38-474: The Kanhaiya Misl was one of the twelve misls of the Sikh Confederacy . It had been founded by Sandhu Jats . Jai Singh Sandhu (son of Khushal Singh) of the village Kanha (district Lahore ) was the founder of this Misl ; hence the misl came to known as Kanhaiya Misl; another founder leader of this Misl was Amar Singh of Kingra village. Jai Singh and his brother Jhanda Singh had got initiation from
76-570: A Gurmata was passed where the Jathas were reorganized into a new grouping called misls , with 11 Misls forming out of the various pre-existing Jathas and a unified army known as the Dal Khalsa Ji . Ultimate command over the Misls was bestowed to Jassa Singh Ahluwalia . The misls formed a commonwealth that was described by Swiss adventurer Antoine Polier as a natural "aristocratic republic". Although
114-410: A 100 paces, they load and repeat the same mode of annoying the enemy. Their horses have been so expertly trained to a performance of this operation that on receiving a stroke of hand, they stop from a full canter." The remainder was separated into Puttees or parcels for each Surkunda, and these were again subdivided and parcelled out to inferior leaders, according to the number of horse they brought into
152-484: A Kanhaiya Misl relative, seized the land under doubtful circumstances. After marrying the daughter, Tara Singh murdered both and claimed the territory. The Kanhaiya Misl rejected Ganda Singh's petition for the restitution of Pathankot after this act outraged him. In order to oppose the Kanhaiyas, Ganda Singh Dhillon allied up with Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and other regional leaders, such as Ranjit Dev of Jammu. Along with
190-417: A camp east of the river. Ranjit Dev organized his own army, collaborating with Jhanda Singh Bhangi's forces. The fighting went on for a while until Charat Singh perished when as his own revolver exploded, striking him in the forehead. The allies struggled to hold onto their position against the formidable Bhangi Chief after losing Charat Singh. Jai Singh Kanhaiya , aware of their fragile situation, used
228-582: A few hundred to tens of thousands of soldiers. Any soldier was free to join whichever Misl he wished, and was free to cancel his membership of the Misl to whom he belonged. He could, if he wanted, cancel his membership of his old Misl and join another. The Barons would allow their armies to combine or coordinate their defences together against a hostile force if ordered by the Misldar Supreme Commander. These orders were only issued in military matters affecting
266-629: A loyal operative to assassinate Jhanda Singh Dhillon to shift power. After the Bhangi leader's death, Kanhiya strengthened the Kanhaiya Misl, allowing the area to settle under Ganda Singh , Jhanda Singh's successor. After Jhanda Singh's death, the rivalry between Bhangi and Kanhaiya misls resurfaced, causing issues for Ganda Singh. The dispute over Jhanda Singh's grant of Pathankot to Nand Singh escalated. Nand Singh's widow proposed to Gurbaksh Singh Kanhaiya for Pathankot and her daughter, but Tara Singh,
304-458: A matrimonial match between Mehtab Kaur , her only daughter, and Ranjit Singh, the young Sukerchakia Misl heir. Formally established in 1796, this alliance coupled the Kanhaiya Misl's success to that of Ranjit Singh , the new leader. Sobha Singh , one of the triumvirates who ruled over Lahore in the late 18th century prior to the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh , was from the Kanhaiya Misl. Sikh Confederacy The Sikh Confederacy
342-542: A military force led by Mir Aziz to hunt them out. As a result, a number of Sikh leaders sought shelter in the mud fort of Ram Rauni in Amritsar , including Nand Singh Sanghania, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia , and Jai Singh Kanhaiya . After that, Mir Aziz's army besieged the fort in an effort to crush the Sikh Misls . Jai Singh Kanhaiya launched many attacks on the besieging army during the siege. He made several charges while mounted on
380-573: A number of Mahan Singh-controlled areas, including as Mandiala and Rasulpur . This sparked a string of clashes that ended with Jai Singh's loss and withdrawal across the Beas River in the Battle of Majitha . Maha Singh, with increased strength, formed alliances with Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and Raja Sansar Chand . The final battle of Achal resulted from allied forces pushing on Jai Singh's fortress, Batala . Jai Singh lost his son, Gurbaksh Singh Kanhaiya , in
