FATEH SIṄGH KĀLIĀṄVĀLĀ (d. 1807), military commander and jāgīrdār under Mahārājā Raṇjīt Siṅgh was the son of Jassā Siṅgh and grandson of Jaimal Siṅgh. Jaimal Siṅgh was a Sandhū Jaṭṭ and the first in the line to embrace the Sikh faith. He was a resident of Kālā village in Amritsar district. In the troops of the Sukkarchakkīā chiefs, Chaṛhat Siṅgh and Mahāṅ Siṅgh, he had fought against the Chaṭṭhās inhabiting the northern part of Gujrāṅwālā district. In one of the skirmishes with the Chaṭṭhās he lost both of his sons, Jai Siṅgh and Jassā Siṅgh. Fateh Siṅgh entered the service of Mahārājā Raṇjīt Siṅgh in 1797, and rapidly rose in the favour of his master. He was a brave and skilful soldier and took part in almost every campaign undertaken by the Mahārājā during his early career. He fought against Ghulām Muhammad Khān Chaṭṭhā and against Jodh Siṅgh of Wazīrābād. He was with the Mahārājā at the time of the capture of the city of Lahore in 1799. He participated in the Kasūr (1801) and Jhaṅg (1806) campaigns. Fateh Siṅgh conquered Chinioṭ from Jassā Siṅgh Bhaṅgī and, when Jhaṅg was taken in 1806 from Ahmad Khān Siāl, the district was leased to him. When towards the close of 1806, Qutb ud-Dīn Khān of Kasūr raised the banner of revolt, Fateh Siṅgh Kāliāṅvālā was sent against him. In 1807, Raṇjīt Siṅgh, after a visit to Paṭiālā, besieged the fort of Naraiṇgaṛh held by Sardār Kishan Siṅgh. Fateh Siṅgh, who was in immediate command, assaulted the fort, but was repulsed and mortally wounded. He died on 25 October 1807.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  1. Sūrī Sohan Lāl, Umdāt-ut-Twārīkh. Lahore, 1885-89
  2. Griffin Lepel, and C.F. Massy, Chiefs and Families of Note in the Punjab, Lahore 1909
  3. Khushwant Singh, A History of the Sikhs, vol. I, Princeton, 1963
  4. Sinha, N.K., Ranjit Singh, Calcutta, 1933
  5. Bhagat Singh, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and His Times, Delhi, 1990

Jatī Rām Gupta