In the 18th century, Punjab was going through very hard times. The Mughal Empire was weak. Ahmad Shah Abdali from Afghanistan kept invading India. In this dark period, the Sikhs organized themselves into twelve groups called Misals. Each Misal had its own leader, army, and territory.
One of these groups was the Dallewalia Misal. It was founded by Gulab Singh and later led by the famous Tara Singh Ghaiba.
Gulab Singh – The Founder of the Dallewalia Misal
Gulab Singh, also known as Gulaba, was born in a Khatri family. His village was Dallewal, near Dera Baba Nanak. His father’s name was Sardha Ram, who ran a small grocery shop in the village.
After his father’s death, Gulaba took over the shop. But one night, thieves broke into his shop. They took away all his goods and money. Gulaba was left with nothing. He tried to borrow money to restart his shop, but no one helped him.
Joining the Khalsa
This terrible event changed his life. In A.D. 1726, Gulaba took pahul (the Sikh baptism) and joined the Dal Khalsa. He became a brave fighter against the cruel government of Punjab. It is said that Sardar Kapur Singh Faizullapuria baptized him.
Gulab Singh was a brave and promising young man. He joined Sikh groups that attacked Lahore, Kasur, and Jalandhar. Later, he formed his own group (jatha). He spoke sweetly and behaved kindly, so his companions respected him deeply.
Gulab Singh fought in the Chhota Ghallughara (the “lesser holocaust”) in June 1746, along with his two brothers, Dayal Singh and Gurdyal Singh, and his two sons, Jaipal Singh and Hardyal Singh.
In 1748, Gulab Singh was declared the head of the Dallewalias. Gurdyal Singh and Tara Singh Ghaiba became his deputies.
A Famous Show of Bravery
In 1750, Gulab Singh did something amazing. With only 150 followers, he entered Jalandhar city and fought the army of the faujdar (governor). He killed many enemy soldiers. Then he joined the Sikh camp at Kartarpur. From that day, his fame as a brave warrior spread far and wide among the Sikhs.
Seeing his rising power, many people took baptism and joined the Sikh movement to free Punjab from Mughal rule.
Attacks on Muslim Rulers and Their Treasures
In 1756, with his friend Sardar Karora Singh, Gulab Singh attacked Najib Khan Rohilla of Najibabad. Nawab Dode Khan resisted at first but soon ran away from the battlefield. After that, Gulab Singh punished Nawab Zabita Khan of Meerut. Then he attacked Muzaffarnagar, Deoband, Miranpur, and Saharanpur. The rulers of these places could not face him. They paid him tribute (nazrana) and accepted his rule.
Stopping Ahmad Shah Abdali
In 1756–57, Ahmad Shah Abdali was returning from Delhi with huge loot and many young Hindu girls as prisoners. The Sikhs stopped him at the river Ravi and took away much of his loot. All the girls were freed and sent back to their families. Gulab Singh and his men took an active part in this noble work.
The same year, a spy told the Sikhs that revenue money of five lakh rupees was being carried from the Rawalpindi–Rohtas area to Lahore. Gulab Singh and Karora Singh attacked the guards near Jhelum and captured the money. They used it to buy food and distributed it among the dals (units) of the Khalsa.
Growth of His Power
Slowly, Gulab Singh’s army grew to 400 horsemen. Gulab Singh raided Panipat, Rohtak, Hansi, and Hisar. With the Karorsinghias, he plundered Saharanpur and Jawalapur. Then he crossed the river Ganga near Hardwar and entered Rohilkhand, where he took tribute from Dunde Khan.
Death of Gulab Singh
In 1759, Gulab Singh was killed in the battle of Kalanaur (27 km west of Gurdaspur), fighting against Ambo Khan. His two sons, Jaipal Singh and Hardyal Singh, had already died earlier in the battle of Basohli.
So the leadership went to Gurdyal Singh, a close companion of Gulab Singh. But Gurdyal Singh also died about a year later. Then Tara Singh Ghaiba became the leader of the Misal.
