ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>LAHI&#7750&#256 SI&#7748GH (d. 1797)</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="LAHIF,SIDGH"> <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">&#65279LAHI&#7750&#256 SI&#7748GH (d. 1797), one of the triumvirate who ruled over Lahore for more than 30 years before its occupation by Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh, was the son of Darg&#257h&#257 and was adopted by Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh Ro&#7771&#257&#7749v&#257l&#257, a Sikh chief of note belonging to the Bha&#7749g&#299 <i>misl</i>, after whose death in 1763 he succeeded him to his estates. The most spectacular achievement of Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh, in collaboration with Gujjar Si&#7749gh and Sobh&#257 Si&#7749gh, was the capture of Lahore from the Af<u>gh</u>&#257n nominees, K&#257bul&#299 Mall and his nephew, Am&#299r Si&#7749gh, and minting in 1765 the Sikh coin. Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh ruled over Lahore most successfully for 32 years, with some intermissions, until his death in September 1797. He enjoyed complete obedience and respect of the subjects. When in December 1766, Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299 invaded Lahore and Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh retired towards Kas&#363r, the Muslim citizens of Lahore pleaded before the Sh&#257h to confirm Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh in the governorship of the Punjab. To this end, the Durr&#257n&#299 actually invited Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh, but the latter declined the proposal. He returned to the Sh&#257h the fruit he had sent him, saying that such delicacies were meant for royalty alone. The Sikhs, he told the messenger, lived on parched gram. Of this he gave a quantity to the messenger to be presented to Ahmad Sh&#257h on his behalf. Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh occupied Lahore as soon as the Sh&#257h left for Afghanistan.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh retained a permanent body of 3,000 cavalry and 2,000 infantry and in an emergency he could muster a force of 7,000 horse and 4,000 foot. His territory yielded about 15 lakhs of rupees annually.</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"> Ganda Singh, <i>Ahmad Shah Durrani</i>. Bombay, 1959<BR> <li class="C1"> Gupta, Hari Ram, <i>History of the Sikhs</i>, vol.II. Delhi, 1978<BR> <li class="C1"> Khushwant Singh, <i>A History of the Sikhs</i>, vol.I. Princeton, 1963<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Sard&#257r Si&#7749gh Bh&#257&#7789&#299&#257<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>