ARMY OF MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH, a formidable military machine that helped the Maharaja carve out an extensive kingdom and maintain it amid hostile and ambitious neighbours, was itself the creation of his own genius. His inheritance was but a scanty force which, in the manner of the Sikh misldari days,

HARSA SINGH, GENERAL (d. 1887), son of Sham Singh, was a soldier in the Khalsa army, and commanded one of the regiments of the French brigade. He had the rank of general under Maharaja Sher Singh. In 1848, he fought on the side of Diwan Mul Raj at Multan.

SARDAR, in Persian amalgam of sar (head) and dar (a suffix derived from the verb dash tan, i.e. to hold) meaning holder of headship, is an honorific signifying an officer of rank, a general or chief of a tribe or organization. Sikhs among whom, during the time of the Guru

ATAR SINGH SANDHANVALIA (d. 1844). son of Amir Singh, was a collateral of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. After the direct descendants of the Maharaja, he, as the eldest of the Sandhanvalia family, stood close to the throne. A daring soldier, Atar Singh was a calculating and shrewd courtier. He took

HARSUKH RAI, GENERAL (d. 1867), son of Gurdit Singh served in Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s army and was in the first instance attached to a cavalry unit under Prince Kharak Singh. His next appointment was as Adalatt or judge at Multan under the Sikh governor of the province, Diwan Savan

SUKH RAJ (d. 1842) was the youngest of the five sons of Misr Divan Chand, a general in Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s army. Sukh Raj himself joined an infantry regiment and soon rose to be its commandant. He commanded a number of infantry battalions and took part in several of

BHAG SINGH, RAJA (1760-1819), born on 23 September 1760, succeeded his father, Gajpat Singh, to the gaddi of Jind state in 1789. He was a man of extraordinary vigour, intelligence and diplomatic astuteness. Like his father, he was also a close ally of Patiala and joined hands with Bibi

ILAHI BAKHSH, an officer in Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s army who commanded the special artillery wing of FaujiK has and a portion of the artillery corps named DerahiIlahi Bakhsh. General Ilalu Bakhsh`s lopkhdnd look part in most of the military campaigns of the Maharaja. It was employed to great effect

SULTAN MAHMUD KHAN (d. 1859) , son of General Ghaus Khan, was a commander of a section of heavy artillery during the regime of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. His derah of artillery was designated as Topkhanai Sultan Mahmud. After the death of General Ghaus Khan in 1814, although the chief command

BHUPAL SINGH, a son of the Gurkha general, Amar Singh Thapa, came to Lahore and took up service under Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839). He became an officer in a battalion in the Sikh army under General Ventura. In 1838, Bhupal Singh returned to Nepal and was appointed to command

JAWAHAR SINGH NALVA (1809-1877), son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s celebrated general, Hari Singh Nalva, joined the Sikh army in 1832 and was sent to Jaharigira, a military post on the northwest frontier. Two years later lie was posted to Peshawar where he took part in numerous campaigns against the

URI, an old town 54 km southwest of Baramula (S^ia`N, 74<)23`E) at the western end of the Kashmir valley, was visited by Guru Hargobind (1595-1644) on his way from Baramula to Naluchhi (now in Pakistan occupied territory). Gurdwara Patshahi Chhevin Param Pillan commemorating the visit is situated 6 km east