Battle of Bhimber (1812)
The Battle of Bhimber was fought in March 1812 by Sikh forces led by Kharak Singh and Chib Rajput forces led by Raja Sultan Khan Chib.
Battle of Bhimber | |||||||
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Part of Sikh Expansion | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
![]() | Chibhal | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
![]() ![]() | Raja Sultan Khan Chib | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
5,000 | Unknown |
Background
In 1810, Maharaja Ranjit Singh annexed Gujrat.[1] Raja Sultan Khan of Bhimber was the tributary of Sahib Singh. The Raja was invited to attend his court at the capital Lahore but did not accept, thinking it was a trap to capture him.[2] The Maharaja felt bad and attacked Sultan Khan with two battalions under Faqir Azizuddin, only to suffer a heavy loss of 600 men.[3] A relative of Sultan Khan named Ismail Khan was made the governor of that area. Hearing this, Sultan Khan killed him.[2]
Battle
In 1812, Maharaja Ranjit Singh despatched Kharak Singh and Dewan Mokham Chand with a force of 5,000 men to annex the territory of Bhimber.[4] In a tough battle between the two parties, Mokham Chand achieved victory.[5]
Aftermath
There are two accounts on what happened after the battle. According to the one on which most people agree, the Raja of Bhimber was tied to chains and sent to Lahore to see Maharaja Ranjit Singh.[6] The other one says that Sultan Khan agreed to pay 40,000 rupees annually.[7]
References
- Singh, Parm Bakhshish (2001). An Overview of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and His Times. Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. p. 30. ISBN 9788173807886.
- Hari Ram Gupta (1991). History Of The Sikhs Vol. V The Sikh Lion of Lahore (Maharaja Ranjit Singh, 1799-1839). Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 60. ISBN 9788121505154.
- Mohamed Sheikh (17 March 2017). Emperor of the Five Rivers. Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781786720955.
- Sohan Singh Seetal (1971). The Sikh Empire And Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. p. 71.
- G.S Chhabra (1960). Advanced Study In History Of The Punjab. Vol. 2. p. 207.
- Khushwant Singh (1962). Ranjit Singh. p. 105.
- S. L. Tandan (1902). Selected Men of Hindustan. Part 1. p. 180.