ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>R&#256M SI&#7748GH BED&#298 B&#256B&#256 (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="RM,SIDGH,BED*,BB"> <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&#256M SI&#7748GH BED&#298, B&#256B&#256 (d. 1797), a Niha&#7749g warrior, was the son of Bh&#257&#299 Faq&#299r Chand, of the village of Ko&#7789l&#257 Faq&#299r Chan&#7789, in Si&#257lko&#7789 district, now in Pakistan. The family claimed direct descent from Gur&#363 N&#257nak. R&#257m Si&#7749gh took <i>kha&#7751&#7693e d&#299 p&#257hul</i> or vows by the double-edged sword, thus entering the fold of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257. Tall and hefty of build and trained in the martial art as well as in sacred learning, and always carrying on his person a quintet of weapons, he became a legendary heroin the region.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; At the end of November 1796, Sh&#257h Zam&#257n, grandson of Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299, invaded India at the head of a host of 80,000 men&#8212his third incursion into the country. The Sikh chiefs, following their time tested strategy of avoiding pitched battles against numerically superior forces, retired towards Amritsar allowing the Sh&#257h to advance unopposed to Lahore, which he entered on 3 January 1797. Soon after, however, the news of the rebellion in Her&#257t by his brother, Prince Mahm&#363d, compelled him to go back, leaving a force of 12,000 under his general, Ahmad <u>Kh</u>&#257n B&#257rakza&#299, better known as Shah&#257ñch&#299 <u>Kh</u>&#257n, to keep the Punjab under occupation. The Sikh <i>sard&#257rs</i> resorted to their usual tactics and kept preying upon the retreating Af<u>gh</u>&#257n columns right into the territory across the River Jehlum. R&#257m Si&#7749gh, at the head of a small band of irregulars, took part in these operations. Shah&#257ñch&#299 <u>Kh</u>&#257n, planning to surprise the returning Sikhs, advanced from Lahore, intercepted some of the troops under the young Sukkarchakk&#299&#257 chief, Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh, at R&#257mnagar and besieged them. The Sikhs fighting back desperately forced Shah&#257ñch&#299 <u>Kh</u>&#257n to raise the siege and retire towards Gujr&#257t. R&#257m Si&#7749gh and his band of warriors overtook his column on the way. In the skirmish that ensued B&#257b&#257 R&#257m Si&#7749gh Bed&#299 fell fighting near the village of Pa&#7771op&#299, where a memorial was later raised in his honour. Shah&#257ñch&#299 <u>Kh</u>&#257n was also killed soon after in the main battle that took place a few kilometres east of Gujr&#257t.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Panth Prak&#257sh</i> [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Kuld&#299p Si&#7749gh Dh&#299r<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>