| Misls of the Sikh Confederacy |
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The Sukerchakia Misl was one of twelve Sikh misls in Punjab during the 18th century, concentrated in Gujranwala and Hafizabad districts in western Punjab (in modern-Pakistan) and ruled from (1752–1801). The misl, or grouping with its own guerilla militia (jatha), was founded by Charat Singh of Sandhawalia, grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.[1] The last Sukerchakia Misldar (commander of the Misl) was Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh united all the misls and established an independent Sikh Empire. The ruling-family of the misl were of a Jat background.[2][3]
The name Sukerchakia is derived from the words suker (meaning small or narrow) and chak (referring to a petty tract of land).[4] The word originated as a name for land that had been owned and built-upon by Budh Singh, ancestor of Ranjit Singh.[4]
The earliest traceable ancestor of the Sukerchakia family with reliable historicity was Kalu (died c.1488), a Jat of the Warraich got (clan), who moved in c.1470 from his native village of Bhatian (in modern-day Lahore district) to Sansara (or Sansi; located in modern-day Ajnala tehsil, Amritsar district, Punjab, India) with his spouse. Later-on, he would further shift his family to Sand, a village approximately six kilometres from Wazirabad.[5][6][7][8] Whilst Kalu had his residence in Sansi, he fathered a son named Jaddoman.[5][6][7][8] Jaddoman became a plunderer associated with the Sansi tribe.[5][6][7][8] He died in c.1515 on a marauding expeditions and was survived by a son named Galeb (also known as Mannu).[5][6][7][8] Galeb also became a plunderer and was renowned for it. He died in c.1549 and was survived by a son named Kiddoh.[5][6][7][8]
Kiddoh shifted his residence from his native village to the village of Sukerchak in c.1555.[5][6][7][8] The etymology of the name of the later Misl originates from the toponym of this village.[5][6][7][8] The village was located approximately 3 kilometres away from Gujranwala.[5][6][7][8] Kiddoh is said to have been spiritually disposed and started working on the land as an agricultural labourer.[5][6][7][8] Kiddoh died in c.1578 and was survived by two sons named Rajadab and Premu.[5][6][7][8] Rajadab would open a grocery store in the village, worked also as an agriculturalist, and was versed and literate in the Landa script.[5][6][7][8] Rajadab died in c.1620 and left behind three sons named Nilu, Telu, and Takht Mal.[5][6][7][8] Only Takht Mal survived past childhood into adulthood, whom benefited from the intergenerational wealth that was passed down to him from the hardwork of his predecessors.[5][6][7][8] With this small fortune, he became a lender and eventually worked his way up to become a banker.[5][6][7][8] When he died in c.1653, he was succeeded by two sons named Balu and Bara.[5][6][7][8]
Baru is the first ancestor of the Sukerchakia family who had associations with Sikhism, as he was a follower of the founder, Guru Nanak, and an avid reader of the Adi Granth (as it was then known).[5][6][7][8] At the age of 25, he expressed a strong desire to become initiated into the religion in Amritsar (Khande-di-Pahul).[5][6][7][8] However, due to an accident, he was unable to complete this mission.[5][6][7][8] On his deathbed in 1679, he told his son, Budda (nicknamed Desu after his horse, Desi; born 1670; later given the baptized name of Budh Singh), to get baptized in Amritsar as a dying wish for his son to fulfil.[5][6][7][8]
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Once he reached an age of maturity, Budda was baptized into the Khalsa order by Guru Gobind Singh himself and was renamed as Budh Singh.[5][6][7][8] Budh Singh was a warrior of high repute in his time.[5][6][7][8] When Budh Singh died in 1716, his wife committed suicide so they were cremated together. He was survived by two sons, Naudh Singh and Chanda Singh.[5][6][7][8] Chanda was the progenitor of the Sandhawalia family of Raja Sansi.[5][6][7][8]
Chaudhary Naudh Singh was the landlord of Gujranwala area that he renamed as Shukar Chak (meaning: "thanks for the land").[9] The very beginning and earliest traces of the Sukerchakia Misl can be traced to Nodha Singh constructing a minor fortress in his native village of Sukerchak, along with gathering a small jatha of 30 horsemen to protect his locality from invading Afghans.[7] He and his group of horsemen would later join the Faizalpuria Misl of Nawab Kapur Singh in 1730.[7] He became wealthy by pillaging the caravans of the invading Afghans and established himself as the local chieftain of Sukerchak. He was severely wounded in 1747 during a fight with Afghans after being shot in the head.[7]
At the annual Diwali meeting of the Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar in 1748, a Gurmata was passed that reorganized the various scattered and numerous jathas into eleven organized Misls, with the Sukerchakia Misl forming out of this judgement.[10][note 1] When Naudh died in 1752, he had four sons who survived him named Charat Singh, Dal Singh, Chet Singh, and Mangi Singh.[7]
Charat Singh was the eldest son of Naudh Singh, the father of Maha Singh, and the grandfather of Ranjit Singh.[9] Charat Singh formally created the Sukerchakia Misl.[11][12] He distinguished himself at an early age in campaigns against Ahmad Shah Abdali and split from the Singhpuria Misl to formally establish the Sukerchakia Misl in Gujranwala.[9] He combined with the Mughalchak missal and extended his rule in Rohtas, Chakwal, Pind Dadan Khan which stood in the Pothohar region of northern Punjab and took Wazirabad under his control.
