Dhian Singh

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Raja
Dhian Singh
Portrait of Raja Dhian Singh in opaque watercolor and gold on exhibit at the Tokyo National Museum. c. mid 19th century.
Wazir of the Sikh Empire
In office
1818–1843
MonarchsRanjit Singh
Kharak Singh
Nau Nihal Singh
Personal details
Born22 August 1796
Died15 September 1843

Raja Dhian Singh (22 August 1796 – 15 September 1843) was the longest serving wazir of the Sikh Empire,[1] during the reign of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, and four of his successors. He held the office for twenty five years, from 1818 up till his death.[2] Dhian Singh was a brother of Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu, who later founded the Dogra dynasty when he became Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir under the British Raj. Another brother Suchet Singh also served the empire. The three brothers were collectively known as the "Dogra brothers" in the Sikh empire, based on their ethnicity.

Biography

In the turbulent four years following the emperor's death on 27 June 1839, Dhian remained at the helm, grappling with a power struggle in which three successive emperors and one empress died suddenly, in the build-up to the

palace coup on 8 October 1839,[3] and assassinated Chet Singh Bajwa, the favourite courtier of the emperor.[4] He imprisoned emperor Kharak, who later died of slow poisoning by lead and mercury.[5] Dhian had spread rumor that the hedonistic emperor intended to sell out the sovereignty of the Sikh empire to the British East India Company
.

Dhian then installed the emperor's son

better source needed] American colonel Alexander Gardner, who was with Nau Nihal when he was injured, noted that five artillery men carried the emperor into the fort under the orders of Dhian. Two of these men died mysteriously, two asked for leave and never returned, and one inexplicably disappeared.[5]

On 13 January 1841,

counter-coup the next day, and killed the assassins. On 17 September 1843, Hira Singh Dogra, aged 24, succeeded his father as the prime minister, with five year old infant Duleep Singh
being crowned emperor.

Victoria & Albert Museum
London. c. 1830

Dhian's younger brother Suchet Singh Dogra was killed on 27 March 1844, while leading a failed coup against Dhian's son Hira Singh Dogra.

First Anglo-Sikh War
broke out on 11 December 1845.

Dhian's elder brother Maharajah

Gulab Singh Dogra, was the prime minister of the Sikh empire from 31 January – 9 March 1846, during the First Anglo-Sikh War, and then became the first emperor of Jammu and Kashmir on 16 March 1846, by the Treaty of Amritsar. This followed the 9 March Treaty of Lahore
and ultimately led up to the British East India Company gaining sovereignty over the Sikh empire.

Jagat Dev Singh a descendant of Gulab Singh’s brother Dhian Singh a member of Poonch ruling family ascended the throne of Jammu and Kashmir from September 1925 to February 1926.[16][17]

References

  1. ^ "Raja Dhian Singh (Painting) | V&A Search the Collections". V and A Collections. 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  2. ISBN 9780521637640
    .
  3. ^ J. S. Grewal, The Sikhs of the Punjab, Volumes 2–3, Cambridge University Press, 8 Oct 1998, p.120
  4. ^ C. Grey, European Adventurers of Northern India, 1785 to 1849, Asian Educational Services, 1996,
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-1-63557-077-9
    .
  6. ^ "Raja Nau Nihal Singh and Raja Dhian Singh (Painting) | V&A Search the Collections". V and A Collections. 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  7. ISBN 9789380213255
    .
  8. ^ Harbans Singh Noor (February 2004). "Death of Prince Nau Nihal Singh". Sikh Spectrum. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013.
  9. ^ Khalid, Haroon (6 April 2018). "First Anglo-Sikh War: In 1845, a vengeful queen plotted the fall of the mighty Khalsa Army". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  10. ^ Singh, Bhagat. Encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Punjab University, Patiala.
  11. ^ "Role of Maharani Jin Kaur in Lahore Darbar" (PDF). Shodh Ganga - Indian Electronic Thesises and Dissertations.
  12. ISBN 9789386057396
    .
  13. ISBN 9780521637640
    .
  14. ISBN 9781136790874
    .
  15. ISBN 9789352534340
    .
  16. ISBN 0907129072
    .
  17. ^ "Pratap Singh's British Rule". Kasmirlife. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
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