ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>R&#256JP&#362T-SIKH RELATIONS</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="RJPjT,SIKH,RELATIONS"> <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">&#65279R&#256JP&#362T-SIKH RELATIONS During his preaching tours, Gur&#363 N&#257nak (1469-1539), founder of the Sikh faith, is believed to have visited Pushkar and Kul&#257yat, two important Hindu pilgrimage centres in R&#257jput&#257n&#257 (now R&#257jasth&#257n),the land of the R&#257jp&#363ts. While under detention in Gw&#257l&#299or Fort, Gur&#363 Hargobind came in contact with some R&#257jp&#363t chiefs similarly held in custody there, and was instrumental in their eventual release from captivity. Mirz&#257 R&#257j&#257 Jai Si&#7749gh of &#256mber (1605-67), his queen, and his son, R&#257j&#257 R&#257m Si&#7749gh, were devotees of the Gur&#363s. Gur&#363 Har Krishan (1656-64) and Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur (1621-75) stayed in their palace in R&#257is&#299n&#257, a Delhi suburb. According to some accounts Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur, during his journey towards the eastern provinces, was arrested near Delhi, but was soon released through the intervention of the &#256mber prince. The Gur&#363 later accompanied R&#257j&#257 R&#257m Si&#7749gh, at the latter's request, during the Assam expedition. Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh (1666-1708) travelled widely across R&#257jput&#257n&#257 in 1706-08. When M&#257t&#257 Sundar&#299 (d.1747) moved from Delhi to Mathur&#257, the then R&#257j&#257 of Jaipur, Sav&#257&#299 Jai Si&#7749gh, provided her with suitable residence and maintenance. Earlier during Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h's expedition against Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur in 1710-11, while princes of Mev&#257&#7771 and K&#299shanga&#7771h joined the imperial camp at the royal summons; Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh of Jodhpur and R&#257j&#257 Sav&#257&#299 Jai Si&#7749gh of Jaipur, despite the emperor's pressing orders, marched leisurely and came to the Punjab ten months after Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h's campaign was over.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; During the period after Band&#257 Si&#7749gh, Sikh <i>jath&#257s</i> or sub-units of the Dal <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257, adopting guerilla tactics against the Mu<u>gh</u>al and Af<u>gh</u>&#257n regimes, took refuge on several occasions in the desert of R&#257jput&#257n&#257. We have it on the authority of Ratan Si&#7749gh Bha&#7749g&#363, <i>Pr&#257ch&#299n Panth Prak&#257sh</i>, that Bh&#257&#299 Mahit&#257b Si&#7749gh M&#299r&#257&#7749ko&#7789&#299&#257 and Bh&#257&#299 Sukkh&#257 Si&#7749gh of M&#257&#7771&#299 Kambo went to Jaipur and joined the service of its ruler. Bha&#7749g&#363 also records a Sikh force assisting the ruler of Bik&#257ner in his attack on Jaisalmer. According to Gi&#257n&#299 Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, <i>Shamsher <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i>, the <i>jath&#257</i> of Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 Si&#7749gh and Sh&#257m Si&#7749gh of N&#257rl&#299 had at one time been in the service of Bik&#257ner.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In December 1765, R&#257j&#257 Jaw&#257har Si&#7749gh of Bharatpur was at war with R&#257j&#257 M&#257dho Si&#7749gh of Jaipur. He hired 25,000 Sikhs under Sard&#257r Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257 while M&#257dho Si&#7749gh invited the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s for help. The Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s had also been engaged by Jaw&#257har Si&#7749gh's step brother, Naval Si&#7749gh, who was in possession of Dholpur. Jaw&#257har Si&#7749gh decided first to deal with Naval Si&#7749gh. He, therefore, made his peace with M&#257dho Si&#7749gh and dismissed the Sikhs after paying them their subsidy. In December 1767 M&#257dho Si&#7749gh attacked Jaw&#257har Si&#7749gh. The latter engaged 10,000 Sikhs to fight for him, but was defeated on 29 February 1768. He hired another Sikh force making a total of 20,000 at 7,00,000 rupees per month. He advanced again to meet M&#257dho Si&#7749gh, but the latter retired without giving a fight. The Sikhs and R&#257jp&#363ts seem to have had no mutual contact of any kind thereafter.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Bha&#7749g&#363, Ratan Si&#7749gh, <i>Pr&#257ch&#299n Panth Prak&#257sh</i>. Amritsar, 1914<BR> <li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u> Gur&#363 <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i> [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Gupta, Hari Ram, <i>History of Sikh Gurus</i>. Delhi, 1973<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">Har&#299 R&#257m Gupta<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>