Sukerchakia Misl

The Sukerchakia Misl was one of twelve Sikh misls in Punjab during the 18th century, concentrated in Gujranwala and Hafizabad districts in western Punjab (in modern-Pakistan) and ruled from (1752–1801). The misl, or grouping with its own guerilla militia (jatha), was founded by Charat Singh of Sandhawalia, grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.^[1] The last Sukerchakia Misldar (commander of the Misl) was Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh united all the misls and established an independent Sikh Empire.

Sukerchakia Misl Shukarchakī'ā Misal
1748–1801
Capital	Sukerchak (initial) Gujranwala (later)
Common language	Punjabi
Religion	Sikhism (rulers) Islam (majority) Hinduism
Sardar
• 1748–1752	Naudh Singh
• 1752–1774	Charat Singh
• 1774–1792	Mahan Singh
• 1792–1801	Ranjit Singh
Historical era	Early modern period
• Split from Singhpuria Misl	1748
• Capture of Lahore by Ranjit Singh and formation of the Sikh Empire	1801
Preceded by Succeeded by Durrani Empire Singhpuria Misl Sikh Empire
Today part of	Pakistan

History

Family origin

The earliest traceable ancestor of the Sukerchakia family with reliable historicity was Kalu (died c.1488), a Jat of the Warraich got (clan), who moved in c.1470 from his native village of Bhatian (in modern-day Lahore district) to Sansara (or Sansi; located in modern-day Ajnala tehsil, Amritsar district, Punjab, India) with his spouse. Later-on, he would further shift his family to Sand, a village approximately six kilometres from Wazirabad.^[2][3][4][5] Whilst Kalu had his residence in Sansi, he gave birth to a son named Jaddoman.^[2][3][4][5] Jaddoman became a plunderer associated with the Sansi tribe.^[2][3][4][5] He died in c.1515 on a marauding expeditions and was survived by a son named Galeb (also known as Mannu).^[2][3][4][5] Galeb also became a plunderer and was renowned for it. He died in c.1549 and was survived by a son named Kiddoh.^[2][3][4][5]

Sukerchak village

Kiddoh shifted his residence from his native village to the village of Sukerchak in c.1555.^[2][3][4][5] The etymology of the name of the later Misl originates from the toponym of this village.^[2][3][4][5] The village was located approximately 3 kilometres away from Gujranwala.^[2][3][4][5] Kiddoh is said to have been spiritually disposed and started working on the land as an agricultural labourer.^[2][3][4][5] Kiddoh died in c.1578 and was survived by two sons named Rajadab and Premu.^[2][3][4][5] Rajadab would open a grocery store in the village, worked also as an agriculturalist, and was versed and literate in the Landa script.^[2][3][4][5] Rajadab died in c.1620 and left behind three sons named Nilu, Telu, and Takht Mal.^[2][3][4][5] Only Takht Mal survived past childhood into adulthood, whom benefited from the intergenerational wealth that was passed down to him from the hardwork of his predecessors.^[2][3][4][5] With this small fortune, he became a lender and eventually worked his way up to become a banker.^[2][3][4][5] When he died in c.1653, he was succeeded by two sons named Balu and Bara.^[2][3][4][5] Baru is the first ancestor of the Sukerchakia family who had associations with Sikhism, as he was a follower of the founder, Guru Nanak, and an avid reader of the Adi Granth (as it was then known).^[2][3][4][5] At the age of 25, he expressed a strong desire to become initiated into the religion in Amritsar (Khande-di-Pahul).^[2][3][4][5] However, due to an accident, he was unable to complete this mission.^[2][3][4][5] On his deathbed in 1679, he told his son, Budda (nicknamed Desu after his horse, Desi; born 1670; later given the baptized name of Budh Singh), to get baptized in Amritsar as a dying wish for his son to fulfil.^[2][3][4][5] Once he reached an age of maturity, Budda was baptized into the Khalsa order by Guru Gobind Singh himself and was renamed as Budh Singh.^[2][3][4][5] Budh Singh was a warrior of high repute in his time.^[2][3][4][5] When Budh Singh died in 1716, his wife committed suicide so they were cremated together. He was survived by two sons, Naudh Singh and Chanda Singh.^[2][3][4][5] Chanda was the progenitor of the Sandhawalia family of Raja Sansi.^[2][3][4][5]

