17 Facts About Kharak Singh

Kharak Singh was the second Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.

Kharak Singh was the eldest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire and his consort, Maharani Datar Kaur.

Kharak Singh succeeded his father on 27 June 1839 and reigned until his dethronement and imprisonment on 8 October 1839.

Kharak Singh was succeeded by his only son Nau Nihal Singh.

Kharak Singh was born on 22 February 1801 in Lahore, Punjab.

Kharak Singh was the first son of Ranjit Singh and his second wife Datar Kaur Nakai.

Kharak Singh's mother was the daughter of Ran Singh Nakai, third ruler of the Nakai Misl.

Kharak Singh was the only queen to live after the fall of the Sikh Empire in 1849, had an annual pension paid by the British Raj of RS 2324 and died in Lahore in 1876 while living at the Lahore Fort.

Kharak Singh was brought up in his family's martial tradition and assigned to a variety of military expeditions.

Kharak Singh received the principality of Jammu as his jagir in 1812.

Kharak Singh was invested with the command of Siege of Multan as well as of Battle of Shopian in 1819, which resulted in Srinagar and Kashmir getting annexed into the Sikh Empire.

Kharak Singh was sent on similar campaigns undertaken by Ranjit Singh for the conquest of Peshawar and against the Mazaris of Shikarpur.

In 1839, Ranjit Singh awarded Kashmir to Kharak Singh, which was seen as a check on the ambitions of Gulab Singh Dogra.

Kharak Singh developed a close relationship with his tutor Chet Singh Bajwa after the death of his mother, who gained such an ascendancy over him as to render him a puppet.

Historians challenge the popular oriental notion of Kharak Singh being considered "imbecile", as said by Alexander Burnes and Henry Montgomery Lawrence -who has never met Kharak Singh.

Dr Priya Atwal and Sarbpreet Singh note that Kharak Singh was politically intelligent and well versed in multiple language, the most educated prince of Maharaja Ranjit Singh who not only led military expeditions but diplomatic events.

Sarbjeet Singh states Kharak Singh along with his brothers is a victim of circumstance, something he labeled "A Shakespearean tragedy".