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Sardar Budha Singh,was
an affluent Jat farmer of the village
of Sukarchak in the Majha tract of the
Punjab, was the first historically known
ancestor of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. His
original name was Desu. He was born
in 1670. He possessed 25 acres of land
and three ploughs and a well. On this
land he had built a couple of houses
for his family and cattle. The place
was named Sukarchak- sukar means small
and narrow and chak signifies a petty
tract of land it also assumed the meaning
of a village on account of this Desu
began to be called Sukarchakia, According
to a tradition, it is also said that
Sukarchak was so named as it was founded
on Friday (Shukarwar). Sukarchak was
situated near Gujranwala, 70 kms, north
of Lahore. (District of Gujranwala is
known to be the home of all Sandhus
and Maharaja Ranjit Singh was of Sandhu
clan of Jutts)
It is said that in his early days Desu
sometimes indulged in cattle-lifting
Once Desu carried off some good cattle
from the village Narkhona- After a few
days he met an old woman in tbe jungle
She enquired of Desu's whereabouts.
She told him that Desu had taken away
her buffaloes and a pair of oxen and
she was going to get them back- He told
her that Desu was a man of fierce nature
and he would maltreat her. she said
that when he knew her miserable condition
he would take pity on her. She could
not find Desu in the village but on
return to her place she was surprised
to find all her cattle tied up there
safe and sound.fi One of his ancestors
was initiated into Sikhism by Guru Gohind
Singh in 1692. Budha Singh was a daring
adventurer and is said to have taken
part in the battles of Guru Gobind Singh
and Banda Singh Bahadur. The success,
which attended his exploits, won him
the reputation of being one of the boldest
and the most resolute of the Sikhs of
the Pnnjab He built a fortress-like
mansion at his village. He was always
held in high esteem by the Sikhs.
He used to ride a piebald mare called
after him as Desi which had crossed
with its rider the rivers of Jhelum,
Ravi and Chenab fifty times. It is said
that sometimes Budha Singh covered on
his mare's back a distance of over one
hundred miles a day. The brave and courageous
Budha Singh, who was a giant in strength,
is said to have received during his
life time some forty sword cuts and
nine matchlock wounds, without his physical
strength failing him., in the words
of Carmichael Smyth, Budha Singh "was
distinguished for the most intrepid
courage; for his sagacity and shrewdness
which bore him successfully through
all his schemes, and for his ready wit
and good humour. He was also famed for
his regard to the rights and property
of the poor. He was very kind and sympathetic
to the faqirs, the poor and the travellers.
He died of apoplexy in 17161.
On his death, Budha Singh left behind
two sons, named Naudh Singh and Chanda
Singh, the latter being the ancestor
of the Sandhanwalia Sardars of Raja
Sansi. Naudh Singh grew up into a healthy
and beautiful youngman. During the time
of drought he used to bring his cattle
to graze to the Majitha village in the
present Amritsar district- Gulab Singh,
a baptised Sikh of Majitha, married
his daughter Lali to Naudh Singh in
1730, on the condition that he should
get himself duly baptised. Gulab Singh
was a devoted follower of the Khalsa
Panth. Under the inspiration of his
father-in-law, Naudh Singh joined the
Dal Khalsa under the command of Kapur
Singh Faizullapuria. He left his home
and moved about in the inhospitable
jungles along with his companions. He
came into prominence when in the accompaniment
of Kapur Singh, he relieved Ahmad Shah
Durani of his baggage and heavy booty
id 1749.
Sultan Khan Chatha, Pathan of Rasulnagar,
forcibly converted six Sikhs to Islam-
Naudh Singh and Chanda Singh attacked
Rasulnagar, plundred Sultan Khan's property
and brought back the Sikhs and baptised
them again. Shahab-ud-Din of Firozwala
captured a few Sikhs of village Earyala
and removed the hair of their heads
and beards. Naudh Singh and Chanda Singh
plundred his village and put Shahab-ud-Din
to death.
In 1749, Naudh Singh was wounded by
a gun-shot in the head while fighting
against the Afghan invaders. The wound
did not prove fatal but he was incapaciated
and he lingered on for a few years without
participating in the Sikh movement in
the Punjab and died in 1792.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Copyright © Bhagat Singh "A
History of Sikh Misals"
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