ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>R&#256M SI&#7748GH N&#362RPUR&#298&#256</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,NjRPUR*"> <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 N&#362RPUR&#298&#256, an associate of Bh&#257&#299 Mah&#257r&#257j Si&#7749gh in his revolt against the British, was the son of Shi&#257m Si&#7749gh alias Shi&#257m&#257, a Pa&#7789han&#299&#257 R&#257jput and Waz&#299r or minister to R&#257j&#257 B&#299r Si&#7749gh, chief of N&#363rpur, 25 km east of Pa&#7789h&#257nko&#7789 (32º-18'N, 75º-40'E), a feudatory of the Sikh kingdom of Lahore since 1802. N&#363rpur had been annexed by Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh in January 1816 on account of the failure of its chief to attend the general review of the army held at Si&#257lko&#7789 in October of the previous year and his failure to pay the mulct imposed for his default. B&#299r Si&#7749gh took refuge in British territory. He made an attempt to recover the territory in 1826 but was defeated and imprisoned. R&#257m Si&#7749gh, also referred to, as R&#257m Si&#7749gh Waz&#299r, probably succeeded his father in the office of minister and remained with his master during his exile. Around 1844, he joined the service of Mah&#257r&#257&#7751&#299 Jind Kaur. According to his confessional statement after his arrest in 1849, he was sent by the Mah&#257r&#257&#7751&#299 in early 1848 with a secret message to join Bh&#257&#299 Mah&#257r&#257j Si&#7749gh and to act according to the latter's orders. R&#257m Si&#7749gh met the Bh&#257&#299 at Jha&#7749g, where he was given sufficient funds and was told to organize a revolt in his native hills as a part of a general uprising being planned by Bh&#257&#299 Mah&#257r&#257j Si&#7749gh against the British, who had been in virtual occupation of the Punjab after the first Anglo-Sikh war (1845-46). R&#257m Si&#7749gh led an insurrection in the B&#257r&#299 Do&#257b at the close of 1848 and even threatened the British possessions in the Jalandhar Do&#257b, while the Sikhs under the A&#7789&#257r&#299v&#257l&#257 Sard&#257rs, Chatar Si&#7749gh and his son, R&#257j&#257 Sher Si&#7749gh, had openly challenged the British. R&#257m Si&#7749gh's campaign acquired such proportions that even the British Governor- General, Lord Dalhousie, took note of it in a letter he addressed to Sir Frederick Currie, the Resident at Lahore. Brigadier-General Sir Hugh Massy Wheeler, commander Jullundur Field Force, had to launch action against him in which at least four infantry battalions and two cavalry regiments took part. This force ultimately defeated R&#257m Si&#7749gh in a battle fought on 8 January 1849 at Bass&#363 or B&#257&#7749s&#257, near N&#363rpur. R&#257m Si&#7749gh himself was seriously wounded but escaped and took refuge in Jamm&#363 territory. He was ultimately arrested and tried as a rebel. No precise information is available as regards the sentence awarded. The general surmise is that he was transported for life to Singapore where he died.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Ahluwalia, M.L., <i>Bhai Maharaj Singh</i>. Patiala, 1970<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">M. L. &#256hl&#363w&#257l&#299&#257<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>