Sardar Hukma Singh Chimni | |
---|---|
Governor of Hazara | |
In office 1814–1819 | |
Monarch | Ranjit Singh |
Preceded by | position established |
Succeeded by | Diwan Ram Dayal |
Personal details | |
Parent | Ram Singh |
Hukma Singh was the first governor of Hazara region in the Sikh Empire from 1814 to 1819,with headquarters at Attock. He was a Rajput of Chandravanshi Bhati. [1]
Hukma Singh was born to Ram Singh,a soldier in the Sukerchakia Misl. Ram Singh was later killed at Bhula Kariala in a skirmish. [2]
Hukma Singh joined the Khalsa Army when able to bear arms and distinguished himself in the Battle of Kasur in 1807,in which he was severely wounded. He was created a Chief (Sardar) at the same time as Hari Singh Nalwa and received charge of the Ramnagar District and military command of the contingents of the Darap Jagirdars. He fought with the Lahore Chiefs in Pathankot and Sialkot,earning approval from Maharaja Ranjit Singh. [1] For his contribution in the battle,Hukma Singh received Jagirs worth Rs. 60,000 in Ugoki and Roras,and additional Jagirs worth Rs. 40,000 in Sayadgarh,and also a portion of the Sialkot Jagir,which he held for 7 years.
With the help of the Khattaks from the Khairabad area,Yar Muhammad Khan,the governor of Peshawar,attacked the fort of Attock in 1816 while Fateh Khan Barakzai crossed the Indus River. But the Sikh leaders who were nearby,Hukma Singh Chimni and Sham Singh Attariwala,were able to defeat Yar Muhammad Khan's army and forced them to retreat to the western Indus. [3] [2]
Maharaja Ranjit Singh discovered in May 1816 that Wazir Fatah Khan had reached Kashmir through the Hazara highlands' Pakhli and Dhamtaur passes. Ranjit Singh responded by designating Dal Singh and Ram Dayal to keep watch at Attock and keep track on Fatah Khan's movements. The consequence was the permanent incorporation of the Attock fort into the Sikh Empire. [3]
Hukma Singh Chimni was the first Governor of Hazara,holding the post from 1814 to 1819,and initially making his headquarters at Attock. From there,he began the gradual occupation of the Hazara region. In order to administer the territory of Hazara,Hukma Singh appointed his own officers. The Hazara territory lying to the northeast of Hassan Abdal was assigned to Lahna Singh Sandhanwalia,who pursued a policy of peace. [4] The tract of Khattak,lying on the right bank of the River Indus,was given in charge to Mahu Singh. The country of Akora Khattak,lying on the west of the Indus and on the north of the tract of Khattak immediately bordering upon the river,was granted to Budh Singh Sandhanwalia who deputed Piara Mai as his assistant. [4]
Hukma Singh was noted for his strict and often harsh rule. He had a leading Yusafzai chief,Sayyid Khan,executed publicly in 1819,and this act had led to a wide-scale uprising in Hazara. Hazara then revolted against Sikh rule under Sher Zaman Khan. Seeing the rebellion grow,Maharaja Ranjit Singh decided to relieve Hukma Singh of his duties. [4]
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.
Hari Singh Dhillon was an 18th century Sikh warlord and the chief of Bhangi Misl. During the formation of the Dal Khalsa he was acknowledged as leader of Tarna Dal,and made chief of Bhangi Misl following the death of Bhuma Singh Dhillion,who he was an adopted son of,in 1748. Hari Singh made the Bhangi Misl the most powerful of all the Misls. He has been described as a brave,fearless and great warrior. Under Hari Singh the Bhang Misl expanded to Jammu,Lahore,Chiniot,Buria,Jagadhari,Firozpur,Kushab,Majha,Malwa,Sandal Bar and Jhang.
The Battle of Jamrud was fought between the Emirate of Afghanistan under Emir Dost Mohammad Khan and the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh on 30 April 1837. Afghan forces confronted the Sikh forces at Jamrud. The garrisoned army was able to hold off the Afghans till Sikh reinforcements arrived to relieve them.
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.
Tej Singh was a Sikh commander in the Sikh Empire. He was appointed as commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army during the First Anglo-Sikh War betraying the army he was supposed to lead.
Fateh Singh Ahluvalia was the ruler of the Kapurthala State between 10 July 1801 –20 October 1837.
The Battle of Mangal was fought between the Sikh forces led by Hari Singh Nalwa and the Jadoon,Tanaoli and Swati tribes led by Mahomed Khan,Bostan Khan and Najeebullah Swati.
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 Ramkani was fought on 4 May 1835 by the Sikh forces led by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Barakzai forces including Ghazis.
The Battle of AkoraKhattak was fought between the Sikh Empire and Mujahideen,mainly Pashtuns,under Syed Ahmad Barelvi. Yusufzai and Khattak Pashtuns,led by Khadi Khan,supported Sayyid,and the attack was successful,resulting in significant casualties for the opposition.
The Battle of Haidru,also called Battle of Attock,was fought in 1828 by the Sikh forces led by Hari Singh Nalwa and the Mujahideen forces led by Syed Ahmad Barelvi.
The siege of Mankera,also known as the fall of Mankera was a conflict from 7 December 1821 to 1 January 1822 between the Sikh forces led by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Mankera forces led by Nawab Hafiz Ahmad Khan.
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 Sikh–Wahhabi War was fought between the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Wahhabi movement led by Sayyid Ahmad Barelvi. The conflict arose from Sayyid Ahmad's attempts to establish an Islamic state in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent based on the Sharia law.
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