ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BH&#362P SI&#7748GH SARD&#256R</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="BHjP,SIDGH,SARDR"> <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">&#65279BH&#362P SI&#7748GH, SARD&#256R, remembered as R&#257j&#257 Bh&#363p Si&#7749gh in local lore, was the chief of the Sikh principality of Ropa&#7771, during the earlier half of the nineteenth century. Little is known about his life except that in 1808-09 he, along with Dev&#257 Si&#7749gh, was in possession of Ropa&#7771 and its adjacent districts including <u>Kh</u>izr&#257b&#257d and M&#299&#257&#7749pur, a tract covering 115 villages with an estimated annual revenue of Rs 53, 000. He was probably a grandson of Sard&#257r Har&#299 Si&#7749gh of &#7692allev&#257l&#299&#257 <i>misl</i>, who, according to Lepel. H. Griffin, <i>The Rajas of the Punjab</i>, had taken possession, around 1763, of a large territory including Ropa&#7771, Si&#257lb&#257, <u>Kh</u>izr&#257b&#257d and Kur&#257l&#299. In 1792, one year before he died, Har&#299 Si&#7749gh divided his possessions between his two surviving sons, Cha&#7771hat Si&#7749gh and Dev&#257 Si&#7749gh, the former getting Ropa&#7771 and the latter Si&#257lb&#257. Bh&#363p Si&#7749gh was the son and successor of Cha&#7771hat Si&#7749gh, who might have died during the former's minority. This explains the reference to Dev&#257 Si&#7749gh being the co-ruler at Ropa&#7771 in lists prepared in 1809 by Lieut-Colonel D. Ochterlony and Lieutenant F. S. White of the East India Company. According to these lists, Ropa&#7771 was under Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh. It came under British protection as a result of the treaty of Amritsar (25 April 1809), which limited Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's authority mainly to territories north of the River Sutlej. The chief of Ropa&#7771, Bh&#363p Si&#7749gh, was removed as prisoner and his whole estate was confiscated in 1846 in consequence of his opposing the British during the first Anglo-Sikh war.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;R&#257j&#257 Bh&#363p Si&#7749gh is remembered as a just ruler and as a pious Sikh who constructed Gurdw&#257r&#257 Dehr&#257 B&#257b&#257 Gurditt&#257 J&#299 at K&#299ratpur and Gurdw&#257r&#257 Gur&#363ga&#7771h S&#257hib at Ropa&#7771. At the latter Gurdw&#257r&#257 he had started a <i>la&#7749gar</i>, or free kitchen, which remained open round the clock, for which reason, the shrine is still known as Gurdw&#257r&#257 Sad&#257 Varat (where <i>la&#7749gar</i> is open all the time to serve food to whoever comes).</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Griffin, Lepel, <i>The Rajas of the Punjab</i>. Delhi, 1977<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Major Gurmukh Si&#7749gh (Retd.)<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>