ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>L&#256L SI&#7748GH BH&#256&#298</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="LL,SIDGH,BH*"> <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">&#65279L&#256L SI&#7748GH, BH&#256&#298, ruler of the Sikh state of Kaithal, was the younger son of Bh&#257&#299 Des&#363 Si&#7749gh, founder of the principality. Unlike other rulers of the cis-Sutlej states, the Kaithal chiefs did not assume the title of <i>r&#257jah</i> (king), but preferred to use the family epithet of <i>Bh&#257&#299</i> (lit.brother). Bh&#257&#299 Des&#363 Si&#7749gh, who fell out with R&#257j&#257 Amar Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 in 1778, sought the patronage of the Delhi <i>Waz&#299r</i>, Naw&#257b Majd ud-Daulah 'Abd ul-Ahad. The latter claimed from him arrears in payment of revenue plus a fine of four lakh rupees. Of this amount Des&#363 Si&#7749gh arranged to pay three lakh rupees and in lieu of the balance payable he left his son, L&#257l Si&#7749gh, as a hostage. As the balance was not forthcoming soon enough, L&#257l Si&#7749gh was tortured. This embittered him and he became a rebel against his father, who on his release from Delhi interned him at Kaithal. When Des&#363 Si&#7749gh died in 1781, L&#257l Si&#7749gh was still in confinement. His elder brother Bah&#257l Si&#7749gh did all he could to keep him in prison, but L&#257l Si&#7749gh contrived to escape, killed Bah&#257l Si&#7749gh and took possession of all the estates of his father. He was a politically shrewd person and could clearly see where his advantage lay. He had great influence with R&#257j&#257 Bh&#257g Si&#7749gh of J&#299nd; he befriended the powerful D&#299w&#257n N&#257n&#363 Mall of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, and in the family dispute in the ruling family there he supported R&#257&#7751&#299 &#256s Kaur against the weak-minded R&#257j&#257 S&#257hib Si&#7749gh. This strategy enabled him to retain possession of a few villages in distant districts of Fateh&#257b&#257d and Sirs&#257. He responded to the call of B&#257b&#257 S&#257hib Si&#7749gh Bed&#299 for a religious war against the Af<u>gh</u>&#257ns of R&#257iko&#7789 in 1798 and grabbed R&#257i Ily&#257s' fort of W&#257kh&#257 and its surrounding territory. He joined hands with the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s to wipe out the British adventurer, George Thomas, in 1802, but was astute enough to perceive the rising influence of the British and, along with R&#257j&#257 Bh&#257g Si&#7749gh, joined hands with them on 15 September 1803, preventing the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s from making further inroads. According to Sir Lepel Griffin, "Lal Singh was, at the time of the British advance northwards, in 1809, the most powerful cis-Sutlej chief, after the Raja of Patiala." In 1819, Bh&#257&#299 Karam Si&#7749gh son of Bh&#257&#299 Dhann&#257 Si&#7749gh and first cousin of Bh&#257&#299 L&#257l Si&#7749gh, died. Both his widow, M&#257&#299 Bh&#257gbhar&#299, and Bh&#257&#299 L&#257l Si&#7749gh made claims to his estates. The British government, however, allowed the latter to succeed to the estates with a small maintenance grant to the widow.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bh&#257&#299 L&#257l Si&#7749gh died at Kaithal soon after.</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>