PRESENT HEAD OF HOUSE: Sardar Thakur Singh Bhangi (1890)

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: The Bhangi Misl was a large Sikh Misl centered around a village around Amritsar. It was founded in the early 18th century by Hari Singh. It grew in strength and territory to cover an area from Attock to Multan and emerged as the strongest power in the western Punjab region. The territory held included (at various times), Tarn Taran, Gujrat, Wazirabad, Sialkot, Chiniot, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Sialkot, Jhang, Bhera, Lahore, Hasan Abdal, Bhairowal, Majitha, Firozpur, Bedian, Bulaki, Bazidpur and Multan. However, deaths among the leadership during the late 1760's reduced the Misl's power. The Bhangi misl engaged in numerous power struggles with the Sukerchakia Misl until they were severely weakened at the Battle of Basin and the loss of Lahore to Ranjit Singh in 1799. By 1810, all Bhangi territories, including Lahore, Amritsar, Sialkot, Chiniot, Jhang, Bhera, Rawalpindi, Hasan Abdal and Gujrat had merged into the kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The descendants of Bhangi sardars are today concentrated mainly in the Amritsar district of the Punjab. Members were....

• Chajja Singh, 1st Chief of the Bhangi jatha, he was from the village of Panjwar, 13 kms from Amritsar and was the founder of the jatha (band of warriors), that later became the Bhangi misl, he had taken 'amrit' from the hands of Guru Gobind Singh.

• Sardar Bhuma Singh Dhillon, 2nd Chief of the Bhangi jatha -/1746: after the death of Chajja Singh, Bhuma Singh Dhillon of village Hung in Parganah Wadani near Moga succeeded him, he was a competent organizer and commandant of his troops and enhanced the power of the misl, and was succeeded by his nephew and adoptive son. He was killed in 1746 during the Chhota Ghallughara.

  • (A) Sardar Hari Singh Dhillon (qv)

• Sardar Hari Singh Dhillon, 3rd Chief of the Bhangi jatha 1746/1748 and 1st Misldhar of the Bhangi misl 1748/1765 and Commander of Taruna Dal; he was the son of Bhup Singh, a Zamindar of Pattah near Wadni, he was the first to be called Bhangi ^(#NOTE), at the formation of the Dal Khalsa in 1748, he was acknowledged the head of the Bhangi misl as well as leader of the Taruna Dal; he vastly increased the power and influence of the Bhangi misl which began to be ranked as the strongest amongst its peers, he captured Panjvar in the Tarn Taran parganah and established his headquarters, first at Sohal and then at Gilwali, both in Amritsar district; in 1763, he and the Kanhaiya and Ramgarhia Misls, sacked the Afghan stronghold of Kasur, the following year he sacked Bahawalpur and Multan, on his way back home, he reduced Jhang, Chiniot and Sialkot; married and had issue, three sons. He was killed 1765 in a battle with Baba Ala Singh of Patiala.

  • Sardar Jhanda Singh Bangi (qv)

  • Sardar Ganda Singh Bhangi (qv)

  • Narid Singh Bhangi, married and had issue.

• Sardar Jhanda Singh Bangi, 4th Chief of the Bhangi misl 1765/1774, after his succession he was soon involved in the internal feuds of the warring misls, but under his leadership the Bhangi misl reached the zenith of its power, in 1766, he had invaded Multan and Bahawalpur, but failed to drive out the Afghans, he marched on Multan again in 1772, this time forcing the Nawab to flee and Multan was declared Khalsa territory, he next subdued Jhang, Kala Bagh and Mankera, he built a brick fort at Amritsar and laid out fine bazars in the city, married and had issue. He was killed in 1774 in a battle with the Kanhaiya and Sukerchakia misls at Jammu, where he had marched to settle a succession issue.

  • Sardar Amar Singh Bhangi, married Bibiji Karam Kaur, daughter of Sardar Nar Singh Randhawah of Chamyari.

• Sardar Ganda Singh Bhangi, 5th Chief of the Bhangi misl 1774/1775, he engaged himself in enlarging and strengthening the Bhangi quarter and in plotting against the Kanhaiyas who had caused his brother's death, later with his Ramgarhia allies he marched to Dinanagar to engage the Kanhaiyas in battle, but he fell ill and died after ten days, married and had issue. He died about 1775.

  • Sardar Desa Singh Bhangi (qv)

  • Rani Ratan Kaur, married (as his first wife) 1787, Raja-i-Rajgan Maharaja Sahib Singh, Maharaja of Patiala.

• Sardar Desa Singh Bhangi, 6th Chief of the Bhangi misl 1775/1782, he succeeded as a minor, and was unable to control the rebellious chiefs, and under his weak leadership, the decline of the misl began, several Bhangi sardars set themselves up as independent chiefs within their territories, Bhag Singh Halluwalia was first to declare himself independent, then Jhang ceased to pay tribute and Multan was lost in 1779, married and had issue. He was killed in action against Sardar Mahan Singh Sukarchakia in 1782.

  • Sardar Gulab Singh Bhangi (qv)

  • Karam Singh, married and had issue.

    • Jassa Singh, married and had issue, two sons.

