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{{Short description|Maharaja of the Sikh Empire in 1839}}
{{About|the Maharaja|20th century political leader|Baba Kharak Singh}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Maharaja Kharak Singh
| title = [[Maharaja]] of [[Punjab]] [[Maharaja]] of [[Lahore]] Sarkar-i-Wallah<ref name="Suri. 1961">{{Cite book|last=Suri.|first=Sohan Lal|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/163394684|title=Umdat-ut-tawarikh ['Umdat at-tawārīh, engl.] An outstanding original source of Panjab history by Lala Sohan Lal Suri.|date=1961|oclc=163394684}}</ref> [[Sarkar (surname)|Sarkar]] [[Khalsa]]ji<ref name="Suri. 1961"/>
| image = Detail of a painting of Maharaja Kharak Singh, Punjab or Delhi, circa early-to-mid 19th century.jpg
| caption = Detail of a painting of Maharaja Kharak Singh, Punjab or Delhi, circa early-to-mid 19th century
| succession = [[Sikh Empire|Maharaja of Punjab, Kashmir and Jammu]]
| reign = 27 June 1839 – 8 October 1839
| cor-type = Coronation
| predecessor = [[Maharaja Ranjit Singh|Ranjit Singh]]
| successor = [[Nau Nihal Singh]]
| coronation = 1 September 1839
| birth_date = 22 February 1801
| birth_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab]], [[Sikh Empire]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|5 November 1840|22 February 1801}}
| death_place = Lahore, Punjab, Sikh Empire
| spouse = [[Chand Kaur|Chand Kaur Kanhaiyā]]<ref name=eos>{{cite web |url=http://www.learnpunjabi.org/eos/index.aspx
| title=KHAṚAK SIṄGH MAHĀRĀJĀ (1801–1840) |last=Āhlūwālīā |first=M. L.
| website=Encyclopaedia of Sikhism |publisher=Punjabi University Patiala
| access-date=19 May 2016}}</ref>
| spouse-type = Consort
| spouses = [[Bibi Khem Kaur Dhillon]]<ref name=dhillon1>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/warriors/khemkaurdhillon.html |title="Bibi Khem Kaur Dhillon", URL accessed 11/16/06 |access-date=19 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171218030926/http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/warriors/khemkaurdhillon.html |archive-date=18 December 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Kishan Kaur Samra Inder Kaur Bajwa
| religion = [[Sikhism]]
| image_size = 250px
| house = [[Sukerchakia]]
| father = [[Maharaja Ranjit Singh|Ranjit Singh]]
| mother = [[Maharani Datar Kaur|Datar Kaur]]
| issue = [[Nau Nihal Singh]]
| reg-type1 = {{nowrap|Wazir}}
| regent1 = [[Dhian Singh]]
| dynasty = [[Sikh Empire]]
}}

'''Kharak Singh''' (22 February 1801 – 5 November 1840) was the second [[maharaja]] of the [[Sikh Empire]], ruling from June 1839 until his dethronement and imprisonment in October 1839. He was the eldest son of [[Maharaja Ranjit Singh]], founder of the [[Sikh Empire]], and his [[Queen consort|consort]], [[Datar Kaur|Maharani Datar Kaur]]. Kharak was succeeded by his only son, [[Nau Nihal Singh]].<ref name="eos" />

==Early life==
[[File:Depiction of maharajas Ranjit Singh and Kharak Singh, with their ancestors Mahan Singh, Charat Singh, and Budh Singh, including Guru Har Rai, lithograph, Umdat-ut-Tawarikh (vol. II), Albert Press, Lahore, 1886.jpg|thumb|Young Kunwar Kharak Singh (bottom left) sits opposite his father, Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Top row features Sardar Budh Singh of Sukerchak paying respects to Shri Guru Har Rai ji (top right). Middle row features Sardar Charat Singh (left) and his son Sardar Mahan Singh (right). Image is from Umdat-ut-tawarikh (vol. II).]]

