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Sham Singh
It is said that during the rule of Emperor
Muhammad Shah (1719-1748), Sham Singh,
a Sandhu Jat, of village Narli, dissatisfied
with the treatment of his parents, left
his place and joined the derail of Kapur
Singh Singhpuria, who was, at this time,
up in arms against the Mughal government
of the Punjab. For a few days, Sham
Singh remained without arms and other
equipment necessary for such a career.
He called on Kapur Singh and tookp(lAul
(baptism) at his hands. He was also
able to procure an old sword and a small
horse from Sardar Kapur Singh. He starred
actively participating in the activities
of the Dal Khalsa. All the Sikhs sallying
out from Majha joined Kapur Singh.
In due course of time, Sham Singh became
one of the most prominent men of Kapur
Singh's derah. He formed a group of
ten or fifteen men and managed five
or six horses and independently started
his activities. Shortly, he was able
to gather around him about three hundred
horsemen. He came to Doaba and carried
out the programmes chalked out by the
Dal Khaisa. He took certain places under
his protection and later occupied the
same.
According to Rattan Singh Bhangu, Sham
Singh was his paternal grandfather (his
mother's father). He fought in many
skirmishes against the Mughal government
forces, always in the front ranks. He
was never afraid of death. He always
shared his meals with others and never
ate alone. If ever he found that the
hangar was not enough for the mcn Sittillg
in the pangat he would cat after all
had taken their meals. He also partook
of hangar along with the non-Sikhs,
the down-t'odden, and untouchables to
keep himself identified with all people
irrespective of their castes and also
to drive home to them that all were
equal in the pangat.
He was sweet-tongued and a very devoted
Sikh and for most of his time he recited
the gurbani holy scriptures). Whosoever
came to him was duly baptised and converted
into a Singh.
Karam Singh
Sham Singh was issueless. After his
death in 1739, during Nadir Shah's invasion,
his nephew (brother's son) Karam Singh,
who was a member of his derah, became
his successor.4 Before joining the feral
he took paXttl at the hands of Diwan
Darbara Singh. Under Karam Singh the
Misal progressed considerably. Besides
making additions he was able to keep
the possessions of Sham Singh intact.
The men of Zakariya Khan, governor
of Lahore, forcibly converted into Musalmans
most of the relatives of Sham Singh
and Karam Singh. In due course of time,
Karam Singh, accompanied by Darbara
Singh, adequately chastised the guilty
Muslims and brought back their relatives
into the fold of Sikhism.
In the battle fought at Jalandhar against
its administrator Naseer-ud-Din, Karam
Singh participated on the side of Adeena
Beg. He cut off the head of Naseer-ud-Din's
sipahsalar Khair Shah, and established
his position as a brave and fearless
warrior and inspired awe into the hearts
of his enemies.
In due course of time, Karam Singh
also died without a son.
Karora Singh
Karam Singh was succeeded by Karora
Singh who was a Virk Jat zamindar of
Majha. He was also called Barqa after
the name of his village Barki in Lahore
district. He was a member of the Panjgarhia
derah. He had taken baptism at the hands
of Sham Singh. Karam Singh's derah unanimously
decided to appoint him his successor.
Karora Singh added more Parganas to
his possessions as Hariana and Sham
Churasi (now in Hoshiarpur district
of Punjab). He collected an army of
seven or eight thousand horsemen including
that of his Misaldars.
This Misal took its name from Karora
Singh, the third and one ofthe most
important leaders of the Misal. Karora
Singh was an intelligent and a very
influential leader. Under his stewarship
his derah made rapid strides. Maharaja
of Bharatpur fought some battles successfully
with the help of Karora Singh., alone
was able to resist him up to Farrukhabad.
Once, an Afghan sipahsalar, Buland
Khan, clashed with the Sikhs near Batala.
Karora Singh routed the Afghans and
he unburdened them of their treasures
and booty and distributed the same among
the Sikh jathas. It was Karora Singh
who had cut off the head of Diwan Bishambar
Das in the battle of Urmar Tanda (in
the present district of Hoshiarpur).
In those days, the Raja of Dek Kumher
(in the present Rajasthan state)., came
to the Sikhs and asked for their assistance.
He promised to give ten rupees per swar
per day. With a view to providino military
assistance to the Raja, Sardar Karora
Singh led five thousand horsemen to
his place. On the way, when the Sikh
army encamped at Azimabad, which is
popularly known as Tarawari, the tehaleas
(menial servants) went out to bring
grass or fodder for the horses. They
began to cut the crops of the zamindars
of Tarawari for their horses. The zamindars
resisted the reaping of their crops.
Karora Singh, with a few of his companions,
went to confront the zamindars. He died
there as a result of a bullet-shot fired
at him by a zamindar. According to another
version, he was killed in 1761.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Copyright © Bhagat Singh "A
History of Sikh Misals"
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