Part I: Three Brothers and a Nephew - Dhian Singh Dogra

Dogra Rajputs

The Dogra are a Rajput clan from Jammu region and speak Dogri language, a dialect of Punjabi. Dogra Rajputs origially from the Punjab foothills, migrated to the Shivalik Hills to escape the marauding Islamic invaders from Turkey. In 1808, Jammu was annexed to the Sikh Empire by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Raja Jit Singh Dogra was expelled and found refuge in British India. Ranjit Singh bestowed the Jammu region as a hereditary fief upon Mian Kishore Singh, a cousin of Raja Jit Singh.

Dogra Rajputs of Jammu

Mian Kishore Singh Dogra died in 1822 and Ranjit Singh divided the Jamwal territory between his three sons - Gulab Singh, Dhian Singh, and Suchet Singh. The Dogra brothers secured a formal declaration of renunciation from his kinsman, the deposed Raja Jit Singh.

The declaration, drafted in Persian, reads:

"I, Raja Jit Singh, grandson of Raja Sahib Ranjit Devji, on this occasion and out of internal inclination and dignified favors, in my own lifetime, and as a token of intrinsic love and heartfelt affection, hereby renounce proprietorship to all the protected territories of my ancestors, and my own inheritance, in favor of my prosperous barkhurdar, Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Gulab Singhji, and Raja Sahib Dhian Singhji and Raja Suchet Singhji, by way of dharam and niyam, mutual agreement and on oaths of my predecessors and Thakurs and Gurus."

Thus, the declaration transferred the headship of the Jamwal Rajputs to a junior branch of that clan. The Dogra brothers, Dhian, Suchet and Gulab Singh were in total control of the Ranjit Singh's administration. Raja Dhian Singh rose to become the Wazir-e-Azam or the Prime Minister of  Sarkar-e-Khalsa. Raja Gulab Singh consolidated himself in Jammu and took part in battles against the Afghans, and Raja Suchet Singh became the "Deorhidar" or chamberlain to the royal household.

Dogra Bothers attending Maharaja Ranjit Singh

 This blog describes the rise and fall of the Dogras from the Sikh empire.

Raja Dhian Singh (1796-1843)

Dhian Singh Dogra, the second son of Mian Kishore Singh and the middle one of the three brothers from Jammu, was born on 22 August 1796. He was presented before Ranjit Singh at Rohtas in 1812 by his elder brother, Raja Gulab Singh, and was given employment as a trooper on a monthly salary of sixty rupees. Dhian Singh by his impressive bearing, polished manner and adroitness, steadily rose in the Maharaja`s favour and, in 1818, replaced Jamadar Khushal Singh as the "Wazir-e-Azam" or the prime minister of the Sikh empire. The Maharaja conferred upon Dhian Singh the title of Naibus-Salatnati`Azamat, Khairkhwahi Samimii Daulati Sirkar-e-Kubra, Waziri-e-Azam, Dasturi-Mu`azzam, Mukhtari Mulk.

Raja Dhian Singh Dogra

Elimination of Sikh Sardars

In this capacity, he had ready access to the Maharaja and became a man of influence at the court.When Hari Singh Nalwa was battling the Afghan tribes at the Khyber Pass, he sent several letters through messengers asking for reinforcement from Lahore. Raja Dhian Singh intercepted these messages and prevented the Maharaja from learning the situation at the border. Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa died defending the fort of Jamrud and when Maharaja Ranjit realized the deciet of Dhian Singh, he threw his steel glass of water on Dhian Singh's head. But it was too late as the ablest of Sikh warriors, Hari Singh Nalwa and Akali Phoola Singh were removed systematically from the scene, making the Maharaja more dependent upon the Dogra borthers. He however was not able to marginalize Diwan Sawanmal Chopra, the Sikh leader from Multan.

Sikh Leaders with Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Poisoning of Khrak Singh

On the morning of the funeral of the Maharaja, 28 June 1839, Dhian Singh expressed his intention to immolate himself on the late monarch`s pyre and had to be dissuaded by his brothers and courtiers. Maharaja Kharak Singh himself begged him to continue to steer the State. Dhian Singh agreed that he would remain in the service of Kharak Singh for one year and proceed thereafter on a pilgrimage to sacred places. But he soon found himself at the centre of courtly intrigue. He set afloat the rumour that Kharak Singh and his brother-in-law, Chet Singh Bajwa, were soliciting British protection and were going to compromise the sovereignty of the Punjab.