Kharak Singh was born on 22 February 1801 in [[Lahore Fort|Lahore]], [[Punjab]] to [[Ranjit Singh|Sardar Ranjit Singh]] of [[Sukerchakia Misl]] and his second wife [[Datar Kaur|Datar Kaur Nakai]], lovingly called Nakain by his father and popularly known as Mai Nakain or Maharani Nakain.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AZ3ddqH-rw0C&pg=PA60&dq=nakahun&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwja_LOl6_KQAxWoBu8CHWD3KSAQ6AF6BAgHEAM#v=onepage&q=nakahun&f=false |title=Bengal, Past & Present: Journal of the Calcutta Historical Society |date=1926 |publisher=The Society |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Von Hügel |first=Baron Charles |title=Travels in Kashmir and the Punjab |pages=149}}</ref> His mother was the daughter of [[Ran Singh Nakai]], third ruler of the [[Nakai Misl]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Griffin |first=Lepel Henry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TNEwAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA388&dq=daughter+of+Ran+Singh+Nakai&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwje5qeW7fKQAxUFIEQIHQaaCUgQ6AF6BAgOEAM#v=onepage&q=daughter%20of%20Ran%20Singh%20Nakai&f=false |title=The Panjab Chiefs: Historical and Biographical Notices of the Principal Families in the Lahore and Rawalpindi Divisions of the Panjab |date=1890 |publisher=Civil and Military Gazette Press |language=en}}</ref>

A [[horoscope]] was commissioned for newborn prince, as was customary among the nobility of the time. Horoscopes were regarded as valuable indicators of the character and destiny of a future ruler.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Atwal |first=Priya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LPcTEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA70&dq=royals+and+rebels+birth+of+heir+to+Mehtab+kaur&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjE1oPvjPOQAxWXPUQIHWryLXgQ6AF6BAgIEAM#v=onepage&q=royals%20and%20rebels%20birth%20of%20heir%20to%20Mehtab%20kaur&f=false |title=Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire |date=2021-01-15 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-756694-7 |language=en}}</ref> Astrologers suggested the prince be named according to the martial tradition of his family.<ref name="vah1">{{Cite book |last=Vaḥīduddīn |first=Faqīr Sayyid |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uaQGAQAAIAAJ&q=kharak+singh+1802+the+real+ranjit+singh&dq=kharak+singh+1802+the+real+ranjit+singh&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi-k8COjfOQAxXgD0QIHW47LtIQ6AF6BAgKEAM#En%20fete |title=The Real Ranjit Singh |date=1965 |publisher=Lion Art Press |language=en}}</ref>

The prince was named by his father<ref>{{Cite book|last=Vaḥīduddīn|first=Faqīr Sayyid|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uaQGAQAAIAAJ&q=raj+kaur+triumphed+over+mehtab+kaur|title=The Real Ranjit Singh|date=1965|publisher=Lion Art Press}}</ref> "Kharak" (ਖੜਕ) which means 'Wielder of the Sword' he was named after the unconquerable warrior mentioned in [[Dasam Granth]]. According to [[Gyani]] Sher Singh, Ranjit Singh knew the entire Dasam Granth by heart.

