<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>S&#256HIB KAUR B&#298B&#298 (1771-1801)</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="SĀHIB,KAUR,BĪBĪ,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">&#65279S&#256HIB KAUR, B&#298B&#298 (1771-1801), warrior and leader of men who played a prominent part in the history of the cis-Sutlej states from 1793 to 1801, was the elder sister of R&#257j&#257 S&#257hib Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257. Born in 1771, S&#257hib Kaur was married at an early age to Jaimal Si&#7749gh of the Kanhaiy&#257 clan, who resided at Fatehga&#7771h and was master of a greater part of the B&#257r&#299 Do&#257b above D&#299n&#257 Nagar in present-day Gurd&#257spur district of the Punjab. In 1793, R&#257j&#257 S&#257hib Si&#7749gh, in view of mounting dissensions within his state, recalled his sister B&#299b&#299 S&#257hib Kaur to Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and entrusted to her the office of prime minister. She had not been long in Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 when she had to return to Fatehga&#7771h at the head of a large Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 army to rescue her husband who had been captured by Fateh Si&#7749gh, a rival chief. Back in Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 she faced a large Mar&#257&#7789h&#257 force marching towards the town in 1794 under the command of Ant&#257 R&#257o and Lachhman R&#257o. R&#257j&#257 Bh&#257g Si&#7749gh of J&#299nd, Jodh Si&#7749gh of Kals&#299&#257 and Bha&#7749g&#257 Si&#7749gh of Th&#257nesar joined hands with her while T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh <u>Gh</u>aib&#257 sent a detachment of troops. The joint force, numbering about 7,000 men, met the enemy at Mard&#257&#7749pur near Amb&#257l&#257 where a fierce engagement took place. The Sikhs were severely outnumbered and would have retreated had not S&#257hib Kaur, alighting from her <i>rath</i>, i.e, chariot, made a brave call with a drawn sword in hand for them to stay firm in their ranks. The next morning they made a sudden charge on the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s who, taken by surprise, retired towards Karn&#257l in utter confusion. Bed&#299 S&#257hib Si&#7749gh of &#362n&#257 charged the Pa&#7789h&#257n chief of M&#257lerko&#7789l&#257 with cow-killing and attacked him. He was saved by the timely succour given him by S&#257hib Kaur. In 1796, in response to the request of the R&#257j&#257 of N&#257han who had sought help from R&#257j&#257 S&#257hib Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 to quell a revolt in his state, S&#257hib Kaur proceeded to the hills with a strong force and soon reduced the insurgents to submission. The R&#257j&#257 was reinstalled on the <i>gadd&#299</i> and, at the time of S&#257hib Kaur's departure, he presented her with many rich and valuable gifts in token of his gratitude. In the summer of 1799, George Thomas, an English adventurer, who had become very powerful and who ruled the country in the neighbourhood of H&#257&#7749s&#299 and Hiss&#257r, turned his attention to the Sikh territories on his northern frontier and marched upon J&#299nd. S&#257hib Kaur led out a strong contingent to relieve the besieged town and, assisted by the troops of other Sikh chiefs, she forced George Thomas to withdraw.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Owing to differences with her brother, B&#299b&#299 S&#257hib Kaur had to leave Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 to take up residence in Bher&#299&#257&#7749, near Sun&#257m, which fell within her <i>j&#257g&#299r</i> and where she had built a fort changing the name of the village to Ubhev&#257l. She died there in 1801 in the prime of her life.</p>
</font>
<p class="BIB">
BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> &#256tm&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>R&#257&#7751&#299 S&#257hib Kaur</i>. Patiala, n.d.<BR>
<li class="C1"> Griffin, Lepel, <i>The Rajas of the Punjab</i> [Reprint]. Delhi, 1977<BR>
<li class="C1"> Pool, John J., <i>Women's Influence in the East London</i>, 1892<BR>
</ol><p class="CONT">Sard&#257r Si&#7749gh Bh&#257&#7789&#299&#257<br></p><BR>
</font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>
