1. Maha Singh, spelt as Mahan or Mahn Singh, was the second Sardar of the Sukerchakia Misl, which as a Sikh grouping with its guerilla militia was one of twelve Sikh Misls that later became part of the Sikh Empire.
29 Facts About Maha Singh
1. 2.
Maha Singh was the eldest son of Sardar Charat Singh and Sardarni Desan Kaur Warraich.
3.
Maha Singh was the father of the local Punjabi king Ranjit Singh.
4.
Maha Singh is known for his alliance with Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and for reducing the power of the Kanhaiya Misl.
5.
Maha Singh married firstly Mai Man Kaur, daughter of Sardar Jai Singh Mann of Mughalchak-Mananwala, and secondly Sardarni Raj Kaur, daughter of Raja Gajpat Singh of Jind.
6.
Maha Singh was born in a Sandhawalia Jat Sikh family to Charat Singh and his wife, Desan Kaur in 1756.
7.
Maha Singh had three younger siblings, Saher Kaur, Raj Kaur and Sahej Singh, who died in infancy.
8.
Maha Singh was brought him up in his family's martial tradition by his parents and accompanied his father to a variety of military expeditions from an early age.
9.
Maha Singh succeeded his father as the chief of the Sukerchakia Misl.
10.
Maha Singh was assisted by his mother in the affairs of the state.
11.
Maha Singh later arranged for her son Maha Singh to be married to Rajkumari Raj Kaur, daughter of Raja Gajpat Singh of Jind in 1774.
12.
Desan Kaur and Maha Singh were assisted by her brothers Dal Singh of Akalgarh and Gurbaksh Singh as well as Sardar Jai Singh Kanhaiya with whom Charat Singh once exchanged turbans with - a practice done to express solidarity with each other.
13.
Soon Maha Singh captured the Rohtas Fort from Nur-ud-din Bamezai, a general of Ahmad Shah Durrani and occupied Kotli Ahangaran, near Sialkot.
14.
Maha Singh triumphed over Pir Muhammad, the ruler of the Chathas, on the eastern bank of river Chenab who surrendered to Maha Singh.
15.
Mahan Singh distributed grains to every body who approached him, it was said that his good will was the reason behind the recovery of his son from smallpox.
16.
Mahan Singh arrested him and imprisoned him in the fort of Gujranwala.
17.
Mahan Singh did not listen to her, and did not set the Bhangi sardar free.
18.
Maha Singh seized Pindi Bhattian, Isa Khel and Musa Khel.
19.
In 1777, Mahan Singh entered the Sialkot district, almost the whole of which belonged to Bhangis.
20.
Maha Singh invited all the Bhangi chiefs to meet him on a fixed day at a certain place.
21.
Mahan Singh failed to capture Sialkot as it was bravely defended by Charat Singh Bajwa of Badhala village and Mansa Singh and Rupa Singh.
22.
Maha Singh then sieged the Sodhara accompanied by his 10 year old son, Ranjit Singh.
23.
Ranjit Deo's son, Brij Deo asked Maha Singh for help but due to his pact with the Kanhaiyas he asked him to pay tribute to them.
24.
In 1784, Sardar Ran Singh Nakai, an ambitious chief from the Nakai Misl who just like Maha Singh was considered the future of the Sikh nation, died.
25.
Maha Singh was succeeded by his son, Bhagwan Singh who was unable to hold territory against another chief, Wazir Singh.
26.
Maha Singh was affectionately called Mai Nakain by Ranjit Singh.
27.
The couple had two other sons Rattan Maha Singh born in 1805 and Fateh Maha Singh who passed away in infancy.
28.
Jai Maha Singh's pride was humbled but he agreed for the match and in 1786 the young children were engaged.
29.
Maha Singh handed charge to Ranjit Singh and retired to Gujranwala.