GHAUS KHAN

GHAUS KHAN (d. 1814) was an artillery officer under Mahari Singh Sukkarchakkia, and after his death, under his son, Ranjit Singh. He knew something about casting guns, was skilful in his profession, and was rewarded with jdgirs at Van and Bharoval in Amritsar district, with a large house in Lahore which was later occupied by the Mission School. When, in 1812, the Maharaja reorganized the artillery wing of his army into Topkhanai Khas and Topkhanai Mubarak, Ghaus Khan was put in charge of both, with the designation of Daroghai Topkhana. Ghaus Khan distinguished himself in several of the Maharaja`s early campaigns.

In 1807, he reduced the fortress of Sheikh upura and secured the surrender of its defiant chiefs, Arbel Singh and Amir Singh.In 1810, he captured Patti and the villages in the vicinity of Tarn Taran. In 1813, he was put in charge of operations against Attock whose Afghan governor, Jahari Dad Khan, eventually surrendered. Ghaus Khan commanded the Sikh artillery under Dlwan Mohkam Chand in the severely contested battle of Haidru (13July 1813) in which the Sikhs routed the Afghan forces of the Kabul Wazir, Fateh Khan.

In 1814, Ghaus Khan took part in Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s expedition against Kashmir. The Sikh army under the Maharaja reached Purichh but rain and sickness caused havoc. Cholera broke out and Ghaus Khan fell a prey to the epidemic and died on his way to Lahore.

References :

1. Waheed-ud-Din, Faqir Syed, The Real Ranjit Singh. Karachi, 1965
2. Sun, Sohan Lal, `Udmat-ut-Twankh. Lahore, 1885-89