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Was born in 1821 to Rani Daya Kaur. He emerged from obscurity to
claim the kingdom of the Punjab after the assassination of Maharaja
Sher Singh. After his escape from Baba Bir Singh's camp, where his
brother Kashmira Singh was killed, he reached Lahore to make up
with Raja Hira Singh. It was the most opportune time for him to
be in the capital, for relations between Hira Singh and his uncle
Gulab Singh had then become strained on the question of the disposal
of Raja Suchet Singh's treasure. Both of them vied with one another
for his favour. But the Dogras soon made up their mutual differences,
and PashaurA Singh was left in the lurch. After wandering over the
Punjab for a few weeks, he crossed the Sutlej and arrived at the
British camp in the middle of December 1844 to seek help against
the Dogras. Finding the British unresponsive, he returned to Lahore
soon after Hira Singh had been removed from the scene. As he appeared
in the Darbar on 1 January 1845, there was much goodwill exhibited
for him. A cry went up among the soldiers that he should be made
the Maharaja in place of Duleep Singh. This put Maharani Jind Kaur,
mother of Duleep Singh, on her guard. Pashaura Singh was received
with honour in the court, and was offered presents of jewels, elephants
and horses. He was promised an increase in his jagir, if he left
Lahore immediately. Maharani Jind Kaur also asked Bhai Gurbaksh
Singh, with whom the prince was staying, to prevail upon him to
retire to his estates. She, in the end, won over the army, who ordered
Pashaura Singh to go back to his jagir. On his appointment as Wazir
on 15 May 1845, Jawahar Singh, brother of Maharani Jind Kaur, sent
a force against him. Pashaura Singh capitulated before the Lahore
artillery, but was allowed by the troops to escape.
After remaining in the wilderness for some time, he took the fort
of Attock in July 1845, with just a handful of Pathan followers.
With money that the fort yielded to him, he raised fresh levies
and declared himself to be the ruler of the Punjab. He tried to
secure help from the chiefs, from Jehlum to Khaibar, and even opened
negotiations with Dost Muhammad. Jawahar Singh ordered Chatar Singh
Atarivala and Fateh Khan Tiwana to proceed against him. They besieged
Attock and reduced the prince to such straits that he agreed to
surrender and place himself at the disposal of Chatar Singh on the
promise of a safe conduct to Lahore and the retention of Sialkot.
Having secured these assurances, he surrendered the fort on 30 August
1845 and proceeded to Lahore with the troops. Jawahar Singh had
meanwhile sent instructions to the effect that Pashaura Singh be
got rid of forthwith. The prince was sequestered from his personal
bodyguard on 11 September 1845, and secretly taken back by Fateh
Khan Tiwand to Attock where he was strangled to death.
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