Susheel Kaur

Last updated
Susheel Kaur
Rajkumari of Chamba
Born Chamba State, Punjab Hills
(present-day Himachal Pradesh, India)
Died20 June 1716
Delhi, Mughal Empire
(present-day Delhi, India)
Spouse Banda Singh Bahadur
Issue Ajai Singh
House Mushana (by birth) [1]
FatherMaharaja Udai Singh of Chamba
Religion Sikhism

Sardarni Bibi Susheel Kaur also referred to as Mata Susheel Kaur (died 1716) was the wife of Sikh General Banda Singh Bahadur, who established the first Sikh state and the mother of his son, Ajai Singh. [2] She was the only daughter of Maharaja Udai Singh of Chamba.

Contents

Early life and marriage

Susheel Kaur was born as Rajkumari Susheel Kanwar to Maharaja Udai Singh. [1] Like the princesses of her time she was trained in sword fighting, equestrianism, as well as arts and craft; she was skilled in embroidery handicraft of the Chamba Rumal. [3] Her known physical and personal attributes describe her as being extremely beautiful, graceful and delicate. [4] Max Arthur Macauliffe describes her as a "Goddess of Love". [5] [4]

Udai Singh invited Banda Singh to Chamba and following his brother Lakshman Singh's advised, proposed a wedding alliance to him. [4] Banda Singh agreed and the wedding took place in March 1711. [6] Brought up as a Sahajdhari she became Sushil Kaur upon her marriage to the Banda Singh. [7] [8] In 1712, she gave birth to his son, Ajai Singh. [9]

Siege of Gurdas Nangal and Confinement

Susheel and her infant son accompanied Banda Singh when he marched with his army to Gurdas Nangal. [10] The Sikhs defended the fort for 8 months but on December 7, 1715, the mughal army under, Abd al-Samad Khan sieged the fort and took the Sikhs along with Banda, Susheel and Ajai captive. [11] [12] Banda Singh was paraded in an iron cage while the remaining Sikhs were chained and brought to Delhi. [13] In Delhi, she was separated from her husband and son and taken to the prison. [14] Just like the other Sikh prisoners she remained unmoved on giving up her faith no matter what riches were promised to them. Every day for 7 days, 100 Sikh soldiers were brought out of the fort and murdered in public. [15] On June 9, 1716, her four-year son, Ajai and husband, Banda Singh were cruelly executed. Ajai Singh's heart was cut out, and thrust into his father's mouth. Ajai Singh died in his father's lap while Banda Singh's limbs eyes were gouged out, his skin was removed, his limbs severed, and then he was decapitated. [16] Recent research and the record present with the Royal Chamba Family state that Susheel Kaur killed herself on 20 June 1716 after the cruel execution of her husband and son. According to the court reporter, Mohammad Suffi, she stabbed herself to death.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farrukhsiyar</span> Mughal emperor from 1713 to 1719

Farrukhsiyar, also spelled as Farrukh Siyar, was the tenth Mughal Emperor from 1713 to 1719. He rose to the throne after deposing his uncle Jahandar Shah. He was an emperor only in name, with all effective power in the hands of the courtier Sayyid brothers. He was born during the reign of his great-grandfather Aurangzeb, Reportedly a handsome man who was easily swayed by his advisers, he was said to lack the ability, knowledge and character to rule independently. Farrukhsiyar was the son of Azim-ush-Shan, the second son of emperor Bahadur Shah I and Sahiba Niswan. He was assassinated by Maharaja Ajit Singh of Marwar.

Dal Khalsa was the name of the combined military forces of 11 Sikh misls that operated in the 18th century (1748–1799) in the Punjab region. It was established by Nawab Kapur Singh in late 1740s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goindwal</span> Town in Punjab, India

Goindwal, also known as Goindwal Sahib and alternatively transliterated as Goindval, is located in the Taran Taran district of the Majha region of Punjab, India about 23 km (14 mi) from Tarn Taran Sahib. In the 16th century it became an important center for the Sikh religion during the Guruship of the Guru Amar Das Ji. Goindwal is on the banks of the Beas River and is one of the focal points of small scale industries of Tarn Taran district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhai Mani Singh</span> 18th-century Sikh religious leader and martyr

Bhai Mani Singh was an 18th-century Sikh scholar and martyr. He was a childhood companion of Guru Gobind Singh and took the vows of Sikhism when the Guru inaugurated the Khalsa in March 1699. Soon after that, the Guru sent him to Amritsar to take charge of Harmandir Sahib, which had been without a custodian since 1696. He took control and steered the course of Sikh destiny at a critical stage in Sikh history. He was also a teacher of the Gianian Bunga, later becoming known as the "Amritsari Taksal", currently located in Sato Ki Gali.

Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion in the Punjab region of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the 15th century and opposed many traditional practices like fasting, Upanayana, idolatry, caste system, ascetism, azan, economic materialism, and gender discrimination.

SardarChhajja Singh was a Jat Sikh warrior and leader of Jathâ succeeding Banda Singh Bahadur of the early 18th century Punjab region. He was also the founder of the Bhangi Misl He was the first companion of Banda Singh Bahadur to receive Sikh baptism of Amrit. According to Kanaihya Lal, he had taken Amrit at the hands of Guru Gobind Singh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baghel Singh</span> Sikh leader of the Singh Krora Misl

Baghel Singh was a warrior leader in the Punjab region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. He rose to prominence in the area around Sutlej and Yamuna. He joined the Singh Krora Misl, one of the Misls during Sikh Confederacy. In 1765, Singh became the leader of the Misl.

