Siege of Multan | |||||||||
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Part of Afghan-Sikh Wars | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Bhangi Misl | Durrani Empire | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Jhanda Singh Dhillon Ganda Singh Dhillon Lehna Singh Kahlon | Shuja Khan Sharif Khan Sharif Beg Taklu | ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
Unknown | Unknown | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
Unknown | Unknown |
The siege of Multan was a battle fought between the Sikh forces led by Jhanda Singh Dhillon and the Afghan forces led by Shuja Khan.
After the death of Hari Singh Dhillon, Jhanda Singh Dhillon became the chief of the Bhangi Misl. In 1766, he marched to Multan and fought against Shuja Khan. A treaty was signed with Bhangi chief on one side and Mubarak Khan the Multan governor on the other. [1] [2]
During 1772, a quarrel arose between the successive governors of Multan, Shuja Khan, Sharif Khan and Sharif Beg Taklu. Sharif Beg sought the help of Jhanda Khan, which was given. [3] [4] When the Sikhs arrived, it had already been eighteen days since Multan was besieged.. [5]
After the arrival of Jhanda Singh, he defeated Shuja Khan along with his allies. Multan was divided between Jhanda Singh and Lehra Singh. [6] The Sikh forces had entered the fort and Sharid Beg tried to flee away. The Sikh chiefs allowed him to flee with his family and property to Tulamba. [5] [7]
The Bhangi Misl ruled over Multan for eight years until Timur Shah Durrani recaptured it in siege of Multan (1780).
Maha Singh, also spelt as Mahan or Mahn Singh, was the second chief of the Sukerchakia Misl. He was the eldest son of Sardar Charat Singh and Sardarni Desan Kaur Warraich. He was the father of Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Jassa Singh Ramgarhia (1723–1803) was a prominent Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy. He was the founder of the Ramgarhia Misl.
Sardar Hari Singh Dhillon was an 18th century Jat Sikh warrior and the chief of Bhangi Misl. During the formation of the Dal Khalsa he was acknowledged as leader of Taruna Dal, he was made chief of Bhangi Misl, the most powerful of all Misls.
Sardar Jhanda Singh was a Chief of Bhangi Misl Under his leadership the Misl Dar family became the dominant de facto ruling power of Punjab. His father was Sardar Hari Singh, one of the most powerful Sikh warriors of the time. He also had a warrior brother Ganda Singh Dhillon. Jhanda Singh had appointed his younger brother Sardar Ganda Singh as the commander in chief of his forces. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was one of the closest friends of Jhanda Singh.
Ganda Singh Dhillon was a famous Sikh warrior of the late 18th century. Moreover, he was Maharaja of Amritsar, Lahore, Multan, Chiniot, Jhang, Bhera, Rawalpindi, Hasan Abdal, Sialkot and Gujrat, Pakistan. His father was Hari Singh Dhillon, an admired Sikh warrior. He also had a famous warrior brother Jhanda Singh Dhillon. He was appointed commander in chief of the forces by his older brother Jhanda Singh and after his death he became leader and Maharaja of the principality.
The Zamzama Gun also known as Kim’s Gun or Bhangianwali Toap is a large-bore cannon. It was cast in about 1757 in Lahore during the Durrani Empire. It is currently on display in front of the Lahore Museum in Lahore, Pakistan.
The Bhangi Misl was a large and powerful Sikh Misl headquartered in Amritsar. It was founded in the early 18th century by Sardar Chhajja Singh Dhillon, who was baptised by Banda Singh Bahadur. The misl received its name "Bhangi" because Chhajja Singh and his soldiers frequently used the herbal intoxicant bhang. It was a first misl to established a Khalsa Raj and publish Khalsa currency coins. The Bhangi Kingdom/Misl was founded by Dhillon Jats.
Sardar Charat Singh, also romanised as Charhat Singh, was the founder of Sukerchakia Misl and father of Mahan Singh, and the grandfather of Ranjit Singh. 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.
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 the city of Multan from the Durrani Empire.
The Sikh Rule in Lahore initiated from the conquest and rule of the Sikh Misls and extended till the Sikh Empire of Ranjit Singh which ended in 1849. The Sikhs began gaining power following the decline of the Mughal Empire in Punjab and consisted of a collection of autonomous Punjabi Misls, which were governed by Misldars, mainly in the Punjab region.
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.
Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the Durrani Empire, invaded Indian subcontinent for eight times between 1748 and 1767, following the collapse of Mughal Empire in the mid-18th century. His objectives were met through the raids and deepened the political crisis in India.
Ramgarhia Misl was a sovereign state (misl) in the Sikh Confederacy of Punjab region in present-day India and Pakistan. The misl's name is derived from Qila Ramgarh, a place located in Ramsar, near Amritsar, which was fortified and redesigned by Ramgarhia Misl chief Jassa Singh Ramgarhia. The Ramgarhia Misl was one of the twelve major Sikh misls, and held land near Amritsar.
Gurbaksh Singh Kanhaiya was the eldest son and heir of Jai Singh Kanhaiya, the chief of the Kanhaiya Misl. He was the father of Maharani Mehtab Kaur and thus, the father-in-law of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire.
Sardar Kahan Singh Nakai was the sixth and the last chief of the Nakai Misl. He was the grandson of the famous Sikh chief, Ran Singh Nakai and Sardarni Karmo Kaur. His aunt, Maharani Datar Kaur was the wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire; thus making him the nephew of the Sher-e-Punjab. From an early age he assisted his father in campaigns and even commanded campaigns assigned to him by his uncle, Maharaja Ranjit Singh. His cousin, Kharak Singh went to become the second Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. He was the uncle of the third Maharaja, Nau Nihal Singh.
Sardarni Karam Kaur popularly known as Karmo Kaur was the wife of Ran Singh Nakai,the third ruler of the Nakai Misl. She served as the regent of the Nakai Misl during the reign of her sons, Bhagwan Singh and Gyan Singh. Being the mother of Maharani Datar Kaur, she was the mother-in-law of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire. She was the grandmother of Maharaja Kharak Singh, the second king of the Sikh Empire and Sardar Kahan Singh Nakai, the last chief of the Nakai Misl.
The Battle of Kasur took place in May 1763, where the Sikh Misls united their forces against the Afghan forces of Kasur. The Sikhs successfully infiltrated Kasur and defeated the Afghan army. The Sikhs would sack the town and successfully retrieved a Hindu Brahmin's wife, who had been kidnapped, from the Afghans.
The Battle of Bhilowal was fought in October 1710 by the Sikh forces led by Banda Singh Bahadur and the Mughal forces led by Mir Mohammad.
The siege of Mankera, also known as the fall of Mankera was fought from 7 December 1821 to 1 January 1822 by the Sikh forces led by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Mankera forces led by Nawab Hafiz Ahmad Khan.
The Siege of Lahore took place in early 1800 and spanned two months. It was a coalition response by Bhangi Sardars and Nawab Nizam-ud-Din Khan of Kasur against Ranjit Singh's expanding influence, supported by Rani Sada Kaur. The siege ended with the death of Gulab Singh Bhangi due to excessive drinking. The Bhangi and Pashtun forces then lifted the siege and retreated.