Ranjit Singh believed the birth of his son to be auspicious and his happiness was so great that Lahore was ''en fete.'' A full forty days were spent in alms giving, thanksgiving and celebration.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lafont |first=Jean Marie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YrG_aJTgnw0C&pg=PA19&dq=raj+kaur+left+the+decision+to+the+maharaja&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjk-q3W69SPAxXimO4BHSAVKJEQ6AF6BAgGEAM#v=onepage&q=raj%20kaur%20left%20the%20decision%20to%20the%20maharaja&f=false |title=Maharaja Ranjit Singh |date=2002 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distri |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Suri |first=Sohan Lal |title=Umdat-ut-Tawarikh}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jN8jcpx8uh0C&q=Nakai+on+12th+Phagan+1857+Bk+.+,+and+full+forty+days+were+spent+in+great+rejoicings+and+thanksgivings&dq=Nakai+on+12th+Phagan+1857+Bk+.+,+and+full+forty+days+were+spent+in+great+rejoicings+and+thanksgivings&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJz9e87NSPAxUcJEQIHf_HGLsQ6AF6BAgIEAM#Nakai%20on%2012th%20Phagan%201857%20Bk%20.%20,%20and%20full%20forty%20days%20were%20spent%20in%20great%20rejoicings%20and%20thanksgivings |title=Maharaja Ranjit Singh: First Death Centenary Memorial |date=1939 |publisher=Khalae College |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DbGfAAAAMAAJ&q=Nakai+on+12th+Phagan+1857+Bk+.+,+and+full+forty+days+were+spent+in+great+rejoicings+and+thanksgivings&dq=Nakai+on+12th+Phagan+1857+Bk+.+,+and+full+forty+days+were+spent+in+great+rejoicings+and+thanksgivings&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJz9e87NSPAxUcJEQIHf_HGLsQ6AF6BAgJEAM#Nakai%20on%2012th%20Phagan%201857%20Bk%20.%20,%20and%20full%20forty%20days%20were%20spent%20in%20great%20rejoicings%20and%20thanksgivings |title=Maharaja Ranjit Singh, as Patron of the Arts |date=1981 |publisher=Marg Publications |language=en}}</ref><ref name="vah1"/>

[[Sohan Lal Suri]], the court biographer of the Sukerchakia royal family in his magnum opus, [[Umdat-ut-Tawarikh]] mentions the baby prince's arrival as a blessing to the local population and how everyone rejoiced.

<blockquote>"There was general pleasure and merry-making. The dust of distress and suffering was removed from the minds of the people. The persons who had been blinded with adversity procured the kohl of sight on account of abundant charities and alms. The oppressed ones derived great pleasure."</blockquote>

It was his birth that persuaded Ranjit Singh to proclaim himself the [[Maharaja|Maharaja of Punjab]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Khushwant|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D068dKeyGW4C&q=kharak+singh|title=Ranjit Singh|date=2009-03-24|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-306543-2}}</ref>

To celebrate his birth, his mother, Datar Kaur, asked her husband, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, to rebuild [[Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das|Gurdwara Janam Asthan of Guru Ram Das]] in the Chuna Mandi Bazaar at the birthplace of Guru Ram Das Ji. She felt that the ancestral home of Guru Sahib was too small, so Ranjit Singh purchased the surrounding buildings from the Qazis and had the gurdwara constructed in the architectural style of Sri Harmandir Sahib.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baig |first=Ali Usman |date=2022-06-27 |title=Ali Usman Baig : Gurdwara Sri Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das Chuna Mandi Bazar, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan (2020) |url=http://aliusmanbaig.blogspot.com/2022/06/gurdwara-sri-janam-asthan-guru-ram-das.html |access-date=2025-11-15 |website=Ali Usman Baig}}</ref><ref name="sun1">{{Cite book |last=Suri |first=Sohan Lal |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Umdat_Ut_tawarikh/KJQYSQAACAAJ?hl=en |title=Umdat Ut-tawarikh |date=2001 |publisher=Guru Nanak Dev University |isbn=978-81-7770-072-5 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Photograph of Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das, located in Chuna Mandi, Lahore, Punjab, circa late-19th or early-20th century.jpg|thumb|Photograph of Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das taken by [[Kahn Singh Nabha]] in the 1920s and published in the ''[[Mahan Kosh]]'' (1930)]]

The following year, adorned with [[Tilaka]], he was paraded through the streets of Lahore as Punjab's prince.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sood |first=D. R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8hw-AAAAMAAJ&q=Ranjit+Singh+Made+Him+heir-+apparent&dq=Ranjit+Singh+Made+Him+heir-+apparent&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjmn7z18c-PAxUble4BHb3wMLUQ6AF6BAgHEAM#Ranjit%20Singh%20Made%20Him%20heir-%20apparent |title=Ranjit Singh |date=1968 |publisher=National Book Trust, India |language=en}}</ref>

