Banda Bahadur received
appeals from the peasants of the Jalandhar
Doab to help them against the Mughal Faujdar, Shams Khan of Jalandhar. The news of Banda’s return was
enough to put heart into the Sikhs and they rose to throw off the yoke of
Mughals. Shams Khan was defeated in Rahon.
The capture and
execution of Banda Bahadur and his followers in the year 1716, and the
persecution of the Sikhs that followed, completely crushed them. But the Sikhs
were temporarily subdued.
After the invasion of
Nadir Shah during which he put Nurmahal to ransom, the Sikhs again appeared in
arms. But after a temporary success, they were defeated by Adina-Beg, who had
been
appointed Governor (Faujdar) of the Jalandhar Doab.
Adina-Beg and the
leaders of the more important Sikh confederacies were also appossed to Nadir
Shah who was finally defeated in 1748 near
Sirhind by Muin-ul-Mulk (popularly known as Mir
Mannu ), the son of the grand Wazir, and obliged to evacuate the Punjab.
Mir Mannu became a
governor of Punjab and ruled from 1748 to 1752, retaining Adina Beg as his
Deputy in the Jalandhar Doab.
Jassa Singh Ramgharia in
1752 took service with Adina Beg and with all the leaders of the confederacy, except one, Tara Singh, helped
him to defeated the Ahluwalias, Kanayas and Sukerchakias at Makhowal. Adina Beg is said by one account to have
given him charge of the large tract in the Jalandhar Doab of which the
subsequently became master.
After the death of Mir Mannu in
1752, the Governorship of Lahore was held by his widow Murad Begum on the part
of Afghan King till 1755, when she was treacherously seized by her son-in-law,
the Wazir of Delhi. This led to the fourth invasion of Ahmad Shah, during which
he plundered Nurmahal and slaughtered its inhabitants.
Adina-Beg with the
assistance of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia took possession of Jalandhar and defeated
the Afghan General Sarbuland Khan, who had been left in charge. On his back to
Kabul, Ahmad Shah had pillaged and brunt Kartarpur.
During the year, the
Sikhs under Badbhag Singh, with the connivance of Adima Beg, in the revenue
treated Jalandhar similarly. But though supported by
Sikhs, Adina Beg found his position precarious and called in the assistance of
the Maratha leader, Regoba. The Marathas expelled the Afghans and occupied the
whole of Punjab adine Beg was
made the Governor of Punjab and died at the end of the year, leaving no son to
succeed him.
The era of Sikh
Confederacies (Misls) which succeeded
that of foreign domination had begun in the Doab in this year, immediately
after the death of Adina Beg. There were twelve Misls, i.e. (1) The Nakais, (2) The Nishanwalias, (3) The Kanayas
(4) The Sukrchakias (5) The Shahids (6)
The Bhagins (7) The Phulkians
(8) The Ahluwalias (9) The Rmagharias (10) The Faizullapurias or Sinhgpurias
(11) The Karora Singhias and (12) Dallewalias.
The Kanahayas from some
time held a large tract in the upper
part of the Doab, from which thay had been ousted by the Rmgharias. Sukerchakia
in the person of Ranjit Singh, became master of whole upper Doab. The connection
of the Bhangis Misl with Jalandhar
was almost equally sight. Lehna Singh, the Principal leader of one branch of
this Cofedracy was a native of Mustfapur, a village, near Kartarpur in the
Jlalndhar District.
Tara Singh Gheba
captured Dakhni in this year from Sharf-ud-din, an Afghan of Jalandhar. After
that he marched towards the east of the Jalandhar and fixed his residance
there.
Ahmad Shah invaded India for the fifth time, drove out
the Marathas and at the Battle of Panipat destroyed forever their chance of
being again
masters of the Punjab,. He returned to
Kabul laeving Buland Khan, Governor of Lahore and Zain Khan, Governor of
Sihind. By the time, the Sikhs were so strong that they began to built forts
all over the Country. They defeated Khwaja Ubed, who was command at Lahore.
