ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>AMAR SI&#7748GH R&#256J&#256 (1748-1782)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="AMAR,SIDGH,RJ,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279AMAR SI&#7748GH, R&#256J&#256 (1748-1782), of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, was born on 6 June 1748, the son of Sard&#363l Si&#7749gh and R&#257&#7751&#299 Hukm&#257&#7749. In 1765, he succeeded his grandfather, &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh, who had no son living at the time of his death. His succession to the throne of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 was challenged by his step-brother, Himmat Si&#7749gh, who seized a major portion of the town of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and the neighbouring area. Amar Si&#7749gh secured the eviction of Himmat Si&#7749gh through the help of the chiefs of J&#299nd, N&#257bh&#257 and Kaithal. In 1766, he captured P&#257yal and &#298s&#7771&#363 from the Ko&#7789l&#257 Af<u>gh</u>&#257ns with the help of trans-Sutlej Sikhs under Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257, from whom he had received the rites of <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 baptism. P&#257yal was annexed to Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 state, while &#298s&#7771&#363 was given to Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299's invasion of the country in 1767 proved very beneficial to the rising power of Amar Si&#7749gh, who sent his <i>vak&#299ls</i> to the Sh&#257h with presents. The Sh&#257h summoned Amar Si&#7749gh and granted him the <i>s&#363bahd&#257r&#299</i> (governorship) of Sirhind with the title of R&#257j&#257-i-R&#257jg&#257n. He was also given a flag and a drum as insignia of absolute authority. He paid a lakh of rupees to the Sh&#257h to secure the release of several thousand Hindus taken captive in the vicinity of Mathur&#257 and Sah&#257ranpur. He issued coins in the name of Ahmad Sh&#257h.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1768, Amar Si&#7749gh marched against, <u>Gh</u>ar&#299b D&#257s of Man&#299 M&#257jr&#257 who, after the death of &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh, had captured the fort and district of Piñjore. Amar Si&#7749gh, helped by the hill rulers of Hi&#7751&#7693&#363r, Kahl&#363r and N&#257han, defeated <u>Gh</u>ar&#299b D&#257s and captured the Piñjore fort. <u>Gh</u>ar&#299b D&#257s was, however, not fully reduced to submission. R&#257j&#257 Amar Si&#7749gh marched against him again in 1778. <u>Gh</u>ar&#299b D&#257s paid a large sum of money to the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 chief and retained control of his territory.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amar Si&#7749gh next attacked the fort of Ko&#7789 kap&#363r&#257, killing Jodh Si&#7749gh, the local chief, in the battle. In 1771, he occupied the district of Ba&#7789hi&#7751&#7693&#257 subduing Sukhchain Si&#7749gh to whom the Fort of Gobindga&#7771h, commanding the town, belonged. Three years later, he reduced Saif&#257b&#257d, a strong fort 7 km to the north-east of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257. In 1774, he occupied the Bha&#7789&#7789&#299 country lying south of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257. Fateh&#257b&#257d, Sirs&#257 and the fort of Ra&#7751&#299&#257 now passed into his hands. In 1777, he again overran Far&#299dko&#7789 and Ko&#7789 Kap&#363r&#257 but did not attempt to annex them. In 1779, he frustrated the designs of Abdul 'Ahad <u>Kh</u>&#257n against Sikh territories in the M&#257lv&#257. He received help from Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257, Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh R&#257mga&#7771h&#299&#257, T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh <u>Gh</u>aib&#257 and Jodh Si&#7749gh, of Waz&#299r&#257b&#257d, and repulsed the Mu<u>gh</u>al expedition at the village of Ghu&#7771&#257m. By his extensive conquests and by the shrewd political alliances he made with the rulers of N&#257han and B&#299k&#257ner and with the Misld&#257r <i>sard&#257rs</i>, Amar Si&#7749gh had made Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 the most powerful state between the Yamun&#257 and the Sutlej.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;R&#257j&#257 Amar Si&#7749gh died at Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 on 5 February 1782 in the prime of his youth.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Griffin, Lepel, <i>The Rajas of the Punjab</i>. Delhi, 1977.<BR> <li class="C1"> Kirpal Singh, <i>Maharaja Ala Singh of Patiala and His Times</i>. Amritsar, 1954.<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Kirp&#257l Si&#7749gh <br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>