ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>PH&#362L (1627-1689)</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="PHjL,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">&#65279PH&#362L (1627-1689), ancestor of the Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749 dynasty, was born in 1629, the second son of Bh&#257&#299 R&#363p Chand and M&#257&#299 Amb&#299. His father was killed fighting against the Bha&#7789&#7789&#299s, R&#257jp&#363t converts to Islam, who were their old enemies and who had control over the M&#257lv&#257 region. On the death of Ph&#363l's father his uncle, K&#257l&#257, became his guardian. The family shifted to the village of Mehr&#257j, founded by K&#257l&#257's father, Mohan, in 1627 with the blessing of Gur&#363 Hargobind. As Gur&#363 Hargobind was staying at Gur&#363sar, the site of the battle of Mehr&#257j (16 December 1634), K&#257l&#257, accompanied by his young nephews, Sandl&#299 and Ph&#363l, went to pay homage. In the Gur&#363's presence, young Ph&#363l started scratching his belly to indicate that he was hungry. As the legend goes, Gur&#363 Hargobind gave his blessing saying, "He will have means not only to overcome his own hunger, but also to satisfy the hunger of many others. His horses shall drink water from the river Sutlej and the Yamun&#257." Ph&#363l begot seven children. Three sons, Tilok Si&#7749gh, R&#257m Si&#7749gh and Ragh&#363, and one daughter, R&#257m&#299 or R&#257m Kaur, were born to his first wife, B&#257l&#299, the daughter of a <i>zam&#299nd&#257r</i> of <i>&#7693hilv&#257&#7749</i>, in N&#257bh&#257 territory. From Tilok Si&#7749gh descended the ruling families of N&#257bh&#257 and J&#299nd and from R&#257m Si&#7749gh, the house of Pati&#257l&#257. To Ph&#363l's second wife, Raj j&#299, were born three sons, Chann&#363, Jha&#7751&#7693&#363 and Ta<u>kh</u>t Mall. The descendants of Chann&#363 and Ta<u>kh</u>t Mall held <i>jag&#299rs</i> in the village of Guma&#7789&#299</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ph&#363l received from R&#257i Ba<u>kh</u>ti&#257r or K&#257&#7749g&#257&#7771, lease of K&#257m&#257&#7749v&#257l&#257 Theh and raised on the site a village which he called Ph&#363l. He gained considerable influence in the area, and defeated Hyat <u>Kh</u>&#257n Bha&#7789&#7789&#299 of Bha&#7789ner in a battle fought near what is now Muktsar. Ph&#363l began to be recognized as a daring and powerful local chief. He attacked the chief of Jagr&#257o&#7749, and held him captive after a brief skirmish. He was summoned to Sirhind where he was imprisoned under the orders of the Mu<u>gh</u>al <i>faujd&#257r</i>. It is said that he secured his release feigning death &#8212 an art he had learnt from one Sumerpur&#299 <i>faq&#299r</i> who once happened to visit his place. Taking him as dead, his body was handed over to his relations.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ph&#363l died at Bah&#257durpur in N&#257bh&#257 state on 28 January 1689, and was cremated at the village of Ph&#363l. His <i>sam&#257dh</i> still <i>exists</i> there.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"><i>Tw&#257r&#299kh-i-<u>Kh</u>&#257nd&#257n-i-Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Karam Si&#7749gh-va-Kh&#257nd&#257n-i-Ph&#363lk&#299&#257&#7749</i>.MS. Punjab Archives, Patiala<BR> <li class="C1"> Karam Si&#7749gh, <i>B&#257b&#257 &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh</i>. Patiala, 1918<BR> <li class="C1"> Kirpal Singh, <i>Maharaja Ala Singh of Patiala</i>. Amritsar, 1954<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>