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 Sher
Singh Maharaja, Sikh sovereign of the
Punjab from January 1841 until his death
in September 1843, was the son of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh, born on 4 December 1807
to Mahitab Kaur, the Maharaja's first
wife. Sher Singh grew up into a handsome,
broad-chested young man. His soldierly
mien made him popular with the army.
He loved hunting and hawking, and devoted
attention to cultivating European interests
and hobbies in the company of foreigners
serving at the Sikh court. In 1829,
Maharaja Ranjit Singh conferred upon
him civil and military honours and the
privilege of sitting on a chair in the
Darbar. Sher Singh took part in many
of the campaigns undertaken by the Maharaja
for the expansion of his kingdom. In
May 1831, he defeated at Balakot, in
Hazara district the turbulent Sayyid
Ahmad Barelavi who had started a jihad
against the Sikh rule. From 1831 to
1834 he acted as governor of the province
of Kashmir. He was one of the army commanders
who led in 1834 forces in Peshawar and
who finally seized the city from the
Afghans.
In the political vacuum cretaed by the
deaths in November 1840 successively
of Maharaja Kharak Singh and his son
Kanvar Nau Nihal Singh, Sher Singh staked
his claim to the throne of the Punjab.
Another major contestent was Rani Chand
Kaur, Kharak Singh's widow, who sent
for Gulab Singh Dogra from Jammu to
counteract the influence of his brother,
Raja Dhian Singh, who had declared support
for Sher Singh. Dhian singh suggested
several compromises. Chand Kaur could
marry Sher Singh or, being childless
could adopt Sher Singh's son Pratap
Singh as her son. However, Chand Kaur
asserted that Nau Nihal Singh's widow
was pregnant and might give birth to
a rightful successor. Ultimately an
arrangement was arrived at under which
Chand Kaur was to act as regent for
her expected grandson, while Sher Singh
would function as vice-regent and head
of the council of regency, and Dhian
Singh as the principal minister. But
the triumvirate failed to work in unison.
A few days later, two powerful Sandhanvalia
Sardars, Atar Singh and Ajit Singh,
collaterals of the royal contenders
for the throne, arrived in Lahore and
took over control. On 2 December 1840,
Chand Kaur was proclaimed the Maharani
of the Punjab, with the title of Malika
Muqaddasa, emperess immaculate. The
next day Sher singh left Lahore for
his estate in Batala. A month later,
Dhian Singh Dogra was compelled to quit
the capital, and Chand Kaur and the
Sadhanvalias gained complete control
of the administration.
Sher Singh still had the support of
the army and most of the crack regiments
had gone over to his side. The European
officers were with him too. In January,
1841, he arrived in Lahore with at the
head of a considerable force. Chand
Kaur had appointed Gulab Singh Dogra
as commander-in-chief and charged him
with defending the city. She cleared
the soldiers arrears of pay for four
months, and lavished presents of gold
bangles, necklaces and shawls on the
officers. She issued orders to the city
bankers forbidding them to lend money
to Sher singh. But the situation turned
decisively in favour of Sher Singh,
when regiments stationed outside the
city-walls joined him in a body. He
finally had with him 26,000 infrantry,
8,000 horses, and 45 guns, whereas Chand
Kaur was left with only 5,000 men, a
few guns and a limited quantity of gunpowder.
Sher Singh forced his way into the city,
and made a proclaimation assuring safety
of life and property to the citizens
and offering pardon to those who would
come over to him. The leading courtiers
made their submission and forwarded
a joint appeal to Chand Kaur and Gulab
Singh Dogra to lay down arms. The Maharani,
however chose to fight. For two days,
Sher Singh's artillery shelled the fort,
but with little effect. On the evening
of 17 January 1841, Dhian Singh Dogra
arrived and secured a ceasefire. Chand
Kaur was persuaded to accept a jagir
and relinquish her claim to the throne.
At midnight Gulab Singh dogra and his
soldiers evacuated the Fort, taking
with them all the State's hoard of gold
and jewels. From among the Sandhanvalia
supporters of Chand Kaur, Ajit Singh
fled to seek help from Mr Cler, British
political agent in Ludhiana, and, on
his refusal to receive him, he proceeded
to calcutta to see the Governor-General.
Ajit Singh's uncle, Atar Singh, also
sought asylum in the British territory.
Sher Singh occupied the fort and ascended
the throne on 20 January 1841, though
the formal tilak (anointment) ceremony
was performed a week later on 27 January
by Baba Bikrama Singh Bedi of Una. His
son Kanvar Pratap Singh, received a
Khillat as heir apparent and Dhian Singh
Dogra as Wazir or minister. In the second
half of July, Sher Sigh married the
daughter of the Raja of Suket. Known
in the palace as Rani Dukno, she earned
fame as one of the most beautiful women
of her time. The match was made on the
recommendation of Lahina Singh Majithia
woh conducted the preparatory negotiations.
Sher Singh forbore from taking any
reprisals and treated generously even
those who had opposed him. Through a
proclamation by the beat of drum, he
assured the people of Lahore peace and
security. The army was warned not to
molest the citizens in any manner, and
the commanders were cautioned exercise
maximum vigilance to this end. But since
the Maharaja was not able to redeem
his promises of rewards to the troops(as
Gulab Singh Dogra had stole and carried
away the state treasury to Jammu), they
went berserk, killing regimental accountants
and officers, who they suspected of
having embezzled their wages or having
dealings with the English, and plundering
the city. As the prestige of the Darbar
declined, the men of the army arose
to have their voice heard in matter
of state. The one institution with which
they were familiar was the Panchayat
the council of elders which regulated
the affairs in their villages. The system
was imported into the army, and each
regiment began to elect his own panches
whose duty was to deliberate on the
orders of the commanding officer and
then to make their recommendations to
the men. This seriously affected discipline
in the army.