418-509: A series of skirmishes, a tactic which gave them an advantage over fighting pitched battles. Bodies of cavalry would attack a position, retreat, reload their muskets, and return to attack it again. The tactics used by misl field armies include flanking an enemy, obstructing river passages, cutting off a unit from its supplies, intercepting messengers, attacking isolated units like foraging parties, employing hit-and-run tactics , overrunning camps, and attacking baggage trains . To fight large armies
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#1732859407940456-503: A swift horse, sliding by the attackers before turning back toward the fort. Even though he encountered resistance throughout these movements, he was always able to go back to the fort. At first, Jai Singh Kanaihya and Jassa Singh Ramgarhia remained close, working together on a number of military operations against the Afghans and the Mughals . The two Sardars, however, disputed on how to divide
494-835: The Dal Khalsa of the Sikh Confederacy in the 18th century. It was a large source of income to the Sikh Misls. The two main divisions in territory between the misls were between those who were in the Malwa region and those who were in the Majha region. While eleven of the misls were north of the Sutlej river, one, the Phulkian Misl was south of the Sutlej. The Sikhs north of the Sutlej river were known as
532-1099: The Majha Sikhs while the Sikhs that lived south of the Sutlej river were known as the Malwa Sikhs. In the smaller territories were the Dhanigeb Singhs in the Sind Sagar Doab , the Gujrat Singhs in the Jech Doab , the Dharpi Singhs in the Rechna Doab , and the Doaba Singhs in the Jalandhar Doab . Pathankot Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
570-527: The Sukerchakias and Ahluwalias , the Kanhaiya Misl organized themselves for the conflict. Throughout ten days, the two forces engaged in a continuous and violent battle at Dinanagar . When Ganda Singh unexpectedly passed away from sickness, the Bhangis' circumstances drastically changed. The Bhangi troops became insecure after his death and the subsequent death of his nephew Charat Singh, and they ultimately left
608-653: The jatha of ( Nawab ) Kapur Singh ; when all the Sikh Jathas were organised into 11 Misls , Jai Singh’s jatha was named as Kanhaiya Misl. Haqiqat Singh Kanhaiya , Jeewan Singh, Tara Singh and Mehtab Singh (all four from village Julka, about 6 km from village Kanha) too were senior generals of this Misl. Adina Beg Khan was the Viceroy of the Punjab from May to September 1758. Known for his strict rule, he sought to stop any disturbances brought on by Sikhs . He did this by sending
646-557: The Patadari system held their land in complete freedom. The Misaldari system applied to sardars with a small number of cavalrymen as well as independent bodies of cavalrymen who voluntarily attached themselves to a misl. They kept the lands they held before joining the misl as an allotment for their cooperation with the misl. The leaders of these groups, called misaldars, could transfer their allegiance and land to another misl without punishment. The Tabadari system referred to land under
684-813: The battlefield. Due to unclear leadership and low morale among the Bhangi allies, the Kanhaiya Misl and its alliance held their ground and won the war. In the late 18th-century struggle for the Kangra fort , the Kanhaiya Misl played a crucial role. The region was previously ruled by Rajput lords of the Katoch line. Under Mughal rule , the fort was located 50 meters above the Ban Ganga. During Ahmad Shah Durrani 's rule, Ghamand Chand Katoch ruled, while Saif Ali Khan remained in charge. In 1782, Raja Sansar Chand Katoch sought help from Jai Singh Kanhiya to take over Kangra fort . Jai Singh sent Gurbakhsh Singh and Baghel Singh to assist in
722-405: The chief of the misl was known as the sardari and the tabadari and jagirdari systems used land directly given by the chief from the sardari. The patadari and misaldari systems formed the basis of a misl, while tabadari and jagirdari lands would only be created after large acquisitions of land. The type of system that was used in an area depended on the importance of the chief sardar of the area to
