Jind Kaur

Portrait of Jind Kaur by George Richmond.

Maharani Jind Kaur, (1817 in Chachar, Gujranwala, Sikh Empire – 1 August 1863 in London, United Kingdom) also popularly known as Rani Jindan. She was the youngest wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the mother of the last Sikh Emperor, Maharajah Duleep Singh. In 1845 she became Regent of Punjab for Duleep Singh. The Queen Mother (or Mai) of the last Sikh sovereign of the Punjab. She was renowned for her great beauty and personal charm along with her 'characteristic strength of a man' qualities which the British came to dislike.^{[citation needed]}

Rani Jind Kaur had a Brother Sardar Jawahar Singh and a elder Sister Who Married Sardar Jawala Singh Padhania Chief of Padhana Village in Lahore District.

Rani Jindan was the daughter of a Sikh named Sardar Manna Singh, a Aulakh Jatt of small village of Chachar, in the district of Gujranwala, now in Pakistan. It was reported that Maharaja Ranjit Singh was not interested in marrying a young bride, reportedly she would be his 17th wife. The tender years of Duleep Singh, is the reason why the Maharani did not become 'sati' on the funeral pyre of her husband along with some of the other wives. In order to get rid of Manna Singh's constant requests, the Maharaja sent 'his arrow and sword' to her village to which Jind Kaur was symbolically married in 1835 AD.^[1] Ranjit Singh had married nine of his wives with the usual rites and ceremonies of the institution of Anand Karaj (Sikh religious marriage ceremony) and the other seven with the less orthodox customs of 'Chaddar-Pauna', 'Karewa' or ' Tir-patka',^{[citation needed]} a prevalent custom among the Jats of the Punjab. This custom was born from the Sikh religion's rejection^{[citation needed]} of the ancient ritual of 'Sati' or self-immolation of the widow on her husband's funeral pyre, a custom which was still prevalent within most of the families of the nobility and royalty of the Sikh Kingdoms. The Sikh custom allowed the eldest (or younger brother) of the deceased to symbolically marry the widow by placing a 'nath' or nose-ring in the nose of the widow^{[citation needed]} whilst both seated under a white sheet held aloft by members of the family.

In 1845 the First War Took place against the British in Bhai Phero City in Kasur District (Sikh Territory), Before Rani Jind kaur Found that These Hindu Dogra Brothers Were Allies of the British in which to Save the Empire from the Enemies She gave a Letter to Sardar Sham Singh Attariwala to give it to Jathedar Akali Baba Hanuman Singh Shaheed (1755–1845) who was the Head of Sikh Nihang Army and the Head Priest of Amritsar Of Akal Takhat Sahib in the Letter it said that the Sikh Empire Should Be Saved and Protect it against the Dogra and the British, The Jathedar got ready with his Sikh Army to die for the Sikh Kingdom of Motherland Punjab, A Big Battle was fought in which Hundreds of Sikhs Attained Martyrdom on the Battlefield Jathedar with his Few Surviving Sikh Army Injured Traveled in to the Malva Region of Punjab at that time the British Informed Maharaja Karam Singh Of Patiala Sikh Kingdom who was a Allie of the British During the Wars along with other Traitors Such as Maharaja Pahar Singh of Faridkot Sikh Kingdom The British Told them to Attack the Jathedar and his Army These Two Maharaja Traitors Attacked their own Sikh Brothers and Killed the Surviving Sikhs from the Battlefield.

Shortly after the First Anglo-Sikh War saw the British gain hold of Punjab, and in 1846 she was deposed as Regent, forcibly separated from her only son and banished to Sheikhupura near Lahore.

After moving around several gaols, Rani Jindan eventually escaped from Chunar fort, Uttar Pradesh on 19 April 1849 and left a note for the British "You put me in the cage and locked me up. For all your locks and your sentries, I got out by my magic ... I had told you plainly not to push me too hard – but don’t think I ran away, understand well, that I escape by myself unaided ... When I quit the Fort of Chunar I threw down two papers on my gaddi and one I threw on the European charpoy, now don’t imagine, I got out like a thief". The British confiscated her jewelry and rescinded her pension. Rani Jindan arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal on 29 April 1849 and was given political asylum by Prime Minister Jung Bahadur. She was assigned a residence at Thapathall and given an allowance by the Nepalese government.

On 30 March 1849, Duleep Singh (1838–1893) held his last court at Lahore, at which he signed away all claims to the rule of the Punjab. A proclamation by Dalhousie, annexing the Punjab, was then read out. For his services the Earl of Dalhousie received the thanks of the British parliament and a step in the peerage, as Marquess. Gough also received rewards for his services, although his tactics at Chillianwala Near the Jhelum River were to be questioned for the remainder of his life. Many of the junior British Political Agents who had organised local resistance to the Khalsa were to have distinguished later careers.

The End of the Sikh Empire in 1849 was a great Shock for the Punjabi people and the Sikhs and a Great Imperial Power Came to an end, But sikhs made lots of sacrifices to save the Empire but in the end all hopes were lost.

It became a memory of the Golden Age of when the Empire had Reached its Zenith. For Sikhs they shall always remember the Last Sikh Raj.

In 1860 she was eventually permitted to see her son, Maharaja Duleep Singh in Calcutta, who brought her to the shores of England, She had lost her eye sight But as she Touched Duleep singh on the Head he had cut his hair she Started to Cry Pushed him and said The Maharaja Has Died, Our Empire Had Gone from out hands but i never thought that My son Would Forget His Sikh Background. he then after Grew His hair and became a True Sikh Again the British did not allow him to visit his Beloved Motherland Punjab. He died in Paris France never to step on British Soil.

From 1849-1947 For 98 Years the British ruled the Punjab Made it part of British India until the partition Took Place and Independence.

References

1. ^ 'Maharani Jind Kaur by B S Nijjar' – p10, Punjab Govt. Records: 164/24, Broadfoot Currie, 27 Dec 1844

Persondata
Name	Kaur, Jind
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1817
Place of birth
Date of death	1 August 1863
Place of death	London UK