20 Facts About Tej Singh

Tej Singh was a Sikh commander in the Sikh Empire.

Tej Singh was appointed as commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army during the First Anglo-Sikh War betraying the army he was supposed to lead.

Tej Singh was one of six signatories to the 1849 Treaty of Lahore, which agreed to the surrender of the Koh-i-Noor diamond by the Maharaja of Lahore to the Queen of England.

All the signatories, on behalf of the minor Dalip Tej Singh, endorsed the treaty in return for being permitted to retain their jagirs.

Tej Singh was born as Tej Ram in 1799 into a Gaur Brahmin family.

Tej Singh's father was Misr Niddha of Meerut district, who was commander of the Sikh Khalsa Army.

Tej Singh first began working in the court of the Lahore Durbar in 1812.

Tej Singh played a role in the Peshawar operation of 1823, where he served as operational commander.

General Tej Singh was the Governor of Hazara and Peshawar from 1838 to 1844.

Tej Singh requested that a separate Governor be appointed to Hazara, so the Lahore Durbar named Arbel Singh Deputy Governor and handed him the sole charge of the affairs of Yusafzai.

Arbel Tej Singh commenced his new role at the onset of 1841.

Tej Singh endorsed Chand Kaur's regency after the sudden death of Nau Nihal Singh.

Tej Singh appears to have had loyalties to the Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu and he, along with Gulab Singh, believed it to be a mistake to be warring with the British.

An instance revealing this duplicity is said to be his lack of action when two Sikh divisions under his command were near the vicinity of Firozpur and could have overwhelmed the locality's tiny British garrison but Tej Singh never gave the command to do so.

Harbans Singh illustrates that Tej Singh fled from the battle alongside Lal Singh, even though the tide of the battle was still not certain and either side could still win.

Tej Singh instructed Sham Singh Attariwala to do the same but the latter refused and fought till his death.

Tej Singh was bestowed the power of a magistrate in his estate and was given a high position with full powers for management of the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.

Tej Singh supported the British plight during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 and sent cavalry troops to assist his British colonial masters.

Tej Singh was awarded the title of Raja of Batala after his dispersed jagirs were amalgamated.

Tej Singh died on 4 December 1862 and was succeeded by his adopted son Harbans Singh.