Tara Singh Ghaiba – The Greatest Leader of the Misal
There was a Jat farmer named Sadhana of the Kang sub-caste. He lived in Kang village, on the bank of a small stream called Kang Chella or Baen. He had two sons, Amrika and Bhumia. After their father’s death, both sons became farmers like him.
Amrika was very poor. He had only one he-buffalo and could not buy a second one. So he shared buffaloes with another farmer, and together they ploughed their fields.
To Amrika was born Tara Singh. To Bhumia were born Dharam Singh and Kapur Singh. When Tara Singh died in 1807, he was said to be 100 years old. So he was born around 1707–08.
Tara Singh’s life was full of pain from the beginning. When he was only four years old, his mother died. His father married again, but the stepmother treated Tara Singh badly and often beat him.
The Shepherd Boy
When Tara Singh grew up, he bought a few goats and sheep. He also worked as a shepherd for other farmers. His income was very small.
Near his village, a stream flowed. Before the rainy season, Tara Singh made a simple bridge with ropes and pieces of wood, covered with earth. He would take his cattle across the stream to graze and then disappear in the jungle. This habit of vanishing earned him the title “Ghaiba” (one who disappears).
The Robber and the Tax Collector
One day, a notorious robber named Salima (Sulaiman) Gujjar forcibly took away all of Tara Singh’s sheep. These animals were his only property. Tara Singh was heartbroken. He begged the robber, saying he could not live without his animals. Salima took pity and gave back five goats and took away the rest.
When Tara Singh came home, he had no food even for one day. His only utensil was a brass plate. At that very time, a foot-soldier (pyada) of the local official came to collect revenue. Since Tara Singh had nothing else, the soldier took away even that brass plate.
This total helplessness pushed Tara Singh out of his home. He reached the village of Dallewal, near Sultanpur. There he took pahul from Gurdyal Singh (a Khatri of the Malanh sub-caste) and joined Gulab Singh.
Joining the Dal Khalsa
Many people joined Tara Singh. They included Man Singh, Sucha Singh, and Dan Singh – the three real brothers of Tara Singh’s sister. They came from Majha. Their parents had died, and they were living on small earnings from manual labour. Charhat Singh Kandhranwala (a Kang Jat) also joined him. Together, they set out to make their fortunes.
The Clever Trick at the Baen Stream
During the rule of Adeena Beg, when Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India, four friends – Tara Singh Ghaiba, his cousin Dharam Singh, Tara Singh Kakar, and Sujan Singh Badichah – were sitting by the Baen stream near Kang village.
Suddenly, four Afghan sowars (horsemen) of the Durrani army, loaded with huge loot, lost their way. They came to the same place. They wanted to cross the stream and asked Tara Singh for help. Tara Singh knew the safe crossing point. But he took them to a place where the water was very deep, telling them it was safe.
The Afghans asked the Sikhs to cross first. The Sikhs swam across. When the Afghans entered the water, they found it too deep. They begged the Sikhs to carry their goods and horses across.
Tara Singh and his friends saw their golden chance. They took the horses and goods across the stream – and then ran away with everything! They left the Afghans unharmed. Reaching their village, they divided the loot among themselves.
Building a Territory
With this loot, they became rich and bought more horses. Tara Singh gathered ten or fifteen more men and declared himself independent of the local chief. During the Baisakhi festival, he went to Amritsar and joined the Ahluwalia and Singhpuria leaders. Soon his force grew to 200 horsemen.
His main companions – Sujan Singh Badichah, Tara Singh Kakar, Dharam Singh, and Kanwar Singh Kang – each led 20 horsemen, all under the command of Tara Singh Ghaiba.
His Conquests
- He captured Dakhni from the Afghans of Jalandhar and first gave it to its former chief, Sharaf-ud-Din. Later he took it under his direct control.
- He occupied Rahon and made it his headquarters.
- He conquered Phillaur and nearby areas.
