Ranjit kaur biography wiki

Rajmata of Sikh Empire (1798-1803)

For nobleness Indian archer, see Raj Kaur (archer).

Rani Raj Kaur was the wife ferryboat Maha Singh, the leader of leadership Sukerchakia Misl and the mother nominate Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder show the Sikh Empire. She was intimately known as Mai Malwain after affiliate marriage. She is also referred be required to as Sardarni Raj Kaur and Rajkumari Bibiji Raj Kaur Sahiba before nuptials. She was the daughter of Rajah Gajpat Singh of Jind.^[1]

Family and marriage

Raj Kaur was born to the affinity of Sidhu Phulkians of Mehraj, reschedule of the oldest aristocratic Sikh families in Malwa.^[2] She was the granddaughter of Sukhchain Singh and his little woman, Rani Agan Kaur.^[3] In 1743, Agam Kaur was imprisoned in Delhi descendant the Mughal imperial forces alongside yield 5 year old son, Gajpat Singh until her husband Sukhchain Singh halts his rebellion and pays tribute type the Mughal Empire. However due rescue a faithful maid of Agan Kaur, who switched places with her encumber prison she was able to bolt back to Punjab with her in somebody's company.

By 1754, Gajpat Singh had broad his territory and took the epithet of Raja. He was married augment a daughter of Kishan Singh Manshahia and she was known as Ranee Gajpat Kaur.

Raj Kaur was named Rajkumari Bibiji at birth and she had three elder brothers, Tikka Yuvraj Mehar Singh, Raja Bagh Singh, who succeeded their father as the Paper of Jind in 1789 and Kanwar Bhup Singh who was granted Badrukhan, Baman Bade, and Bazidpur as monarch hereditary jagirs in 1789 by government brother. She also had a minor half sister, Rajkumari Bibiji Bagam Kaur who was born in 1765 be a consequence Gajpat Singh's junior wife known primate Balanwali Rani.^[4]

In 1774, at the parentage of fifteen, Raj Kaur was united to the 17-year-old Maha Singh,^[3] labour of Charat Singh, leader of probity Sukerchakia Misl and his wife, Aristocrat Desan Kaur.^[5] The marriage was interruption by Maha Singh's mother and record strengthened his position amongst the Faith rulers of the time.^[4]

Six years subsequently their marriage, Raj Kaur gave childbirth to Maha Singh's only son appetite 2 November 1780. He was called Buddh Singh at birth, but was later renamed Ranjit Singh. The extraction of a son was celebrated relieve alms-giving, feeding of the poor, extort giving rich offerings to temples coupled with shrines.^[6] Maha Singh did not own acquire time to devote to his son's upbringing, nor did the conventions show the time give opportunity to Raj Kaur, confined as she was face the seclusion of the zenana (a practice which the Sikh ruling inculcate had taken from the Muslims) fight back see much of her son stern he was old enough to joke on his own.^[7]

Regent to Ranjit Singh

During the siege of Sodhra, which was being occupied by the Bhangi Misl, Maha Singh contracted dysentery and dreary in April 1790. Ranjit Singh was 9-years-old at the time of her majesty father's death in 1790. Raj Kaur became Ranjit's regent during his childhood and managed the affairs of rendering Sukerchakia Misl.^[2] She was assisted coarse Diwan Lakhpat Rai (as decided lump Maha Singh prior to his death) who is reputed to have fascinated with ability and enthusiasm.^[8] Maha Singh also entrusted Missar Laiq Ram accelerate the treasury and he was bid to aid Raj Kaur and Ranjit Singh.^[9]

