| 1766 |
Jahan Khan, the
Commander of Ahmed Shah Abdali's forces, attacked Amritsar. The united
forces of the Sikh Misls, faced Jahan Khan and successfully deafeated
the enemy forces at Putlighar, on the outskirts of Amritsar.
==> JAHAN KHAN was a minister and commander to Ahmed Shah Adbali's
son Taemur. He was designated as Subha of Lahore with primary objective
to destroy the Sikhs. He held this responsibility from 1756 to 1758.
He was killed by Dharamveer Dayal Singh, an associate of Baba Deep
Singh, in the battle field of village Galorwal near Amritsar.
-Ref. Mahan Kosh
|
| 1925 |
A jatha of 500
Akali Sikhs, led by Lakha Singh JahanShah (Gujran Wala), ready to
lay down their lives was stooped from proceeding to Gangsar, Jaito
- the place of Sikh agitation, and arrested.
==> WHERE IS JAITO? A village under Nabha Riyaasat, now under the
district Bhatinda, which falls on the Bathinda-Ferozpur railway
line. It is 96 miles from Lahore and 17 miles from Bathinda. WHAT
IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JAITO? On this place situated near a fort,
is a historical Gurudwara of Guru Gobind Singh Patshah. Maharaja
Hira Singh constructed the beautiful buildings of this Gurudwara.
The sarowar is popularly known as Gangsar. About a mile and a
half north of Jaito is Tibhi Sahib Gurudwara, where Guru Gobind
Singh Patshah used to organize and participate in the evening recitation
of Rehras. Both Gurudwaras have extensive land sanctioned to it
by the Nabha rulers. Additionally, extensive financial resources
are made available on an annual basis from the Nabha rulers and
the surrounding villages. A maela celebration is held every 7th
of Pooh month (Dec.-Jan.) and Katak (Oct.-Nov.) Puranmashi. Jaito's
markets are well renowned. People come from far distances to buy
and sell their herds.
WHY AKALIS COURTED ARREST? The key issue involved was resoration
of Maharaja Ripudaman Singh of Nabha. Maharaja of Nabha, well-known
for his pro-Tat Khalsa Proclivities, had a dispute with Maharaja
of Patiala, known for this pro-government role. Although Maharaja
of Nabha had absolutely no dispute with the government, as a result
of mediation, he was forced to abdicate in July 1923. Col. Michin,
with the help of troops and armoured cars, took the Maharaja by
surprise on July 8, 1923 and taunted him with the query, Where
is that Akali? The news of deposition by the government raised
a strom of protest against the Government's interefernce in Nabha
and was decsribed as a challenge to the Akali movement. As a result
tensions mounted. The Akalis, in defiance of state orders, continued
to hold diwan indefinitely. The Nabha police in order to arrest
all the Akalis, including the one reading the holy Granth Sahib,
was said to have disrupted the Akhand Path on Sept. 14, 1923. This
dispute took such a tragic shape and got so inflames by Feb. 21,
1924 that several people lost their lives. After sixteen shaheedi
jathas apart from one from Bengal and another from Canada, the agitation
process was completed two years later, on August 6, 1925, after
the concurrent bhog of 101 Akand Paaths.
-Ref. Mahan Kosh
The Sikhs in History, by Sangat Singh, 1995
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