Sri Hargobindpur

**Sri Hargobindpur** is a town in Punjab, India, located on the banks of the Beas River. This town was founded by Guru Hargobind Sahib, the 6th Sikh guru. His father, Guru Arjan Dev, had bought the land. Sri Hargobindpur was also an important city for the Ramgarhia Misl of the Sikhs.

## History
Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh guru, founded a new village called Gobindpur near the old village of Ruhela, on the banks of the Beas River. However, after Guru Arjan Dev's arrest, torture, and martyrdom, the area came under the control of Diwan Chandu Lal, a powerful Hindu banker and chief minister of Emperor Jahangir.

As a result, Jahangir took control of the entire area, and it was neglected and fell into ruins. This period of decline lasted for many years. In 1629, Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh guru, visited the site during the rainy season. He was pleased with the beautiful view and decided to rebuild the village. He named it Sri Gobindpur, but over time, it came to be known as Sri Hargobindpur, named after the guru himself. There's another version of the story, which says that Guru Arjan Dev founded the village of Sri Gobindpur in 1587 on the ruins of Ruhela. However, it was taken over by Bhagvan Das Gherar, a Khatri Chaudhari, with the help of Chandu Lal.

Guru Hargobind recovered the village after 40 years. However, Bhagvan Das challenged Guru Hargobind and asked him to leave the site. This led to a clash, and Bhagvan Das was killed. Bhagvan Das's son, Ratan Chand, joined forces with Chandu Lal's son, Karam Chand, and sought help from the faujdar (governor) of Jalandhar. The governor sent a group of armed soldiers to expel Guru Hargobind. However, the attack failed, and both Ratan Chand and Karam Chand were killed. Today, shrines in the area commemorate Guru Hargobind's stay at Ruhela.

In 1758, After the death of Adina Beg, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia collaborated with Jai Singh Kanhaiya, and captured Sri Hargobindpur and Miani, He established his headquarters at Sri Hargobindpur.

In 1778, a territorial dispute between the Kanhaiya and Ramgarhia groups escalated into conflict. Jai Singh Kanhaiya joined forces with Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Mahan Singh to challenge Jassa Singh Ramgarhia. The conflict began when Jai Singh and Haqiqat Singh, backed by Ahluwalia troops, attacked Jassa Singh Ramgarhia's headquarters in Sri Hargobindpur in September 1778. Despite strong resistance, Ramgarhia was forced out. The allies successfully captured the entire region from the Ramgarhias. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and his brothers escaped to the deserts of Hisar and Sirsa. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia instructed Kanwar Bhag Singh not to harass the fleeing Ramgarhias, allowing them safe passage across the Satluj River. Jassa Singh left his family in Lekhpur under Ranjit Singh Ramgarhia's care and ventured out to find new lands and resources.

In February 1785, a rift between Jai Singh Kanhaiya and Mahan Singh over the Jammu booty created an opportunity for Jassa Singh to reclaim his lost territories. Jai Singh had three powerful enemies: Raja Sansar Chand Katoch, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, and Mahan Singh Sukerchakia.

Mahan Singh invited Jassa Singh and Raja Sansar Chand to join forces and recover their territories. Jassa Singh quickly assembled his forces at Tosham and met with Mahan Singh's agents at Jagraon to devise a plan. Bhag Singh Ahluwalia pledged not to interfere.

Despite a failed attempt by Jai Singh's forces to halt the Ramgarhias, the stage was set for battle. The intense battle took place near Acheal, 13 kilometers from Batala, in mid-February 1785. Jai Singh's eldest son, Gurbaksh Singh Kanhaiya, was killed in the engagement.

Jassa Singh successfully reclaimed his territories, while Sansar Chand seized Jai Singh's territories at the foot of the hills. Mahan Singh annexed some of the Kanhaiya territory, leaving Jai Singh with only a few strongholds, including Kangra fort and Atalgarh near Mukerian. After the battle, Jassa Singh established his headquarters at Batala.

Jodh Singh, the leader of the Ramgarhia Misl, died on August 23, 1815. He left behind three sons: Diwan Singh, Hira Singh, and Vir Singh. However, the brothers couldn't agree on how to divide their father's territories and properties. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the ruler of the Sikh Empire, stepped in to mediate the dispute. He met the brothers at Nadaun, but things took a turn. The brothers were put under surveillance, and their estates and properties were seized. The Ramgarhia Misl was eventually dissolved, and about 150 of their forts were destroyed. The three brothers were given some grants to support themselves, but their power and influence were greatly reduced.

## References