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{{Short description|Maharaja of Patiala from 1765 to 1781}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Amar Singh
| title = [[Raja]]-e-Rajgan of [[Patiala State|Patiala]]
| image = Miniature painting of Raja Amar Singh of Patiala, ca.1830.jpg
| caption = Miniature painting of Amar Singh, {{circa|1830}}
| succession = [[Maharaja of Patiala]]
| reign = 1765–1781
| coronation = 1765
| cor-type = Enthronement
| predecessor = [[Ala Singh]]
| successor = [[Sahib Singh of Patiala|Sahib Singh]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1748|6|7}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1781|02||1748|6|7|df=yes}}
| issue = [[Bibi Sahib Kaur|Sahib Kaur]] and Sahib Singh
| father = Sardul Singh
| religion = [[Sikhism]]
| dynasty = [[Phulkian dynasty]]
}}

'''Amar Singh''' (7 June 1748 – February 1781) was the second ruler and the [[Raja]]-e-Rajgan (King of Kings) of [[Patiala State|Patiala]]. Singh succeeded his grandfather, [[Ala Singh]], as the [[Maharaja of Patiala|Raja of Patiala]] in 1765.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last= |url=http://archive.org/details/ThePunjabPastAndPresent-Volume19Part1 |title=The Punjab Past and Present |publisher=Punjabi University |year=1985 |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Ganda |series=Part 1 |volume=19 |location=Patiala |pages=30–32 |language=English}}</ref> In 1767, [[Ahmad Shah Durrani|Ahmed Shah Abdali]], the founder and [[List of heads of state of Afghanistan|king]] of the [[Afghans|Afghan]] [[Durrani Empire]], bestowed upon Singh the title of Raja-e-Rajgan, a superior royal title compared to the titles of other [[Sikhs|Sikh]] rulers and leaders.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lethbridge |first=Sir Roper |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7iOsNUZ2MXgC |title=The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled Or Decorated of the Indian Empire |publisher=Aakar Books |year=2005 |isbn=978-81-87879-54-1 |edition= |location=Delhi |page=412 |language=en |access-date=26 July 2024 |archive-date=27 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727100307/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Golden_Book_of_India/7iOsNUZ2MXgC?hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Goswamy |first=B. N. |title=Piety and Splendour: Sikh Heritage in Art |publisher=National Museum |year=2000 |location=Delhi |pages=156–157}}</ref>

During his reign, Singh through many battles and conflicts, made Patiala the most powerful state between the [[Yamuna]] and the [[Sutlej]] rivers of [[North India]].<ref name=":5" /> Singh also successfully continued the pragmatic foreign policy of his grandfather, Ala Singh, by maintaining good relations with both the [[Dal Khalsa (Sikh Army)|Dal Khalsa]] and the Durrani Empire.<ref name=":1" /> The rival ''[[Sikh Confederacy|misls]]'' kept the aspiring Patiala ruler in-check.<ref name=":7" />

