Rani Jind Kaur

Rani Jhindan urf Chandrawati

Maharani Jind Kaur (महारानी जिन्द कौर) (1817 – 1 August 1863), also known as "Maharani Zinda" was the youngest wife of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the mother of the last Maharaja Duleep Singh. She was renowned for her beauty, energy and strength of purpose and was popularly known as Rani Jindan, but her fame is derived chiefly from the fear she engendered in the British in India, who described her as "the Messalina of the Punjab".

Jind Kaur as Regent

After the assassinations of Ranjit Singh's first three successors, Duleep Singh came to power in September 1843 at the age of 5 and Jind Kaur became Regent on her son's behalf. After Sikhs lost the First Anglo-Sikh War she was replaced in December 1846 by a Council of Regency, under the control of a British Resident. However, her power and influence continued and, to counter this, the British imprisoned and exiled her. Over thirteen years passed before she was again permitted to see her son, who had been taken away from India to England.

Born at Chachar, Gujranwala

Jind Kaur was born in Chachar, Gujranwala, the daughter of Manna Singh Aulakh, the overseer of the royal kennels. She had an elder brother, Jawahar Singh and an elder sister, who married Sardar Jawala Singh Padhania, the Chief of Padhana in the Lahore District. Manna Singh extolled Jind Kaur’s beauty and virtues to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who summoned and married her in 1835 by sending his 'arrow and sword' to the village.

Mother of Maharaja Dalip Singh

On 6 September 1838 she gave birth to her only child, Duleep Singh. On the death of Ranjit Singh in 1839, she did not commit sati with the senior wives as she needed to care for her 10 month old infant. After confiscation of Punjab in 1849, British Government gave her life-long pension.

ठाकुर देशराज लिखते हैं

महारानी जिन्दा - महाराज रणजीतसिंह की अन्तिम रानी जिन्दा थीं। ये सरदार मल्लसिंह की सुपुत्री थीं। महाराज दिलीप इन्हीं से पैदा हुए थे। पंजाब-हरण के बाद सरकार ने इनकी बड़ी भारी पेन्शन करके इन्हें काशी भेज दिया था। वहां से यह नेपाल को इसलिए भाग गई कि वहां के राजा की मदद से अपने पंजाब को वापस ले लें।

External Links

http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/warriors/jindkaur.html

Page on Wikipedia

Gallery

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  Maharani Jind Kaur

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  Haveli Maharani Jind Kaur (Rani Jindan) in Lahore Fort Now Converted into Sikh Gallery. Maharani Jind Kaur Sandhawalia was born in Chachar, Gujranwala, the daughter of Jagirdar Sardar Manna Singh Aulakh, into an Aulakh Jat family. She was the youngest wife of the Sandhawalia Jat ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the mother of the last Maharaja of Lahore , Duleep Singh...Source - Jat Kshatriya Culture

References

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