Sardar Gurbaksh Singh Kanhaiya – Heir to the Kanhaiya Misl and Brave Warrior
Gurbaksh Singh Kanhaiya (1759–1785) was the eldest son and successor of Jai Singh Kanhaiya, the chief of the powerful Kanhaiya Misl. He was also the father of Maharani Mehtab Kaur, making him the father-in-law of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire.
Early Life and Family
Gurbaksh Singh was born in 1759 to Jai Singh Kanhaiya and his wife Desan Kaur, who was previously the widow of Jhanda Singh. As the only son of Jai Singh, Gurbaksh Singh was designated as the heir to the Kanhaiya Misl. At the age of seven, he was married to Sada Kaur, the daughter of Sardar Daswandha Singh of the Alkol clan. The couple had one daughter, Mehtab Kaur, who was born in 1782.
In 1796, Mehtab Kaur was married to Ranjit Singh, the son of Maha Singh and the leader of the rival Sukerchakia Misl — marking a significant alliance between two prominent Sikh misls.
Military Campaigns and Political Role
In 1778, a conflict erupted between the Ramgarhia and Kanhaiya misls. Jai Singh Kanhaiya, along with Haqiqat Singh Kanhaiya, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, and Maha Singh (of the Sukerchakia Misl), attacked the Ramgarhia stronghold at Sri Hargobindpur, forcing Jassa Singh Ramgarhia out.
At the same time, Gurbaksh Singh laid siege to Batala, then controlled by Ramgarhia’s brother, Mala Singh, who was unpopular among both his officers and the city’s inhabitants. With their support, Gurbaksh Singh was able to take control of Batala, forcing Mala Singh to flee. Batala was then established as the administrative center of the Kanhaiya Misl.
In 1783, Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra sought help from Jai Singh Kanhaiya to capture Kangra Fort. Jai Singh sent Gurbaksh Singh, who laid siege to the fort. During the siege, Saif Ali Khan — the then defender — died, and his son Jeevan Khan assumed command. Gurbaksh Singh advised Raja Sansar Chand to offer Jeevan Khan wealth and land in exchange for surrendering the fort.
Simultaneously, Gurbaksh Singh secretly made his own offer to Jeevan Khan, proposing a larger bribe. Jeevan Khan accepted the offer and let the Sikh forces enter the fort. After this success, Gurbaksh Singh extended control over the Kangra region, establishing authority up to Palampur and beyond.
Death and Aftermath
As the Kanhaiya Misl grew in power, it began to challenge the dominance of the Bhangi Misl. A dispute arose over the plundering rights of Jammu, which had been carried out by Maha Singh, father of Ranjit Singh. In one of the resulting skirmishes between the two misls, Gurbaksh Singh was killed in February 1785 while fighting against Maha Singh’s forces.
Following his death and in the absence of a male heir, his widow Sada Kaur — a visionary and politically astute woman — took charge of the Kanhaiya Misl in 1789 after the death of her father-in-law Jai Singh Kanhaiya. She played a critical role in the rise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, offering him full political and military support in the early years of his rule.
However, by 1821, differences began to emerge between Ranjit Singh and Sada Kaur, eventually leading to her losing control over her territories.
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