Chinah

The founder of this house of Gill Dynasty was a person named, Miru Gill, who founded the village of Chinah, some five miles ftom Raja Sansi in the Amritsar dietrict, about the year 1600. His eldest son Dadu founded a second village of the same name near Jastarwal, and here his descendants have resided to this present day. The family were simple landlords till the time of Chaudhary Milkhu, who joined Tara Singh Shahid. Of Milkhu’s five sons the most distinguished was Karam Singh, whom Tara Singh, who had no children of his own, adopted. After Tara Singh’s death, Karam Singh joined the Bhangi misl and took possession of Firozki,Kaleki, Rurki and Bajra in the Sialkot distriot ; besides holding Chinah and the neighbouring villages. All he Bhangi Sirdars fell, one by one, before Ranjit Singh, and Jai Singh shared the common fate and loBt all his estates ; but no long time afterwards he received back in jagir Chinah, Nagran and Firozki, worth 50,000 Rs. and subject to the service of 70 horsemen. With his two sons Sukh Singh and Budh Singh, he served many campaigns; Multan, Kashmir, and Peshawar, and om his death, the jagir descended to his sons, in equal shares.

Through all the changes which ensued on the death of Ranjit Singh, the jagir remained undiminished, till, in 1846, Raja Lal Singh reduced it to 21,600 Ks, subject to the service of 25 horsemen. Two years later most of the member of the family joined there fellow Sikhs under Raja Sher Singh of Attari, and fought in their ranks throughout the war. Accordingly, on British annexation, the shares of Jai Singh, Mohar Singh, Hari Singh, Hardit Singh, Amar Singh, Atar Singh, and Fatah Singh, were resumed; and an allowance of 240 Rs was granted to each of them for life. The confiscated shares amounted for 15,726 Rs. per mensem, and only Badan Singh and Mohar Singh, who had remained loyal to Britishers, were allowed to retain their shares, amounting to 5,875 Rs., of which 1,760. Rs. were personal, and 4125 Rs. subject to service.

References :-

• Sir Lepen H Griffin, The Punjab Chiefs(1865 edition)