ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>GURBAKHSH SI&#7748GH BH&#256&#298 (d. 1764) </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="GURBA"> <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">&#65279GURBA<u>KH</u>SH SI&#7748GH, BH&#256&#298 (d. 1764) , founder of the Bh&#257&#299 family of Kaithal, was great-grandson of Bh&#257&#299 Bhagat&#363 of revered memory. His grandfather, Bh&#257&#299 Bhagat&#363's elder son, Gaur&#257, was a brave warrior who became the chief of Viñjh&#363, near Ba&#7789hi&#7751&#7693&#257. His father, Di&#257l D&#257s, on the other hand was known as a saint of wide sanctity. Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh himself was an enterprising warrior. He developed friendship with B&#257b&#257 &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh, founder of the princely house of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, and together they made many conquests. In 1754, Bh&#257&#299 Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh led an expedition against Sard&#257r Jodh Si&#7749gh of Ba&#7789hi&#7751&#7693&#257, but finding his forces inadequate to reduce the territory he sought &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh's help. The latter sent a considerable body of troops, but Jodh Si&#7749gh withstood the attack. &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh summoned help from some of the trans-Sutlej Sikh <i>sard&#257rs</i>. Jodh Si&#7749gh was defeated and his territories pillaged. The combined force retired leaving the Bh&#257&#299 master of Ba&#7789hi&#7751&#7693&#257 and the surrounding district. Two years later Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh joined B&#257b&#257 &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh in the latter's successful expedition against In&#257yat <u>Kh</u>&#257n and Wil&#257yat <u>Kh</u>&#257n, R&#257jput chiefs of Buh&#257&#299 and Bulod&#257. As a result Bh&#257&#299 Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh got possession of the district of Bulod&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; After his death in 1764, the territories of Bh&#257&#299 Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh were divided among his five sons. His second son, Bh&#257&#299 Des&#363 Si&#7749gh, conquered Kaithal where he established himself as an independent ruler. One of his brothers, Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 Si&#7749gh, seized a part of Th&#257nesar which, however, he later lost to Bha&#7749g&#257 Si&#7749gh. Another brother Sukkh&#257 Si&#7749gh established a separate branch of the family at Arnaul&#299, now in Hary&#257&#7751&#257. Other descendants of the family of Bh&#257&#299 Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh are living in and around Bhuchcho in Ba&#7789hi&#7751&#7693&#257 district.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Griffin, Lepel, <i>The Rajas of the Punjab</i> [Reprint) . Delhi, 1977<BR> <li class="C1"> Gupta, Hari Ram, <i>History of the Sikhs</i>, vol. II. Delhi, 1978<BR> <li class="C1"> Santokh Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Garb Gañjan&#299 &#7788&#299k&#257</i>. Lahore, 1910<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>