• Sardar Gulab Singh Bhangi, 7th Chief of the Bhangi misl 1782/1800, he enlarged and beautified the city of Amritsar, but he was a debauched, weak man and progressively lost his family's possessions, till only some villages in the Manjha and Amritsar were left; he captured the city of Kasur, then held by Pathan Chiefs, but lost it in 1794, married Mai Sukkhan, died after 1802, a daughter of Sardar Fateh Singh Kanhaiya, and had issue. He drank himself to death in 1800 (some say poisoned).

  • Sardar Gurdit Singh Bhangi (qv)

  • Mul Singh, married and had issue.

    • Wasawa Singh

  • Ganda Singh

• Sardar Gurdit Singh Bhangi, 8th and last Chief of the Bhangi misl 1800/1802 and Jagirdar of Panjwar and Head of the Family 1802/-, born 1790, in 1802, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, on a pretext, marched to Amritsar and reduced the fort in five hours, and all Bhangi possessions were seized, married (a), a daughter of Sardar Sahib Singh Gujratia (see below), married (b), Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, daughter of Sardar Fateh Singh of Chitorgarh (see Fatehgarh), and had issue. He died at his ancestral village of Panjwar in the Taran Taran pargana of Amritsar district, where his descendants were still living (in 1865).

  • Sardar Bahadur Sardar Thakur Singh (qv)

  • Sardar Bahadur Hakim Singh, an Honorary Magistrate, he was granted the title of Sardar Bahadur in 1920; married and had issue. He died 1921.

    • Sardar Hardit Singh Dhillon, born 1886, an Honorary Magistrate, Member of the Debt Conciliation Board of Amritsar; he was awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935; married Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, a daughter of Sardar Vir Singh (son of Sardar Hira Singh of Khamanun in Patiala), and his wife, a member of the Sandhanwallia Family, and had issue, three sons.

      • Sardar Gurbakhsh Singh, married Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, a daughter of Sardar Bahadur Sardar Jiwan Singh Padhania O.B.E. of Padhana.

      • Sardar Shiv Singh, married in the family of Sardar Jaswant Singh of Ranyala in Gujranwala district.

      • Sardar Gurdial Singh Dhillon, parliamentarian, diplomat and statesman, born 6th August 1915 at Sarhali, in Jalandhar district of the Punjab, educated at the Khalsa Collegiate School, Amritsar and at Government College, Lahore, from where he graduated in 1935, he took the Law degree from the University Law College in 1937 and went into private practice, later he became the editor of two newspapers, and made a number on important political contacts, at the First general elections in Independent India, in 1952, he was elected a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly, he was elected Deputy Speaker and then Speaker, later elected a member of the Lok Sabha, appointed as India's High Commissioner in Canada, he was awarded the Medallion of the Parliament of Canada, he was elected acting president of interparliamentary Union Conference at Geneva in 1973 and president at Tokyo in 1974, he was awarded (amongst others) a D. Litt. (honoris causa) from Punjabi University, Patiala, member of the board of governors of the Punjab Public School, Nabha, a trustee of Guru Nanak Engineering College, Ludhiana, member of the managing committee of Bir Baba Buddha College and a trustee of the Shahid Pheruman College. He died 23th March 1992 at Delhi, following a heart attack.

• Sardar Bahadur Sardar Thakur Singh, Head of the Family -/1925, a Zaildar, Divisional Darbari and Member of the Local Board of Tarn Taran and of the District Board of Amritsar, he was granted the title of Sardar Bahadur in 1914; married and had issue. He died 1925.

  • Sardar Harnam Singh (qv)

• Sardar Harnam Singh, Head of the Family 1925/- , born 1873, a Zaildar and Divisional Darbari (the latter he resigned in 1935), married Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, a daughter of Sardar Lakha Singh Padhania, and had issue, two sons.

  • Sardar Autar Singh, born 1912, married Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, a daughter of Sardar Bhagwan Singh, Rais of Fatehsinghwala in Muzaffargarh district.

  • Sardar Kirpal Singh, born 1913, married Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, a daughter of Sardar Balwant Singh Mann of Sheikupuria.

FAMILY OF SARDAR SAHIB SINGH BHANGI OF RANGARH

• Nathu, a Jat cultivator of modest means, married Mai Lachmi, a daughter of Sardar Gurbakhsh Singh Roranwala (died 1763), and had issue.

  • Ganya Singh, married and had issue. He died 1838.

    • Chet Singh, married and had issue. He died 1868.

      • Ram Singh, married and had issue. He died 1888.

        • Partab Singh, died 1878.

        • Mahtab Singh, married and had issue. He died 1881.

          • Buta Singh, married and had issue.

            • Ujagar Singh, born 1903.

          • Mula Singh, born 1875.

          • Dula Singh

        • Hira Singh, died 1873.

        • Jhanda Singh, died 1881.

