17 Facts About Jind Kaur

Jind Kaur was the youngest wife of the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, Ranjit Singh, and the mother of the last Maharaja, Duleep Singh.

Jind Kaur was renowned for her beauty, energy and strength of purpose and was popularly known as Rani Jindan, but her fame is derived chiefly from the fear she engendered in the British in India, who described her as "the Messalina of the Punjab".

Jind Kaur was temporarily buried in Kensal Green Cemetery and cremated the following year at Nashik, near Bombay.

Jind Kaur's ashes were finally taken to the samadh in Lahore of her husband, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, by her granddaughter, Princess Bamba Sofia Jindan Duleep Singh.

Jind Kaur Aulakh was born in Chachar, Gujranwala, the daughter of Manna Singh Aulakh, into an Aulakh Jat family the overseer of the royal kennels.

Jind Kaur had an elder brother, Jawahar Singh Aulakh and an elder sister, Bibiji Aas Kaur Ji, who married Sardar Jawala Singh Padhania, the Chief of Padhana in the Lahore District.

Jind Kaur took control of the government with the approval of the army and cast off her veil.

Jind Kaur held court, transacted State business in public and reviewed and addressed the troops.

Jind Kaur was received with honour but was persuaded to return to his estates by the army and a promise of an increase in his jagir.

The terms of the Treaty of Lahore, signed in March 1846, were punitive but the seven-year-old Duleep Singh remained as Maharaja and Jind Kaur was to remain as regent.

Jind Kaur wrote to Lawrence imploring him to return Duleep to her.

Rani Jind Kaur became the regent in 1843, as her son King Duleep Singh was still an infant.

In November 1856 Jung Bahadur Rana sent the Governor-General of India a letter which he had intercepted from Duleep Singh to Jind Kaur, suggesting that she come to England.

Jind Kaur had heard tales of the Maharani's beauty and influence and strength of will and was curious to meet the woman who had wielded such power.

Jind Kaur's compassion was aroused when she met a tired half-blind woman, her health broken and her beauty vanished.

Jind Kaur is a major character in George MacDonald Fraser's comic historical novel Flashman and the Mountain of Light.

Maharani Jind Kaur is portrayed in The Black Prince by Shabana Azmi.