Sukerchakia Jatha

Chaudhary Naudh Singh was the landlord of Gujranwala area that he renamed as Shukar Chak (meaning: "thanks for the land").^[6] The very beginning and earliest traces of the Sukerchakia Misl can be traced to Nodha Singh constructing a minor fortress in his native village of Sukerchak, along with gathering a small jatha of 30 horsemen to protect his locality from invading Afghans.^[4] He and his group of horsemen would later join the Faizalpuria Misl of Nawab Kapur Singh in 1730.^[4] He became wealthy by pillaging the caravans of the invading Afghans and established himself as the local chieftain of Sukerchak. He was severely wounded in 1747 during a fight with Afghans after being shot in the head.^[4]

Independent misl

At the annual Diwali meeting of the Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar in 1748, a Gurmata was passed that reorganized the various scattered and numerous jathas into eleven organized Misls, with the Sukerchakia Misl forming out of this judgement.^{[7][note 1]} When Naudh died in 1752, he had four sons who survived him named Charat Singh, Dal Singh, Chet Singh, and Mangi Singh.^[4]

Under Charat Singh

Painting of Charat Singh during an engagement with Afghan Durrani forces

Charat Singh was the eldest son of Naudh Singh, the father of Maha Singh, and the grandfather of Ranjit Singh.^[6] Charat Singh formally created the Sukerchakia Misl.^[8][9] He distinguished himself at an early age in campaigns against Ahmad Shah Abdali and split from the Singhpuria Misl to formally establish the Sukerchakia Misl in Gujranwala.^[6] He combined with the Mughalchak missal and extended his rule in Rohtas, Chakwal, Pind Dadan Khan which stood in the Pothohar region of northern Punjab and took Wazirabad under his control.

"Chaudhary Charat Singh strengthened his position by matrimonial alliances. Dal Singh Kalianwala of Alipur renamed Akālgarh was married to the sister of Charat Singh. Sohel Singh Bhangi was married to the daughter of Charat Singh. Sahib Singh Bhangi, son of Gujar Singh, was married to another daughter, Raj Kaur. Charat's Singh's son Mahan Singh was married to the daughter of Jai Singh Mann of Mughalchak."

— Hari Ram Gupta, History of the Sikhs. Vol. IV: Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of the Misls (1982), page 304^[10]

During the time of Charat Singh, men were only able to join the misl after having been first baptized into the Khalsa as a criterion for admission.^[6] Charat Singh rose the number of horsemen to around 150.^[6] The headquarters of the misl moved from Sukerchak village to Gujranwala after the marriage of Charat to Desan Kaur, the daughter of Amir Singh of Gujranwala, whom had been a close ally to Charat.^[6] Amir Singh was an aged but still powerful sardar.^[6]

Under Maha Singh

Ramgarhia and Sukarchakia Misls hold a diplomatic meeting. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia (long, white beard) on left. Mahan Singh with checked blanket covering chest on the right, in centre

Then came Maha Singh (d.1792) who also expanded the Misl further.^[6]

Under Ranjit Singh

Young Ranjit Singh, company style, circa 19th century

After the decline of the Mughals, Maharaja Ranjit Singh united all the misls and shaped a powerful empire in Punjab.

