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An associate of Bhai Maharaj Singh in his revolt against the British,
was the son of Shiam Singh alias Shiama, a Pathania Rajput and Wazir
or minister to Raja Bir Singh, chief of Nurpur, 25 km east of Pathankot,
a feudatory of the Sikh kingdom of Lahore since 1802. Nurpur had
been annexed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in January 1816 on account
of the failure of its chief to attend the general review of the
army held at Sialkot in October of the previous year and his failure
to pay the mulct imposed for his default. Bir Singh took refuge
in British territory. He made an attempt to recover the territory
in 1826 but was defeated and imprisoned. Ram Singh, also referred
to as Ram Singh Wazir, probably succeeded his father in the office
of minister and remained with his master during his exile.
Around 1844, he joined the service of Maharani Jind Kaur. According
to his confessional statement after his arrest in 1849, he was sent
by the Maharani in early 1848 with a secret message to join Bhai
Maharaj Singh and to act according to the latter's orders. Ram Singh
met the Bhai at Jhang, where he was given sufficient funds and was
told to organize a revolt in his native hills as a part of a general
uprising being planned by Bhai Maharaj Singh against the British,
who had been in virtual occupation of the Punjab after the first
Anglo-Sikh war (1845-46). Ram Singh led an insurrection in the Bari
Doab at the close of 1848 and even threatened the British possessions
in the Jalandhar Doab, while the Sikhs under the Atarivala Sardars,
Chatar Singh and his son, Raja Sher Singh, had openly challenged
the British. Ram Singh's campaign acquired such proportions that
even the British Governor-General, Lord Dalhousie, took note of
it in a letter he addressed to Sir Frederick Currie, the Resident
at Lahore. Brigadier-General Sir Hugh Massy Wheeler, commander jullundur
Field Force, had to launch action against him in which at least
four infantry battalions and two cavalry regiments took part. This
force ultimately defeated Ram Singh in a battle fought on 8 January
1849 at Bassu or Bansa, near Nurpur. Ram Singh himself was seriously
wounded but escaped and took refuge in Jammu territory. He was ultimately
arrested and tried as a rebel. No precise information is available
as regards the sentence awarded. The general surmise is that he
was transported for life to Singapore where he died.
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