leader. She served as the Chief of theKanhaiya Misl from 1789 to 1821, following the death of her husbandGurbaksh Singh Kanhaiya, the heir toJai Singh Kanhaiya, the leader of the Kanhaiya Misl, and she is sometimes referred to asSardarni Sada Kaur.[1]
Described as intelligent and ambitious, Rani Sada Kaur was instrumental in guiding a young Ranjit Singh to found theSikh Empire. She played an important role in the rise and consolidation of Sikh power inPunjab.[2]
Sada Kaur was born into aDhaliwalJat Sikh family in 1762 to Sardar Daswandha Singh Dhaliwal.[3] She was married to the 7-year-old Gurbaksh Singh, the eldest son and heir of Jai Singh, the head of theSandhuJat ruler of Kanhaiya Misl. They were married in 1768 and had one child together, a daughter namedMehtab Kaur, who was born in 1782.[4][5]
Gurbaksh Singh died fighting in the Battle of Batala against theSukerchakia Misl, theRamgarhia Misl as well as the Sansar Chand Katoch. In 1785, Sada Kaur, along with Jai Singh Kanhaiya, then got her daughter married toRanjit Singh, theSukerchakia Misl's chief's son, and they were married in 1786.[6] In 1789, her father-in-law,Jai Singh Kanheya, also died.[6] Sada Kaur then assumed the leadership of the Kanhaiya Misl as well as the loyalty of its 8,000cavalrymen.[4] After the death of his father,Mahan Singh, in 1792 Ranjit Singh was made the chief of theSukerchakia Misl and Sada Kaur became his regent.[4] Sada Kaur used both Kanheya and Sukerchakia misals to pushRanjit forward.
The people ofLahore who were tired of the rule of Bhangimisl requested Sada Kaur andRanjit Singh to take overLahore. Sada Kaur advised Ranjit that whoever controls Lahore controls Punjab. On 7 July 1799 Ranjit Singh and Sada Kaur attacked Lahore with 25,000 troops. The people of Lahore opened the city gates for them. Ranjit entered the city throughLohari Gate and Sada Kaur entered throughDelhi Gate. Sada Kaur made Ranjit Singh the King of Lahore in 1801.
In the battles forAmritsar,Chiniot,Kasur,Attock andHazara she was with Ranjit Singh. In 1798 Ranjit Singh remarried. Sada Kaur did not approve of it, but choose to move beyond it as she had set her heart on greater and better things and was resolved to see that for her own particular purpose and the purpose of her exclusive tyke (and her offspring in the event that she had any), Ranjit Singh do the arrangements that she had set for him.[7]
She eventually broke with Ranjit. Then Sada Kaur thought of ruling her own state but Ranjit Singh restricted her movements. She retained the majority of herestates until 1820.[4] In 1821, Ranjit Singh imprisoned Sada Kaur and confiscated her possessions.[8] Sada Kaur died in Lahore in 1832.[3]