Leaders

No.	Name (Birth–Death)	Portrait	Term	Reference(s)
As a Jatha under the Singhpuria Misl:
1.	Naudh Singh (died 1752)		1730 – 1748	[4]
As an independent Misl:
–	Naudh Singh (died 1752)		1748 – 1752	[4]
2.	Charat Singh (died 1774)		1752 – 1774	[4]
3.	Maha Singh (died 1792)		1774 – 1792	[4]
4.	Ranjit Singh (1780 – 1839)		1792 – 1801	[4]

Battles fought by Sukerchakia Misl

• Battle of Sialkot (1761)
• Battle of Gujranwala (1761)^[11][12]
• Sikh occupation of Lahore^[13]
• Battle of Sialkot (1763)^[11]
• Siege of Gujranwala (1763)
• Battle of Gujrat (1797)
• Battle of Amritsar (1798)^[14][15]

Gallery

• 
  Stereoscopic photograph of the tomb or 'samadhi' (Indic cenotaph) of Mahan Singh at Gujranwala in Punjab, ca.1869

Notes

1. It is unclear if the Sukerchakia Misl would have been established as an independent misl in 1748 after the passing of the Gurmata by the Sarbat Khalsa or if it was established a little later by Charat Singh's split from the Singhpuria Misl.

References

1. "Sukerchakia Misl".
2. "Ancestors of Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh". Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
3. "Ancestors Table of Maharaja Duleep Singh". Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
4. Chhabra, G. S. (1972). "Chapter 1: The Ancestors of Maharaja Ranjit Singh". Advanced History of the Punjab: Ranjit Singh & post Ranjit Singh period. Advanced History of the Punjab. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New Academic Publishing Company. pp. 1–13.
5. The Sikh Review. Vol. 28. Calcutta: Sikh Cultural Centre. 1980. p. 9.
6. Dhir, Krishna S. (2022). The Wonder That Is Urdu (1st ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. p. 537. ISBN 9788120843011. The early 18th century remained a turbulent period during which the Sikhs did not have a single individual as a Sikh leader. The Mughals had taken control of much of Punjab from 1733 until, in 1735, the Khalsa rejected the confederacy status granted to them by the Mughals. Ahmed Shah Durrani began his campaigns in April 1748 and recaptured Punjab in the Third Battle of Panipat. At the time, Sardar Charat Singh, son of Naubh [sic] Singh, was a member of the Singhpuria Misl. Born in about 1733, he distinguished himself even at an early age. He married Sardarni Desan Kaur, the daughter of Sardar Amir Singh, a powerful leader in Gujranwala, and moved to his headquarters there. Along with 150 horsemen, he split from the Singhpuria Misl and established the Sukerchakia Misl (Suker from "shukar = an expression of 'gratitude for' or "thanks for'; 'chak'= 'land' or 'territory'). The Sukerchakia strength and territory grew under the leadership of Charat Singh. On his death in 1770, his son, Maha Singh took over the misl and the growth continued. When Ahmad Shah Durrani died in June 1772, he was succeeded by his son Timur Shah, whose forces invaded Punjab a number of times.
7. Singh, Harbans. The Encyclopedia of Sikhism. Vol. 2: E-L. Punjabi University, Patiala. pp. 362–3.
8. Khushwant Singh (2008). "Chapter 1: Ranjit Singh's Ancestors, Birth and the Years of Tutelage". Ranjit Singh, Maharaja of the Punjab. Penguin Books, India. pp. 1–3. ISBN 9780143065432.
9. "Sikh Warriors". Archived from the original on 14 November 1999.
10. Gupta, Hari Ram (October 2001). History of the Sikhs. Vol. IV: Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of the Misls. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, 1982. p. 304. ISBN 978-8121501651.
11. Jacques, Tony (2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Press. p. 419. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015.
12. Raj Pal Singh (2004). The Sikhs : Their Journey Of Five Hundred Years. Pentagon Press. p. 116. ISBN 9788186505465.
13. Grewal, J.S. (1990). The Sikhs of the Punjab. Cambridge University Press. p. 91. ISBN 0-521-63764-3. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
14. Bhagat Singh, A History of Sikh Misals
15. Duggal, K. S. (2001). Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Last to Lay Arms. Abhinav Publications. p. 46. ISBN 9788170174103.