His death in 1781, at the age of 34, is seen by historians as a tragedy for Patiala and [[History of Punjab|Punjabi history]].<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":022" /><ref name=":3" /> Historians have speculated that had Singh lived longer, he would have managed to grow Patiala to rival [[Maharaja]] [[Ranjit Singh]]'s [[Sikh Empire]] and would have kept the [[British Empire]] from expanding into Punjab, as Ranjit Singh would not have been seen as a threat in the face of a larger and more powerful Patiala State.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":022" /><ref name=":3" /> His was succeeded by his six-year-old son, [[Sahib Singh of Patiala|Sahib Singh]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wooZAAAAYAAJ |title=Imperial Gazetteer of India |publisher=Clarendon Press |year=1908 |volume=XX |location=Oxford |pages=34–36 |language=en |access-date=26 July 2024 |archive-date=10 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710130731/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Imperial_Gazetteer_of_India/wooZAAAAYAAJ?hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Early life and background ==
[[File:Raja Sardul Singh of Patiala, by Philip Tennyson Cole, published in 'The Graphic' (15 August 1925 issue) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Raja Sardul Singh of Patiala, by Philip Tennyson Cole, published in 'The Graphic' (15 August 1925 issue). Sardul Singh was the son of Ala Singh and father of Amar Singh.]]
Amar Singh was born on 7 June 1748.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Ramusack |first=Barbara N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kz1-mtazYqEC |title=The Indian Princes and their States |date=2004-01-08 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-44908-3 |location=New York |page=38 |language=en}}</ref> He was the son of Sardul Singh and the grandson of [[Raja]] [[Ala Singh]], the founder and first ruler of [[Patiala]].<ref name=":72">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Kirpal |url=http://archive.org/details/BabaAlaSingh |title=Baba Ala Singh: Founder of Patiala Kingdom |publisher=Guru Nanak Dev University |year=2005 |edition=2nd |location=Amritsar |pages=120}}</ref> Singh was a member of the [[Phulkian dynasty]] of [[Sikhs|Sikh]] rulers. Through his grandfather Ala Singh, Singh was also a direct descendant of [[Rawal (title)|Rawal]] [[Jaisal Singh]], the founder and first ruler of the [[Kingdom of Jaisalmer]] in the [[12th century]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last1=Bond |first1=J. W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=47sfj8DUwNgC |title=Indian States: A Biographical, Historical, and Administrative Survey |last2=Wright |first2=Arnold |publisher=Asian Educational Services |year=2006 |isbn=978-81-206-1965-4 |location=New Delhi |pages=232–242 |language=en |access-date=14 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620210317/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Indian_States/47sfj8DUwNgC?hl=en&gbpv |archive-date=20 June 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Singha |first=H. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gqIbJz7vMn0C |title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 Entries) |publisher=Hemkunt Press |year=2000 |isbn=978-81-7010-301-1 |location=New Delhi |page=165 |language=en |access-date=19 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620210538/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Encyclopedia_of_Sikhism_over_1000_En/gqIbJz7vMn0C?hl=en&gbpv |archive-date=20 June 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Early in his life, [[Jassa Singh Ahluwalia]] administered the [[Sikhism]] [[Amrit Sanskar]] initiation rite to Singh.<ref name=":112">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Ganda |url=http://archive.org/details/SardarJassaSinghAhluwalia |title=Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia |publisher=Punjabi University |year=1990 |location=Patiala |pages=201}}</ref>

== Ascension ==
Ala Singh had three sons, all of whom predeceased him. After the death of his grandfather in 1765, Amar Singh, who was 18 years old at the time, was installed on the throne of Patiala by Fateh Kaur, his paternal grandmother and Ala Singh's widow.<ref name=":722">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Kirpal |url=http://archive.org/details/BabaAlaSingh |title=Baba Ala Singh: Founder of Patiala Kingdom |publisher=Guru Nanak Dev University |year=2005 |edition=2nd |location=Amritsar |pages=123–125}}</ref>

However, Singh's ascension was contested by other members of his family, including his older half-brother Himat Singh, who revolted against him and captured Singh's [[Bhawanigarh]] Fort.<ref name=":722" /> Fateh Kaur later persuaded both brothers to compromise, with Singh's ascension recognized and Himmat being allowed to retain his possessions.<ref name=":6" />

== Reign ==
[[File:Mural of Amar Singh of Patiala State from the Sheesh Mahal of the Qila Mubarak.jpg|thumb|Mural of Amar Singh holding ''[[Durbar (court)|durbar]]'' from the Sheesh Mahal of the [[Qila Mubarak, Patiala|Qila Mubarak]], ca.1845–62]]
Singh's reign as the [[Maharaja of Patiala|Raja of Patiala]] began in 1765, and with the help of his grandmother Fateh Kaur, he secured his succession against revolts from some of his family members.

