JAI SINGH

JAI SINGH (d. 1784), a Jatt Sikh of Majha living near the village of Atari in Amritsar district, joined hands with the Nishanavali misi in its invasion of the cis Sutlej tracts, fighting in the battle of Sirhind (1764) and assisting in the seizure of Ambaia, Shahabad, Lidhrari, Amioh and Sarai Lashkar Khan. He obtained 34 villages as his share around Lidhrari and Kharar. Shortly afterwards Jai Singh suffered defeat with his associates at the hands of Ahmad Shah Dunam and had to take refuge in the hilly country north of Ambala. Raja Amar Singh of Patiala annexed his seven villages around Kharar.

A serious discord erupted as Jai Singh found himself strong enough to claim his possessions. Eventually a compromise was arrived at, Paliala agreeing to surrender four of the villages. Jai Singh`s daughter was married to Raja Jasvant Singh of Nabha. Jai Singh died in 1784. His son, Charhat Singh, who succeeded him, accepted British protection in 1809. JAI SINGH (1712-1793), founder of the Kanhaiya clan or chicf ship, commonly designated misi, was a Sandhu Jatt of the village of Kahna, 21 km southwest of Lahore on the road to Firozpur. He had an humble origin, his father Khushal (Singh), earning his living by selling grass and wood at Lahore.

Jai Singh received amrit or initiatory riles of the Khalsa at the hands of Nawab Kapur Singh and joined the jalhd or roving band of Amar Singh Kirigra. It is commonly believed tliat name of the band, Kanhaiya, was derived from the name of Jai Singh`s village, Kahna, although another explanation connects it with the Sardar`s own handsome appearance which earned him the epithet (Kahn) Kanhaiya, an endearing title used for Lord Krsna. Jai Singh seized a part of Riarki comprising the district of Gurdaspur and upper portions of Amritsar. His first headquarters were at his wife`s village, Sohiari, 15 km from Amritsar, from where he shifted to Batala and thence to Mukcriari.

His territories lay on both sides of the rivers Beas and Ravi. A contemporary Muslim historian, Qazi Nur Muhammad, wrote in 1765 that Jai Singh Kanhaiya had extended his territory up to Parol, about 70 km southeast of Jammu, and that he worked in collaboration with Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, both sharing between them the territory of Batala. The hill chiefs of Nurpur, Datarpur and Siba became Jai Singh`s tributaries. In 1774, Jai Singh built a kaird or bazaar at Am ri tsar called Katra Kanhaiyari. In October 1778 he, with the help of Mahari Singh Sukkarchakkia and Jassa Singh AhluvalTa, drove away Jassa Singh Ramgarhia to the desert region of Harisi and Hissar.

In 1781, Jai Singh and his associate, Haqiqat Singh, led an expedition to Jammu and received a sum of three lakh of rupees as a tribute from Brij Raj Dev of Jammu. According to Khushwaqt Rai, Jai Singh died in 1793 at the age of 81. Control of the Kanhaiya misi passed into the hands of his daughter in law, Sada Kaur, his son, Gurbakhsh Singh, having predeceased him. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Griffin, Lepcl, and C.F. Massy, Cliiefe find Families of Note in the Punjab. Lahore, 1909 2. Seeial, Sohan Singh, The Sikh Misals and flu` Panjal). Lndliiana, n.d. 3. Gupta, Haii Rain, IIisioy of the Sikhx, vol. IV, Delhi, 1982 4. Ganda Singh, Sarddr Jnssd Singh AlduvfiHd. Patiala, 1969

References :

1. Griffin, Lepfl and C.F. Massy, Chiefs and Families of Note in the Punjab. Lahore, 1909
2. Gnpla, I-lari Ram, History of the Punjab, vol. IV. Delhi, 1982