  • Sardar Gujjar Singh (by Mai Lachmi), he, along with Lahina Singh, and Sobha Singh Kanhaiya, captured Lahore, from the Afghans in 1765 and held it for twenty-three years; he next captured Eminabad, Wazirabad, Sodhra and about 150 villages in Gujranwala district, he then took Gujrat in December 1765, capturing both the city and the adjoining country, and making Gujrat his headquarters; in 1766, he overran Jammu, seized Islamgarh, Poonch, Dev Batala and extended his territory as far as the Bhimbar hills in the North and the Majha country in the south; married Mai Lachhmi Kaur, and/or married Bibiji Devi Kaur, daughter of Bhagat Singh of Rariala, and had issue. He died 1788 in Lahore.

    • Sardar Sukha Singh Gujratia, married a daughter of Sardar Bhag Singh Halluwalia (see below). He died vpsp.

    • Sardar Sahib Singh Gujratia (by Mai Lachhmi), he succeeded to his one-third share of Lahore, but lost it to Maharaja Ranjit Singh on 7th July 1799, he was the last Bhangi chief to fall, his jagir was seized and he was granted an estate of few villages worth 25,000Rs for his maintenance, married (a), Bibiji Raj Kaur, daughter of Sardar Charat Singh Sukerchakia, married (b), Bibiji Subha Kaur, daughter of Raja Hamir Singh, Raja of Jind or Nabha, married (c), Bibiji Ratan Kaur (married 2ndly, 1811 by chadah dalna, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore), daughter of Sardar Diwan Singh Virk, married (d),Bibiji Daya Kaur (married 2ndly, 1811 by chadah dalna, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore), she died 1843, daughter of Sardar Diwan Singh Virk, and had issue. He died 1811.

      • Sardar Gulab Singh Gujratia, married a daughter of Sardar Bhag Singh Bhagga, and had issue. He died 1832.

        • Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, married (as his third wife), General Sardar Mahtab Singh Majithia.

      • Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur (by Raj Kaur), married Sardar Jodh Singh Kalalwala, died 1824, and had issue.

        • Bibiji Khem Kaur, married 1816, Maharaja Kharak Singh, Maharaja of Lahore.

      • Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, married Sardar Gurdit Singh Bhangi (see above).

    • Sardar Fateh Singh Gujratia (by Mai Lachhmi), he succeeded to his eldest brother's estates, but after 1811, he went to Kapurthala and entered the service of the Ahluwalia chief, married and had issue. He was killed in Bannu at the siege of Malik Dilasa Khan Fort in 1832.

      • Sardar Jaimal Singh, he served at Peshawar and on the Frontier, afterwards, as a result of a quarrel, his jagir was resumed, leaving him in great poverty, married and had issue, one son. He died 1871.

        • Jwala Singh, married and had issue. He died 1894.

          • Budh Singh, a Lambardar of Rangarh village

          • Mian Singh, married and had issue.

            • Janmejaya Singh, a Lambardar and Kursi Nashin.

          • Hira Singh, married and had issue.

            • Mota Singh, a Divisional Darbari.

  • Sardar Suhel Singh Bhangi, married Bibiji (name unknown), daughter of Sardar Charat Singh Sukerchakia. He died sp in 1781.

  • Sardar Ala Singh

FAMILY OF SARDAR LEHNA SINGH OF RORANWALA

• Dargaha, son of a zamindar of the Kahilon Jat caste, born at Mastapur near Katarpur in the Jalandhar Doab, married and had issue.

  • Sardar Lehna Singh [aka Lahina Singh], as a teenager he ran away from home and reached the village of Roranwala where he was adopted by Sardar Gurbakhsh Singh Bhangi of Roranwala and succeeded to half his estates after his death in 1763; together with Sardar Sobha Singh, and his nephew, Sardar Gujjar Singh, he captured the city of Lahore from the Afghans in 1765, and ruled there for 32 years (with short intermissions), his territory yielded about 15 lakhs of rupees annually, married a daughter of Sardar Sudh Singh Faizullapuria, and had issue. He died in September 1797.

    • Sardar Chet Singh, succeeded to his one-third share of Lahore, but failed to establish authority there, and with the people were oppressed by heavy taxes and extortions, they invited Maharaja Ranjit Singh to occupy the city, he accordingly arrived with 5,000 troops at the Shalamar Gardens on 7th July 1799 and became master of Lahore, laying the foundation of Sikh monarchy, he was granted a jagir at Waniaki worth 60,000Rs, which he held until his death, married eight wives, including Bibiji Hukum Kaur, by whom he had an only son. He died 1815.

      • Sardar Attar Singh, born 1815, four months after his father's death, he was granted a jagir at Waniaki worth 6,000Rs., married and had issue, three daughters.

    • Sardar Bagat Singh

OTHER MEMBERS:

• Unknown

  • Sardar Bhag Singh Halluwalia, married a sister of Sardar Jai Singh Kanhaiya, and had issue. He was killed in 1731.

    • Sardar Sobha Singh Halluwalia, he had built Kila Sobha Singh in Sialkot district, married Bibiji Sada Kaur, daughter of Sardar Ram Singh Mananwala, and had issue.

      • Sardar Mohr Singh

    • Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, married Sukha Singh Bhangi (see above).

    • Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, married 177x, Sardar Jai Singh, Chief of the Kanhaiya misl.

  • Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, married Sardar Badar Singh Ahluwalia, and had issue.