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Gujjar Singh Bhangi was
one of the triumvirate who ruled over
Lahore for thirty years before its occupation
by Ranjit Singh, was son of a cultivator
of modest means, Nattha Singh. Strong
and well built, Gujjar Singh received
the vows of the Khalsa at the hands
of his maternal grandfather Gurbakhsh
Singh Roranvala, who presented him with
a horse and recruited him a member of
his band. As Gurbakhsh singh was growing
old, he made Gujjar Singh head of his
band. Soon the band was united to the
force of Hari Singh, head of the Bhangi
Misl of chiefship. Gujjar Singh set
out on a career of conquest and plunder.
In 1765, he along with Lahina singh
,adopted son of Gurbakhsh Singh, and
Sobha Singh, an associate of Jai Singh
Kanhaiya , captured Lahore, from the
Afghans. As Lahina Singh was senior
in relationship, being his maternal
uncle, Gujjar Singh allowed Lahina Singh
to take possession of the city and the
fort, himself occupying eastern part
of the city, then a jungle. Gujjar Singh
erected part of the city, then a jungle.
Gujjar Singh erected a mud fortress
and invited people to settle there.
He sank wells to supply water. A mosque
was built for muslims. The area, the
site of present-day railway station
of Lahore, still bears his name and
is known as Qila Gujjar Singh.
Gujjar Singh next captured Eminabad,
Wazirabad, Sodhra and about 150 villages
in Gujranwala district. He then took
Gujarat from Sultan Muqarrab Khan whom
he defeated under the walls of the city
in December 1765, capturing both the
city and the adjoining country, and
making Gujrat his headquarters. Next
year, he overran Jammu, seized Islamgarh,
Punchh, Dev Batala and extended his
territory as far as the Bhimbar hills
in the North and the Majha country in
the south. During Ahmad Shah Durrani's
eighth invasion, Gujjar Singh along
with other Sikh Sardars offered him
strong opposition. When in January 1767,
the Durrani commander-in-chief reached
Amritsar at the hed of 15,000 troops,
the Sikh Sardars routed the Afghan horde.
Soon afterwards Gujjar Singh laid siege
to the famous fort of Rohtas, held by
the Gakkhars, with the assistance of
Charat Singh Sukkarchakia , who was
on the most amicable terms with him
and gave his daughter, Raj Kaur, in
marriage to his son, Sahib Singh. Gujjar
Singh subjugated the warlike tribes
in the northwestern Punjab and occupied
portions of Pothohar, Rawalpindi and
Hasan Abdal.
Gujjar Singh died at Lahore in 1788.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Copyright © Harbans Singh "The
encyclopedia of Sikhism. Vol III."
pages 116
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