760-460: The control of a misl's tabadars. Tabadars served a similar function to retainers in Europe. They were required to serve as cavalrymen to the misl and were subservient to the misl's leader. Although tabadars received their land as a reward, their ownership was subject entirely on the misl's leader. The tabadari grants were only hereditary on the choice of the chief of the misl. The Jagirdari system used
798-423: The field. Each took his portion as a co-sharer, and held it in absolute independence. The Sikh Misls had four different classes of administrative divisions. The patadari, misaldari, tabadari, and jagirdari were the different systems of land tenure used by the misls, and land granted by the misl left the responsibility of establishing law and order to the owner of the land. The land under the direct administration of
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#1732859407940836-675: The forests and the Himalayan foothills until they organized themselves into guerilla bands known as jathas . The basis of the Dal Khalsa army was established in 1733–1735 based upon the numerous pre-existing Jatha militia groups and had two main formations: the Taruna Dal (Youth Brigade) and the Budha Dal (Elder Brigade). On the annual Diwali meeting of the Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar in 1748,
874-496: The grant of jagirs by the chief of the misl. Jagirs were given by the chief of the misl to relations, dependents, and people who "deserved well". The owners of jagirs were subservient to the chief of the misl as their ownership was subject to his/her needs. Like the Tabadars, jagirdars were subject to personal service when the chief of the misl requested. However, because jagirs entailed more land and profit, they were required to use
912-471: The high degree of skill required to execute it. George Thomas and George Forster, contemporary writers who witnessed it described its use separately in their accounts of the military of the Sikhs. George Forster noted: "A party from forty to fifty, advance in a quick pace to a distance of carbine shot from the enemy and then, that the fire may be given with the greatest certainty, the horses are drawn up and their pieces discharged, when speedily, retiring about
950-772: The looted plunder after the sack of Kasur . Jai Singh and Hari Singh Dhillon later became tense with one another, which resulted in a fight close to Eminabad . Neither side won a clear win, and the combat ended inconclusively. In 1774, the Kanhaiya Misl got involved in a struggle between Ranjit Dev and his oldest son, Brij Raj Dev , over the succession to Jammu. The conflict started when Brij Raj Dev tried to protect Ranjit Dev's inheritance and he preferred his younger son, Dalel Singh, as his successor. Charat Singh Sukerchakia and Jai Singh Kanhaiya decided to support Brij Raj Dev's claim when he sought allies. Sukerchakia and Kanhaiya Misls' combined troops invaded Jammu , establishing
988-449: The misl would completely evacuate the areas in front of the enemy's marching route but follow in the rear of the opposition and reconquer areas the enemy had just captured, threaten agents of the enemy with retribution, and sweep over the countryside in the wake of the enemy's withdrawal. The Running Skirmish was a tactic unique to the Sikh cavalrymen which was notable for its effectiveness and
1026-525: The misl. The Sardars would then divide their parcels among their Surkundas, and then the Surkundas subdivided the land they received among their individual cavalrymen. The Surkundas receiving parcels of land with settlements were required to fortify them and establish fines and laws for their zamindars and ryots . Parcels of land in the patadari system could not be sold, but could be given to relatives in an inheritance . The soldiers who received parcels from
1064-399: The misls were unequal in strength, and each misl attempted to expand its territory and access to resources at the expense of others, they acted in unison in relation to other states. The misls held biannual meetings of their legislature, the Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar . Each Misl was made up of members of soldiers, whose loyalty was given to the Misl's leader. A Misl could be composed of
1102-440: The money generated by their jagirs to equip and mount a quota of cavalrymen depending on the size of their jagir. Jagirdari grants were hereditary in practice but a misl's chief could revoke the rights of the heir. Upon the death of the owner of a tabadari or jagadari grant, the land would revert to direct control of the chief (sardari). The Rakhi system was the payment-for-protection tributary protectorate scheme practiced by
