ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>ATAR SI&#7748GH SANDH&#256&#7748V&#256L&#298&#256 (d. 1844)</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="ATAR,SIDGH,SANDHDVL*"> <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">&#65279ATAR SI&#7748GH SANDH&#256&#7748V&#256L&#298&#256 (d. 1844), son of Am&#299r Si&#7749gh, was a collateral of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh. After the direct descendants of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257, he, as the eldest of the Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257 family, stood close to the throne. A daring soldier, Atar Si&#7749gh was a calculating and shrewd courtier. He took part in several trans-Indus campaigns in Pesh&#257war and Haz&#257r&#257. After the death of General Har&#299 Si&#7749gh Nalv&#257, he was considered to be the "champion of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257. " He carried the titles "Ujjal D&#299d&#257r [of immaculate appearance], Nirmal Buddh [of clear intelligence], Sard&#257r-i-b&#257-Waq&#257r [the Sard&#257r with prestige], K&#257sir-ul-Iqtad&#257r [eagle of power], Sarwar-i-Garoh-i-N&#257mdar [leader of the renowned group], &#256l&#299 Tab&#257' [of exalted nature], Shuj&#257'-ud-Daul&#257 [valour of the State], Sard&#257r Atar Si&#7749gh Shamsher-i-Ja&#7749g Bah&#257dur [the valiant sword of battle]. " But he was fickle-minded and ambitious. At Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's death he refused to swear fealty either to Kha&#7771ak Si&#7749gh or Nau Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh, and became an active partisan of the &#7692ogr&#257 faction at the court. Soon afterwards he changed sides and joined Ka&#7749var Nau Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh's party against the &#7692ogr&#257 minister, Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh, and went to Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257 to find in the British territory a possible substitute for the Waz&#299r. When both Kha&#7771ak Si&#7749gh and Nau Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh died in November 1840, he endeavoured to raise a group which would check &#7692ogr&#257 dominance at the Darb&#257r, and, at the same time, prevent the succession of Sher Si&#7749gh. The Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257s became staunch supporters of R&#257&#7751&#299 Chand Kaur, and Atar Si&#7749gh Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257, who had led a force against Sher Si&#7749gh when he stormed the Lahore Fort in January 1841, had to flee when the Fort fell. Later feeling insecure in the Punjab, he took asylum in British territory at Th&#257nesar along with his nephew, Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh. Both of them kept up an attitude of open hostility towards Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sher Si&#7749gh who had since succeeded to the throne. They solicited British interference in favour of R&#257&#7751&#299 Chand Kaur, and wrote letters to the officers of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 army inciting them to rise against their sovereign. A mild flutter was caused at Fort William when Atar Si&#7749gh hobnobbed with Dost Muhammad <u>Kh</u>&#257n, the deposed Am&#299r of Afghanistan at Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257, to what purpose nobody could tell. However when, as a result of British mediation, a reconciliation was brought about between the Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257s and Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sher Si&#7749gh, they were pardoned and allowed to return to Lahore. But Atar Si&#7749gh refused to come back to the Punjab, and continued to conspire against the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257. When in September 1843, Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sher Si&#7749gh was treacherously assassinated by Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257 and Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257, Atar Si&#7749gh was at &#362n&#257. On hearing of the retribution which soon overtook both the Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257 <i> sard&#257rs, </i> he hastily fled to Th&#257nesar before a column of troops sent by H&#299r&#257 Si&#7749gh could capture him.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Atar Si&#7749gh lived in exile at Th&#257nesar along with the few remnants, of the Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257 family who had escaped destruction in 1843 - his son Kehar Si&#7749gh, and a nephew Ra&#7751jodh Si&#7749gh, a brother of Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh. He nursed enmity against H&#299r&#257 Si&#7749gh and kept in touch with the disaffected elements in the Punjab. When in May 1844, Ka&#7749var Pashaur&#257 Si&#7749gh and Ka&#7749var Kashm&#299r&#257 Si&#7749gh revolted, he raised a small force and joined them at Naura&#7749g&#257b&#257d after crossing the Sutlej, near Har&#299ke. The Lahore Darb&#257r protested to the British at Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257 for allowing the rebels passage through their territory. A Sikh force 20, 000 strong under M&#299&#257&#7749 L&#257bh Si&#7749gh and General Gul&#257b Si&#7749gh crossed the Sutlej and surrounded the <i>&#7693er&#257</i> of Bh&#257&#299 B&#299r Si&#7749gh Naur&#257ng&#257b&#257d&#299. However, the Lahore commanders, respecting the sanctity of Bh&#257&#299 B&#299r Si&#7749gh, repaired to his camp to bring about an amicable settlement. As negotiations were in progress, Atar Si&#7749gh flew into a rage and fatally stabbed General Gul&#257b Si&#7749gh with his dagger. The attendants of the General instantly fell upon Atar Si&#7749gh and hacked him to pieces. This was in May 1844.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Griffin, Lepel, and C. F. Massy, <i>Chiefs and Families of Note in the Punjab. </i> Lahore, 1909<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>The Heritage of the Sikhs. </i> Delhi, 1983<BR> <li class="C1"> Smyth, G. Carmichael, <i>A History of the Reigning Family of Lahore. </i> Delhi, 1982<BR> <li class="C1"> S&#363r&#299, Sohan L&#257l, <i> 'Umd&#257t-ut-Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u>. </i> Lahore, 1885-89<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">B. J. Hasrat<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>