In 1816, in a formal ceremony, Kharak Singh was appointed [[Crown prince|Yuvraj Shri Tikka Kanwar]] by his father.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tugJAQAAIAAJ&q=kharak+singh+1816&dq=kharak+singh+1816&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjFjcTP7tSPAxUbMUQIHfqBDHoQ6AF6BAgNEAM#kharak%20singh%201816 |title=Maharaja Kharak Singh, June 27, 1839-November 5, 1840: Select Records Preserved in the National Archives of India, New Delhi |date=1977 |publisher=Department of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University |language=en}}</ref>

== Early military campaigns and alliances ==

Kharak Singh was brought up in his family's martial tradition and assigned to a variety of military expeditions. While barely six years old, he was given the command of an expedition to conquer [[Sheikhupura]] the prince's mother then was gifted [[Sheikhupura Fort]] by his father.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Atwal |first=Priya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LPcTEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA61&dq=royals+and+rebels+Sheikhupura&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjApYqKr_OQAxWdPkQIHdgdFgYQ6AF6BAgPEAM#v=onepage&q=royals%20and%20rebels%20Sheikhupura&f=false |title=Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire |date=2021-01-15 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-756694-7 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=DK |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6g7mEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA196&dq=royals+and+rebels+Sheikhupura&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjApYqKr_OQAxWdPkQIHdgdFgYQ6AF6BAgHEAM#v=onepage&q=royals%20and%20rebels%20Sheikhupura&f=false |title=Sikhs: A Story of a People, Their Faith and Culture |date=2023-04-25 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-593-84942-2 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1811, at the age of ten, the precocious Kharak Singh reportedly asked his father for control over the estates of the [[Nakai Misl]]—his mother’s kingdom—promising that he would render a far greater tribute than his cousin, [[Kahan Singh Nakai]]. His request was granted. Despite the revered [[Sahib Singh Bedi|Baba Sahib Singh Bedi]]'s support for the Nakais the Nakai estates were obvertaken by Kharak Singh claiming he is "the grandson of the Nakais" while Kahan Singh Nakai was allowed to retain [[Baherwal Kalan|Baherwal]] with a jagir worth Rs. 20,000.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Suri |first=Lala Sohan Lal |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/UMDAT_UT_TAWARIKH/L0zoSAAACAAJ?hl=en |title=UMDAT-UT-TAWARIKH: An Outstanding Original Source of Panjab History; Daftar III, Parts (I-V); Chronicle of the Reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh; 1831-1839 A.D. |date=1961 |publisher=S. Chand & Company |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhagat Singh |url=http://archive.org/details/history-of-the-sikh-misals |title=History Of The Sikh Misals}}</ref>

At a young age, he was engaged to Chand Kaur, the daughter of Jaimal Singh Kanhaiya of the [[Kanhaiya Misl]], a match arranged by his father to ensure that the Kanhaiyas could not directly oppose the Sukerchakia heir-apparent.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Atwal |first=Priya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LPcTEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA51&dq=royals+and+rebels+junior+branch&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiDka6EsPOQAxUpmO4BHexBEiMQ6AF6BAgHEAM#v=onepage&q=royals%20and%20rebels%20junior%20branch&f=false |title=Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire |date=2021-01-15 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-756694-7 |language=en}}</ref> Following his marriage in 1812, he was placed in charge of the [[Kanhaiya Misl|Kanhaiya estates]]. That same year, he was deputed—along with [[Dewan Mokham Chand]] and his tutor, Ram Singh—to punish the recalcitrant chiefs of [[Bhimber]] and [[Rajouri]]. Later in 1812, Kharak Singh received the principality of [[Jammu]] as his [[jagir]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Latif |first=Syad Muhammad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=owqil72dVXgC&pg=PA393&dq=kharak+singh+Bhimbar&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjCqKTYsPOQAxVYkO4BHfe_Dl0Q6AF6BAgLEAM#v=onepage&q=kharak%20singh%20Bhimbar&f=false |title=History of the Panjáb from the Remotest Antiquity to the Present Time |date=1891 |publisher=Calcutta Central Press Company, limited |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Atwal |first=Priya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LPcTEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA51&dq=royals+and+rebels+junior+branch&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiDka6EsPOQAxUpmO4BHexBEiMQ6AF6BAgHEAM#v=onepage&q=royals%20and%20rebels%20Bhimber%20&f=false |title=Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire |date=2021-01-15 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-756694-7 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Another Fresco in Main Sikh Haveli (100 8661).JPG|thumb|Kunwar Kharak Singh rides his horse as his mother, Maharani Datar Kaur, looks on.]]