Karora Singh, one of the
founder of the Karora Singhias Misl was a Virk Jat (some say a Khatri) and
belonged originally to the Faizullapiria confederacy. He made himself
independent and
took possession of Hariana
and Sham Churasi in the Hoshiarpur District and had also lands in the north of
the Jalandhar, whrer the confederacies countinued to be represented by the
Sardars of Laroya and Naugaja in
Jalandhar, and of Sirhal Kazian, in Nawashahr. He was killed and was succeed by
Sardar Baghel Singh who retuned to the Punjab and acquired the country about
Talwan in south-west of Phillaur Tehsil.
Amad Shah Abdali appeared for the
sixth time and falling on the combined Sikh
forces near village Kup (district Sangrur) where they were engaged in
hostilities with Zian Khan inflicted on
them the most terrible defeated they
had ever experienced. This holocaust of 5 February 1762, ios Known to the
Sikhs as the Vada Ghallughara ( the great massacre). Howerver, when Ahmad Shah
had gone back to Kabul, leaving Saadat Khan, Government of Jalandhar, the Sikhs
came together again.They defeated and
slew Zain Khan near Sirhind in December 1763. This victory established Sikh
independence.Though Ahmed Shah returned in 1764 and again in 1767 when
he made the Katoch Rajput Chief, Ghamand Chand Governor of jalandhar, He did not recover any substantial power;and asfor as the
jalandhar Doaba is concerned, Afgan soverreignty, even in name, ended in the
latter year.
The Dallewalia chif was on
inimate terms with the Phulkian family of Patiala as Bibi Chand Kaur, daughter
of Raja Amar Singh of that state was married to his son, Dasondha Singh. The
Dallewalia Chief alongwith others chiefs, came to the assistance of Amar Singh,
when the latter`s half brother Himmat Singh, had rebelled.
The Ahluwalias, Kanhayas and
Sukerchakias attacked the Ramgarhias, took all the country and drove Jassa
Singh across the Sutluj, where he remained for seven years.
When the Raja had been defeated
by Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, Tara Singh was one of the Chiefs who hastened
to his help. Another ally from Jalandhar Doaba was Bibi Rajinder of Phagwara.
Hari Singh origenally belonged to the Dallewalia confedcrancy.
On the death if Raja Amar
Singh, the Dallewalia Chief backup the
rebellion of Sardar Mahan Singh against
Raja Sahib Singh who was the brother of Bibi Chand Kaur, Tara Singh`s
daughter-in-law. But he soon deserted the rebal Sardar who was then obliged to
surrender.
The Kanhayas had grown too
powerful to please the Sukerchakias and the latter in alliance Jassa Singh who after some fighting, recovered his old
territory. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia died in 1803 and was succeded by his son, Jodh
Singh. Jodh Singh assisted Lord Lake when he entred the Doab in pursuit of
Jaswant Rao Holker, who plundered fifty of Ramgarhia villages. Ranjit Singh crossed the Satluj and attacked
the Rajput fort of Nariangarh in the
Ambala District. Tara Singh Gheba, accompnied him got ill and died on his own
way home during the seige. His death was kept secret while the body was sent in
all hast to Rahon to which he belonged. According to J.D. Cunningham, Tara
Singh Gheba`s widow, Rani Rattan Kaur “ equalled the sister of the Raja of
Patiala in spirit and she is described to have girded up her garment and to
have fought, sword in hand, on the Jalandhar
Doaba had been absorbed into the dominon of Ranjit Singh and made over
to Dewan Mohkam Chand.
The Karora Singhias lost
Talwan, with Shergarh and Hariana to Ranjit Singh. The Faizullapuria Misl came under Maharaja Ranjit
Singh rule. In September 1811, Diwan
Mohkam Chand on the part of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, supported by Ramgarhia and
Ahluwalias Chiefs, took Jalandhar and other forts as Bulandpur, about 5 km
north of Jalandhar and Patti at Hoshiarpur District and obliged Sardar Budh
Singh to fly for safty to Ludhiana.
Diwan Mohkam Chand died in
October 1814 and was succeeded by Moti Ram.
After the death of Jodh Singh
in 1816, his family began to quarrel and Ranjit Singh being asked to arbitrate,
took the possession of Ramgarhia Misl.
Moti Ram held the appointment
till he was made the governor of Kashmir and in his place Jalandhar was taken
by his son Kirpa Ram.
Death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
In the first Anglo Sihk War
(1845-46), the Jalandhar Doab was not scene of any remarkable military event.
