CHET SINGH,

CHET SINGH, military commander, engineer and a kardar, i.e. a revenue officer, under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1831 he became engineer in charge for constructing a bridge over the River Sutlej for the Ropar meeting between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Governor General William Bentinck. He constructed another bridge at Harike in 1837 to enable the British commanderin chief to cross over the Sutlej for his visit to Lahore. Earlier in 1833 he was appointed kardar of the cisSutlej estates of the Maharaja. In 1835, he was deputed to Anandpur to settle the dispute between the local Sodhi factions.

Chet Singh was on guard duty near the gate on the fateful evening (5 November 1840) when its archway fell upon Kanvar Nau Nihal Singh returning from the funeral of his father, Maharaja Kharak Singh. During the first AngloSikh war, Chet Singh commanded the Ropar division along the western bank of the Sutlej. In the second AngloSikh war, he fought in the battle of Ramnagar (22 November 1848) when he was taken prisoner by the British.

References :

1. Suri, Sohan Lal, `Umdat-ut-Twankh. Lahore, 1885-89
2. Griffin, Lepel, Ranjit Singh. Delhi, 1957
3. Gupta, Hari Ram, Panjab on the Eve of First Sikh War. Chandigarh, 1956