[[Maharani Datar Kaur]] had a deep influence on her son and paid great attention to her son's education, as a result Kharak Singh mastered several languages and developed interests in cosmic sciences from an early age. Like his parents, Kharak Singh was deeply religious since childhood. He was a devout Sikh and admired for his piety and simplicity.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vaḥīduddīn |first=Faqīr Sayyid |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uaQGAQAAIAAJ&q=the+real+ranjit+singh+piety&dq=the+real+ranjit+singh+piety&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiau_vap_OQAxUEDkQIHXRsFUMQ6AF6BAgNEAM#the%20real%20ranjit%20singh%20piety |title=The Real Ranjit Singh |date=1965 |publisher=Lion Art Press |language=en}}</ref>

Kharak Singh shared a close relationship with his parents, particularly with his mother.

He cared for her deeply and was devoted to her throughout his life.<ref name="la1">{{Cite book |last=Lala (Lala.) |first=Sohan Lal Suri |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Umdat_ut_Tawarikh/fEmUPwAACAAJ?hl=en |title=Umdat-ut- Tawarikh: Daftar 3 |date=1961 |publisher=Chand |language=en}}</ref> Upon her death at Sheikhupura on June 20, 1838, he is recorded by Suri as having been inconsolable.<ref name="la1"/> He mourned for twenty-one days, attended no public meetings, and was unable to eat properly. Ranjit Singh even remarked to his son that he had lost a great deal of weight.<ref name="la1"/> His consort, [[Chand Kaur|Yuvrani Chand Kaur]], personally supervised the distribution of alms in commemoration of her mother-in-law.<ref name="la1"/>

== Administration as the crown prince ==
[[File:Fresco_of_Maharani_Datar_Kaur_martially_training_Kharak_Singh.jpg|thumb|Fresco of Maharani Datar Kaur martially training her son, Kharak Singh]]

Since birth, Kharak Singh was the designated heir of his father. In 1816, at the age of 14, Maharaja Ranjit Singh officially anointed him as [[heir apparent]], coronating him [[Crown prince|Yuvraj Shri Tikka Kanwar]] (crown prince).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Ranjit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ilZJDQAAQBAJ&q=kharak+singh+1816&pg=PT115|title=Golden Crystal|date=2013|publisher=Unistar Books|isbn=978-93-5113-048-2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Archives|first=India (Republic) National|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tugJAQAAIAAJ&q=in+1816+kharak+singh+to+put+an+end|title=Maharaja Kharak Singh, June 27, 1839-November 5, 1840: Select Records Preserved in the National Archives of India, New Delhi|date=1977|publisher=Department of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University}}</ref> Kharak Singh was a popular and well-regarded crown prince.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Atwal |first=Priya |title=Royals and Rebels |date=2020}}</ref>

The same year, his mother, [[Datar Kaur|Mai Nakain]] took over his training for 18 months and even accompanied him to his expedition to Multan.<ref name="thewire.in">{{Cite web|title=Book Review: The Hidden History of Female Agency in the Sikh Empire|url=https://thewire.in/books/book-review-royals-and-rebels-priya-atwal|access-date=2021-09-12|website=The Wire}}</ref>

He was invested with the command of [[Siege of Multan (1818)]]. During the battle the queen herself oversaw the steady supply of grain, horses, and ammunition being sent to [[Kot Kamalia]], a town equally distanced between Multan and Lahore.<ref name="chop">{{Cite book|author=Chopra, Gulshan Lall|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/16516859|title=The Panjab as a sovereign state (1799-1839)|date=1929|publisher=Uttar Chand Kapur & Sons|oclc=16516859}}</ref> In 1818, together with [[Misr Diwan Chand]] he commanded an expedition against the [[Afghans|Afghan]] ruler of [[Multan]] [[Nawab Muzaffar Khan]], achieving a decisive victory at the [[Siege of Multan (1818)|Battle of Multan]].

