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Baba Jassa Singh Ahluwalia

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H * • • ++++++-H "H .f+44++++-H -4i BABA JASSA SINGH AHLUWALIA ( 1718-1783 ) •? t M-+4 +++++++++++4 -H-'i H■! 1 4I 4H-++4-4 -1 4--MH—M-4-+4-4--M-J— fr-l 1-1 1-M- SEWA SINGH, I.A.S. Punjab State Archives Department S.C.O .N o. 335-336, Sector 35-B, Chandigarh—1984 t * -> J- » -i «. i j. t. i..» i. r J- .f. J , l J . I t v i * l l"*t t T v l I*T r r r " »■ BABA. JASSA SINGH AHLUWMIA In the wake of the disintegration of the Mughal empire and invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad ShahAbdali, ftinjab, was snatched by the former and the latter from the v\eak Mughal empercrrs. Both of them could not exercise effective control over this province as this was distant from their seat of government* Their Governors could net check the rising power of the Sikhs though they persecuted them in large numbers, in the early years of the struggle of the Sikhs against the Mughals and the Afghans, Nawab Kapur Singh and after his death, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia were the most conspicuous leaders, Jassa Singh who belonged to village Ahluwal in Lahore District, was bom on the Baisakh Sudi 15,1775 B.E./ 3rd May, 1718 A.D* His fa th e r’ s name was Badr Singh,^ Jassa Singh was only five years when his father died. In 1723, he was brought to 'Ahlowal to his maternal uncle t: Bam Sukh*h R^g» ^ i ^ ? sl JQ^Jl^inod(M/^ Punjab State Archives P atiala . 5. a» ?am Jas, Tawarikh-i-Rivasat Kaourtha’U* (Guru Gobind Smgh Press Lah^ ,~897), P.98.----------------- ^ 2 Bagh Singh who had no offspring, adooted him. At the instance of Bagh Singh, his sister alongwith her son vvent to Mata Sundriji widow of Guru Gobind Singh, at Delhi »The mother of Jassa Sinqh served Mataji with great devotion. to Puniab .. IN' 1730 at the time $f departure £ M ataji blessed Jassa Singh as her son, gave him a s ilv e r mace. On the way Jassa Singh and his mother were received by Nawab Kapur Singh at Jullundur. The Nawab appointed Jassa Singh to regulate the System of distribu­ tion of necessaties of life among the Dal Khalsa trooos. The* latter regulated the system and was aoplauded and blessed by the Nawab.^ After the departure of Ahmed Shah Abdali in 1745, Nawab Kapur Singh being growing rid, wanted to give up the leadership of the Sikhs and entrust it to Jassa Singh. By that time, Jassa Singh was not-abi-e among the Sikhs. 50wing to the constant help and guidance of the Nawab and his sterling virtues", writes Dr. Hari Ram Gupta, "Jassa Singh Ahluwalia had come to occupy a very prominent position among the Sikh leaders"4 On the sacred day of Baisakhi, 29th March, 1748, in the assemblage of the Sikhs at Amritsar, Nawab Kapur Singh placed Jassa Singh as the 2. ibid , FF* 57 a * ib id , P7 100. ‘ --------------------—. 3. Ramjas ib id , P.107* ! 4. Hari Ram Guota, History of t he Sikhs tVo 1.1, (Calcutta, 1939), P. 50, ' * - 3 - suoreme Commander of the Sikh Forces. The entire Sikh fig h tin g body was named as the "Dal Khalsa*. # Adina Beg Khan; the Governor of Jullundgr Doab, who was already defeated by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia in 1745 at Naurangabad,^ won him over by the payment of a heavy tribute and sought his assistance against the forces of Jahan Khan, the Afghan governor of Lahore in 1757. The Afghan troops under the commnad of Murad Khan crossed Beas and attacked Adina Beg Khan. They were defeated and th e ir stores and baggage were seized by the latter. Adina Beg Khan Sought assistance from the Marat has and the Sikhs against Jahan Khan and Prince Timur, the Durrani governor of Lahore in 1758. As Jahan Khan and Prince Timur could not withstand the combined forces, they resorted to retreat to Kabui[. While on the way at Wazirabad, they were attacked. Most of Timur’s so ld iers were k ille d and his heavy baggage and property was brought to Lahore by 20,000 Marathas and 10,000 Sikhs in several trips. After the battle of Panipat in 1761, when Ahmed Shah reached Sirhind in March* 1761. Ala Singh of Patiala waited on him, offered him costly gifts and oromised to pay him an annual tribute of 5 lakhs. He was appointed the Governor of Sirhind on the 29th March, 1761 by the Shah. The Sikhs were deeply enraged onthe submission of Ala Singh, After the retirement of Ahmad ShahAbdali, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. who was favourably disposed towards Ala Sinqh 5. Ram Sukh Rao, op, c i t . FF 69 a. T - 4- imposed a fine An him and thus pacified the Sikhs. In July, 1761, the Sikh troops under the command of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia attacked Sirhind. They defeated the deputy of Zain Khan, the Governor, and plundered and devastated the entire city. In November, 1761, the Dal Khalsa led by Jassa Singh attacked Lahore. Khwaja Abed, the Afghan Governor, was weak. He shut him®lf up in the Fort and did not move out to combat the Sikhs. During the siege cf the fort, the Khwaja died and the Sikhs occupied it. They occuoied Lahore and declared Jassa Singh Ahluwalia as Padishah, The coin was struck in the name of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia.^ This bloody carnage is variously estimated. Sir N 7 J .N. Sarkar writes that 10,000 Sikhs were murdered. On the other hand, Ratan Singh Bhangu writes that 50,000 Sikhs were s la in .^ Ganesh Dass Wadehra^ and A li-ud-din M u fti^ write th a t 30,000 Sikhs lo st th e ir liv e s.11 Latif and 7*9106 6. Ram J as op.cit., P. 174, Gyan Sinnh Panth Park ash (Khalsa Tract Society, Amritsar), P. 809-10; 7. Sarkar ,J .N., the Fall of the Mughal Empire, Vol.II (M.C.Sarkar & Sons, Calcutta, 1932), p 436. 9. Ratan Singh Rhangn T_ Prachin Panth_Jfra]£ashiKhals a Sama- Char , AmritsarC Rep, "X962TTP- 457. _ 9, Wadehra, Ganesh Dass, Char Bagh-i-PunjabvKhalsa College Amritsar, 1965), P.125. ,, . T ( d,,o * a a ^ • a . m 10. Ali-ud-dira Mufti, Ibratnama, Vol.I (Punjabi Adabi Academy Lahore, 1961), P.2-, 230. 11.L atif, Syed Mohammad, H istorY PPlUJLbCGeatra 1 Press, C alcutta, 1891) P.2S3. - 5- 12 / Kanhaya Lai writeefthat about 24,000 Sikhs were k ille d Dr. Hari Ram Gupta writes th a t about, 12,000 Sikhs lo s t lQ the ir lives , In August, 1762, the Dal Khalsa led by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia attacked the Jullundur Doab. They f e l l upon the v illag e whose inhabitants were h o stile towards them. They plundered the people and burnt their houses. An immense booty fell into their hands and they moved towards Malwa. The result of these inroads of the Sikhs was that the roads to all kinds of traffic and trade were blocked and the anarchy prevailed the rein. ^ In June, 1763, J ass a Singh Ahluwalia crossed the river Beas entered the Jullundur Doab which was under Saadat Yar Khan, Governor* The latter was so much terror- stricken that he did not move out of his caoital. The Sikhs devastated the country around. The Sikhs Spent four months from June to September in consolidating th e ir old possessions and capturing more in their neighbourhood*. 12. Kanhaya Lai, Tarikh-i-Punj ab(New Inpeiria 1 Stress,Lahore, \ 1887) , P.35, 13. - Hari, Ram Gupta, op. C it., P, 164. •14. Sohan Lai Suri . Umdcit-ut-T a.warik h « D aftar I Arya Dress, Lahore, 1 8 5 5 )1 , T5.158^59»■ . , , J.N, -Sarkar op. C it., P»P« 490-91. ■' y-’Z• '\y-v vt*. - 6 - In December, 1763, the Sikhs under J a ss a Singh Ahluwalia attacked Malerkotla. Bhikhan Khan was killed in the encounter. Malerkotla was plundered. The town was N razed to the ground and the Sikhs acquired inmense booty.^ After the devastation of Malerkotla the Sikhs under Jassa Singh attacked Kheri and murdered Gangu Brahmin and his family,. Gangu Brahmin was hated by the Sikhs on account of his treaehery in handing over Mata Gujri, the mother of Guru Gobind Singh and his two l i t t l e sons to the Governor of .Sirhind. They attacked Morinda and killed Jani Khan and Mani Khan, the accomplices of Gangu in the treachery, with the members of their Family. Ala Singh with his contingent also joined the Dal Khalsa under Jassa Singh in order to attack Sirhind. The to ta l number of Dal Khalsa at th e time of siege of Sirhind was 50,000. 1615 Zain Khan was killed in the encounter. His Afghan troops fled p an ic-strick en . They were pursued and killed in large numbers. This battle was fought on the 14th January, 1764. The Sikh troops under Jassa Singh crossed Jamuna and entered the Gangetic Doab. They plundered Saharanour, Shanti, Kandelah, Ambali, 15. ib id ., P. 16 16. Gyan Singh Op. C i t ., P. 841. -7 - Miranpur, Deoband, Muzaffarnagar, Jawalaour, KankhaL Landaurah, Nazibabad, Nagina, Muradabad, Chandausi, Anupsar and Ga^iukteshwar. Nazib-U d-Dau la , the owner the Barah district, paid the Sikhs a ransom of eleven lakbs of rupees and the Sikhs returned to Punjab.
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  • Sikh Ethnonationalism and Its Contested Articulation During Militancy in Punjab