=== Raja-e-Rajgan and Bandi Chhor ===
In 1767, [[Ahmad Shah Durrani|Ahmed Shah Abdali]], the founder and [[List of heads of state of Afghanistan|king]] of the [[Afghans|Afghan]] [[Durrani Empire]], launched his last invasion campaign into [[Punjab]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Dhavan |first=Purnima |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-7HJ5idB8_QC |title=When Sparrows Became Hawks: The Making of the Sikh Warrior Tradition, 1699-1799 |date=2011-11-03 |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |isbn=978-0-19-975655-1 |location=New York |pages=116–122 |language=en |access-date=23 July 2024 |archive-date=27 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727100307/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/When_Sparrows_Became_Hawks/-7HJ5idB8_QC?hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> During this expedition, Singh met Abdali in person received the title Raja-e-Rajgan Bahadur (Brave King of Kings).<ref name=":1" /> Singh also paid the ransom of the captives taken by Abdali from Punjab, which earned Singh the title of Bandi Chhor (Releaser of Captives).<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Griffin |first=Sir Lepel Henry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LZleAAAAcAAJ |title=The Rajas of the Punjab: Being the History of the Principal States in the Punjab and Their Political Relations with the British Government |date=1870 |publisher=Punjab Printing Company |location=Lahore |pages=33–50 |language=en |access-date=24 July 2024 |archive-date=27 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240727100308/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Rajas_of_the_Punjab/LZleAAAAcAAJ?hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Battles and conflicts ===
In his reign, Singh engaged in numerous battles and conflicts. In 1766, Singh, along with Ahluwalia, captured the villages of [[Kotla, Punjab|Kotla]] and [[Issru]].<ref name=":3" /> In 1767, he took the village [[Tibba]] from Ataullah Khan, the [[Nawab]] of [[Malerkotla State|Malerkotla]].<ref name=":3" /> In 1768, Singh aided the Raja of [[Nahan]] in capturing [[Pinjore]] from [[Garib Das]]; in 1771, he overpowered Sukhchain Singh, annexing most of the territory around [[Bathinda]]; in 1774, Singh fought the [[Bhatti]]s in [[Hisar (city)|Hisar]], suffering heavy losses and the death of his son, Himmat Singh; in 1778, Singh subdued several other Bhatti regions.<ref name=":022" /><ref name=":3" /> Also in 1778, after being defeated in battle by Hari Singh of Sialba, Singh was rescued by an army led by his cousin, [[Bibi Rajindar Kaur|Rajindar Kaur]].<ref name=":03">{{Cite book |last= |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopaedia-of-sikhism-3-ed.-harbans-singh/ |title=The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism: Volume III M-R |date= |publisher=Punjabi University |year=2011 |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Harbans |location=Patiala |pages=438–439}}</ref> In 1779, Singh and other Sikh rulers united to oppose the [[Mughal Empire]]'s forces marching into Punjab, and their combined strength forced the Mughals to retreat.<ref name=":6" />

=== Policies and administration ===
[[File:Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia on left and Amar Singh of Patiala.jpg|thumb|Sardar [[Jassa Singh Ramgarhia]] on left and Amar Singh of Patiala on right. Pahari late 18th century. Lahore Museum.]]
Singh successfully continued the same foreign policies as his grandfather Ala Singh, most notably maintaining good relations between the [[Dal Khalsa (Sikh Army)|Dal Khalsa]] and the Durrani Empire.<ref name=":1" /> However, unlike Ala Singh, Singh was not criticised by other Sikh leaders, as their political policies had become flexible to the autonomy being exercised by various Sikh leaders.<ref name=":1" /> Singh was even accepted as a member of the Dal Khalsa.<ref name=":1" /> In 1767, Singh's relationship with Durrani prompted other Sikh leaders to argue for the invasion of Patiala; however, Ahluwalia forbade them from doing so.<ref name=":11">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Ganda |url=http://archive.org/details/SardarJassaSinghAhluwalia |title=Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia |publisher=Punjabi University |year=1990 |location=Patiala |pages=177–178}}</ref> In 1781, Singh again supported Durrani Empire against the Dal Khalsa; however this time, Ahluwalia in retaliation invaded Singh's territory, forcing Singh to suspend his support to the Durrani Empire and make peace with Ahluwalia at the city of [[Khanna, Ludhiana|Khanna]].<ref name=":022" />