The crown prince showed military talent hence was given a battalion to command during the [[Battle of Shopian]], which resulted in the annexation of [[Srinagar]] and [[Kashmir]] into the Sikh Empire.<ref name="sun1"/><ref name=":0" /> When the Sikh army entered the city of Srinagar after the battle, Prince Kharak Singh guaranteed the personal safety of every citizen and ensured the city was not plundered. The peaceful capture of Srinagar was important as Srinagar, besides having a large [[Shawl]]-making industry, was also the center of trade between [[Punjab region|Panjab]], [[Tibet]], [[Skardu]], and [[Ladakh]].<ref name="chop"/>

He commanded during similar campaigns undertaken by his father, Ranjit Singh for the conquest of [[Peshawar]] during the [[Battle of Nowshera]] and against the Mazaris of Shikarpur.

In 1839, Ranjit Singh awarded [[Kashmir]] to Kharak Singh, which was seen as a check on the ambitions of [[Gulab Singh|Gulab Singh Dogra]].<ref>Vanit Nalwa, Hari Singh Nalwa, "champion of the Khalsaji" (1791-1837), Manohar, New Delhi, 13 January 2009</ref>

==Maharaja of the Sikh Empire==
[[File:Maharaja Kharak Singh on horseback.jpg|thumb|Maharaja Kharak Singh on horseback]]
On the death of his father he was proclaimed the Maharajah and installed on the throne at [[Lahore Fort]] on 1 September 1839.

Kharak Singh was a patron of the arts, and commissioned a Sanskrit astronomy manuscript – the ''Sarvasiddhantattvacudamani''.<ref name="thewire.in"/>

Though courageous and good in battle, Kharak was regarded as simple minded<ref name="Bobby">Bobby Singh Bansal, Remnants of the Sikh Empire: Historical Sikh Monuments in India & Pakistan, Hay House, Inc, 1 Dec 2015,</ref> and believed to lack his father's shrewdness and diplomatic skills.<ref name="Bobby" /><ref name="C. Grey 1849">C. Grey, European Adventurers of Northern India, 1785 to 1849, Asian Educational Services, 1996,</ref> He developed a close relationship with his tutor Chet Singh Bajwa after the death of his mother, who gained such an ascendancy over him as to render him a puppet.<ref name="C. Grey 1849" /> This relationship with Chet Singh created tensions with Prime Minister Raja Dhian Singh.<ref name="C. Grey 1849" />

The [[Austrians|Austrian]] physician [[Johann Martin Honigberger]], who was present at court, described his coronation as a dark day for the Punjab, and referred to the Maharaja as a blockhead who twice a day deprived himself of his senses and spent his whole time in a state of stupefaction.<ref name="ReferenceA">William Dalrymple, Anita Anand, Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World's Most Infamous Diamond, Bloomsbury Publishing, 15 June 2017</ref> Historians challenge the popular oriental notion of Kharak Singh being considered "imbecile",<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sheikh|first=Majid|date=2019-06-23|title=HARKING BACK: Exquisite haveli with bloody tales of treachery|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1489836|access-date=2021-10-23|work=Dawn|location=Pakistan}}</ref> as said by [[Alexander Burnes]] and [[Henry Montgomery Lawrence]] -who had never met Kharak Singh.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Swamy|first=M. R. Narayan|title=Palace Women, Princes in Sikh Empire|url=https://www.southasiamonitor.org/books/palace-women-princes-sikh-empire|access-date=2021-09-12|website=South Asia Monitor}}</ref> Burns was the first to refer to Kharak Singh as imbecile but also mentions that Kharak was extremely kind hearted and noted that the prince was the master of an impressive military and good at the administrating and handling important strategic and governing duties assigned to him.<ref name="Atwal">{{Cite book|last=Atwal|first=Priya|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aiA3ygEACAAJ|title=Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire|date=2020-09-24|publisher=C. Hurst (Publishers) Limited|isbn=978-1-78738-308-1}}</ref>