- He defeated the Rajputs of Nakodar and annexed the town. In this battle, Sujan Singh Badichah was killed. As blood-money, Tara Singh took Kot Saida and sixty other villages and gave them to Sujan Singh’s son Mehar Singh and his two brothers.
- His cousin Dharam Singh received Sohian and eighty villages.
- Charhat Singh got Kandharan and twelve villages.
- Later, he also occupied Kot Badal Khan and Mehtapur.
So all his relatives and companions got territories and armies – but all remained under Tara Singh.
His Family and Marriages
Tara Singh married three wives:
- Raj Kaur – from village Mokha. She stayed at Dakhni. Her son was Dasondha Singh. When he grew up, he revolted against his father and seized all the treasure stored at Dakhni. Tara Singh, with his followers and the Rai of Ahmad Kot, besieged Dakhni but failed to win it back. Finally, other Sardars made peace between father and son. Dasondha Singh kept Dakhni and its ta’alluqa.
- Rattan Kaur – daughter of Gurdas Singh of the Dooda Matta family. She received Nakodar, Mehtapur, Malanh, Kot Badal Khan, and nearby areas. Her son was Jhanda Singh. She also had a daughter.
- Rajinder Kaur – daughter of a Jat named Dargahi of Narangwal (Raipurian tribe). She received Ghungrana with its ta’alluqa. One-fourth of Ghungrana was given to the Raipurias. Her son was Gujjar Singh.
Rahon, Nawanshahar, Dharamkot, and other areas stayed with Tara Singh. One-fourth of the Rahon ta’alluqa was given to the Rajputs, who were its old owners.
The Year 1763–64: Great Victories
- In March 1763, while going to Anandpur for the Hola festival, Tara Singh plundered a government convoy near Morinda.
- In May 1763, during the plunder of Kasur, he got cash and jewellery worth four lakh rupees.
- In January 1764, when Sirhind fell to the Sikhs, Tara Singh took Ramuwala and Mari in Moga tehsil and built forts at both places.
Campaigns in Ganga Doab and Delhi
Tara Singh joined most Sikh raids in the Ganga Doab, Rohilkhand, and Delhi with Rai Singh Bhangi and Baghel Singh Karorsinghia:
- April 22, 1775 – They crossed the Jamuna at Begi Ghat and collected money from Kunjpura, Lakhnauti, Gangoh, Ambehta, Deoband, and Ghausgarh.
- On the way to Delhi, they plundered Barah Sadat, Shamli, Kairana, Kandhla, and Meerut.
- July 15, 1775 – They set fire to Paharganj and Jaisinghpura near Delhi.
- March 1783 – Tara Singh was at Delhi with other Sikh Sardars. He brought two guns from the Red Fort and kept them at Rahon. He also helped Baghel Singh build seven Gurdwaras at Delhi.
Friendship with Patiala
Tara Singh Ghaiba had good relations with the Patiala house:
- 1765 – He helped Raja Amar Singh control the revolt of Prince Himmat Singh.
- 1777 – Prince Himmat Singh’s daughter, Chand Kaur, was married to Tara Singh’s son, Dasondha Singh. The marriage party had 12,000 men and stayed at Patiala for ten days. The wedding cost the Patiala state five lakh rupees.
- 1778 – He helped Raja Amar Singh repel the attack of Hari Singh Sialba and Jassa Singh Ramgarhia.
- 1779 – When the Delhi minister planned to conquer the Malwa territory, Raja Amar Singh called Tara Singh for help. Tara Singh came with 15,000 troops. The Nawab was frightened and ran back to Delhi.
- April 1789 – When Mahadaji Sindhia sent Rane Khan to attack Patiala, Tara Singh strongly resisted him and forced him back to Delhi.
- He also helped Patiala against the Bhattis of Bhatinda and supported the Phulkian chiefs against George Thomas.
The Fall of Rahon: Ranjit Singh Takes Over
When Tara Singh became very old, Maharaja Ranjit Singh was building his kingdom. He wanted to take over all the Sikh Misals.
