Jump to content

Tara Singh Ghaiba

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Sardar Tara Singh Ghaiba)

Sardar
Tara Singh Ghaiba
Miniature painting of Tara Singh Ghaiba (middle, yellow turban) with flywhisk attendant to the right and young boy to the left, circa 18th century
Born1710
Died1807
TitleChief of the Dallewalia Misl
PredecessorSardar Gulab Singh

Tara Singh Ghaiba (1710–1807) was an associate member of the Dallewalia Misl, who became the Leader of the Misl after the death of their founding member and head Sardar Gulab Singh Khatri. He made Rahon the capital of his Misl.[1][2][3]

Early life

[edit]

Sardar Tara Singh was supposedly born in 1710. He belonged to a Jat family of Kang Clan,[4] from a village called Kang, present day six kilometers south of Lohian, in Tahsil Nakodar Punjab, India. They had about hundred goats. When he was a young goatherd, he mastered the skill to cross his flock through the Bein with ropes. And earned the name Ghaiba meaning he who could adopt mysterious devices. Once a notorious Gujjar robber Sulaiman, stolen his goats. The incident shook him, and In sheer desperation and despair, Tara left his village and started robbing. His reckless bravery added companions in his act. In March 1757, He earned his first horse by ditching Ahmad Shah Durrani's troops. When they made Tara captive and asked to help them cross the Bein, Tara fled to the jungle with their given horse. Gradually he joined Gulab Singh Dallevalia in his plundering raids.[5]

Leadership of Dallewalia Misl

[edit]

In 1760, he captured the parganas of Dharamkot and Fatehgarh, located south of the Sutlej River. He allocated Fatehgarh to his cousins, Dharam Singh and Kur Singh from Kang village, while retaining control of Dharamkot. In the Jalandhar Doab, he took Dakhni from the Afghan leader Sharf-ud-din and established authority over Nawanshahar Doaba. He also seized Rahon and its surrounding areas, designating Rahon, with its strategic high elevation, as the center of his administration. Furthermore, he displaced the Manj Rajputs from Nakodar and secured numerous villages along the right bank of the Sutlej, including Mahatpur and Kot Badal Khan. Through these actions, Tara Singh Ghaiba extended the Dallewalia misl’s territorial control and solidified its position in the region.[6][7]

In March 1763, Tara Singh set out from Ludhiana toward Rupar, intending to participate in the Hola festival held at Anandpur. While traveling near Morindah, he came across a convoy bound for Sirhind, which was later attacked and looted. Following this incident, the Hola festival took place, marked by lively and spirited celebrations,[8]A few months later, in May 1763, Tara Singh took part in a raid on Kasur, during which he gained a significant haul of wealth, including cash and jewelry estimated to be worth four lakhs of rupees, [9][8]

in January 1764, after the Conquest of Sirhind’s, Tara Singh seized control of two locations in the Moga tahsil—Ramuwala and Mari—where he established forts to secure his hold. Additionally, he extended his authority to include Ghungrana.[9][8]

Tara Singh Ghaiba maintained cordial relations with Patiala. In 1765, he helped Araar Singh in suppressing the revolt of Prince Himmat Singh who claimed the crown for himself.[10]

In 1775, Tara Singh joined forces with Rae Singh Bhangi and Baghel Singh near Karnal for a campaign across the Ganga Doab, Rohilkhand and Delhi regions. On April 22, 1775, they crossed the Yamuna River at Begi Ghat, near Kunjpura. Zabita Khan, son of the Rohilla leader Najib-ud-Daulah, fortified himself in Ghausgarh (about 30 km northwest of Muzaffarnagar) but chose to pay a sum rather than fight, avoiding conflict. The coalition collected tributes, including Rs. 60,000 from Turkoman families in Lakhnauti and Gangoh, and Rs. 2,000 from the military governor of Ambehta. They set fire to Nanauta and, after a two-week battle in Deoband, the local commander Taza Beg Khan was burned alive, leading to a payment of Rs. 12,000 from the residents. Rae Singh Bhangi then took control of Deoband, imposing an annual fee of Rs. 600.[11]During the campaign, they captured a young boy from the Usmani Shaikh community, releasing him after receiving a substantial ransom. Advancing to Ghausgarh, Zabita Khan paid Rs. 50,000 to avoid further conflict. Their march to Delhi involved raiding villages like Barah Sadat, Shamli, Kairana, Kandhla, and Meerut, and on July 15, 1775, they set fire to the Delhi neighborhoods of Paharganj and Jaisinghpura.[12]

In March 1783, he, along with other Sikhs, attacked Delhi. He managed to secure two guns from the Red Fort, which he later transported to Rahon. Additionally, he provided substantial support to Baghel Singh in the effort to build seven gurdwaras within the city of Delhi.[10]

Religious life

[edit]

Tara Singh was an enthusiastic Sikh. He believed in converting people to the Sikh religion by love and affection. Tara gave liberal help to the needy new converts. He converted Chaudhri Gauhar Das of Kang village. His set examples, followed by both the villages, Kang Kalan and Kang Khurd.[2]

Distribution of territory

[edit]

Tara Singh distributed his territory among all his four sons.

