| Office | Diwan of Lahore
|
|---|---|
| Term start | 1726 |
| Term end | 1747 |
| Predecessor | unknown |
| Successor | Kaura Mal
|
| Died | 1746 |
| Place of death | Punjab, Mughal Empire
|
| Children | Harbhaj Rai Dalpat Rai
|
Lakhpat Rai was the Diwan (chief minister) of Lahore for Yahya Khan Bahadur, the Subahdar of Subahs of Lahore and Multan, from 1726 until his death on March 21, 1747.[1][2] He is best known for his role in a large scale massacre of Sikhs in 1746 called the Chhota Ghallughara, in which an estimated 7,000 Sikhs were killed.[3][4] However, Purnima Dhavan gives a smaller figure of 400 Sikhs being killed in the massacre.[5]
Lakhpat Rai and his brother Jaspat Rai belonged to a Khatri family from Kalanaur.[1][6] Lakhpat Rai constructed the Suka Talab in Lahore, which was situated near the Gurdwara Shikargarh Patshahi Chhevin.[7] Jaspat Rai was killed by the Sikhs in a raid. In order to take revenge of his brother's death, Lakhpat Rai convinced Yahya Khan, the Mughal governor, to take action against Sikhs.[6] As per Rattan Singh Bhangu's Panth Prakash, Lakhpat Rai personally supervised the operation and specifically sought out copies of the Guru Granth Sahib in-order to destroy them.[8] During the Chhota Ghallughara campaign, Lakhpat Rai's son Harbhaj Rai was killed by the Sikhs.[9][10] Lakhpat Rai was later killed by the Sikhs.[1] According to Surjit Singh Gandhi, he was killed in 1748.[1] His son, Dalpat Rai, sought asylum in Jammu and settled there.[11]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Rise of the Sikh Power and Maharaja Ranjeet Singh{{#if:Seetal|, Seetal}. Dhanpat Rai(1971)
- ↑ CHHOṬĀ GHALLŪGHĀRĀ, Nijjar, B. S.. Encyclopedia of Sikhism (Online Edition). Punjabi University. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ↑ A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy, p.86, Routledge, W. Owen Cole, Piara Singh Sambhi, 2005
- ↑ The encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 entries){{#if:Singha|, Singha}. Hemkunt Press(2000). ISBN 978-81-7010-301-1
- ↑ When Sparrows Became Hawks: The Making of the Sikh Warrior Tradition, 1699-1799{{#if:Dhavan|, Dhavan}. Oxford University Press(2 November 2011). ISBN 9780199877171
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 When Sparrows Became Hawks: The Making of the Sikh Warrior Tradition, 1699-1799{{#if:Dhavan|, Dhavan}. Oxford University Press(2 November 2011). ISBN 9780199877171
- ↑ Sikh Historical Shrines in Pakistan: Lahore District{{#if:Butalia|, Butalia}. Jeevay Sanjha Punjab(April 2025)
- ↑ Sri Gur Panth Prakash: Its Text, Context, and Significance{{#if:Mann|, Mann}. Global Institute for Sikh Studies(2016)
- ↑ Aja ghalūghārā divasa'tē: Sikha itihāsa dā ahima sākā chōṭā ghalūghārā. Punjabi Jagran(14 May 2019). Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ↑ Chōṭā ghalūghārā sarōta: Pajāba kōśa–jilada pahilī, bhāśā vibhāga pajāba. Punjabipedia. Punjabi University(13 August 2018). Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ↑ Dogra Wall Paintings in Jammu and Kashmir{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195615494