"Chaudhary Charat Singh strengthened his position by matrimonial alliances. Dal Singh Kalianwala of Alipur renamed Akālgarh was married to the sister of Charat Singh. Sohel Singh Bhangi was married to the daughter of Charat Singh. Sahib Singh Bhangi, son of Gujar Singh, was married to another daughter, Raj Kaur. Charat's Singh's son Mahan Singh was married to the daughter of Jai Singh Mann of Mughalchak."
— Hari Ram Gupta, History of the Sikhs. Vol. IV: Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of the Misls (1982), page 304[13]
During the time of Charat Singh, men were only able to join the misl after having been first baptized into the Khalsa as a criterion for admission.[9] Charat Singh rose the number of horsemen to around 150.[9] The headquarters of the misl moved from Sukerchak village to Gujranwala after the marriage of Charat to Desan Kaur, the daughter of Amir Singh of Gujranwala, whom had been a close ally to Charat.[9] Amir Singh was an aged but still powerful sardar.[9]
Then came Maha Singh (d.1792) who also expanded the Misl further.[9]
After the decline of the Mughals, Maharaja Ranjit Singh united all the misls and shaped a powerful empire in Punjab.
The misl originated from Sukerchak near Lahore and originally held territory in the Rechna Doab of Punjab before their major expansion.[2] The Shukerchakias initially held territory south of the Bhangis, dominating the tract of land between the Chenab and Ravi rivers, including the settlements of Gujranwala and Wazirabad.[14]
| No. | Name
(Birth–Death) |
Portrait | Term | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As a Jatha under the Singhpuria Misl: | ||||
| 1. | Naudh Singh (died 1752) |
1730 – 1748 | [7][2] | |
| As an independent Misl: | ||||
| – | Naudh Singh (died 1752) |
1748 – 1752 | [7][2] | |
| 2. | Charat Singh (died 1774) |
_on_horseback_in_a_jungle_armed_with_a_lance_or_spear,_kattar_(Indic_push_dagger),_dhal_shield,_and_bow_and_arrow.jpg){kind=icon}
|
1752 – 1774 | [7][2] |
| 3. | Maha Singh (died 1792) |
_of_the_Sukerchakia_Misl_seated_underneath_a_red_canopy.jpg)
|
1774 – 1792 | [7][2] |
| 4. | Ranjit Singh (1780 – 1839) |
|
1792 – 1801 | [7][2] |
_of_Mahan_Singh_at_Gujranwala_in_Punjab,_ca.1869.jpg)
Budha Singh,1 an affluent Jat farmer of the village of Sukarchak in the Majha tract of the Punjab, was the first historically known ancestor of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. His original name was Desu.2 He was born in 1670.3 He possessed 25 acres of land and three ploughs and a well. On this land he had built a couple of houses for his family and cattle. The place was named Sukarchak. Sukar means small and narrow and chak signifies a petty tract of land.
The early 18th century remained a turbulent period during which the Sikhs did not have a single individual as a Sikh leader. The Mughals had taken control of much of Punjab from 1733 until, in 1735, the Khalsa rejected the confederacy status granted to them by the Mughals. Ahmed Shah Durrani began his campaigns in April 1748 and recaptured Punjab in the Third Battle of Panipat. At the time, Sardar Charat Singh, son of Naubh [sic] Singh, was a member of the Singhpuria Misl. Born in about 1733, he distinguished himself even at an early age. He married Sardarni Desan Kaur, the daughter of Sardar Amir Singh, a powerful leader in Gujranwala, and moved to his headquarters there. Along with 150 horsemen, he split from the Singhpuria Misl and established the Sukerchakia Misl (Suker from "shukar = an expression of 'gratitude for' or "thanks for'; 'chak'= 'land' or 'territory'). The Sukerchakia strength and territory grew under the leadership of Charat Singh. On his death in 1770, his son, Maha Singh took over the misl and the growth continued. When Ahmad Shah Durrani died in June 1772, he was succeeded by his son Timur Shah, whose forces invaded Punjab a number of times.
