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{{Short description|Maharaja of Patiala (r.1813 – 1845)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Karam Singh
| title = [[Maharaja]] of [[Patiala State|Patiala]]
| image = Painting of Maharaja Karam Singh in the Audience Hall of Qila Mubarak, Patiala (torso detail).jpg
| caption = Painting of Maharaja Karam Singh in the Audience Hall of Qila Mubarak, Patiala, circa mid-19th century
| succession = [[Maharaja of Patiala]]
| reign = 1813 – 1845
| predecessor = [[Sahib Singh of Patiala|Sahib Singh]]
| successor = [[Narinder Singh of Patiala|Narinder Singh]]
| birth_date = 1798
| death_date = 1845
| issue = Narinder Singh
| father = [[Sahib Singh of Patiala|Sahib Singh]]
| mother = Rattan Kaur
| dynasty = [[Phulkian dynasty]]
}}

'''Karam Singh''' (1798 – 1845) was the fourth ruler of [[Patiala State]] and the [[Maharaja of Patiala]]. Singh was the first of the Patiala rulers to have the title of [[Maharaja]].{{Dubious|date=October 2025|reason=As per B. N. Goswamy (2000), his predecessor Sahib Singh was bestowed the 'maharaja' title in 1810.}} His reign was noted for Patiala State's territorial expansion and his support for the [[East India Company|British Empire]].<ref name=":2" />

== Early life and background ==
Karam Singh was born in 1798. He was the son [[Sahib Singh of Patiala|Sahib Singh]], the ruler and Raja-e-Rajgan 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 |page=121}}</ref> Singh was also the member of the [[Phulkian dynasty]].<ref name=":72" />

== Reign ==
Singh became the ruler of Patiala in 1813.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wade |first=Bonnie C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MiE9AAAAIAAJ |title=Khyal: Creativity Within North India's Classical Music Tradition |date=1984 |publisher=CUP Archive |isbn=978-0-521-25659-9 |location=Cambridge |page=227 |language=en}}</ref> He was also the first ruler of Patiala to have been referred to as a [[Maharaja]], the title having been bestowed on him by [[List of emperors of the Mughal Empire|Mughal Emperor]] [[Akbar II]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fenech |first=Louis E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mPYTEAAAQBAJ |title=The Cherished Five in Sikh History |date=2021 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-753284-3 |pages=109–111 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Khushwant |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q82MDgAAQBAJ |title=Captain Amarinder Singh: The People's Maharaja: An Authorized Biography |date=2017-02-15 |publisher=Hay House, Inc |isbn=978-93-85827-44-0 |language=en}}</ref> Singh was also noted as a patron of paintings, and from 1814 to 1815, he had a family of [[Art of Rajasthan|Rajasthani painters]] at his court.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Mohinder |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W95iulFxS6gC |title=History and Culture of Panjab |publisher=Atlantic Publishers and Distributors |location=New Delhi |page=275 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Administration and rule ===
[[File:Detail of a painting of Karam Singh of Patiala State, from the Tazkirat Al-Umara of James Skinner, ca.1836.jpg|thumb|Detail of a painting of Karam Singh, ca. 1836]]
During his early reign, Singh had disputes with his mother and his younger brother, Ajit Singh.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l-Q2AQAAMAAJ |title=Punjab District and State Gazetteers: Part A]. |date=1900 |publisher=Punjab Government Press |series=Part 1 |pages=48–52 |language=en |access-date=13 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620210206/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Punjab_District_and_State_Gazetteers/l-Q2AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv |archive-date=20 June 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Singh continued his dispute with [[Nabha State]], another [[Phulkian dynasty]] state, which had been carrying on since 1807.<ref name=":02" /> From 1838 to 1843, Singh had a border dispute with [[Kaithal State]].<ref name=":02" /> He had extensive diplomatic relations with Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire, whose court in Lahore a ''[[vakil]]'' of Patiala was often dispatched to.<ref>{{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>

=== Relations with the British Empire and territorial expansion ===
[[File:Maharajah Karam Singh of Patiala and his son Narinder Singh with a holy man.jpg|thumb|Singh and his son, [[Narinder Singh of Patiala|Narinder Singh]], with a holy man]]
Singh supported the [[British Empire]] during the [[Anglo-Nepalese War]] from 1814 to 1816.<ref name=":1">{{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 name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Khushwant |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q82MDgAAQBAJ |title=Captain Amarinder Singh: The People's Maharaja: An Authorized Biography |date=2017-02-15 |publisher=Hay House, Inc |isbn=978-93-85827-44-0 |language=en |access-date=20 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620210207/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Captain_Amarinder_Singh_The_People_s_Mah/Q82MDgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq |archive-date=20 June 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> In return for Singh's support during the Anglo-Nepalese War, the British awarded Singh territory in the hill states, extending Patiala State's territory to [[Shimla]], [[Chail, Himachal Pradesh|Chail]] and other areas in modern-day [[Himachal Pradesh]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> In 1845, Singh declared his support for the British against the [[Sikh Empire]].<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 |page=37 |language=en |access-date=26 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710130731/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Imperial_Gazetteer_of_India/wooZAAAAYAAJ?hl=en |archive-date=10 July 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Death and succession ==
Singh died in 1845 and was succeeded by his son, [[Narinder Singh of Patiala|Narinder Singh]], as the Maharaja of Patiala.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Srivastava |first=R. P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VoPu1scXkXYC |title=Punjab Painting |date=1983 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=978-81-7017-174-4 |location=New Delhi |page=xviii |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Karam}}
[[Category:1798 births]]
[[Category:1845 deaths]]
[[Category:Maharajas of Patiala State]]
[[Category:People from Patiala]]
[[Category:Sikh monarchs]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian monarchs]]

Karam Singh of Patiala - Revision history

Brotherhoodbo at 18:29, 2 March 2026