Khem Kaur Dhillon was a Sikh queen and the second wife of Maharaja Kharak Singh, the second Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhangi Misl</span> Sovereign state of the Sikh Confederacy

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kharak Singh</span> Maharaja of the Sikh Empire in 1839

Kharak Singh was the second maharaja of the Sikh Empire, ruling from June 1839 until his dethronement and imprisonment in October 1839. He was the eldest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire and his consort, Maharani Datar Kaur. Kharak was succeeded by his only son Nau Nihal Singh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banda Singh Bahadur</span> Sikh warrior and general

Banda Singh Bahadur, was a Sikh warrior and a general of the Khalsa Army. At age 15, he left home to become an ascetic, and was given the name Madho Das Bairagi. He established a monastery at Nānded, on the bank of the river Godāvarī. In 1707, Guru Gobind Singh accepted an invitation to meet Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I in southern India, he visited Banda Singh Bahadur in 1708. Banda became disciple of Guru Gobind Singh and was given a new name, Gurbaksh Singh(as written in Mahan Kosh), after the baptism ceremony. He is popularly known as Banda Singh Bahadur. He was given five arrows by the Guru as a blessing for the battles ahead. He came to Khanda, Sonipat and assembled a fighting force and led the struggle against the Mughal Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Sonipat</span> 1709 battle

The Battle of Sonipat was fought between Sikhs and the Mughal Empire in 1709. It was the first significant battle during Banda Singh Bahadur's conquests.

The first siege of Anandpur was a thirty-five-day-long siege at Anandpur led by the Rajas of the Sivalik Hills and the Gujar and Ranghar tribesmen against the armies of the Sikh under Guru Gobind Singh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abd al-Samad Khan</span> Political and military leader in the Mughal Empire

Abd al-Samad Khan Al-Ansari or Abd-us-Samad Khan Al-Ansari, also known simply as Abdus Samad Khan, was the Mughal subahdar of Lahore Subah from 1713 to 1726.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fateh Singh (Sikh warrior)</span> Sikh warrior (died 1716)

Fateh Singh was a warrior in Sikh history. He is known for beheading Wazir Khan who was the Mughal Governor of Sirhind, administering a territory of the Mughal Empire between the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers. Wazir Khan was infamous for ordering the execution of the two young sons of Guru Gobind Singh, Sahibzada Fateh Singh and Sahibzada Zorawar Singh in 1704.

Nanaki Kaur Atariwala (1823-1856) was the queen consort of Maharaja Nau Nihal Singh, the third Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. She was the daughter of the legendary general Sham Singh Atariwala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalsa Fauj</span> Sikh army and militia between 1699 – 1735

The Khalsa Fauj were the military forces of the Khalsa order of the Sikhs, established by the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, in 1699. It replaced the Akal Sena that had been established by the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind.

Banda Singh Bahadur's invasion of the Hill States was a Sikh military invasion of the Hill States.

The Battle of Bilaspur was fought in 1711 by Sikh forces led by Banda Singh Bahadur and the rulers of the Sivalik Hills led by Raja Ajmer Chand of Princely State of Kahlur (Bilaspur).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Sikh State</span> Former country in South Asia (1709–1715)

The First Sikh State was a breakaway and short-lived sovereign Sikh state during the 18th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent that existed from 1709 to 1715. It was established by Banda Singh Bahadur after the Battle of Samana and lasted until his defeat in the Battle of Gurdas Nangal.

References

  1. 1 2 Rathore, Abhinay. "Chamba (Princely State)". Rajput Provinces of India. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  2. ↑ Singha, Dr H. S. (2005). Sikh Studies. Hemkunt Press. ISBN   978-81-7010-258-8.
  3. ↑ Dhillon, Harish (2004). The Legend of Banda Bahadur. UBS Publishers' Distributors. ISBN   978-81-7476-458-4.
  4. 1 2 3 Gandhi, Surjit Singh (1999). Sikhs in the Eighteenth Century: Their Struggle for Survival and Supremacy. Singh Bros. ISBN   978-81-7205-217-1.
  5. ↑ "Bibi Shushil Kaur - Gateway To Sikhism". 2014-01-27. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  6. ↑ Dhillon, Harish (2013-05-01). First Raj of the Sikhs: The Life and Times of Banda Singh Bahadur. Hay House, Inc. ISBN   978-93-81398-39-5.
  7. ↑ Sangat Singh (1994). The Sikhs In History.
  8. ↑ Singh, Sawan (2005). Noble & Brave Sikh Women. B.Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh. ISBN   978-81-7601-701-5.
  9. ↑ VSM, D. S. Saggu (2018-06-07). Battle Tactics And War Manoeuvres of the Sikhs. Notion Press. ISBN   978-1-64249-006-0.
  10. ↑ Jawandha, Nahar (2010). Glimpses of Sikhism. New Delhi: Sanbun Publishers. p. 82. ISBN   9789380213255.
  11. ↑ Jacques, Tony (2007). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Press. p. 421. ISBN   978-0-313-33536-5.
  12. ↑ Pletcher, Kenneth (2010). The History of India. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 200. ISBN   9781615302017.
  13. ↑ Team, YCT Expert. History Of Ancient & Medieval India. Youth Competition Times.
  14. ↑ "Bibi_Shushil_Kaur". sikhwiki. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  15. ↑ Jawandha, Nahar (2010). Glimpses of Sikhism. Sanbun Publishers. p. 89. ISBN   9789380213255.
  16. ↑ Singh, Kulwant (2006). Sri Gur Panth Prakash: Episodes 1 to 81. Institute of Sikh Studies. p. 415. ISBN   9788185815282.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.