There is very little authentic record of the ancient history of Jammu. In fact most of it is based on legends, and according to one such legend, Jammu city was founded over 3,000 years ago by Jambu lochan on the right bank of river Tawi, after his brother, Bahu Lochan, had some years earlier, laid the foundation of Bahu on the left bank of the River. This legend has, however, not been accepted by historians as it is not supported by historical evidence.
Historians believe that Jammu came into existence not too long before AD 900. This belief is based on the fact that the earliest known reference to Durgara (from which the terms ‘Duggar’ and Dogra’ have obviously been derived and which could even be the ancient name of Jammu), is the one found in copper plate inscriptions pertaining to AD 910-30, which speak of the victory of Sahila Verman of Chamba over the forces of the ruler of Durgara.
The first authentic reference to Jammu is found in the memoirs of Timur who sacked this town in the course of his invasion of India in 1398-99. In his memoirs, Timur describes the people of Jammu as warlike and “athletic Hindus … not submissive, and obedient to the Sultans of Hindustan”. At the time of Timur’s attack Jammu was being ruled by Maldev, who was forced to embrace Islam after his defeat. His conversion should have had some far-reaching effects on the history of Jammu but nothing of the sort seems to have happened. Although nothing is known of Maldev after his conversion, it appears that he reconverted to Hinduism at the first opportunity, as his immediate successor, Bhim Dev, is known to have been a Hindu.
From the beginning of the 15th century when Bhim Dev rendered valuable military help to Sultan Mubarak Shah of Delhi against Jasrat Kokhar of Punjab and got killed in the process, Jammu remained at war with the rulers of Punjab for nearly one hundred years. During this period which lasted right up to the reign of Kapur Dev, the successions to the throne of Jammu were invariably peaceful.
Dissensions within the ruling family started only in 1571 when, after the death of Kapur Dev his two sons, Samil Dev and Jay Dev fell out with each other and set up their independent authority at Jammu and Bahu respectively. This division of Jammu made it easy for the Mughals to establish their rule over the entire territory. Jammu and Bahu remained divided all through the Mughal rule. The animosity of the two little kingdoms, being marked by raids of one against the other, caused much mutual destruction. In between they did unite once during the rule of Hari Dev (1652-82) but the rift between the royal houses surfaced again after Hari Dev died while leading a Mughal expedition into the Deccan.
It was not till Ranjit Dev came to the throne that Jammu became united again and was able to regain its past glory. Within a short time Ranjit Dev extended his territories far and wide. Once or twice he even attacked Sialkot and over-ran many miles of the country on both sides of the Chenab. Subsequently the Dogras became so bold that they began to plunder the Mughal caravans moving between Punjab and Kashmir.
This invited the serious attention of the Governor of Punjab and taking advantage of the rift between Ranjit Dev and his stepbrother Ghansar Dev, he attacked Jammu in 1748. Ranjit Dev was defeated and taken to Lahore as a prisoner while Ghansar Dev was installed on the Jammu gaddi. In 1760, however, Ranjit Dev secured his release through his well wishers and returned to Jammu to reoccupy the throne. By the time Ranjit Dev came to the throne a second time the Mughal Empire had begun to totter under the weight of Afghan invasions.
Taking advantage of the conditions in Punjab caused by the weakening of the Mughal hold, Ranjit Dev once again undertook to expand his territory. There were 22 Dogra principalities – 1 1 in the Jullundur circle and 1 1 in the Duggar circle – and Ranjit Dev was able to bring most of them under his control. Indeed by 1773 his authority extended over the entire country from Jasrota to Kaluwal on the Chenab and from Roras to Mandikail in Gurdaspur.
The Jammu Kingdom then included Chamba, Balawar (Basohli), Bhaddu, Mankot (Ramkot), Bandraltha (Ramnagar), Jasrota, Jammu, Bhuti, Chineni, Kishtwar and Bhadarwah. The rulers of Rajaori, Bhimber and Poonch are also known to have been in attendance at the Jammu court. This period of Ranjit Dev’s rule certainly forms the golden era of the history of Jammu. Not only for the large extent of the territory under one Dogra ruler, but also because of economic prosperity made possible by the security and stability that Jammu enjoyed during this period. Some historians even believe that Jammu town was one of the richest towns in India of those days. After the death of Ranjit Dev in 1780 Jammu lost much of its glory and suffered much at the hands of the Sikh Misls who gained ascendancy in Punjab after the withdrawal of the Afghans.
Ranjit Dev was succeeded by his son Brij Lal and it was during his reign that the Sikh Misl Mahan Singh (father of Maharaja Ranjit Singh) attacked Jammu and ransacked it. Brij Lai was succeeded by his one year old son with Mian Mota (Brij Lal’s cousin) acting as the regent but when the boy died at the age of eleven, Ajit Singh, a nephew of Brij Lal, ascended the gaddi.
