Gazetteer Of The Sialkot District

· 1895 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1Sialkot District- ]

2CHAP. II.— HISTOEV. 2.5

3was himself a prisoner at Lahore in the hands of Khan Bahadar,

4a Kfithil Rajput of Tikaria, a great brigand succeed-

5ed ill wresting tnh'iqa Cliaubara from one Chajju Kbiiu,

6the agent of the Riija. Prithu took the fort, killed Ohajjii

7and made the Salehriils subordinate. He built a small fort^j^®°>^ Bajput

8[garhi) and a shooting ha's, (hat ddarr't) ; whence the place is^

9to this day exhibited as Garhi Chauhura. He killed every Rajput asceadanoy

10Minhas inhabitant of Jatoke. On hearing of this, Ranjit Deo, tistablished.

11being himself a Ibijput of the same tribe, gave battle at Ala,

12near Cliarwii, defeated Prithu, and thus added Chaubara to

13his dominion. In this way he had extended his territory till,

14in A.D. 1773, he held actual or nominal sway of the entire

15country north of a line reaching from Dinga in the Jech

16Doiib to the Chenab river at Kuliiwiil, and from Roras to

17Bankhatra, even up to Mundu Khail in pargand Shakargarh.

18The hiZuf/uaud city of Sialkot, however, were not included. Siillkot held by

19They were held by a powerful Pathan family till the time when Pathana.

20the Sikhs learnt the advantage of combining together to plun-

21der the country, and make for themselves a name and a power,

22destined one day to be established on a permanent foundation.

23Upon extension of Hanjit Deo’s rule into the sub-montane Rajput revenue

24portion of the district, a ruder system than that just described system,

25as practised by the Mughals was introduced. The Rajputs took

26revenue in kind by division of the actual outturn, here called

27hdoU. 1 he share usually taken was one-third, but sometimes

28one-fourth. Afterwards a house- tax, was introduced,

29which was met with great discontent. Measurements were sel-

30dom resorted to ; no records were kept except such as might

31be necessary for internal village rcfei-ence ; a few ofiBcers were

32appointed to keep the peace ; while the revenue was collected

33and paid in chiefly through the heads of tribes or local

34divisions. Land belonged to tbo ruler, who might dispose of

35it at will ; the occupant could bo removed from one village

36to another, and the revenue agents (Mrddrs) had the right of

37locating new cultivators at pleasure.

38It was when the Durani power had ceased to be felt, and Rise of the Bhangi

39the Sikhs were forming themselves into the well-known confederacy,

40associations called the “ twelve misls,” that Sialkot was wrested

41from the Pathans by two of the Sikh leaders, .Jhanda Singh

42and Ganda Singh, confederates of the famous Gulab Singh,

43Mariwala, who represented the Bhangi misl. By them it was

44given over to four of their retainers, Natha Singh (shahid), Mohav

45Singh (didriiocifd). Sahib Singh (Ayndwdld), andJarwar Singh

46(Ghumdn), who held the fort and taluqa in four divisions.

47Ranjit Deo being now engaged in a quarrel with his eldest

48son, Brij Raj Deo, determined to set aside his title to succession

49in favour of Mian Dalelu, his brother. Upon this Brij Raj broke

50out into open rebellion and applied to Chart Singh (of Sukar-

51chakia family, grandfather of Ranjit Singh), offering largo yearly

52History.

53Chapter II.

54Rise of Ranjit