ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>R&#256M SI&#7748GH R&#256J&#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,RJ"> <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, R&#256J&#256, son of Mirz&#257 R&#257j&#257 Jai Si&#7749gh of &#256mber, was a <i>4-haz&#257r&#299 mansabd&#257r</i> of the Mu<u>gh</u>al emperor, Aura&#7749gz&#299b. During Jai Si&#7749gh's absence in the Deccan on campaigns against Shiv&#257j&#299 and the B&#299j&#257pur state in 1664-67 Ka&#7749var R&#257m Si&#7749gh remained in Delhi in their palace in R&#257is&#299n&#257 and represented his father at the imperial court. The &#256mber family had been admirers of the Sikh Gur&#363s since the time of Gur&#363 Hargobind. On account of this old connection, Gur&#363 Har Krishan stayed with Ka&#7749var R&#257m Si&#7749gh when he came to Delhi in response to the emperor's summons. Here he was taken ill and died on 30 March 1664. Gurdw&#257r&#257 Ba&#7749gla S&#257hib now marks the site of his brief sojourn in R&#257is&#299n&#257. In November 1665, when Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur was arrested at Dhamt&#257n and brought to Delhi, Ka&#7749var R&#257m Si&#7749gh interceded and secured his release.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; R&#257j&#257 Jai Si&#7749gh, who was leading expeditions in the South, succeeded in persuading Shiv&#257j&#299, on personal assurance for safety, to attend Aura&#7749gz&#299b's court. It was Ka&#7749var R&#257m Si&#7749gh who, presented Shiv&#257j&#299 and his son, Shambh&#363j&#299, to the emperor at &#256gr&#257 on 12 May 1666. The emperor received the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s with seeming respect and arranged for them to stay with R&#257m Si&#7749gh, instructing the latter to keep watch over them. This was virtual detention, and when Shivaj&#299 and Shambh&#363j&#299 escaped on 19 August 1666, their custodian naturally fell under suspicion. He was punished, first by being forbidden the court and then by being deprived of his rank and pay. However, on his father's death in July 1667, R&#257m Si&#7749gh was recognized as successor and restored to his rank. But the emperor had not completely absolved the family from blame. On 27 December 1667, R&#257j&#257 R&#257m Si&#7749gh was nominated to lead an expedition against the Ahom rebels of Assam which was a hazardous assignment. R&#257m Si&#7749gh received his formal orders on 6 January 1668. Assam or K&#257mr&#363p was notorious for the sorcerous arts and he was advised by his mother to seek the blessing of Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur. The Gur&#363 was then travelling in the eastern districts. R&#257m Si&#7749gh met him and requested to accompany him. Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur granted him his request. Together they reached Ra&#7749g&#257m&#257&#7789&#299 on the bank of the Brahmputra in the second half of February 1669. R&#257j&#257 R&#257m Si&#7749gh met with very stiff resistance from the Ahoms, and the contest remained undecided. According to Sikh chroniclers, Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur eventually arranged a truce opening the way for a negotiated settlement. In celebration of the peace, the Gur&#363 had a mound built on the Brahmputra bank at Dhub&#7771&#299 by R&#257m Si&#7749gh's soldiers. A Sikh shrine called Tha&#7771&#257 S&#257hib or Damdam&#257 S&#257hib still exists atop this mound.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur returned to Pa&#7789n&#257 and therefrom back to the Punjab. The peace brought about by him did not last long and hostilities broke out again. But both sides were weary of war and there was a stalemate in the fighting extending over six years. At last R&#257j&#257 R&#257m Si&#7749gh received permission to leave Assam; he reached the imperial capital in June 1676. Not long afterwards he was called upon to take part in the Deccan campaign. His last expedition was to northwest frontier where he died assisting Am&#299r <u>Kh</u>&#257n, the Mu<u>gh</u>al general, in quelling local lawlessness. The date of his death is not known.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Kuir Si&#7749gh, <i>Gurbil&#257s P&#257tsh&#257h&#299 10</i>. Patiala, 1968<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"> Trilochan Singh, <i>Guru Tegh Bahadur : Prophet and Martyr</i>. Delhi, 1967<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Si&#7749gh, <i>Guru Tegh Bahadur</i>. Delhi, 1982<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">A. C. Banerjee<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>