Gogaira

The Naka country between Lahore and Gogaira has given its name to two families, that of Nakai Misl and of Gogaira. Between the families there was no relationship , but they were near neighbours and were engaged in perpetual quarrels.

Kamar Singh, son of Chaudhri Mita, was a bold and successful Chief, who took possession of Kot Kamalia, Sayadwala and the surrounding country. He generally contrived to hold his own against Sardar Ran Singh of Nakai Misl ; but shortly before his death, in 1780, Sayadwala fell into the hands of the enemy. Wazir Singh, who succeeded his brother, recovered the town from Bhagwan Singh, son of Ran Singh, and the fighting between the rival Chiefs went on as fiercely and with as little result as ever. To strengthen himself Bhagwan Singh married his sister to the infant son of Mahan Singh of Sukarchakia Misl ; but this alliance did him little good, as in 1783 Sardar Jai Singh of Kanaiya Misl, who was angry with Mahan Singh for sacking Jammu and deceiving Hakikat Singh Kanaiya, marched into the Naka country and seized the territory of both Wazir Singh and Bhagwan Singh with the greatest impartiality. The Chiefs had however their revenge ; for two years later they joined the Sukerchakia Misl and Ramgarhia Misl in the attack on the Kanaiya Misl, when the power of the great confederacy was broken and Sardar Gurbaksh Singh was slain.

Sardar Wazir Singh was murdered in 1790 by Dal Singh, son of Hira Singh, of Nakai Misl; but his death was avenged on the assassin by a devoted servant, who slew Dal Singh in his own house and surrounded by his family and clan. Mahar Singh succeeded to the estate and held it till 1804, when his brother Mahar Singh excited the indignation of Ranjit Singh by secretly betrothing his daughter to Ishar Singh, the reputed son of Rani Mahtab Kaur. Mahar Singh’s presumption gave Maharaja Ranjit Singh a good excuse for seizing all the estates of the family. This he did, only leaving a jagir worth Rs. 4,000. The girl Desa was afterwards married to Maharaja Sher Singh(Lahore) in 1819.

Sardar Mahar Singh died in 1843. His son Dhara Singh succeeded him, and during the Firozpur Campaign rendered himself conspicuous by raising a band of horsemen and plundering the country in every direction. For this conduct, on the return of peace, his jagirs were confiscated by the Darbar. In 1848 he joined Raja Sher Singh, with his sowars, at Multan. He soon, however, returned to his home ; but was induced by Ahmad Khan, the celebrated leader of the Kharal tribe, to fortify Satgarha and make a stand against the British. Dhara Singh consented; but his treacherous friend betrayed him to the Government, and brought a force against him, which defeated him with considerable loss. He then fled to the Sikh army, and fought in the battles of Ramnagar and Gujrat. Some time after annexation, the Board of Administration, finding him in great poverty, procured for him a pension of Rs. 300.

During the disturbances of 1857, Dhara Singh had an opportunity of avenging himself upon his old enemy Ahmad Khan. This Chief, who had great influence with the Kharals and who had headed many successful insurrections in his day, tough the Mutiny of 1857 an opportunity for disturbance and plunder which it would be criminal to miss, so be called the tribe to arms and invited Dhara Singh to join him. But the Sardar thought of his ruined homestead and his plundered harvest, and gave information to the Government of Ahmad Khan’s intentions. He joined the force under Major Mars- den and marched against the rebels. He was present in several engagements, and claims to have shot Ahmad Khan with his own hand. When the outbreak was crushed, he gave important information which insured the conviction of many of the rebels. Whether Dhara Singh was influenced by loyalty or by revenge his services were equally valuable, and he received as a reward for them an additional grant of Es. 300 per annum, with two villages, Gashghorian and Maharsinghwala, worth Rs. 200, which had belonged to his old jagir, in perpetuity.

Dhara Singh died in 1860 leaving two sons, Utam Singh and Sher Singh. The former was a Deputy Inspector of Police in the Lahore district. His brother Sher Singh was convicted and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment for the offence of attempted murder. They have mortgaged the family property at Gogaira, but the jagir holding in Gashghori and Maharsinghwala was continued to them. Sardar Utam Singh has proprietary rights in one-half of mauza Mudki in the Lahore district. He has married into the Sidhu family of Sardar Karam Singh. He is also connected by marriage with Sardar Sardul Singh Man, Sardar Narain Singh Randhawa, and Sardar Jawahir Singh Sirhaliwala, Lahore.

Uttam Singh died in 1907, and left three sons, to whom his landed property in the Chunian and Gugera Tehsils, and the jagir in Gugera descended. The two eldest, Teja Singh and Waryam Singh, were Sub Inspectors of Police, and the third, Labh Sigh, looked after the family property on the Chenab, where they had six squares of land in 1909. Sardar Teja Singh now resides at Mudki in the Lahore district. His eldest son, Udham Singh, after taking the Engineering degree from the Glasgow University in 1916 entered service in the Punjab Irrigation Department as a temporary Engineer, but died in 1923, while in service, through being bitten by a rabid jackal. His two other sons, Gurcharan Singh and Harcharan Singh, too, were educated in England; the former taking the diploma in Civil Engineering, is now employed in the Public Works Department of the Bikaner State; and the latter received his training in the railways, but did not enter Government service. The youngest son of Sardar Teja Singh, Shivcharan Singh, is helping his father on his lands. Sardar Waryam Singh died in 1919. Sardar Labh Singh and his sons are engaged in agricultural pursuits.