Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

Khushal Singh Jamadar (1790 – 17 June 1844) was a military officer and chamberlain of the Sikh Empire. He was conferred the title of ''

'' for his conquest of Dera Ghazi Khan, Kangra and other military expeditions. He was a notable figure of the state.

Early life

Khushal Ram was born in 1790, in a Gaur Brahmin family of Village Ikari ( Meerut,

Western Uttar Pradesh Western Uttar Pradesh is a region in India that comprises the western districts of Uttar Pradesh state, including the areas of Rohilkhand and those where Khariboli, Braj and Kannauji are spoken. The region has some demographic, economic and cul ...

), to Misr Hargobind, a shopkeeper.

Administration and military career

He left his home as an adventurer at a young age to seek his fortune in Lahore, eventually joining the Sikh army as a soldier in Dhaunkal Singh wala's regiment in 1807. Later, he became one of the bodyguards of Ranjit Singh and soon won advancement by his devotion to his duties and his wittiness and soldierly conduct. He soon gained Maharaja's attention by his fine voice and well built exterior. In 1812, due to the Maharaja's expressive orders, he became a Khalsa

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

and was rechristened as Khushal Singh. Khushal Singh advanced more with time and was appointed personal attendant (''Khidmat-gar'') to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, rising through the ranks to become lord chamberlain (''Darogha'i-Deorhi'i-Mu'alla''; which became office of prime minister azirunder

Dhian Singh Raja Dhian Singh (22 August 1796 – 15 September 1843) was the longest serving wazir of the Sikh Empire, during the reign of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, and four of his successors. He held the office for twenty five years, from 1818 up till his death ...

), an office he held for almost 15 years with a temporary break in 1818. This position commanded great influence and authority, as Khushal Singh was master of royal ceremonies and superintendent of both the royal palace and the Darbar. No one could have access to the sovereign or enter the palace without his prior permission. In addition to his administrative duties, Khushal Singh excelled as a soldier, serving in various military expeditions throughout the region, including Kashmir (1814),

Mukerian Mukerian is a city and municipal council of Hoshiarpur district in Punjab, India. Mukerian is located on National Highway 44 and state highway 15 about north of New Delhi.It is a Sub-district headquarters situated on Jalandhar-jammu railwa ...

(1816),

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the List ...

(1818), Dera Ghazi Khan (1819),

Derajat Derajat ( Punjabi/Urdu: ), the plural of the word 'dera', is a cultural region of central Pakistan, located in the region where the provinces of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan meet. Derajat is bound by the Indus River to the east, and ...

(1820),

Dera Ismail Khan Dera Ismail Khan (; bal, , Urdu and skr, , ps, ډېره اسماعيل خان), abbreviated as D.I. Khan, is a city and capital of Dera Ismail Khan District, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 37th largest city of Pakistan ...

(1821),

Leiah Layyah ( Saraiki and ur, ), previously spelled as Leiah, is a city in the Pakistan.Mankera Mankera (In Punjabi and ur, ), is the principal town of Mankera Tehsil, an administrative subdivision of Bhakkar District, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is situated about west of the city of Lahore. Bhakkar is located in the west of ...

(1822),

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

(1823), and Kangra (1828) amid others.

Death

Khushal Singh distributed all his belongings by way of charity to deserving and needy ones, and died on 17 June 1844. His

Samadhi ''Samadhi'' (Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yoga ...

was made in his

haveli A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', mean ...

's garden in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

, where his nephew Teja Singh's Samadhi also lies.

Legacy

Descendants of his brother became rulers of

Sheikhupura Sheikhupura ( pa, ; ur, ) also known as Qila Sheikhupura, is a city in the Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. Founded by the Mughal Empire, Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Jehangir in 1607, Sheikhupura is the List of most populous citie ...

and

Raja Dhayan Singh ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested fr ...

(son of Raja Fateh Singh), was the last ruler of

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khushal Singh Jamadar Sikh generals Military personnel of the Sikh Empire Punjabi Sikhs People from Meerut district 1790 births 1844 deaths

Early life

Administration and military career

Death

Legacy

See also

References