Siranwali

The ancestor of this family is said to have been one Hasan, a Sindhu Jat, who about the year 1600 A.D. founded the village of Hasanwala in the Gujranwala district. The village of Siranwali (the Place of Heads) in the Pasrur pargana of the Sialkot district is also said to have been founded by him at the place where he overcame the powerful Karaya tribe, and, having cut off the heads of the slain, collected them in a heap and took his bath over them. Siranwali, at any rate, passed out of the hands of the family ; and Dargah, who first became a Sikh, had through poverty to leave the Sialkot district for Gurdaspur, where he became a sowar in the troop of Jaimal Singh Patehgarhia. His son Lal Singh succeeded him, but being a man of some ability he rose to the command of one hundred horsemen.

The beauty of Ishar Kaur, the daughter of Lal Singh, was celebrated in the Sialkot district ; and in 1815, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh was travelling in that direction, Lal Singh brought the girl to him, and she was two months later married to Kharak Singh the son of Maharaha Ranjit Singh by chadar udana tradition. Lal Singh died soon after this, but the young Mangal Singh, his son, profited by the royal connection. Mangal Singh, though no courtier, was a clever young man, and rapidly rose to favour at Court. Prince Kharak Singh gave to him the jagirs of Thalur and Khita, worth Rs. 5,000, and the charge of the Ilaka of Chunian in the Lahore district. The Prince was so pleased with the adroitness of Mangal Singh in this appointment, that in 1820, with the Maharaja’s approbation, he made him manager of all his affairs, civil and military, and conferred upon him a jagir of Rs. 19,000 with the title of Sardar. Mangal Singh recovered the old family village of Siranwali, which had till this time been in possession of Sardar Sham Singh of Atari. For some years Mangal Singh remained in high favour, receiving large additions to his jagirs and attending Prince Kharak Singh in all his expeditions and campaigns. But in the year 1834 Sardar Chet Singh Bajwa, who had married Chand Kaur, the niece of Sardar Mangal Singh, and whom he himself had introduced to the notice of Kharak Singh, was appointed to the management of the Prince’s affairs in the room of Mangal Singh. The latter, however, did not suffer in fortune by the change, as Kharak Singh gave him new jagirs, which with those already in his possession amounted in value to Rs. 2,61,250, of which Rs. 62,750 were personal, and the balance for service of seven hundred and eighty sowars, thirty zamburas and two guns.

Chet Singh Bajwa’s elevation was the cause of his destruction. During Ranjit Singh’s reign he remained chief favourite of the Prince, and his power was very great ; for Kharak Singh was a weak man, and a favourite could influence him as he chose ; but after the death of Ranjit Singh and the accession of Elharak Singh, the Sardars, whose jealousy Ohet Singh had aroused, determined to destroy him. Raja Dhian Singh and Prince Nao Nahal Singh were the leaders of the conspiracy; and the unfortunate favourite was murdered openly in the palace, and almost in the presence of his royal master.

In 1834, when Chet Singh was first taken into favour, Sardar Mangal Singh was sent to the Multan district to keep the wild Mazari tribe in order ; hut although he was as energetic as any of his predecessors, he was unable to restore the frontier to any degree of quiet.

In November 1840 Maharaja Kharak Singh died, and Rani Ishar Kaur was burnt as a 8ati upon the funeral pile. It was asserted at the time, and there is every reason to believe truly, that this lady was not a voluntary victim ; that she was urged and, indeed, compelled to burn, and that it was Raja Dhian Singh who was the contriver of the tragedy. Great jealousy had always existed between Ishar Kaur and Chand Kaur, the principal wife of Kharak Singh ; and the influence of this Rani was also used to induce her rival to become a sati.

Mangal Singh hoped that he might obtain some share of power at this time. His position as brother-in- law of the late Maharaja, and the great wealth which he had amassed during many years of service, gave him some reason to believe that he might, with Prince Sher Singh, be able to form some stable government; but Raja Dhian Singh, having got rid of Sardar Chet Singh, had no intention of permitting another rival to obtain power, and Mangal Singh fell gradually into background.

Some time later Maharaja Sher Singh resumed all Mangal Singh’s original jagirs, except Rs. 37,000. but granted him new ones to the value of Rs. 1,24,500 at Sahiwal and Bankal Chimi. He held these up to 1846, when Raja Lai Singh seized them, leaving the Sardar only Rs. 86,000 of the old jagirs, and granting Rs. 36,000 new, subject to the service of one hundred and twenty sowars. This reduction was the more unjust, as Sardar Mangal Singh, after the death of Kharak Singh, had not meddled with politics ; and the reason of the confiscation was evident, as the jagirs were given by Lai Singh to his brother Misar Amir Chand. In some measure to make up for his loss. Major Lawrence, the Resident, caused him to be appointed Adalati, or Chief Justice, of the Rachna Doab. In this appointment he gave little satisfaction. He was a plain soldier, and judicial work in no way suited him. When the rebellion broke out in 1848 he was at Wazirabad, and was placed in charge of the ferries. According to his own account, he was taken prisoner by Raja Sher Singh of Attari when opposing the passage of the rebel force, and kept under restraint until just before the battle of Ramnagar, when he effected his escape and joined Major Nicholson, under whose orders he remained till the close of the campaign. The conduct of Sardar Mangal Singh appeared suspicious to the authorities, and after annexation only a cash pension of Es. 12,000 was allowed to him for life. But it must in fairness be remembered that no treason was ever proved against the Sardar ; that he joined the British at a critical time ; and that he was employed in procuring supplies and on other service for the British army up to the very end of the war. Sardar Mangal Singh died in June 1864.

He left four widows, for each of whom an annual pension of Rs. 200 was fixed by the Government. These have all since died. His only son Richpal Singh was taken under the Court of Wards until he attained his majority in 1868. In 1870 Sardar Richpal Singh married the niece of Rani Jind Kaur, widow of Prince Kashmira Singh, and in 1875 a son was born and named Shibdeo Singh.

The Sardar began early to take an interest in public affairs, and in 1884 was nominated President of the District Board. He thus enjoys the distinction of being the first gentleman unconnected with the Government service gazetted to an appointment of this kind. In the same year he was entrusted with civil and criminal powers as an Honorary Magistrate over a circle of two hundred and fifty villages, with his Court at Siranwali.

Sardar Richpal Singh was modest and unpretending; but his influence for good was none the less widely extended over the district as befitted his high descent.

References :-

• Sir L.H Griffin, Chief and Families of Note in Punjab Vol. 2