Meanwhile events of far-reaching consequence were taking place in Punjab. The Sikh Misl Ranjit Singh’s ambition of bringing all the Sikh Misls of Punjab under his rule was beginning to bear fruit. The personality of Ranjit Singh had already impressed itself on the other Sikh leaders and he now coveted Lahore which in Punjab was associated with political power. His opportunity came during the second invasion of Shah Zaman of Kabul in 1798-99. As the King was unable to take his heavy artillery across the flooded Jhelum, he made it known to the aspiring Chief that his ability to take the guns across the river would be rewarded. Ranjit Singh through his ingenuity and determination got a large number of guns of the Durani Shah across and procured from him as a reward that he had always wanted – a royal investiture of Lahore, the capital of Punjab. After this there was no looking back for Maharaja Ranjit Singh as he grew from strength to strength and by 1807 he had not only brought all the Sikh Misls of Punjab under his banner but also started a process of conquests for carving out a great kingdom for himself. Jammu was bound to be Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s first target.
Consequently in 1808 he despatched a large Army under Bhai Hukam Singh to reduce Jammu and annex it to Punjab. Mian Mota who was in charge of the town organized a small force and came out of the town to give battle to the Sikhs. When the two forces met outside the Gumat Gate, young Gulab Singh, a lad of sixteen at that time was found taking an active and prominent part in the battle alongside the other Dogra hero Mian Dido. The defence was successful to some extent and Hukam Singh was forced to withdraw to Saidgarh.
Gulab Singh’s part in the successful defence of Jammu had not been a small one and his performance had attracted the attention of the Sikh Commander Hukam Singh, which was later to stand him in good stead. Ultimately, however the Jammu defences could not stand the onslaught of the large Sikh Army and it was not long before the whole of the State passed under the suzerainty of the Sikh Kingdom.
After the annexation of Jammu to Punjab, the two Dogra heroes, Mian Dido and Mian Gulab Singh adopted two different paths for serving perhaps a common end – return of the Dogra rule in Jammu. While Dido adopted a path of confrontation with the Sikhs, Gulab Singh chose to co-operate with them and win them over through loyalty and service. Consequently while Dido organized a guerrilla force to harass the “foreigners’ and compel them to leave the State, Gulab Singh secured service in the Sikh Army in 1809 on the recommendation of Bhai Hukam Singh, who, as we have seen, was attracted by the prowess of Gulab Singh at the battle of the Gumat Gate. The same year Gulab Singh was admitted to the Lahore court where he impressed the Maharaja so much that soon after his two brothers were also accommodated at the court and in less than three years he himself was able to rise from the rank of an ordinary soldier to that of Commander of a regiment in the Sikh Army.
In 1812 Ranjit Singh sent his first expedition against Kashmir in alliance with Fateh Khan, the all powerful Wazir of Afghanistan. The alliance, however, broke halfway as Fateh Khan tried to forestall Dewan Mokam Chand, the Sikh Commander, in the occupation of Kashmir. Although the trick failed, Fateh Khan still managed to take possession of Kashmir to the exclusion of the Sikhs. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was not prepared to allow Fateh Khan to occupy Kashmir so easily, and with a view to dislodge the wily Afghan, he himself led an expedition to Kashmir in 1814. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, however, made a strategic error in dividing his force into two columns; one under himself to advance on Kashmir via Poonch and the other under Dewan Ram Dyal by way of Bahramgalla. This division of the Army proved disastrous as the Governor of Kashmir was able to concentrate superior numbers against Ram Dyal’s column and cut it up completely.
Gulab Singh’s regiment formed part of this column and he showed the greatest courage and presence of mind in these perilous circumstances,as he reassembled his forces and brought them back safely. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was greatly pleased with the performance of Gulab Singh and awarded him with Kharoti and Beyol as jagirs.Kashmir was ultimately brought under Sikh rule in 1819 after another Sikh expedition in which Gulab Singh had an important role to play.The rise of Gulab Singh in favour at the Lahore Durbar during the next few years was astronomic.
Immediately after the Kashmir expedition he rendered valuable service in the reduction of Garh Damala fort in the JuIIundur Doab. Consequently he was awarded Lala Chowbara, in the Sialkot district, and Ramgarh near Samba, as jagirs. Soon followed more opportunities for Gulab Singh to prove his worth as a soldier and he made the best of each one of them, being handsomely rewarded each time with some Jagir or the other. He particularly distinguished himself in the Sikh expeditions to Multan (1818), Kashmir (1819), Mankera and Dera Ghazi Khan (1819-20).
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, on his part, was so generous in rewarding Gulab Singh for his valour and loyalty, that within seven years of his taking up service in Lahore, he had become an important grandee at the Sikh Durbar. Besides the Kharoti and Beyol Jagirs awarded to him in 1814 and Lala Chowbara and Ramgarh in 1815, Riasi was bestowed on him in 1816-17.
While Gulab Singh was thus rising in favour with the Sikhs, Mian Dido had intensified his guerrilla activities against the Sikh Army in Jammu. Dido is said to have descended from Hari Dev who ruled Jammu from 1652 to 1688. Generous and helpful to the oppressed and the poor that he was, he had won the heart of the common man. As the Robin hood of Jammu he was received by the people with open arms where ever he went. In fact it was this support of the local population that enabled him to conduct his guerrilla actions with near perfection. With just a few men he would often attack a strong garrison of the Sikhs and after inflicting heavy casualties on them escape unmolested.
