| Jhanda Singh Bhangi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chief of Bhangi Misl | |
| Reign | 1766—1774 |
| Successor | Ganda Singh Bhangi |
| Died | 1774 (1775) |
| Father | Hari Singh Bhangi[1] |
Jhanda Singh Bhangi (died 1774) was a chief of Bhangi Misl.[2] Under his leadership theDhillon family became the dominantde facto ruling power of Punjab. His father wasHari Singh, one of the most powerful Sikh warriors of the time.[3] He also had a warrior brotherGanda Singh. Jhanda Singh appointed his younger brother Ganda Singh as thecommander in chief of the forces.Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was one of the closest friends of Jhanda Singh.[3]
Jhanda Singh was the eldest son ofHari Singh. After his father's death, he succeeded him.[4]
In 1766, soon after taking power, Jhanda Singh and Ganda Singh led a large army towardsMultan. They stopped at the right bank of theSutlej River, across fromBahawalpur. Mubarik Khan, ruler of Bahawalpur, came to stop them. Shuja Khan, the governor of Multan, joined Mubarik Khan in the fight. A tough battle took place between the Sikhs and the Muslims, but neither side won. They agreed to divide the land betweenBahawalpur andLahore. A treaty was signed, and Pakpattan was decided as the boundary between the two groups.[3]
In December 1766,Ahmad Shah Durrani launched his eighth invasion of India, but the Sikhs were ready for him. Led by Jhanda Singh,Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, andKhushal Singh, they employed guerrilla tactics to constantly harass Durrani's forces. Undeterred, Durrani attempted to negotiate, sending letters to the three Sikh leaders on 15 January 1767, inviting them to either meet with him or face him on the battlefield. However, the Sikhs rejected his offer and continued their relentless attacks. By May 1767, Durrani had had enough and retreated from Punjab. Seizing the opportunity, Jhanda Singh remained inAmritsar, completing the fort initially built byHari Singh. He also laid out the city's infrastructure, further solidifying the Sikhs' control over the region.[3]
In 1771, A group of Brahmans fromKasur came toAmritsar and reported thatHindus were being mistreated and subjected to sexual violence by the Pathans of Kasur. They also mentioned that cows were being publicly slaughtered in different parts of the town. They asked for help in resolving these issues. The military post that had been set up byHari Singh in Kot Khwajah Husain in Kasur had been removed.Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Jhanda Singh, and Ganda Singh quickly decided to attack Kasur to punish the wrongdoers. They leftAmritsar and stopped atTarn Taran, then continued to Khem Karan, where they stayed for two days. There, many other Sikhs joined them, drawn by the possibility of gaining a large amount of loot. They then moved toward Kasur. The two Afghan leaders, Hamid Khan and Usman Khan, came out to fight. Despite the tough resistance from the defenders, the Sikhs managed to break into the town. A close battle took place in the streets. The invaders destroyed Garhi Adur Rahim Khan and seized a lot of loot. Fighting continued in other forts for a few more days. Eventually, the Afghan leaders realized they couldn't win and asked for peace. They agreed not to kill cows, not to mistreat their Hindu subjects, and to pay a tribute along with a fine of four lakhs of rupees. The Sikhs accepted these terms. The military post in Kot Khwajah Husain was reinstated, and the Afghan rulers were honored with robes. The Sikhs then left Kasur.[3]
In 1771, Jhanda Singh focused his attention onBahawalpur, sending Commander Majha Singh to attack the area. Majha Singh successfully pillaged Khai, Sadullahpur, and neighboring regions under Bahawalpur's control. In response, the Nawab of Bahawalpur deployed his nephew, Jafar Khan, to lead a select force against Majha Singh across the Sutlej River. The ensuing battle was fierce, with several of the Nawab's officers killed. However, the tide turned in their favor with the timely arrival of reinforcements from Bahawalpur. Despite Majha Singh suffering a fatal bullet wound, his soldiers remained steadfast and prepared to continue fighting. Ultimately, the Nawab of Bahawalpur opted to purchase peace by paying a substantial sum of one lakh rupees, as reported by Gian Singh. Following this, the Sikh forces advanced towardsMultan.[3]
