GURUMUKHI DIN PATRI

GURUMUKHI DIN PATRI, lit. a calendar or daily diary (patn) in Gurmukhi characters, is a manuscript reporting some of the events of Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s reign from AD 1805 onwards. The author is one Ram Singh, perhaps a resident of Amritsar, for he narrates events occurring at Amritsar in greater detail than those at other places. A photo copy of this manuscript, the original of which was at the Panjab University, Lahore, is preserved in the Khalsa College, Amritsar, under MS. No 1796. It contains 51 folios, i.e. 102 pages, each page comprising 14 lines.

On the very first page are mentioned five of the marriages of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, including the one with Rani Jindari, mother of Maharaja Duleep Singh.It was on the Holiday of 1860 Bk/AD 1803 that Maharaja Ranjit Singh received Jasvant Rao Marhatta [Maratha] at Amritsar where they exchanged turbans, betokening that they had become brothers from that day. The entry further reads : “Marhattas did a good deal of shopping, and hence traders of Amritsar benefited to a very great extent. The Guru himself is the saviour of Amritsar and he saved the honour of the city in the matter of supplies and variety, at which the Marhattas were really amazed.” To give an idea of the Marhattas` wealth, their elephants are described as having gold chains.

According to some other entries, Maharaja Ranjit Singh conquered Karigra in 1856 Bk/AD 1799, finally occupying it in 1874 Bk. Prince Kharak Singh, son of Ranjit Singh, was married to Chand Kaur in 1868 Bk/AD 1811. The Maharaja died in 1896 Bk/ AD 1839 and four queens and seven maids burnt themselves on his pyre. The cause? This is what the Patri says: “The Maharaja had a meeting in December January with the English and took English wine. He was rendered incapable of speech the next month and died in that condition six months later.”

The diary ends with the AngloSikh war of 1902 Bk/AD 1845-46. However, the last pages contain bits of miscellaneous information. It is recorded that the construction of Akal bungd continued until 1906 Bk/AD 1849. We also have the dates of death of Fateh Singh Ahluvalia (1908 Bk/AD 1851), Gu|jar Singh Bharigi, Sahib Singh Bharigi and Sahib Singh Bedi. At the end is appended a horoscope of the Maharaja.