In 1807, Ranjit Singh crossed the Satluj. Old Tara Singh (about 100 years old!) went with him and fought in the battle of Naraingarh. Naraingarh was won and given to the Ahluwalias. But at Naraingarh, Tara Singh died.
His men secretly and quickly carried his body to Rahon and cremated it there. Ranjit Singh came to Rahon to mourn. He said to Tara Singh’s widow, Rattan Kaur:
“Tara Singh was my father and you are my mother. He was also my teacher, as I learnt the art of using arms from him. I have come for condolence.”
Rattan Kaur offered him an elephant, five horses, and six lakh rupees. But Ranjit Singh wanted more – he wanted to enter the fort of Rahon and occupy it. Rattan Kaur refused. Fighting began.
The historian Cunningham wrote about her courage:
“The widow of the aged leader equalled the sister of the Raja of Patiala in spirit, and she is described to have girded up her garments, and to have fought, sword in hand, on the battered walls of the fort of Rahon.”
Finally, some servants of Tara Singh betrayed her and opened the fort gate from inside. Ranjit Singh’s forces entered.
The family lost almost everything. Thirty-five lakh rupees in cash, along with gold, jewellery, and other valuables, fell into Ranjit Singh’s hands. Tara Singh’s family was left in deep poverty.
What remained:
- Dakhni – with Dasondha Singh (and later it went to Sahib Singh Bedi)
- Nakodar and Mehatpur – with Jhanda Singh
- Ghungrana – with Gujjar Singh (but Ranjit Singh soon took this too)
Tara Singh’s Successors
Dakhni and Saheli
When Dasondha Singh died, his widow Saheli kept some parts of Dakhni. She was a very beautiful woman from a poor family – before marrying Dasondha Singh, she had been the wife of a gardener named Husain.
Sahib Singh Bedi did not like Sikh territory being held by her. He made a plan. He told her to admit a few of his men into the fort of Dakhni, promising it would then be “under his protection” and safe from Ranjit Singh. She agreed. But then more of Sahib Singh’s men entered the fort, drove out her men, and took the fort and her wealth.
Jhanda Singh
Ranjit Singh took Nakodar and Mehatpur from Jhanda Singh and left him only four villages for survival: Sharakpur (near Nakodar), Sarhala (near Batala, given by Rani Sada Kaur), Lehalke (near Batala), and Lal Chappar (on the bank of the Jamuna, given to Dulcha Singh).
Later, when Jhanda Singh became poor, he became a trader and businessman. He built a pukka haveli (mansion) at Amritsar and worked hard in trade.
Gujjar Singh
Tara Singh’s third son, Gujjar Singh, held Ghungrana. Ranjit Singh seized the fort of Ghungrana and drove him out. Gujjar Singh went to Patiala, where ruler Sahib Singh gave him four villages. After a family dispute, he kept only two.
Rattan Kaur’s Last Days
Tara Singh’s third wife, Rattan Kaur, lived long after him. She sometimes stayed with her son Jhanda Singh and sometimes at Ludhiana, where she received a monthly pension of thirty rupees from the British officer Ochterlony. She died at Ludhiana.
The Old Companions
Tara Singh’s old subordinates kept their positions – the Badichahs of Kot Saida, the Kakras of Phillaur, Dharam Singh Kang of Lohian, and Kanwar Singh with his sons Vir Singh and Hari Singh of Kankana. They now came under Ranjit Singh’s rule and had to pay him tribute, which weakened them financially.
The Territory of the Dallewalia Misal
The Misal held land on both sides of the river Satluj:
In the Jalandhar Doab (west of Satluj): Kang, Lohian, Rasapur, Kotshah, Qila Mohar Singh, Qila Dayal Singh, Pasla, Kot Bawal Khan, Nakodar, Qila Mehatpur, Qila Dakhani, Phillaur, Nawanshahar, Rahon, Moran, and Kang Sani Goharwala.