1140-586: The persecution of Shah Jahan and other Mughal emperors , several of the later Sikh Gurus established military forces and fought the Mughal Empire and Simla Hills' Kings in the early and middle Mughal-Sikh Wars and the Hill States–Sikh wars . Banda Singh Bahadur continued Sikh resistance to the Mughal Empire until his defeat at the Battle of Gurdas Nangal . For several years Sikhs found refuge in
1178-430: The rest of the misl. The Patadari system affected newly annexed territories and was the original method used by the misls in administering land. The patadari system relied on the cooperation of surkundas, the rank of a leader of a small party of cavalrymen . The chief of the misl would take his/her portion and divide the other parcels among his Sardars proportional to the number of cavalrymen they had contributed to
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1216-467: The siege. After Saif Ali Khan's death, Jiwan Khan took over as defender. Gurbaksh Singh Kanhaiya recommended financial and jagir benefits to Jiwan Khan for a peaceful surrender, but followed a different strategy. He personally paid Jiwan Khan a substantial fee in a secretive deal to persuade him to let the Kanhaiya soldiers enter the fort. This move shocked and infuriated Raja Sansar Chand as Gurbakhsh Singh
1254-451: The struggle. After the defeat, he disarmed and left himself vulnerable to enemy fire. Opponents chose not to strike further, respecting the experienced leader. When Jai Singh died in 1789, his daughter-in-law Sada Kaur succeeded him. The Kanhaiya Misl's widowed leader, Sada Kaur, was instrumental in forming Punjab 's political climate. Sada Kaur demonstrated strategic insight by convincing her father-in-law, Jai Singh Kanhaiya , to set up
1292-404: The use of primarily light cavalry with a smaller amount heavy cavalry was uniform throughout all of the Sikh misls. Cavalrymen in a misl were required to supply their own horses and equipment. A standard cavalryman was armed with a spear , matchlock , and scimitar . How the armies of the Sikh misls received payment varied with the leadership of each misl. The most prevalent system of payment
1330-490: The whole Sikh community. These orders would normally be related to defense against external threats, such as Afghan military attacks. The profits of a fighting action were divided by the misls to individuals based on the service rendered after the conflict using the sardari system . The Sikh Confederacy is a description of the political structure, of how all the barons' chiefdoms interacted with each other politically together in Punjab . Although misls varied in strength,
1368-529: Was a confederation of twelve sovereign Sikh states (each known as a Misl , derived from the Arabic word مِثْل meaning 'equal'; sometimes spelt as Misal ) which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent and is cited as one of the causes of the weakening of the Mughal Empire prior to Nader Shah's invasion of India (1738–1740). In order to withstand
1406-527: Was able to seize control of the fort. After it, the Kanhaiya Misl took control of the whole Kangra area, dominating it all the way to Palampur . Following Maha Singh 's Sack of Jammu , a disagreement over booty distribution led to a war between Jai Singh Kanhaiya and Maha Singh Sukarchakia. Kanhaiya criticized Mahan Singh for hoarding wealth, while Maha Singh Sukerchakia rejected his attempts to please him, leading to retribution. When Mahan Singh started preparing for battle, Jai Singh retaliated by attacking
1444-624: Was the 'Fasalandari' system; soldiers would receive payment every six months at the end of a harvest . Fauja Singh considers the Sikh misls to be guerrilla armies , although he notes that the Sikh misls generally had greater numbers and a larger number of artillery pieces than a guerrilla army would. The misls were primarily cavalry based armies and employed less artillery than Mughal or Maratha armies. The misls adapted their tactics to their strength in cavalry and weakness in artillery and avoided pitched battles. Misls organized their armies around bodies of horsemen and their units fought battles in
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