ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>DHI&#256N SI&#7748GH R&#256J&#256 (1796-1843)</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="DHIN,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">&#65279DHI&#256N SI&#7748GH, R&#256J&#256 (1796-1843), the second son of M&#299&#257&#7749 Kishor&#257 Si&#7749gh &#7692ogr&#257 and the middle one of the three brothers from Jamm&#363 serving Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh, was born on 22 August 1796. He was presented before Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh at Roht&#257s in 1812 by his elder brother, Gul&#257b Si&#7749gh, and was given employment as a trooper on a monthly salary of sixty rupees. Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh by his impressive bearing, polished manner and adroitness, steadily rose in the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257's favour and, in 1818, replaced Jam&#257d&#257r Khush&#257l Si&#7749gh as <i>&#7693eo&#7771h&#299d&#257r</i> or chamberlain to the royal household. In this capacity, he had ready access to the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 and became a man of influence at the court. He was at times assigned to military duties as well. He took part in the battle of Nausher&#257 in March 1823. As Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh, following the death on 30 April 1837 of Har&#299 Si&#7749gh Nalv&#257, hastened towards the northwest frontier, Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh marched with his force in advance.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh received from the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 endless favours. He was granted a large number of <i>j&#257g&#299rs</i> in the hilly country of Jamm&#363 and created R&#257j&#257 in 1822. On 20 June 1827, he was given the title of R&#257j&#257-i-R&#257jgan R&#257j&#257 Kal&#257&#7749 Bah&#257dur. He became the principal minister of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 and the most powerful person in the kingdom after him. The highest distinction came on 21 June 1839 when Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh proclaimed in the presence of the entire court and the army stationed in Lahore that he had granted full powers to Prince Kha&#7771ak Si&#7749gh, the heir apparent, over all his dominions and troops, and that the Prince had chosen R&#257j&#257 Kal&#257&#7749 Bah&#257dur to be his Waz&#299r, principal minister or counsellor. The Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 also conferred upon Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh the title of N&#257ib-us-Salatnat-i-'&#256zamat <u>Kh</u>air<u>kh</u>w&#257h-i-Sam&#299m&#299-i-Daulat-i-Sirk&#257r-i-Kubr&#257, Waz&#299r-i-'&#256zam, Dast&#363r-i-Mu'azzam, Mu<u>kh</u>t&#257r-i-Mulk.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; On the morning of the funeral of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257, 28 June 1839, Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh expressed his intention to immolate himself on the late monarch's pyre and had to be dissuaded by the queens and courtiers. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Kha&#7771ak Si&#7749gh himself begged him to continue to steer the State. Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh agreed that he would remain in the service of Kha&#7771ak Si&#7749gh for one year and proceed thereafter on a pilgrimage to sacred places. But he soon found himself at the centre of courtly intrigue. He set afloat the rumour that Kha&#7771ak Si&#7749gh and his favourite, Chet Si&#7749gh, were soliciting British protection and were going to compromise the sovereignty of the Punjab. He summoned Prince Nau Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh from Pesh&#257war, and won over the Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257 <i>sard&#257rs</i> to join him in a plot to kill Chet Si&#7749gh. The scheme was carried out and Chet Si&#7749gh was assassinated on 9 October 1839 by Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh in the presence of the Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 who was himself placed under restraint, Prince Nau Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh running the affairs of the State on his behalf. Death, however, removed from the scene Nau Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh returning from his father's cremation on 5 November 1840. Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh now chose to place Prince Sher Si&#7749gh on the throne. He concealed the fact of Nau Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh's death for three days, till Sher Si&#7749gh had arrived at Lahore at his summons. But his plans were upset by his rivals, the Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257s, who decided to support Kha&#7771ak Si&#7749gh's widow, Chand Kaur, as a regent for Nau Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh's child yet to be born. On 2 December 1840, Chand Kaur was proclaimed Mah&#257r&#257&#7751&#299. Sher Si&#7749gh went back to his estate in Ba&#7789&#257l&#257 the following day, and Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh retired to Jamm&#363 a few days later. This was, however, only a tactical withdrawal by the astute R&#257j&#257 Kal&#257&#7749. Even while on his way to Jamm&#363, he wrote to army commanders at different levels and to other government officials to render obedience and assistance to Prince Sher Si&#7749gh upon his return to Lahore. Sher Si&#7749gh arrived at Lahore on 13 January 1841 and the bulk of the royal army then in Lahore went over to him. R&#257j&#257 Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh returned from Jamm&#363 on 17 January. Sher Si&#7749gh was proclaimed Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 of the Punjab on 18 January with Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh as his Waz&#299r. On 15 September 1843 the Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257 Sard&#257rs, Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh and Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh, assassinated Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sher Si&#7749gh and Ka&#7749var Part&#257p Si&#7749gh, the heir apparent, on the outskirts of Lahore. As they were returning to the Fort with the heads of Sher Si&#7749gh and Part&#257p Si&#7749gh hung on spikes, they were met on the way by Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh who was lured into the Fort. As he advanced his claim to be Waz&#299r to the succeeding Mah&#257r&#257j&#257, Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh fired a shot and killed him on the spot.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> S&#363r&#299, Sohan L&#257l, '<i>Umd&#257t-ut -Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u></i>. Lahore, 1885-89<BR> <li class="C1"> Griffin, Lepel, <i>Ranjit Singh</i>. Delhi, 1957<BR> <li class="C1"> Khushwant Singh, <i>Ranjit Singh : Maharajah of the Punjab, 1780-1839</i>. Bombay, 1962<BR> <li class="C1"> Osborne, W. G. , <i>The Court and Camp of Runjeet Sing</i>. London, 1840<BR> <li class="C1"> Hasrat, Bikrama Jit, <i>Life and Times of Ranjit Singh</i>. Nabha, 1977<BR> <li class="C1"> Charak, Sukhdev Singh, <i>Gulabnama of Diwan Kirpa Ram</i>. Delhi, 1977<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">K. Jagj&#299t Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>