In the cis-Satluj region (east of Satluj): Morinda, Khamanon, Machhiwara, Bharatgarh, Fatehgarh, Singhan Sothiwala, and Singhan Bariwala.
Historian Hari Ram Gupta adds many more places: Akalgarh, Arnauli, Awankot, Bahrampur, Ghungrana, Kaithal, Khairabad, Nurpur, Ramuwala, Ropar, Sialba, and others in the cis-Satluj region, plus Garhdiwala, Garhshankar, Haibatpur, and Takhtgarh in the Jalandhar Doab.
Tara Singh was the only renowned ruler of the Dallewalia Misal.
Tara Singh Kakar and His Family
Tara Singh Kakar (Kakra) also belonged to the Dallewalia Misal. He was a Jat farmer from Kang village, of the same sub-caste as Tara Singh Ghaiba. His father, Mal Singh, was a farmer with four sons.
Why “Kakra”?
Kakra had killed a village elder (panch) named Labha, who had insisted on collecting land revenue. Kakra also had a reddish beard – in Punjabi, “kakar/kakra” means a man with a reddish beard. This is how he got his name.
His Career
- During the Sikh attack on Kasur, he got a large share of loot, with which he built a cavalry force.
- When Tara Singh Ghaiba took Rahon and Nakodar, Kakar took control of Phillaur and some villages near the Satluj, including Nurpur.
- After the fall of Sirhind, he took the ta’alluqas of Kotla and Kakrala.
But there was a problem: the murdered panch, Labha, was a relative of Tara Singh Ghaiba. Because of this, Kakar lost all his possessions.
Restoration Through Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
Kakar had received a serious thigh wound in the battle of Sirhind. After recovering, he went to Amritsar during Diwali and met Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. The great Sardar persuaded Tara Singh Ghaiba to return the ta’alluqa to him.
Jai Singh and Ram Singh of Khamanon (who also belonged to Kang village) joined him. Jai Singh took Khamanon and nearby villages. Tara Singh gave one village each in the Kang area to his brothers Himat and Baka, who lived like zamindars.
The Later Generations
- Tara Singh Kakar died in A.D. 1784. His young son Sudha Singh could not rule, so Kakar’s brother Kapur Singh took over and gave half the ta’alluqa to his nephew.
- After Sudha Singh died, his son Megh Singh succeeded him.
- Later, Ranjit Singh dispossessed Megh Singh and Kapur Singh, giving them only a few villages.
- Ranjit Singh sent Diwan Mohkam Chand to Phillaur. Through an agreement, Sarai Phillaur became a post of the Lahore Durbar.
- Megh Singh served in the Lahore army as a colonel. He built a big house at Ludhiana.
- Kapur Singh died in A.D. 1816. His son Gujjar Singh also served the Maharaja, but once he came back from Attock without the permission of Kanwar Sher Singh – and Ranjit Singh confiscated his jagir.
- Megh Singh died at Ludhiana on April 20, 1839.
The story of the Dallewalia Misal is the story of two extraordinary men.
Gulab Singh was a poor shopkeeper who lost everything to thieves – and rose to become the leader of a Sikh Misal through courage and faith.
Tara Singh Ghaiba was an orphan shepherd whose only brass plate was snatched by a tax collector – and who became a great ruler loved by his people. He lived simply, taxed lightly, fed the poor, respected all communities, and listened to every voice. Even Ranjit Singh called him “Baba ji” and learned the use of arms from him.
Yet history took a hard turn. Within years of Tara Singh’s death at the age of about 100, the fort of Rahon fell to Ranjit Singh, defended bravely to the last by the sword-wielding widow Rattan Kaur. The Misal’s wealth went to the Maharaja, and the family sank into poverty.
The Dallewalia Misal thus shows the full life-cycle of the Sikh Misals – born in persecution, raised in heroic struggle, crowned with conquest, and finally merged into the kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Sources: Bute Shah, Ali-ud-Din Mufti (Ibratnama), Khushwaqat Rai, Cunningham, and modern historians like Hari Ram Gupta.
