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Khushal Singh Jamadar

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Raja

Khushal Singh

Jamadar
Watercolour of Jamadar Khushal Singh, Company artist, Punjab, ca.1865
Birth nameKhushal Ram
Nickname(s)Khushala
Born1790
Ikari, Sardhana Pargana (Present-day Meerut, Western Uttar Pradesh)
Died17 June 1844
Lahore, Sikh Empire (Present-day Punjab, Pakistan)
AllegianceSikh Empire
Years of service1807 - 1844
Rank
  • Wazir-e-Azam (till 1818)
  • Chamberlain
  • Military officer
Known for
AwardsJamadarji[citation needed]
ChildrenRam Singh
Kishan Singh
Bhagwan Singh
RelationsMisr Hargobind (father)
Ram Singh (brother)
Misr Niddha (brother)
Tej Singh (nephew)

Raja Khushal Singh Jamadar (1790 – 17 June 1844) was a military officer and chamberlain of the Sikh Empire. He was conferred the title of Raja for his conquest of Dera Ghazi Khan, Kangra and other military expeditions.[citation needed] He was a notable figure of the state.

Early life

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He was born in 1790, in a Gaur Brahmin family of Village Ikari (Meerut, Western Uttar Pradesh), to Misr Hargobind, a shopkeeper.[1][2][3][4]

Administration and military career

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Painting of Jamadar Khushal Singh

He left his home as an adventurer at a young age to seek his fortune in Lahore, eventually joining the Sikh army as a soldier in Dhaunkal Singh wala's regiment in 1807.[citation needed][citation needed]

Khushal Singh advanced more with time and was appointed personal attendant (Khidmat-gar) to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, rising through the ranks to become lord chamberlain (Darogha'i-Deorhi'i-Mu'alla; which became office of prime minister [Wazir] under Dhian Singh), an office he held for almost 15 years with a temporary break in 1818. This position commanded great influence and authority, as Khushal Singh was master of royal ceremonies and superintendent of both the royal palace and the Darbar. No one could have access to the sovereign or enter the palace without his prior permission.[citation needed]

In addition to his administrative duties, Khushal Singh excelled as a soldier, serving in various military expeditions throughout the region, including Kashmir (1814), Mukerian (1816), Multan (1818), Dera Ghazi Khan (1819), Derajat (1820), Dera Ismail Khan (1821), Leiah (1821), Mankera (1822), Peshawar (1823), and Kangra (1828) amid others.[5][6]

Death

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Portrait of Jamadar Khushal Singh

Khushal Singh distributed all his belongings by way of charity to deserving and needy ones, and died on 17 June 1844.[citation needed] His Samadhi was made in his haveli's garden in Lahore, where his nephew Teja Singh's Samadhi also lies.[citation needed]

Legacy

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Descendants of his brother became rulers of Sheikhupura and Raja Dhayan Singh (son of Raja Fateh Singh), was the last ruler of Sheikhupura.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Gopal, Madan (2017-08-29). Dyal Singh Majithia. Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. ISBN 978-81-230-2553-7.
  2. ^ Banga, Indu (1997). Five Punjabi Centuries: Policy, Economy, Society, and Culture, C. 1500-1990 : Essays for J.S. Grewal. Manohar. ISBN 978-81-7304-175-4.
  3. ^ Gill, Avtar Singh (1982). Maharaja and the Koh-i-Noor. Central Publishers.
  4. ^ The Sikh Review. Sikh Cultural Centre. 1985.
  5. ^ Grewal, J. S. (1998-10-08). The Sikhs of the Punjab. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-63764-0. Archived from the original on 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  6. ^ Williams, Donovan (1970). Life And Times Of Ranjit Singh. V.V.R.I. Press. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  7. ^ Personalities: A Comprehensive and Authentic Biographical Dictionary of Men who Matter in India [Northern India and Parliament]. Arunam & Sheel. 1950. Archived from the original on 2023-07-30. Retrieved 2023-10-05.