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Karam Singh, the companion
of Sudh Singh who was taking care of
the Misal after Martyrtom of the founder
of Shaheedan Misal Baba Dip Singh ji
Shaheed, succeeded him. He was the son
of Chaudhry Bir Singh, a Sidhu Jat,
resident of the village Marana (Marhaka)
in the pargana of Lahore. After Zain
Khan of Sirhind was killed the Sikh
Sardars occupied the surrounding territories.
Karam Singh also occupied parganas of
Shahzadpur, Majri and Kesari in Ambala
district from which an income of one
lakh rupees accrued annually.l7 Nawab
Zabita Khan of Ranniawala was ruling
his territory near DamdaTna Sahib. He
was in Constant warfare with the Sikhs.
In order to pacify them he transferred
twelve villages in the name of the Gurdwara,
including the villages of Dadu, Dharampura,
Rampura, Taloke^.vala, Kewal and Huna
Pucca. Karam Singh later took possession
of Rannia, Damdama, Khari, Jaroli, Faizullapur
and the adjoining areas. He lived at
Kesari. His brother Dharam Singh was
given Shahzadpur. Dharam Siogh died
issueless. After Dharam Singh's death
his widow Mai Desao was given a village
Baragaon for her subsistence. Karam
Singh himself shifted to Shazadpur,
and brought Mai Desan, the widow of
Dharam Singh, into his wedlock. After
Mai Desan's death her possessions also
passed into the hands of Karam Singh.
During Karam Singh's time a contingent
of 404 Sikhs, with two guns and 10 zamburs,
was stationed at Damdama. Natha Singh
was the mukhtar of the place. He was
replaced by the orders of Karam Singh.
When in 1768, on the complaint of a
Brahman whose married daughter has been
forcibly seized by Hasan Khan, the Nawab
of Jalalabad Lohari, the Sikh forces
marched on Jalalabad under the command
of Karam Singh Shahid who emerged successful
in the fighting. The Nawab was tied
to a cot and burnt alive. Nawab's agent,
a Hindu Kalal, who informed him of the
beautiful girls, was publically executed.
The Brahman's daughter was restored
to her husband and the Sardar saw that
the food cooked by the girl was served
to all the Brahmans of her husband's
village. The Sikhs gave a sufficient
amount of money to the girl's husband
to assure good treatment for her.
Karam Singh ruled his territory very
efficiently. He kept under his control,
the parganas of Bankhandi and Bartha
Jawai (in the Saharanpur district) with
an income of one lakh rupees annually,
for a period of thirty years.
Towards the end of 1779, Karam Singh
arrived in the camp of Prince Abdul
Ahad at Karnal and presented two horses
and some other gifts. He was awarded
a khillat of five pieces, a sarpech
and a sword. Some other chiefs, including
Baghel Singh Karorsinghia and Sahib
Singh Khundawala, also met the prince.
These chiefs were wining the imperial
camp partly to crush their opponents
with the assistance of the king's forces
and partly to plunder the territory
of the Raja of Patiala at whose domination
they were chafing.
Due to his hobnobbing with the Marathas
Diwan Nanumal of Patiala fell from royal
favours. When he was returning from
Karnal he heard of all that his enemies
had accomplished against him. He thought
it unwise to return to Patiala where
he could only expect imprisonment or
death. He, therefore, took refuge with
Sardar Karam Singh Shahid.
The forces of the Shahid Misal comprised
2000 horsemen. Karam Singh died in 1794.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Copyright © Bhagat Singh "A
History of Sikh Misals"
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