Sardar Mangal Singh Ramgarhia, C.S.I.

𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗵 𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗵𝗶𝗮, C.S.I.

(Bamrah Tarkhan)

Sikh General

“ਇਨਕਾ ਬਡੋ ਸਿੰਘ ਹਰਿਦਾਸ ॥ ਰਹਿੳ ਗੁਰੁ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਾਸ ॥ ਮਨ ਤਨ ਧਨ ਕਰ ਸੇਵ ਕਮਾਈ॥ ਗੁਰ ਬਰ ਦੀਨੋ ਰਾਜ ਲਭਾਈ॥”

(Inko bado Singh Haridas || raheyo guru Gobind Singh pass || man tan dhan kar sev kamayi || gur bar dino raaj labhayi)

There elder is (Shaheed Baba) Hardas (Singh Bamrah).

“ਸਿੰਘ ਰਾਮਗ੍ਹੜੀਏ ਹੁਤੇ, ਜਾਤੀ ਕੇ #ਤਰਖਾਨ॥ ਦਸਮੇ ਗੁਰ ਕੇ ਢਿਗ ਰਹੇ,ਪਿਤ ਸੁਤ ਹਿਤ ਕਲਿਯਾਨ॥”

(Singh Ramgarhie hute, jaati k TARKHAN || Dasme Gur k dhig rahe, pit sut hit kalyan||)

Singh Ramgarhia belong to tribe of Tarkhans

               :Gyani Gian Singh in Shri Gur Panth Prakash published in 1880

S. Mangal Singh Ramgarhia (Bamrah Tarkhan) a prominent Sikh leader, who participated in the First and Second Anglo-Sikh Wars. He carried the Title “𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗿-𝗶-𝗕𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗾𝗮𝗿” – Th Sardar with Prestige. He joined service with Maharaja Ranjit Singh and erected several Forts under supervision of S. Hari Singh Nalwa. He was sent to Peshawar to command 400 foot soldiers and 110 Sawars (Cavalrymen). There under S. Tej Singh and S. Hari Sin gh Nalwa , he fought in the Battle of Jamrod in April 1837. He continued to protect the Sikh Empire at Jamraud ( Peshawar ) and Afghanistan from 1834 to 1839.

Under British Rule, he was appointed as President, Managing Committee of Shri Darbar Sahib – 1862 – 1879 (till his death). Same year, he was appointed as Honorary Magistrate of City of Amritsar 1862 – 1879 by the British Government.

He was also very active in reforming the Education system. S. Mangal Singh (Bamrah Tarkhan) was a man of education and liberal ideas. It has been in a great measure owing to his influence and example, that the cause of Female Education has been sow systematically taken up in Amritsar.

S. Mangal Singh (Bamrah Tarkhan) was admitted as a Member in the Vice- Regal Darbar, Lahore in yea 1864, a rare achievement amongst ruling families. By the Sovereign’s Commandunder Seal of Court at Osborne Order dated 13th day of December 1875, The Prince of Wales conferred upon S. Mangal Singh the dignity and rank of the most Exalted Order of the ‘𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 – 𝗖.𝗦.𝗜.’ (Order of Chivalry) founded by Her Majesty Queen Victoria in year 1861.

𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆:

After S. Diwan Singh Bamrah's death, his son Mangal Singh, who was born in 1800, succeeded to his father’s estate. During his younger days he served Maharaja Ranjit Singh on his personal staff. The Maharaja gave him jagirs in Dharmkot, Kalowala, Tibrah and Kundilah worth 9,000 rupees of which 3,600 rupees were personal, and 5,400 rupees for service. The jagir was continued to his successors in perpetuity and “Sardar Sahib” Trilochan Singh (1901-1975) was

its last recipient.

𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗱, 𝗔𝗳𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻:

After the death of his father in 1834, Mangal Singh was sent to Peshawar in a command of 400 foot and 110 swars. There, he did commendable service alongw Hari Singh Nalwa and Tej Singh. On 30 Apr 1837, Hari Singh Nalwa lead his troops to relieve the besieged fort of Jamrud when Afghans laid siege to their lost territory. Hari Singh Nalwa was mortally injured and later succumbed to his injuries. As per some historians, there were more than 3000 casualties including 2000 Sikhs and 1000 Afghans killed in this battle. Sardar Mangal Singh was part of this historic battle, and after the death of S. Hari Singh Nalwa, he continued to protect the Sikh empire in the region. He was placed in charge of hill forts in the tribal areas between Peshawar and Kabul to suppress insurrection with lot of hardship. Till date there are a significant numbers of Sikhs settled in this belt on account of the presence and the influence of the Sikhs in the region.

𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗵𝗶𝗮 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱

Ranjit Singh was considered to be a great Sikh ruler and an administrator. He had the strong urge to expand the Sikh Empire and was also known to reward his loyal and deserving Generals and troops. Since S. Mangal Singh along with S. Hari Singh Nalwa were able to bring honour to Ranjit Singh’s regime NWFP by successfully overpowering Afghan recalcitrant tribal Chiefs in the region, Ranjit Singh before he died in 1839 rewarded Sardar Mangal Singh for his services in the Afghan region; and returned a portion of his ancestor’s Estate “the Ramgarhia Estate” in Amritsar including the Bunga and Haveli which were annexed after the death of Sardar Jodh Singh (S. Mangal Singh’s uncle). The Bunga was thus known as “Bunga Sardar Mangal Singh” and remained with the family for almost 130 years. This was owned by the Family until 1972, after which it was handed over to SGPC, Amritsar by “Sardar Sahib”S Tarlochan Singh for maintaining it as a historical monument and possibly use it as Sikh museum. Because of the sole ownership and prolonged stay of his ancestors in the Bunga, the descendants of Sardar Mangal Singh until Sardar Sahib Tarlochan Singh were popularly known as “The Bungewala Family”.

𝗦. 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗵 – 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗷𝗶𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲:

Ranjit Singh died in 1839. However, Sardar Mangal Singh after his return from Afghanistan and during the reign of Maharaja Sher Singh, was also employed with Sardar Lehna Singh in Suket, Mandi and Kulu, and remained there till the end of the first Anglo-Sikh war, also called the Sutlej war of 1846 AD. Actually after Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death in 1839, the empire was severely weakened due to successive killings /murders of the his successors within the family due to which his heirs could not provide the leadership of their father’s caliber. The opportunity was used by the Britishers to launch the Anglo-Sikh Wars. It was probably the same strategy which Ranjit Singh applied on other Misls to annex. Dogras, erstwhile ally joined hands with the Britishers. So when the Sikhs were fighting with Britishers, the Rajput Chief under Raja Balbir Singh was not slow to take advantage of the situation and gave the Sardar Mangal Singh with plenty of work to do. He, however, held his positions until 9th March 1846 when the Anglo-Sikh was finished, and he gave up his trust with honour. The Sikh Empire was finally dissolved after the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849 and became British province of Punjab. That was the end of Sikh empire and the onset of rule of British Empire.

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗵𝗿𝗶 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗵𝗶𝗯, 𝗔𝗺𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗮𝗿 𝟭𝟴𝟲𝟮-𝟭𝟴𝟳𝟵:

During the rule of British Empire, Sardar Mangal Singh was appointed Manager of affairs of Shri Darbar Sahib in 1862 and remained in charge for 17 years until he died in 1879. On one occasion, when he was the Manager of Shri Darbar Sahib, “His Highness” the Maharaja of Patiala visited the Gurudwara Sahib. When returning from the Gurudwara Sahib, the Maharaja, remembering the friendship that always existed between the Patiala and Ramgarhia families, took off his Diamond Ring worth Rs 7000 and presented it to S. Mangal Singh. S. Mangal Singh considering the position of his family, did not hesitate to give the Maharaja his own Ring of almost same value. Both were happy and they eventually kept their own rings with themselves.

 𝗦. 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗺𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗺𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗮𝗿 𝟮𝟵𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟴𝟲𝟰 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: “As the leading member of the native aristocracy of the Town and the Chief referee of all matters connected with the Temple you are most deservingly respected. And the manner in which you have educated and trained all your Sons deserves the greatest credit and is bright example to other gentlemen of your position. Wishing you every success”. Letters dated 21st November 1864 of Governor-General Viceroy and 9th January 1865 are other Testimonials.

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 (𝗖.𝗦.𝗜.)

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟴𝟲𝟭. The Order includes members of three classes:

• Knight Grand Commander (GSCI) conferred upon Princes or Chiefs of India, or upon British subjects for important and loyal services rendered to the Indian

Empire;

• Knight Commander (KCSI) and

Companion Star of India (CSI).

The two lower classes were bestowed for similar services of not less than 30 years duration.