Discover the legendary dark grey horse Laili, adored by Ranjit Singh, known for its beauty, grace, and the fascinating journey through 19th-century Punjab.
Discover the legacy of Ram Singh, who faithfully served three generations in Maharaja Ranjit Singh's campaigns, earning respect and honors in Punjab.
Discover the captivating history and architecture of Samman Burj, the octagonal Mughal marvel in Lahore Fort, known for its royal and administrative legacy.
ALLARD, JEAN FRANCOIS (1785-1839), Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, an order instituted in 1802 by Napoleon I, was born at Saint Tropez, France, on 8 March 1785. In 1803, he joined the French army and served in it fighting in the Imperial Cavalry in far flung fields in Italy, Spain and Portugal until its final defeat at the hands of the allies in 1815 when the Imperial Guard, in which he had been serving as a lieutenant since 1810, was disbanded.
BACHITTAR SINGH MALVAI (d. 1840), eldest son of Dhanna Singh Malvai, joined the army of Ranjit Singh about 1827, and served first at Bahawalpur. When Peshawar was occupied by the Sikhs in 1834, Bachittar Singh was sent to Shabqadar, where a new cantonment had been laid out and a fort built by Chatar Singh Atarivala. He was still there when, in April 1837, the Afghan army attacked the post and the fort of Jamrud. In January 1839, Bachittar Singh accompanied the Sikh forces escorting Shahzada Taimur, son of Shah Shuja, to Peshawar. He died in 1840.
CHARHAT SINGH (d. 1770), grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was the eldest of the four sons of Sardar Naudh Singh. He took to arms while still very young and started taking part in the raids and expeditions led by his father. He also fought in the Sikhs` skirmishes with the Afghan invader Ahmad Shah Durrani. After the death of his father, he broke away from the Faizullapuria Misi and determined to acquire territory for himself. He left his ancestral village of Sukkarchakk and established his headquarters at Gujranwala, where he had gathered a considerable following within a short time.
DOST MUHAMMAD KHAN. AMIR (1791-1863), ruler of Kabul and Qandahar, was the son of Painda Khan (executed 1799), the Barakzai chief. Dost Muhammad`s first engagement with the Sikhs was at Attock, the Afghan citadel, which had fallen into the hands of the Sikhs in June 1813. In the conflict which lasted three months, Dost Muhammad Khan, who himself led the attack in the battle of Haidru, 8 km from Attock, was badly mauled by the Sikh force commanded by Diwan Mohkam Chand. As a result of the fighting among the members of the Durrani and Barakzai families, Dost Muhammad finally established himself in 1823 in Kabul, Kashmir having been lost to the Sikhs in 1819.
GORDON (d. 1837), often miscalled Canon, an Anglo Indian, entered the service of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1820 as an infantry instructor on a salary of Rs 500 per month. Later, he was put in command of a battalion of artillery. In July 1822, his battalion received approbation from Allard and Ventura and was ultimately incorporated in the FaujiKhas. Gordon was now charged with raising a new cavalry regiment to be called Akal Regiment.
Discover Ilahi Bakhsh's pivotal role in Maharaja Ranjit Singh's military campaigns, especially during the conquest of Multan and the Ropar meeting.
Discover the intriguing life of Kashmira Singh, son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, tied to Kashmir's fate and his tragic end amid Dogra intrigues in 1844.