Maharaja Kharak Singh

He summoned Kunwar Naunihal Singh from Peshawar, and won over the Sandhariwalia Sardars to join him in a plot to kill Chet Singh Bajwa. He spread rumours that Maharaja Kharak Singh and his favourite Chet Singh had decided to disband the Khalsa army and place the kingdom of Ranjit Singh under British protection. Forged letters supposed to have been written by them to the British were produced in support of their contention.

Kunwar Naunihal Singh, determined to assume supreme authority in the state, urged his father to dismiss Chet Singh. But Kharak Singh would neither abjudicate authority in favour of his son nor would he agree to dispense with his favourite. Dhian Singh in concert with Kunwar Naunihal Singh plotted to finish off Chet Singh.

In the early hours of 9 October 1839, Dhian Singh and Naunihal Singh, accompanied by 15 other sardars including Gulab Singh, Suchet Singh, Misr Lal Singh and Attar Singh Sandhanvalia, entered the palace in the fort and forced their way into the royal chambers where Maharaja Kharak Singh and Chet Singh Bajwa used to sleep. Chet Singh hid himself in an interior gallery, but the glint of his shiny sword in the dark corner gave him away. Raja Dhian Singh fell upon him and plunged his dagger into his heart. The assassination of Chet Singh was staged in the presence of the Maharaja Kharak Singh who was himself placed under restraint, Kunwar Naunihal Singh running the affairs of the state on his behalf. Kharak Singh was later poisoned with mercury as the wheel of concipiracy was turned another notch by the wiley Dogra.

Assasination of Kunwar Naunihal Singh

Dhian Singh Dogra next plotted to assasinate the young Kunwar Naunihal Singh. The next day, the 5th November, the body of Kharak Singh was cremated on the plain beyond the Roshnai gate of the fort. Kunwar Naunihal Singh attended the funeral ceremony; but before the body was entirely consumed, faint with the heat of the sun, retired to perform his ablutions in the branch of the river Ravi that flowed by the fort. He returned on foot towards the palace, followed by the whole Court, holding the hand of Mian Udham Singh, his inseparable companion, eldest son of Raja Gulab Singh Dogra. Dhian Singh was informed of the presence of his nephew but ordered the assasination as he feared Mian Udham Singh as rival to his own son, Mian Hira Singh Dogra.

Renovated Roshnai Gate Lahore

As Kunwar Naunihal Singh approached the gateway he called for water to drink. None was at hand, and all the bottles of sacred Ganges water which had been brought to sprinkle on the funeral pile were empty. The superstitious Mian Udham Singh sensed the danger and whispered that this was an bad omen; but the Prince laughed and passed on. As he stepped beneath the archway, down fell the battlements, beams, stone and brickwork with a tremendous crash. It was all over in a moment. Mian Udham Singh was extricated from the rubbish with his spine broken, quite dead. Naunihal Singh's left arm was broken and his skull fractured. He breathed heavily, but neither moved nor spoke.

Chobara like this fell upon Naunihal Singh

Raja Dhian Singh, who had been close behind when the catastrophe occurred, and who was himself grazed by the falling mass, called up a palanquin, of which there were many waiting, and placing the Prince in it had him carried into the marble garden-house, where Maharaja Ranjit Singh had been used to hold his morning Darbar, and the great gates of the Hazuri Bagh were shut and locked. No one but Fakir Aziz-ud-din and Fakir Nur-ud-din and Bhaia Ram Singh and Gobind Ram were allowed to enter, and within an hour Naunihal Singh had breathed his last.

It was rumored that Kunwar Naunihal Singh survived the crash but was murdered in his sleep by his Dogra bodyguards under the instruction of Dhian Singh.

