JHANDA SINGH

JHANDA SINGH (d. 1774) succeeded his father, Hari Singh, to the leadership of the Bharigi principality upon his death in 1765. Under Jhanda Singh, the power and prestige of the Bharigi misi rapidly increased. In 1766, he challenged both Shuja` Khan. Afghan governor of Multan, and Mubarak Khan, the ruler of Bahawalpur. As a result of the battle that followed, the holy town of Pakpattan was declared to be the line of demarcation between the Bharigi territories and those belonging to the Muslim chiefs. In 1772, Jhanda Singh attacked Multan once again, and drove out the Nawab. Multan became a Khalsa territory and the city was parcelled out between Jhanda Singh and his commander, Lahina Singh.Jhanda Singh then went on to sack Jharig, Khushab, Mankcra and Kala Bagh. He also attacked the stronghold of Chattha Jatts at Rasulnagar, later known as Ramnagar.

He seized from there the Zamzarna gun, which later became famous as Bhariglari dl Top, i.e. the gun of the Bharigis, and carried it to Amritsar. Jhanda Singh completed at Amritsar the Fort of the Bharigis begun by his father, Hari Singh. He also laid out a garden there and erected another Katra or bazaar named after him. Towards the end of his career, Jhanda Singh was involved in constant warfare and feud with the oilier Sikh chiefs. He was killed in 1774 when embroiled in a battle with the Kanhaiyas and the Sukkarchakkias at Jammu wither he had marched to settle the issue of succession to the chief ship. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Griffin, Lepd, and C.F. Massy, Chiefs tind Families of Noli` in I/if Punjab. Lahore, 1909 2. Seetal, Solian Singh, `I`hi` Sik/i Mi.wls and Ihf Pnnjah. Ln

References :

1. Griffin, Lepel, and C.F. Massy, Chiefs and Families of Note in the Punjab. Lahore, 1909