    Sikh Ethnonationalism and Its Contested Articulation During Militancy in Punjab

    25 Kuldip Singh: Sikh Ethnonationalism Sikh Ethnonationalism and Its Contested Articulation During Militancy in Punjab Kuldip Singh Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar _______________________________________________________________ This paper examines the evolution and construction of Sikh ethnonationalism from the beginnings of the faith to the period of militancy in Punjab in the 1980s/90s. While the militants enjoyed great community support immediately after Operation Bluestar and through the late 1980s, their version of Sikh ethnonationalism failed to resonate sustainably with the Sikh masses. In this paper, I highlight how militant violence pivoted from being politically oriented to being more indiscriminant in its targets. The Sikh masses, who eventually became victims of this violence, saw it as being at odds with Sikh values. I argue that this was the crucial reason for the militant version of Sikh ethnonationalism waning, and ultimately failing. This argument is demonstrated by examining the writings and editorials of various Sikh leaders, including some militant leaders who criticized the eventual degradation of militant violence and raised questions about its congruence with historical Sikh values and ethnonationalism. ________________________________________________________________ Introduction This paper examines the evolution and construction of Sikh ethnonationalism from the beginnings of the faith to the period of militancy in Punjab in the 1980s/90s. Specifically, it tries to answer why the particular construction of Sikh ethnonationalism espoused by the militants during the separatist movement of the 1980s/90s eventually failed to resonate with the Sikh masses of Punjab. This is an important question, considering the fact that the militants appeared to have significant community support immediately after Operation Bluestar and through the late-1980s.