== Death and succession ==
Singh died in 1781, at the age of 34.<ref name=":022" /> According to historians, he died due to health complications from [[alcoholism]].<ref name=":3" /> He was succeeded by his son [[Sahib Singh of Patiala|Sahib Singh]], who was six years old the time.<ref name=":6" /> His daughter, [[Bibi Sahib Kaur|Sahib Kaur]], served at times as the Prime Minister of Patiala and also as a general in the Patiala army.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Manraj Grewal |date=28 April 2022 |title=The Sikh warriors through the ages: From Sahib Kaur to Hari Singh Nalwa |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/sikh-warriors-sahib-kaur-hari-singh-nalwa-7940700/ |access-date=2 May 2025 |website=The Indian Express}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
Singh significantly strengthened Patiala State during his rule, making it the most powerful state between the [[Yamuna]] and the [[Sutlej]] rivers.<ref name=":022">{{Cite book |last=Gandhi |first=Surjit Singh |url=http://archive.org/details/SikhsInTheEighteenthCentury |title=Sikhs In The Eighteenth Century |publisher=Singh Brothers |year=1999 |location=Amritsar |pages=497–502 |language=English}}</ref> Historians have speculated that, had he lived another twenty years, two powerful Sikh polities might have emerged: the [[Sikh Empire]] extending up to the Sutlej and the Patiala State spanning from the Yamuna to the Sutlej and from the [[Sivalik Hills|Shivalik hills]] to the [[Thar Desert]] area near [[Bikaner]].<ref name=":022" /><ref name=":3" /> A powerful and larger Patiala State could have caused the [[British Empire]] to halt its expansion at [[Delhi]] and remain satisfied with the Patiala polity as the [[buffer state]] between the Sikh Empire and Delhi.<ref name=":022" /><ref name=":3" /> This, along with the historical consensus that Singh's successors who ruled Patiala were considered primarily frivolous or [[Hedonism|hedonistic]], has led historians to consider Singh's early death a tragedy for the history of both Patiala and [[History of Punjab|Punjab]].<ref name=":022" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hasrat |first=Bikrama Jit |url=http://archive.org/details/ranjit-singh-bikramjit-hasrat |title=Life and Times of Ranjit Singh: A Saga of Benevolent Despotism |publisher=V.V.R.I. Press |year=1977 |location=Nabha |pages=60–61}}</ref><ref name=":42">{{Cite book |last=Kidambi |first=Prashant |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=50KjDwAAQBAJ |title=Cricket Country: An Indian Odyssey in the Age of Empire |date=2019 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-884313-9 |location=Oxford |pages=170–172 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Massy |first=Charles Francis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QPcYAQAAIAAJ |title=Chiefs and Families of Note in the Delhi, Jalandhar, Peshawar and Derajat Divisions of the Panjab |publisher=Pioneer Press |year=1890 |location=Allahabad |pages=12–15 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Allen |first1=Charles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BSNtEAAAQBAJ |title=Lives of the Indian Princes |last2=Dwivedi |first2=Sharada |date=1984 |publisher=BPI Publishing |isbn=978-81-86982-05-1 |location=New Delhi |pages=248–249 |language=en |access-date=3 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240606212059/https://books.google.com/books?id=BSNtEAAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false |archive-date=6 June 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Painting of Raja Amar Singh of Patiala state. Work attributed to school of Purkhu, circa 1850–1860.jpg|Painting of Amar Singh. Work attributed to school of Purkhu, circa 1850–1860.
File:Painting of Amar Singh of Patiala in tondo, Pahari School, ca.1880.jpg|Painting of Amar Singh, ca. 1880
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amar Singh of Patiala}}
[[Category:1748 births]]
[[Category:1781 deaths]]
[[Category:Maharajas of Patiala State]]
[[Category:People from Patiala]]
[[Category:18th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:Sikh monarchs]]

Amar Singh of Patiala - Revision history

Villagetalkies at 11:33, 17 April 2026