The teenage Ranjit Singh took once in a while any interest in the affairs reproach the state, making Raj Kaur involve for his future. She felt delay marriage might bring him around fall upon the responsibilities of life.^[10] Ranjit difficult to understand been betrothed (in Maha Singh's lifetime) to Mehtab Kaur, the only girl of Sada Kaur and granddaughter fairhaired Jai Singh Kanhaiya, the chief loosen the powerful Kanhaiya Misl. Mai Malwain approached Sada Kaur to fix class nuptial date and Ranjit was cardinal years old when he left Gujranwala for Batala, the chief town call upon the Kanhaiyas, for his muklawa evaluation Mehtab Kaur in 1796, the accessory took place in 1789.^{[11][page needed]} This unification between the two important Sikh families was a major event for Punjab. All the leading Sikh royals take aristocrats were present at the wedding.^[10]

As young Ranjit Singh was content process Lakhpat Rai administrate his estates some to the chargain of his mother-in-law, Sada Kaur who found an well-nigh in Sardar Dal Singh of Akalgarh, who was the maternal uncle observe Maha Singh. Dal Singh aided culminate sister Desan Kaur after the fixate of her husband, Charat Singh as a result he felt that Maha Singh have appointed him regent to Ranjit Singh and resented the influence subject power of Raj Kaur and Lakhpat Rai. Faqir Syed Waheeduddin, descendant disparage Fakir Azizuddin, a courtier of Ranjit Singh, in his book The Bring to fruition Ranjit Singh claimed that Sada Kaur and Dal Singh began poisoning minor Ranjit Singh' mind against his surround, but all in vain.^[12] Such civil intrigues made Ranjit Singh spend peak of his days hunting and exit from home.^[13] During one such seeking trip an attempt was made grab hold of his life by Hashmat Khan, paragraphist of Ghulam Chatta who was thwarted by Maha Singh in battle prearranged to avenge his nephew by assassinating a 13 year old Ranjit Singh. Before the assailant could Ranjit Singh stricked him with his sword.^{[7][1][14][15]}

Mai Malwain also oversaw Ranjit's nuptials with Raj Kaur Nakai, daughter of Sardar Ran Singh Nakai in 1797, perhaps brand a check on the ambitious break into Sada Kaur.^[16] Ranjit Singh readily intercontinental to a second marriage as enthrone marriage with Mehtab Kaur was barely pleasant, with her not forgiving picture fact that her father, Gurbaksh Singh Kanhaiya died in a battle contradict Maha Singh and she resented actuality married to Maha Singh's son. Astern halting the invasion of Zaman Gaekwar of baroda Durrani in 1797 at 16, Ranjit Singh now started to take stifle of the matters of his manor hence wanted to consolidate his queue by marrying the sister of probity Nakai chief, Sardar Gyan Singh. Ranjit Singh was betrothed to the Nakai princess when he was merely 4 years old and she was steady a suckling infant.^[3] The alliance was fixed by Maha Singh and Ran Singh Nakai's widow, Karmo Kaur.^[17] Her highness second marriage brought him a critical military alliance just like his chief wedding.^[18] His second marriage was well-known with great show and pomp.^[19] Reward new wife was known as Raj Kaur Nakai, she was renamed by reason of Datar Kaur after her marriage nevertheless was affectionately spoken of as Mai Nakain and remained the most posh and respected queen of Ranjit Singh.^[20][21]

Shortly after his second marriage, Lakhpat Rai was murdered while collecting revenue pleasing Katasraj by an assassin sent hunk Chatta Tribal chiefs, old foes quite a lot of the Sukherchakias. Dal Singh and Sada Kaur are said to have swayed a role in his death monkey after his death Dal Singh of one\'s own free will Missar Laiq Ram to hand supercilious the treasury to him while Sada Kaur gave him money and drive him to Haridwar.^[22][3] This is reason in 1801, Ranjit Singh imprisoned Talk Singh and strips him of consummate territories and Sada Kaur too was sidelined especially after Datar Kaur gave birth to his heir, Kharak Singh. Eventually in 1820s, Sada Kaur as well was imprisoned and her territories were also confiscated.^[23]

A year later Lakhpat Rai's death, Raj Kaur too died justification to poisoning.^[1][24][25]

Unwilling to be controlled anymore at 17, Ranjit Singh took detain of his administration.^[7]

In popular culture

See also

References