<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>HAR&#298 SI&#7748GH BHA&#7748G&#298 (d. 1765)</TITLE>
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<p class="C1">&#65279HAR&#298 SI&#7748GH BHA&#7748G&#298 (d. 1765), nephew and adopted son of Bh&#363m&#257 Si&#7749gh was the founder of the Bha&#7749g&#299 <i>misl</i> or chiefship. Har&#299 Si&#7749gh received initiatory rites of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 at the hands of B&#257b&#257 D&#299p Si&#7749gh Shah&#299d. At the time of the formation of the Dal <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 in 1748, Har&#299 Si&#7749gh was acknowledged head of the Bha&#7749g&#299 clan as well as leader of the Taru&#7751&#257 Dal. He vastly increased the power and influence of the Bha&#7749g&#299 <i>misl</i> which began to be ranked as the strongest among its peers. He created an army of 20,000 dashing youths, captured Pañjva&#7771 in the Tarn T&#257ran <i>parganah</i> and established his headquarters first at Sohal and then at Gilv&#257l&#299, both in present-day Amritsar district. Lastly, he set himself up at Amritsar where he established a residential area with a market known as Ka&#7789r&#257 Har&#299 Si&#7749gh, and started constructing a fort called Qil&#257 Bha&#7749g&#299&#257&#7749. Har&#299 Si&#7749gh constantly harassed the Af<u>gh</u>&#257n invader, Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299, during his invasions into India. A few months after the massacre of the Sikhs at Kup, near M&#257lerko&#7789l&#257, in what is known in Sikh history as Va&#7693&#7693&#257 Ghall&#363gh&#257r&#257 or the Great Killing (February 1762), Har&#299 Si&#7749gh attacked <u>Kh</u>w&#257j&#257 Sayyid k&#257 Ko&#7789, and seized from there a large quantity of arms. In 1763, along with the Kanhaiy&#257s and R&#257mga&#7771h&#299&#257s, he sacked the Af<u>gh</u>&#257n stronghold of Kas&#363r. In 1764, he ravaged Bah&#257walpur and Mult&#257n. Crossing the River Indus, he realized tribute from Bal&#363ch&#299 chiefs in the districts of Muzaffarga&#7771h, &#7692er&#257 <u>Gh</u>&#257z&#299 <u>Kh</u>&#257n and &#7692er&#257 Ism&#257'&#299l <u>Kh</u>&#257n. On his way back home, he reduced Jha&#7749g, Chinio&#7789 and Si&#257lko&#7789. When B&#257b&#257 &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 submitted to the authority of Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299 in March 1765 accepting certain concession from him, the Taru&#7751&#257 Dal under Har&#299 Si&#7749gh marched upon Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 to chastise him. Har&#299 Si&#7749gh was killed in this campaign, allegedly owing to the conspiracy of those who had been jealous of his growing influence. According to <u>Kh</u>ushwaqt R&#257i, Har&#299 Si&#7749gh was poisoned to death.</p>
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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"> Gupta, Hari Ram, <i>History of the Sikhs</i>, vol. IV. Delhi, 1982<BR>
<li class="C1"> Ga&#7751&#7693&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>Sard&#257r Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257</i>. Patiala, 1969<BR>
</ol><p class="CONT">Sard&#257r Si&#7749gh Bh&#257&#7789&#299&#257<br></p><BR>
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