Diwan Diwan Kirpa Ram | |
---|---|
Died | 1842 Benares |
Rank | Officer |
Children | Dhanraj (adopted, d. 1889) |
Diwan Kirpa Ram (d. 1842), the youngest son of Diwan Moti Ram, was a civil administrator and soldier in the Sikh Empire.
Diwan Kirpa Ram was born into a family with a rich legacy of military and administrative service. His grandfather Dewan Mokham Chand, contributed significantly to the early consolidation of territories that came under the sway of Ranjit Singh. Moti Ram was an honest, well-respected administrator and faithful courtier, who served as the governor of Kashmir for two terms. Diwan Kirpa Ram's brother, Diwan Ram Dayal, was killed in the line of duty while trying to enforce tribute collection from rebellious tribes in Hazara. [1]
Kirpa Ram managed the Jalandhar doab while his father, Diwan Moti Ram, was serving in Kashmir. In 1823, Diwan Kirpa Ram participated in the Battle of Nowshera against the Barakzai Afghans in the trans-Indus region on the banks of the river Kabul. He was with the advance troops and played a crucial role alongside Hari Singh Nalwa in securing Sikh dominance against Afghan forces, which underscored his strategic capabilities and military prowess. [2] [3]
In 1827, Diwan Kirpa Ram was appointed the Governor of Kashmir, a post he held till 1831. Despite his success, and like his father before him, Kirpa Ram faced political challenges and intrigues within the Maharaja's court, particularly from rivals like Dhian Singh and Gulab Singh Dogra, who had long been eyeing Kashmir. Accusations of embezzlement led to Kirpa Ram's imprisonment. [4]
Repeated insults, slights, imprisonment and the imposition of an unjustified exorbitant fine forced Kirpa Ram to apply for permission to join his father in Benares. While Moti Ram obtained permission from Ranjit Singh before he left the Sikh Empire for Benares in May 1833, Kirpa Ram applied but got no answer. Tired of waiting, Diwan Kirpa Ram undertook a pilgrimage to Jwalamukhi and crossed the Satluj into British territory. En route, he was offered a job by the Phulkian rajas whose state he travelled through, but he refused them. [5]
After Kirpa Ram's departure, Ranjit Singh applauded the capability and intelligence of Dewan Mokham Chand, Moti Ram, Ram Dayal and Kirpa Ram in the Durbar. [6] He attempted Moti Ram's return without success. After Ranjit Singh's demise, his inheritors tried to tempt Diwan Kirpa Ram with money and position but failed. [7]
Ranjit Singh was the founder and first maharaja of the Sikh Empire, ruling from 1801 until his death in 1839. He ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He survived smallpox in infancy but lost sight in his left eye. He fought his first battle alongside his father at age 10.
Diwan Dina Nath (1795—1857) was an official of the durbar of the Sikh Empire who served as the privy seal and finance minister in the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He was conferred the title of Raja in 1847, eight years after the death of Ranjit Singh. Following the British victory in the First Sikh War, Dina Nath was made a member of the Council of Regency under the authority of the Governor-General of the East India Company. The British conferred the title of 'Raja' on him, hoping to make him an ally. He was one of six signatories to the 1849 Treaty of Lahore, which agreed to the surrender of "The Gem called the Koh-i-noor" by the Maharaja of Lahore, the ten-year-old Dalip Singh, to the Queen of England. The signatories, on behalf of the minor Dalip Singh, endorsed the treaty in return for being permitted to retain their jagirs.
Kunwar Nau Nihal Singh was the third maharaja of the Sikh Empire, ruling from 1839 until his death in 1840. He was the only son of Maharaja Kharak Singh and his consort, Maharani Chand Kaur. He was known as Yuvraj Kunwar Nau Nihal Singh. He was also known as Kunwar Sa. His reign began with the dethronement of his father Maharaja Kharak Singh and ended with his death at the age of 19 on the day of his father's funeral.
