Sham Singh Attariwala (1790 – 10 February 1846) was a general of the
Sikh Empire
The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...
. He was born in the 1790s in the town of Attari (a few kilometres from the border of Indian and Pakistan Punjab in India),
Amritsar, in the
Majha
Majha (Punjabi: ਮਾਝਾ (Gurmukhi), (Shahmukhi); ''Mājhā'') is a region located in the central parts of the historical Punjab region split between India and Pakistan. It extends north from the right banks of the river Beas, and reaches ...
region of Panjab, India. As a child he was educated in Gurmukhi and Persian. When Ranjit singh became the Maharaja of Punjab, he got Attariwala's services at his disposal. Maharaja
Ranjit Singh knowing his qualities and fighting abilities made him a 'Jathedar' of 5000 horsemen. He participated actively in many campaigns, notably like the campaign of Multan, campaign of Kashmir, campaign of the Frontier Province etc.
Sham Singh Attariwala is also famous for his last stand at the
Battle of Sobraon
The Battle of Sobraon was fought on 10 February 1846, between the forces of the East India Company and the Sikh Khalsa Army, the army of the Sikh Empire of the Punjab. The Sikhs were completely defeated, making this the decisive battle of th ...
. He joined the Sikh military in 1817 and during the
Afghan–Sikh Wars
The Afghan–Sikh Wars spanned from 1748 to 1837 in Indian Subcontinent, and saw multiple phases of fighting between the Durrani Empire and the Sikh Empire (and its predecessors), mainly in and around Punjab region. The conflict's origins stem ...
participated in the
Battle of Attock,
Battle of Multan,
Battle of Peshawar
The Capture of Peshawar took place in spring of 1758https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Chhatrapati_Shivaji/ngCqCQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Battle+of+Peshawar%22+1758&pg=PP1&printsec=frontcover Page 37 when Maratha Empire in alliance with the ...
, and the
1819 Kashmir expedition.
His daughter
Nanaki Kaur Attariwala, later Kunwarani Nanaki Kaur, was married to
Prince Nau Nihal Singh and upon his accession to the
throne
A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign on state occasions; or the seat occupied by a pope or bishop on ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the mona ...
became the Maharani of the Sikh Empire.
He served on the
council of regency
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...
for
Maharajah Dalip Singh.
References
Further reading
*
1846 deaths
Sikh warriors
Year of birth unknown
1790 births
{{Sikh-bio-stub