Chand Kaur as Maharani

Dhian Singh concealed the fact of Naunihal Singh`s death for three days, till Raja Sher Singh, the second son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh had arrived at Lahore at his summons. But his plans were upset by his rivals, the Sandhariwalias, who decided to support Kharak Singh`s widow, Chand Kaur, as a regent for Naunihal Singh`s child yet to be born. Dhian Singh supported the claim of Sher Singh, the son of Ranjit Singh's estranged first wife, Mehtab Kaur. Chand Kaur turned to Gulab Singh Dogra for support. A compromise was proposed that Chand Kaur should adopt Sher Singh's son Pratap Singh. However, she pointed out that Nau Nihal's widow, Sahib Kaur, was pregnant and might give birth to a rightful successor. On 2 December 1840 Chand Kaur was proclaimed Maharani of the Punjab, with the title Malika Muqaddasa, Empress Immaculate.

Maharani Chand Kaur

Sher Singh went back to his estate in Batala the following day, and Dhian Singh retired to Jammu a few days later. This was, however, only a tactical withdrawal by the astute Dogra. Even while on his way to Jammu, he wrote to army commanders at different levels and to other government officials to render obedience and assistance to Raja Sher Singh upon his return to Lahore.

Anointment of Maharaja Sher Singh

Raja Sher Singh returned to Lahore on 13 January 1841 and the bulk of the royal army then in Lahore went over to him. The regiments outside the city walls went over to his side, leaving Chand Kaur with 5,000 men and a limited quantity of gunpowder against a force of 26,000 infantry, 8,000 horse and 45 guns. Chand Kaur's troops in the fort fought for two days,

Arrival of Maharaja Sher Singh at Lahore

Raja Dhian Singh arrived on the evening of 17 January and arranged a ceasefire. Chand Kaur was persuaded to accept a pension and relinquish her claim to the throne, and on 27 January Sher Singh was formally anointed as Maharaja on 18 January with Dhian Singh as his Wazir-e-Azam.

The dowager Maharani retired to her late son's palace in Lahore and received a pension of 900,000 rupees. In July 1841 Sahib Kaur's son was stillborn, ending any justification for a renewed claim to the regency. However she had made an enemy of Dhian Singh, who replaced her servants with women from Jammu, who killed her on 11 June 1842 by smashing her head in with wooden pikes.

Assasination of Maharaja Sher Singh and Dhian Singh Dogra

On 15 September 1843 the Sandhariwalia Sardars, Ajit Singh and Lehna Singh, assassinated their cousin Maharaja Sher Singh and his son Kunwar Partap Singh, the heir apparent, on the outskirts of Lahore. Ajit Singh Sandhawalia was demnstrated a British made shotgun to the Maharaja. He moved closer, he shot his cousin in the close range with the loaded shotgun.

Sandhawalia meeting Maharaja Sher Singh

As they were returning to the Lahore fort with the heads of Sher Singh and Partap Singh hung on spikes, they were met on the way by Dhian Singh. They lured Raja Dhian singh by force into the fort. As he advanced his claim to be Wazir to the succeeding Maharaja, Ajit Singh fired a shot and killed him on the spot.The Sandhawala hung his head on the door of the fort.

Ruins of Dhian Singh's Haweli in Lahore

My Observations

Raja Dhian Singh Dogra was an able administrator and remained faithful to Maharaja Ranjit Singh until his death and later to his descendents. He consipired with other Sikh Sardars to dethrone ineffective Kharak Singh in favor of Maharaja's grandson Naunihal Singh who was being groomed by the Maharaja to be the worthy successor. He is blamed for not providing reinforcement in time to Hari Singh Nalwa and Akali Phoola Singh. He was also the chief consipirator in the murder of Chet Singh Bajwa.

Not enough evidence is available to link Dhian Singh to the assisination of young prince Naunihal Singh but I cannot think of anyone else who had the inside knowledge and control of the fort other than Dhian Singh and his brother Suchet Singh, the "Deoridhar" or the guardian of the fort. Even then, he masterminded the claim of Raja Sher Singh, the second son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. This shows his loyalty to the Maharaja and his family. 

History will always remember his role in igniting the chain of treachery, infidelities, murders, and assassinations .. that led to the downfall of mighty Sikh Empire.

(To be continued ....)