JODH SINGH RAMGARHIA

JODH SINGH RAMGARHIA (d. 1815), soldier and feudatory chief in Sikh times, was the eldest son of Jassa Singh, the celebrated Ramgarhia Sardar. Ranjil Singh bound himself in a pledge of friendship with Jodh Singh Ramgarhia before the Guru Granth Sahib at Darbar Sahib, Amrilsar. The Maharaja had great reverence for him and used to call him Babaji. He was always seated next to the Maharaja in the royal darbdr. Jodh Singh.was Ranjit Singh`s ally in his earlier campaigns. In 1802, he helped him to seize Amritsar from Mai Sukkhari, widow of Gulab Singh Bharigi.

In 1807, he accompanied the Maharaja to Kasur with all his force against Qutb udDin, who surrendered after a month`s resistance. The Fai/ullapuria possessions were annexed to Ranjit Singh`s domain by Diwan Mohkam Chand and Jodh Singh Ramgarhia in 1810-11. Jodh Singh was a deeply religious person. He built the Ramgarhia Buriga on the Golden Temple premises, and supplied pieces of perforated marble that served as parapets on both sides of the causeway leading to the sanctuary. He also brought many pieces of mosaic work from Delhi and Agra. He built the first two storeys of Baba Atal, the loftiest building in Amritsar, near the Golden Temple. Jodh Singh died at Amritsar in August 1815.

References :

1. Suri, Sohan Lal, `Umddl ut-Twankh. Lahore, 1885-89
2. Prem Singh, Baba, Khalsd Raj de Usraiyye. Hoti Mardan, 1944
3. Griffin, Lepel, and C.F. Massy, Chiefs and Families of Note in the Punjab. Lahore, 1909
4. Seetal, Sohan Singh, The Sikh Misals and the Punjab. Lndhiana, n.d.
5. Ramgarhia, Sundar Singh, The Annals of the Ramgarhia Sardars. Amritsar, 1902