Hari Singh Nalwa was the commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Fauj, the army of the Sikh Empire. He is known for his role in the conquests of Kasur, Sialkot, Attock, Multan, Kashmir, Peshawar and Jamrud. Hari Singh Nalwa was responsible for expanding the frontier of Sikh Empire to beyond the Indus River right up to the mouth of the Khyber Pass. At the time of his death, Jamrud constituted the western boundary of the Empire.
Maharaja Gulab Singh Jamwal (1792–1857) was the founder of Dogra dynasty and the first Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, which was a part of Panjab and Sikh Empire became the largest princely state under the British Raj, which was created after the defeat of the Sikh Empire in the First Anglo-Sikh War. During the war, Gulab Singh would later side with the British and end up becoming the Prime Minister of Sikh Empire. The Treaty of Amritsar (1846) formalised the transfer of all the lands in Kashmir that were ceded to them by the Sikhs by the Treaty of Lahore.
Kunjah is a city in Gujrat District of Punjab, Pakistan.
Diwan Mokham Chand was one of the chief commanders of the Sikh Empire. He conquered Attock from the Durrani Afghans in 1813 and subdued the Rajputs in the Hills of Himachal and in Jammu at Jasrota, Chamba, and Basroli. He also commanded one of the early Sikh expeditions to conquer Kashmir that ended in failure due to bad weather blocking the passes to the valley. Mokham Chand was born in a Hindu Khatri family.
Sardar Charat Singh, also romanised as Charhat Singh, was the founder of Sukerchakia Misl, father of Mahan Singh, and the grandfather of Ranjit Singh, the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. He distinguished himself at an early age in campaigns against Ahmad Shah Abdali and along with 150 horsemen split from the Singhpuria Misl to establish the Sukerchakia Misl, a separate grouping with its distinct guerilla militia.
The Battle of Attock took place on 13 July 1813 between the Sikh Empire and the Durrani Empire. The battle was the first significant Sikh victory over the Durranis.
The siege of Multan began in March 1818 and lasted until 2 June 1818 as part of the Afghan–Sikh Wars, and saw the Sikh Empire capture Multan from the Durrani Empire.
The Battle of Shopian took place on 3 July 1819 between an expeditionary force from the Sikh Empire and Jabbar Khan, the governor of the Kashmir Valley province of the Durrani Empire. It was the decisive battle during the Sikh expedition into Kashmir in 1819.
Sham Singh Attariwala was a general of the Sikh Empire.
The Afghan–Sikh wars spanned from 1748 to 1837 in the Indian subcontinent, and saw multiple phases of fighting between the Durrani Empire and the Sikh Empire, mainly in and around Punjab region. The conflict's origins stemmed from the days of the Dal Khalsa, and continued after the Emirate of Kabul succeeded the Durrani Empire.
Rani Raj Kaur was the wife of Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia Misl and the mother of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire. She was affectionately known as Mai Malwain after her marriage. She is also referred to as Sardarni Raj Kaur and Rajkumari Bibiji Raj Kaur Sahiba before marriage. She was the daughter of Raja Gajpat Singh of Jind.
The Kashmir expedition took place in 1814 after the battle of Attock. Ranjit Singh began planning to invade Kashmir, leading to the Sikh invasion led by Hari Singh Nalwa and Ram Dayal.
The Battle of Bhimber was fought in March 1812 by Sikh forces led by Kharak Singh and Chib Rajput forces led by Raja Sultan Khan Chib.
The Battle of Taragarh was fought in 1822 by the Sikh forces led by Amar Singh Majithia and the Afghan tribesmen led by Mohammad Khan Tarain.
Diwan Moti Ram (1770–1837), son of Dewan Mokham Chand, was one of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's most trusted and faithful officers.
The Ropar Meeting in October 1831 was between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Lord William Bentinck, Governor-General of the East India Company, on the banks of the river Satluj, in a town of the same name. Ranjit Singh's fame had reached its peak, attracting the attention and friendship of sovereigns from afar.
Diwan Ram Dayal was a figure in the Sikh Empire during the early 19th century, known for his military prowess and administrative skills.