The British from across the border
might have intervened in the affairs
of Maharaja Sher Singh's administration,
but they were prevented from doing so
by a sudden turn of events in Afghanistan
which British had occupied earlier with
the active help of the Sikhs under the
Tripartite Treaty of 1938, placing Shah
Shuja on the throne of Kabul. In a bloody
rising in Kabul in the autumn of 1841,
Shah Shuja was murdered and the British
army of occupation was annihilated.
For the recovery of Afghanistan, Lord
Ellenborough, the governor-general,
sought (spring 1842) the cooperation
of the Sikhs. Reassured that the Sandhanvalia
refugees in the British territory would
not be allowed to disturb his reign,
Sher Singh was persuaded to assist.
The purchase of grain and hire of carriage
cattle in the Punjab were facilitated,
and a division of 5,000 Sikhs helped
force the Khyber pass. Sher Singh allowed
Dost Mohammad khan, with whom the Sikhs
crossed swords in many battle and whom
the British were escorting to Kabul
for the installation as they new king.
The Lahore Darbar signed a separate
treaty with Dost Muhammad Khan as the
Amir of Afghanistan.
A notable event during Sher Singh's
reign was the conquest of the Ladakh
valley which was strategically very
important and which made the frontier
secure against expanding influence of
China. A Sikh expedition under the Dogra
General Zorawar Singh, marched towards
Tibet. Garo and Rudok wre occupied and
Lhasa armies attacked. Although the
expedition did not make much headway
owing to premature snowfall and difficult
and unfamiliar terrain, a treaty of
peace was signed on 17 September 1842
between the representative of Khalsa
darbar and the representative of the
Chinese emperor. It was agreed that
the traditional boundaries of Ladakh
and Tibet would be considered inviolable
by both parties and trade, particularly
of tea and Pashmina wool, would, as
in the past, pass through Ladakh.
In March 1842, Mr Clerk of the Ludhiana
political agency had led a diplomatic
mission to Amritsar to condole with
Maharaja Sher Singh on the death of
his predecessor and congratulate him
upon his accession. He also took the
oppurtunity of interceding on behalf
of the Sandhanvalias, Atar Singh and
Ajit Singh, who had formallly sought
th eMaharaja's permission for returning
to the Punjab. In September 1842 a letter
was received from Ajit Singh announcing
"his intention to come to Lahore
for presenting himself before the Shahzada
(Sher Singh)." Sher Singh gave
his approval for the return of the fugitives.
Baba Bikram Singh of Una placed them
under solemn oaths. On his standing
surety for them, Sher singh pardoned
them. Ajit Singh arrived in Lahore on
17 November 1842, followed by Atar Singh.
Amnesty was also extended to Lahina
Singh Sandhanvalia and Kehar Singh Sandhanvalia
who were released from confinement in
the Mukerian Fort.
Although Sher Singh had shown magnamity
in allowing Atar Singh and Ajit Singh
to return to the Punjab and to resume
their accustomed positions at the court,
they were not reconciled to him. Their
original nominee for the throne of the
Punjab, Mai Chand Kaur, whose cause
they had persistently espoused even
after crossing over tothe British territory,
was now dead (9 June 1842), yet they
continued to nurture a feeling of hostility
towards Sher Singh. This culminated
in a murderous plot. On 15 September
1842, the Maharaja rode out of the city
early in the morning, that being a sankrant
the first day of the Bikrami month,
there was no darbar for him to attend.
He alighted near Tej Singh's garden
where tents were put up for his son,
Kanvar Partap Singh. To fulfill the
morning's engagement, he moved on the
Shah Balaval where sittingin the baradari
or pleasure house, he witnessed wrestling-bouts,
with Diwan Dina Nath and Buddh Singh,
his armour-bearer, in attendance. After
he had dismissed the wrestlers with
due charity, the Sandhanvalia Sardars,
who had followed him with 150 horse
and 300 foot, requested him to inspect
their troops. Totally without suspicion,
Sher Singh agreed and came out of the
room. After the parade, Ajit Singh sought
his permission to show him a carbine
he had obtained from an Englishman in
Calcutta. As the Maharaja who was a
great lover of weapons put forth his
hands to take hold of the rifle, Ajit
Singh pressed the triggers and emptied
the loaded barrels into his chest. "Oh,
Sardar, What deception?" was all
the Maharaja could say as he dropped
to the ground dead. Ajit Singh rushed
forward and cut off his head with a
single blow of the sword. The shots
that killed Sher Singh were a signal
for the elder Sandhanvalia, Lahina Singh,
to pounce upon the 12-year old Son of
Maharaja Sher Singh, in the nearby Tej
Singh garden, and hack off his head.
Sher Singh was survived by his son
Sahdev Singh, born to Rani Dukno in
1843, who, after the annexation of the
Punjab in 1849, accompanied the deported
king, Duleep Singh, to Fatehgarh in
Uttar Pardesh. Descendants of Sahdev
Singh, his son Basdev Singh and daughter
Harbans Kaur (later married to the Rana
of Dhaulpur), lived at Rae Bareli.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Copyright © Harbans Singh "The
encyclopedia of Sikhism. Vol IV."
pages 109 - 112
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