[[Claude Martin Wade]], who was at the Lahore Durbar for 16 years disagreed as well, stating that Kharak Singh was a man with a "mild and humane disposition, who was "loved by his dependants".<ref name=":0"/> Wade suggests that Kharak Singh seemed to have a dismal reputation as he maintained a low profile.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Atwal|first=Priya|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LPcTEAAAQBAJ&q=royals+and+rebels|title=Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire|date=2021-01-15|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-756694-7}}</ref> Dr. Priya Atwal and Sarbpreet Singh note that Kharak Singh was politically intelligent and well versed in multiple languages, the most educated prince of Maharaja Ranjit Singh who not only led military expeditions but also diplomatic events.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Sarbpreet|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aWUoygEACAAJ|title=The Camel Merchant of Philadelphia: Stories from the Court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh|date=2019|publisher=Tranquebar by Westland Publications Private Limited|isbn=978-93-88689-47-2}}</ref><ref name="Atwal"/> Sarbjeet Singh states Kharak Singh along with his brothers was a victim of circumstance, something he labeled "A Shakespearean tragedy".

==Death==
[[Dhian Singh|Raja Dhian Singh]] is known to resent the influence of Chet Singh Bajwa, tutor of Kharak Singh on the emperor, as well as the court. It was rumored that both the Maharaja and Chet Singh were secretly planning to sell out the Punjab to the British, pay them six annas in every [[rupee]] of state revenue (37.5%) and, worse of all, disband the Sikh army. Misled by these fictitious tales, the court and [[Nau Nihal Singh]] became estranged from Kharak Singh.<ref>{{Citation|title=Koh-i-Noor Diamond|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_12469|work=Dictionary of Gems and Gemology|year=2009|pages=500|place=Berlin, Heidelberg|publisher=Springer Berlin Heidelberg|doi=10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_12469|isbn=978-3-540-72795-8|access-date=2021-09-12|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Chet Singh was assassinated on 9 October 1839. Early that morning the conspirators entered the Maharaja's residence in the fort and assassinated Chet Singh in the presence of their royal master, who vainly implored them to spare the life of his friend.

In February 1840 Kharak Singh was officially deposed and imprisoned for supposed crimes.<ref>John Keay, The Tartan Turban: In Search of Alexnder Gardner (Kashi House: London, 2017) page 144</ref> According to one account he was poisoned with white lead and mercury.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> Within six months he was bedridden, and eleven months after the poisoning he died on 5 November 1840 in Lahore.<ref>G. S. Chhabra, Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume-2: 1803-1920), Lotus Press, 2005, p.176</ref><ref name="ReferenceA" /> The official announcement blamed a sudden mysterious illness.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> Though never proven, most contemporaries believed [[Dhian Singh]] to be behind the poisoning.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> Dhian Singh also murdered one of Kharak Singh's wives, Rani Inder Kaur, by setting her on fire.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> Two of Kharak Singh's wives committed sati on his funeral pyre.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shanker |first=Rajkumari |title=Religion and Women |date=Sep 21, 2015 |publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=9781438419602 |editor-last=Sharma |editor-first=Arvind |pages=200 |chapter=Women in Sikhism}}</ref>

Dhian Singh had previously resisted attempts to allow Kharak training in statecraft, and on 8 October 1839 he instigated his removal from the throne with Nau Nihal Singh becoming [[De facto|de facto ruler]].

