Kaleke

The village of Kaleke is located in the Tehsil of Barnala, Sangrur District, Punjab. The background of the KalekeSardars are connected to the origination of Patiala State. The Kaleke Chiefs belongs to SaraoJats ,

Ala Singh, was the first Maharaja of Patiala. He got married to Mai Fatto in 1707, Her two brothers, ChaudhariHaria Singh and ChaudhariSiria Singh , along with her cousin, ChaudhariGurbaksh Singh, played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Patiala State. In 1748,  Maharaja Ala Singh and Gurbaksh Singh independently held the areas of Barnala and Sanaur (Patiala District) even though temporarily. When the question of Rajaship arose, the family headed by Gurbaksh Singh, decided to support Maharajah Ala Singh in becoming its chief. The KalekeSardars supported Maharajah Ala Singh, in most of his military conquests and battles in the region, and thus became his loyal nobles. When the Camilysurenderedvanilt his to Maharajah  A lanth, he decided to shit his capital simmala to a new city which came to y Brown as Patiala. Maharajah  Ala Singh who b constructed the Qila Mubarak at Patial, was in his honour, inaugurated by SardsGurbaksh Singh Kaleke. He took care of Patiala till the death of Baba Ala Singh in 1765. Subsequently he and his cousin, Mai Fatto, installed her grandson, Amar Singh as the Maharaja of Patiala.

Br 1760, Maharaja Ala Singh controlled about 900 villages, and shifted his capital to Patiala. He then generously allocated several villages to his allies and friends, whereby Sardar Hari Singh, the younger brother of Mai Fatto, was given four villages. The names of the four villages are; Dugal, Burar, Nihalgarh and Patran, located today in the Samana Tehsil of Patiala District. Raja Amar Singh of Patiala required the help of the Dugal family, 10 counter the Ranghar Muslims living in the village of Thaska, Sangrur District.

This family had much influence over 100

Muslim villages in the area. However, the Dugal family was not reconciled to Sikh Jat rule in the area, and so Raja Amar Singh visited Thaska on several occasions, to cement cordial relations with the Thaska villagers, but to no avail. At that point, the Raja developed friendly ties with Sardar Sujan Singh, the grandson of Sardar Hari Singh, in the hope that he could prevent the Thaska family from attacking the Patiala State. The Raja suggested to Sardar Sujan Singh, to have a miniscule army of soldiers and horsemen, who were loyal to the state of Patiala. However, Sujan Singh informed the Raja, in view of the limited land, he was unable to afford an army due to lack of financial resources. Later, the Raja, allotted eight more villages to Sujan Singh, in view of the military importance of the family. In 1835, Maharaja Amar Singh’s grandson, Maharaja Karam Singh, married the grand-daughter of SardarSujan Singh. After 1840, the Dugal family had become a respectable name in Patiala State, next only to the royal family.