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Desa Singh Majithia

Painting of Desa Singh Majithia

Desa Singh Majithia (1768–1832) was a Sikh jagirdar, military general, and statesman.[1][2] He was perhaps one of the earliest Sikh patrons of artwork through the employment of Pahari artists during the period of 1810–30 when he served as governor of the hill states of the Punjab Hills.[3] Desa served as a jagirdar from 1788–1832.[1]

Biography

Kanhaiya Misl

Painting of Desa Singh Majithia receiving a deputation from a state court in the Punjab Hills, ca.1775

Desa was born in 1768 and his father was Naudh Singh.[4] Naudh Singh was the feudal retainer of Amar Singh Bagga of the Kanhaiya Misl.[4] After the death of his father Naudh Singh in 1788, Desa took-over the familial jagir (estate).[4] Desa would then serve Buddh Singh Bagga, who himself had succeeded Amar Singh Bagga for some years.[4]

Sikh Empire

Desa eventually joined the army of Ranjit Singh.[4] In 1804, Desa was given command over 400 sowars.[4] In 1809, Desa Singh Majithia served in the military expedition to Kangra, which pushed the Gurkhas under the command of Amar Singh Thapa out of the Punjab Hills region.[2][4] Thus, Desa was promoted to position of the governor of Kangra and the city of Amritsar.[2] Land formerly under Sada Kaur was bestowed to Desa Singh.[5] In 1813, the area of Haripur, formerly under Raja Bhup Singh, of Guler State, was taken over by Desa.[5] In 1818, Desa served in the Multan campaign.[2] Lehna Singh Majithia was the eldest of the three sons of Desa, and succeeded Desa to the administrative positions after Desa's death.[2][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Nadiem, Ihsan H. "A Glimpse of The Unsung Hero From Punjab, Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia". Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia: As Seen by His Contemporaries (2nd ed.). Dyal Singh Research & Cultural Forum. pp. 16–18.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Lot 196: The Sikh polymath, inventor, soldier and statesman, Lehna Singh Majithia (d. 1854), riding past a walled city, possibly Lahore, besides a flowing river". Bonhams. 12 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  3. ^ Ikeda, Atsushi (Sep 24, 2024). "Introduction". Portraying the Guru: Art, Devotion and Identity in Sikhism. Boydell & Brewer. p. 31. ISBN 9781837652389.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Hasrat, B. J. (2002). Singh, Harbans (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Sikhism. Vol. 1: A–D (4th ed.). Punjabi University, Patiala. pp. 555–556. ISBN 8173801002.
  5. ^ a b Yasmin, Robina (Jan 13, 2022). Muslims under Sikh Rule in the Nineteenth Century: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Religious Tolerance. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 56–57. ISBN 9780755640348.
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