== Family ==

=== Wives ===
According to Priya Atwal, the known wives of Kharak Singh were:<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Atwal |first=Priya |title=Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780197548318 |pages=216–223 |chapter=Appendices: Queens of the Sikh Empire - Appendix II. List of All Known Queens of the Empire}}</ref>

* [[Chand Kaur|Chand Kaur Kanhaiya]] of the [[Kanhaiya Misl]](1802-1842), daughter of Jaimal Singh Kanhaiya was the first wife and queen consort of Kharak Singh. They were married in 1811 when they were both only 10 years old. In 1821 she gave birth to their only son [[Nau Nihal Singh]]. [[Umdat-ut-Tawarikh]], the chronological account of the reign of the [[Sukerchakia Misl|Sukerchakia family]] by their historiographer [[Sohan Lal Suri]] states that she was murdered on the orders of her brother-in-law, [[Sher Singh]] and Prime Minister [[Dhian Singh]]. The account further states that Sher Singh ordered for "medicines" to be given to widows of her son to terminate their pregnancies to avoid any future claimants to the throne resulting in the death of her grandchild and daughter-in-law, [[Sahib Kaur]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Atwal |first=Priya |title=Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire}}</ref>
* [[Khem Kaur Dhillon]] from Kalalwali, daughter of Jodh Singh Kalalwala was the second wife of Kharak Singh. They were married on 3 July 1815, given a pension worth Rs. 2,400. She had a ''jagir'' worth Rs. 12,000 that was confiscated as she colluded with the Multani rebels to overthrow the British her government in Punjab. Khem Kaur later adopted her cousin's son, Bhagwan Singh.
* Kishan Kaur Samra (also known as Subhrawali), daughter of a Jatt zamindar from Gurdaspur was the third wife of Kharak Singh and they were also married 1815. She was the only queen to live after the fall of the Sikh Empire in 1849, had an annual pension paid by the British Raj of RS 2324 and died in Lahore in 1876 while living at the [[Lahore Fort]].
* Inder Kaur Bajwa was his last wife and they were married by proxy in a "chadar dalna" ceremony in 1816. She was a relative of Chet Singh Bajwa, Kharak Singh's tutor and close confidant.

=== Issues ===
The known male issues of Kharak Singh were:<ref name=":3" />

* [[Nau Nihal Singh]], born to Maharani Chand Kaur in 1821.

== Legacy ==
[[File:Fresco of a tree and flowers from Kharak Singh's haveli within the Lahore Fort.jpg|Fresco of a tree and flowers from Maharaja Kharak Singh's Haveli within the Lahore Fort]]

A ''[[haveli]]'' known as Kharak Singh's Haveli, located in [[Lahore Fort|Shahi Qila]], [[Lahore]], is associated with him.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Atta |first=Ayesha |date=6 October 2023 |title=300-year-old documents found in Kharak Singh's Haveli |url=https://www.samaa.tv/208732195-300-year-old-documents-found-in-kharak-singh-s-haveli |access-date=14 July 2024 |work=Samaa}}</ref> In 2023, a treasure-trove of historical documents was discovered at the haveli.<ref name=":1" />

==See also==
*[[Gurdaspur District]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Commons category|Kharak Singh}}
*Singh, Harbans "The encyclopedia of Sikhism. Vol III." pages 494–495
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20171218030926/http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/warriors/khemkaurdhillon.html "Bibi Khem Kaur Dhillon", URL accessed 11/16/06]

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140621130115/http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/warriors/maharaja_kharak_singh.html Genealogy of Kharak Singh]

{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| title = [[Maharaja]] of the [[Sikh Empire]]
| years = 27 June 1839 – 8 October 1839
| before = [[Ranjit Singh]]
| after = [[Nau Nihal Singh]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Sikh Empire|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kharak Singh}}
[[Category:Sikh emperors]]
[[Category:1801 births]]
[[Category:1840 deaths]]
[[Category:Ranjit Singh]]
[[Category:People from Lahore]]

Kharak Singh - Revision history

Robigk at 16:53, 27 March 2026