In 1772, during Ahmad Shah's reign,Timur Shah appointed Haji Sharif Khan as the governor ofMultan. Shuja Khan, the previous governor, retired to his town,Shujabad. Haji Sharif Khan was ineffective, and the crops failed, leading to the saying: "Haji Sharif, na Rabi, na Kharif," referring to the failed crops. Furthermore, Haji Sharif Khan's indolence caused law and order to deteriorate, and he faced opposition from Shuja Khan and others. Dharam Das was murdered by Haji Sharif Khan’s orders, which led to unrest. Timur Shah eventually replaced Haji Sharif Khan with Sharif Beg Taklu. However, Shuja Khan, with the support of Jafar Khan, Nawab of Bahawalpur, besieged Multan. Sharif Beg sought help from Jhanda Singh and Ganda Singh, the Bhangi sardars. After 18 days, theBahawalpur forces were defeated, and the Sikhs took control of the city on 25 December 1772. Jhanda Singh appointed his stepbrother, Diwan Singh Chachowalia, as the governor of Multan.[3]
In December 1772, after the capture ofMultan, Ganda Singh passed throughBahawalpur, securing a tribute of one lakh rupees. Meanwhile, Jhanda Singh turned his attention to western Punjab, beginning with the conquest ofTulamba, Jhanda Singh then subdued the influential Baluch chiefs of theJhang district, who controlled the Chenab River, and expanded further by bringingMankera under his control, securing its submission through tribute. He also secured the Nawab of Ahmadabad’s submission, located across the Jhelum River fromBhera, who paid twenty thousand rupees in tribute. Both Mankera and Ahmadabad were entrusted to Man Singh. Jhanda Singh continued to expand his territory, taking control of the land between the Salt Range and theChenab River, stretching fromSahiwal toShahpur.[3]
However, local tradition challenges the claim that the Sikhs occupiedMankera before Ranjit Singh’s eventual conquest, suggesting that Jhanda Singh may have made the chief of Mankera a tributary while allowing him a degree of autonomy. Jhanda Singh then crossed theIndus River atKalabagh, capturing the area and raiding parts ofDera Ismail Khan. On his return journey, he capturedPindi Bhattian andDhara, before targeting the stronghold of the Chatha Pathans atRasulnagar, located along the Sialkot-Multan road. During this campaign, he seized the famousZamzama gun and transported it to Amritsar, where it became known as the Bhangianwali Top. In 1773, Jhanda Singh, along with Ganda Singh, launched an expedition against Sialkot, capturing most of the district from the Pathans. They then turned their attention toJammu, where Ranjit Dev recognized their suzerainty and agreed to tribute arrangements.[3]
In 1774, a serious conflict erupted between Ranjit Dev, the ruler ofJammu, and his eldest son, Brij Raj Dev, due to the son's bad character, while Ranjit Dev, a wise leader, wanted his younger son, Dalel Singh, to succeed him. The dispute led to war, with Brij Raj seeking help fromCharat Singh andJai Singh Kanhaiya, who both agreed to join him. Ranjit Dev, unable to face this alliance alone, called on his overlord, Jhanda Singh, for support. The two sides clashed for twenty-three days at Udhochak, during which Charat Singh was killed by an accidental gun explosion. Shocked by the loss, Jai Singh Kanhiya placed Charat Singh’s son on the throne and, unable to continue alone, bribed Jhanda Singh’s bodyguard to assassinate him. Jhanda Singh was killed in the dark during a trip, and his brother, Ganda Singh, devastated by the loss, withdrew from the fight. Realizing Jai Singh’s power, Ranjit Dev made peace with his son and Jai Singh Kanhiya, offering him a large sum of Rs. 1,25,000.[5]
a history of the sikhs cunningham.
a history of the sikhs cunningham.
| Preceded by | Fourth Leader ofBhangi Misl 1766–1774 | Succeeded by |