  • Jhanda Singh was given Nakodar and Mahilpur.
  • Dasaundha Singh given Dakhrii.
  • Gujar Singh possessed parganahs of Ghungrana and Baddowal.
  • The youngest whose name could not be traced was kept with him at Rahon.[2]

Death

[edit]

In 1807, Tara Singh Ghaiba died in the attack of Naraingarh. Maharaja Ranjit Singh attacked and annexed all the Dallevalia territories including Rahon to his empire.[13][14][15]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Lafont, Jean Marie (2002). Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Atlantic Publishers & Distri. p. 26.
  2. ^ a b c Gupta, Hari Ram (2001). History of the Sikhs. Munshiram Manoharlal. pp. 53, 58. ISBN 9788121501651.
  3. ^ Sandhu, Jaspreet Kaur (2000). Sikh Ethos: Eighteenth Century Perspective. Original from the University of Michigan: Vision and Venture. p. 48. ISBN 9788186769126.
  4. ^ Sachdeva, Veena (1993). Polity and Economy of the Punjab During the Late Eighteenth Century. Manohar. p. 31. ISBN 978-81-7304-033-7. The chief of Phillaur, Tara Singh, was a Kang Jat like his namesake Tara Singh Dallewalia, and had made joint conquests with him.
  5. ^ Gupta, H. R. (1939). "Origin of Sikh Territorial Chieftainships, 1748–1759". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 3: 1172–1188. JSTOR 44252464.
  6. ^ Gupta, H.R. (2001). History of the Sikhs: The Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of Sikh Misls. Munshiram Manoharlal. ISBN 978-81-215-0540-6. The Dallewalia Misl rose to great power and eminence under Tara Singh Ghaiba. In 1760, he seized the parganahs of Dharamkot and Fatehgarh, lying to the south of the Sutlej. He gave Fatehgarh to his cousins Dharam Singh and Kur Singh of village Kang, while Dharamkot remained under his control. In the Jalandhar Doab, he took Dakhni from Sharf-ud-Din Afghan. He occupied Nawanshahar Doaba and then captured Rahon and its surroundings. Rahon stood on a high eminence, commanding a good view, and was made the seat of his government. He expelled the Manj Rajputs from Nakodar and took possession of numerous villages situated along the right bank of the Sutlej, including Mahatpur and Kot Badal Khan.
  7. ^ Gandhi, S.S. (1980). Struggle of the Sikhs for Sovereignty. Gur Das Kapur. p. 407. Retrieved 27 March 2025. A year after his assumption of the leadership of the Misl, Tara Singh seized the parganahs of Dharamkot and Fatehgarh, lying to the south of the Sutlej. He gave Fatehgarh to his cousins, Dharam Singh and Kaur Singh of village Kang. He snatched Dakni from Saif-ud-Din Afghan in the Jullundur Doab. He also captured Rabon, which he made his seat of government. He occupied Nawan Shahar Doaba and ousted the Munj Rajputs from Nakodar. Besides, he occupied a large number of villages situated along the right bank of the Sutlej, including Mahatpur and Kot Badal Khan.
  8. ^ a b c Gupta, Hari Ram (2001). History of the Sikhs: The Sikh commonwealth or Rise and fall of Sikh misls. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 55. ISBN 9788121501651.
  9. ^ a b Gandhi 1999, p. 407.
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference HoS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Gupta, H.R. (2001). History of the Sikhs: The Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of Sikh Misls. Munshiram Manoharlal. ISBN 978-81-215-0540-6. Tara Singh participated in most of the Sikh campaigns in the Ganga Doab, Rohilkhand, and Delhi. In 1775, three Sikh leaders—Rae Singh Bhangi of Buriya, Tara Singh Ghaiba Dallewalia, and Baghel Singh Karorasinghia—gathered near Kamal. On 22 April 1775, they crossed the Jamuna at Begighat, a little above Kunjpura. Zabita Khan, son of Najib-ud-Daulah Rohilla, shut himself up in his fort of Ghausgarh, 30 kms northeast of Muzaffarnagar. A tribute of Rs. 60,000 was realized from the Turkoman families of Lakhnauti and Gangoh, while the faujdar of Ambtehta paid Rs. 2,000. Nanautah was set on fire, and the faujdar of Deoband, Taza Beg Khan, was burnt alive. After fourteen days of fighting, the people of Deoband paid a tribute of Rs. 12,000. Deoband became the fiefdom of Rae Singh Bhangi, who fixed an annual tribute of only Rs. 600.
  12. ^ Hari Ram Gupta (1944). History Of The Sikhs 1769 1799 Vol Ii. p. 61. Retrieved 27 March 2025. The Sikhs gathered their forces near Karnal and organised them into three big divisions under the leadership of Rai Singh Bhangi, Tara Singh Ghaiba Dalle walia and Baghel Singh Karorasinghia. They crossed the Jumna by the Begi Ghat a little above Kunjpura on the 22nd April, 1775 Zabita Khan was so much terrified that he immediately retreated from Garhi Duhtar also known as Garhi Mian Bhai Khan (24 miles north-west of Muzaffarnagar) to his fortified place, Ghausgarh (18 miles north-west of Muzaffamagar). The Turkomans of Lakhnauti (2 miles east of the Jumna) were the first to bear the brunt. Gangoh (4 miles east of Lakhnauti) was attacked next, and a tribute of Rs. 60,000 was realized from the inhabitants.
  13. ^ Singh, Raj Pal (2003). The Sikhs: Their Journey of Five Hundred Years. Bhavana Books & Prints. p. 140. ISBN 9788186505465.
  14. ^ Lafont, Jean Marie (2002). Maharaja Ranjit Singh. p. 26.
  15. ^ U. S. Khattri, V. C. Pandey, U. (1978). Modern India. the university of Virginia: Prakashan Kendra. p. 235.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tara_Singh_Ghaiba&oldid=1282735459"