The army of Sardar Ranjodh Singh Majithia marched throughDoab was joined by the
troops of Ahluwalia Chief. The crossed the Satluj at Phllaur on 17 January 1846
and after a temporary success at Badowal, were totally defeated by sir Henry
Smith at Aliwal eleven days later and driven across the Sutlej at Chug, 3 km
sough of Talwan. The sikhs retreated to Phillaur and disapearsed. After the
battle, the main body of English army market for Sobraon, while Brigadier
Wheeler crossed the river in pursuit of the Sikhs also near Talwan and advanced
to Phillaur and occupied the fort, the keys of which had been made over to him
at Talwan by Chaudhari Kutb-ud-din, who for this service got a pension and
afterwords a grand of waste land, where the village of the Kutbiwal now stands, From Phillaur, the
English marched to Jalandhar. The country between Sutlej and Beas was ceded to
the British.
John Lawrance was appointed
commission of the Jalandhar Doaba on its annexation in 1846. Cantonements were
built at Jalandhar, Phillaur, Nakodar and Kartarpur.
When the great uprising of 1857
occurred, the 6th light
Cavalry, the 36th and 61st Native Infantry and
some Native Artiliary were staitioned at Jalandhar. Brigadier Hartley was
in command. But was succeded by
Brigadier M.C. Johnstone before the actual outbrake ocured at Jalandhar. The
Civil officers were the Commisioners, Major Lake, The Deputy Commissioner,
Captain Frington, the Assistant Commissioner, S.S. Hoggand the extra
Commissioner G.Knox N.P. the Namdhari, papurly called Kuka Movement was started
by Baba Ram Singh of village Bhaini Sahib in Ludhiana district. And assambly of
his followers was called at Bhaini Sahib on the Baisakhi day in 1857. The five
Sikhs who were administrated on the occasion included Bhai
Sadhu Singh of village Durgapur in the Nawasharh tehsil.
Phillaur was occupied by the 3rd
Native Infantry during the great appriding of 1857, when the news of the
outbreak at Meerut arrived, on 12 May 1857, Major Lake was not at Headquarters,
but Captain Farrigtion was present at a council heald by Brigadier Heartly, at
which it was determined to secure Phillaur and to establish Relegraph
communication with it. The native troops had been replaced by 150 man of the 8
foot, by the next morning. Randhir Singh the raja of Kapurthala with his
brother Bikram Singh proceeded to Jalandhar with the all troops he could
collect and remained there for whole of the summer. On 7 June 1857, a fire
brokeout in the Cantonments. When the officers, went down to extinguish the
fire, they were fired on by the native troops. Many of them were wounded. Next
morning, the rebal troops left Jalandhar in two parties. One went off in an
orderly manner towards Hoshiarpur, and marching about 208 Km. in 54 hours, made
good it escape along the hills. The second and large party made for Phillaour
where they reached the same morning. Here they were joint my the third Native
Infantory and corssed the river followed by the pursueres. On 10th
June, the pursuite ceased at Dehlon and 8th Foot return to Ludhiana
by the evening and thence to Jalandhar, where it afterwards joint General
Nickolsons moveable column and assisted in disarming the 33rd and 35th
Native Infantory regiments at Phillour on June 25. The forces at Jalandhar was streanghtened by 300 Tiwana Horse
under the command of Sher Mohamad Khan. The railway line from Beas to Jalandhar
was opened in 1869 and was completed upto Phillour by the next year. The Doab
was linked to the rest of the punjab by the railway bridges, constructed over
the Beas in 1869 and over the Sutlej in 1870.
The sixteenth session of the
Indian National Congress was held at Lohare in December 1900. Delegates from
Jalandhar District also attended this
session. The Punjab Land Alienation Act, 1900 saved the agricultural land from
passing to the money landers but it did not solve the problum of rural
indebtedness.
With headquarters of San
Fransisco (USA), the Ghadar Party was formed in 1913 to liberate India by
force. From among the Ghadrites, which disembarked from the ship Kamagata Maru (which arrived at Budge
Budge on 21 September 1914) 32 belonged to district Jalandhar. Of these, 14
were imprisoned and 3 killed in the police firing. Those killed were, Inder Singh of village Sidhu or Sidhupur,
Arjan Singh of village Dhada (Tehsil Jalandhar) and Lachhman Singh (village not
known).