By 1816 his word had become law in the Jammu hills and the Lahore Durbar was finding it increasingly difficult to even collect revenue from here. Ever since Jammu was annexed Maharaja Ranjit Singh had despatched a number of expeditions against Dido without any of these being able to subdue him.In 1816 Prince Kharak Singh, whose Jagir Jammu was, had come himself to personally supervise operations against Dido but he too had had to return without accomplishing much. In fact with every unsuccessful action of the Sikh troops, Dido and his guerrillas had become bolder and bolder.Ultimately things came to such a pass that even the line of communication between Punjab and Kashmir that passed through Jammu had become totally unsafe.
What, however, proved to be the proverbial last straw was the personal affront to Maharaja Ranjit Singh caused by Dido when in 1820 he looted the fruits and goods which had been sent by the Governor of Kashmir for the personal use of the Maharaja. The Maharaja was so enraged that he took it upon himself to personally lead an expedition against Dido. Gulab Singh was, however, quick to grab this opportunity of showing his mettle and he pleaded with Maharaja Ranjit Singh to give him a chance to chastise the rebel before the Maharaja himself took the trouble. The request, having been made with all the respect and loyalty to the ruler, was conceded to by the Maharaja and in order to lace Gulab Singh with the necessary authority for accomplishing the task, Ranjit Singh granted to Gulab Singh and his family, as Jagir, all the territory connected with Jammu, along with the small principalities of Patti, Bhoti, Bandraltha,Chineni and Kishtwar. The grant was, however, made on certain conditions. These included, firstly, that the grantees were to maintain 400 horsemen for the service of the Maharaja;secondly, they were to ensure the protection of the caravan route to Kashmir passing through Jammu; thirdly, they were to either kill or capture Dido or force him across the Sutlej; and fourthly that they could extend their territory only with the consent of the Lahore Durbar.
Mian Kishore Singh (father of Gulab Singh) who was a descendant of Surat Dev. brother of the famous Ranjit Dev. was given the title of Raja and appointed as the administrator of the Jagir with wide powers.Gulab Singh was determined to fulfil the conditions laid down by the Maharaja with the hope of one day reviving the rule of his dynasty over Jammu. As a first step towards the liquidation of Dido and his guerrillas, he sought to deprive them of the support of the people by taking to task and punishing those who rendered Dido such support. For identifying the supporters of the great rebel he adopted a novel stratagem. He sent to the various villages his own men disguised as guerrillas and Dido’s sympathizers got exposed as they came out to help them. Confused as to who was who and fearing that they might invite Gulab Singh’s wrath if exposed as Dido’s sympathizers, the people preferred to dissociate themselves from Dido’s struggle against the government. After isolating Dido thus, Gulab Singh marched “on Jugti which was Dido’s Jagir. Dido had taken refuge on the Trikuta peak, where the famous Vaishno Devi Shrine is located. There he was hunted out by Gulab Singh’s men and in the skirmish that followed Dido fell fighting like a lion.
After the death of Dido, Dogra insurgency in Jammu was easily stamped out.The end of Dogra insurgency must have given Maharaja Ranjit Singh the greatest satisfaction but before making up his mind about a suitable reward for Gulab Singh, he wished to put him to another test. Raja Agar Khan of Rajauri had, through his intrigues, greatly contributed towards the failure*of the Sikh expedition to Kashmir in 1814. In 1819 also, Agar Khan had given considerable trouble to the Sikh forces before Kashmir was finally conquered. To punish him therefore, his territory had been raided and occupied but Agar Khan had escaped and fled to the hills and could not be traced in spite of best efforts of the Lahore Durbar.
Ranjit Singh, having now been reassured of Gulab Singh’s capabilities, gave him the difficult task of seizing Agar Khan. Gulab Singh as usual took up the challenge and it was not long before he had the fugitive in the net and sent to Lahore as a prisoner.
Later in 1821 when Gulab Singh subjugated Kishtwar more through stratagem than military action, Maharaja Ranjit Singh was convinced that Jammu could be ruled successfully only by a man like Gulab Singh. On the death of Gulab Singh’s father, Raja Kishore Singh, therefore, he conferred the ‘Rajgi’ of Jammu on Gulab Singh at a Raj Tilak ceremony held at Akhnoor on 17 January 1822 during which he himself planted the Tilak on Gulab Singh’s forehead. Subsequently Gulab Singh’s brothers were also granted jagirs. While Dhyan Singh received Bhimber, Poonch and Kotli, Suchet Singh was awarded Jagirs of Samba, Basohli, Jasrota and Ram Nagar.
All these Jagirs were managed by Gulab Singh along with his own territories which now included Riasi, Kishtwar, Rajaori, Samartah and Jammu. Raja Gulab Singh was now, therefore, the virtual ruler of a vast territory; as vast perhaps as that ruled by his great and powerful ancestor, Ranjit Dev.
