Sher Singh
| Maharaja Sher Singh | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Maharaja of the Sikh Empire and King of Punjab | |
| Reign | 18 January 1841– 15 September 1843 |
| Coronation | 27 January 1841 Lahore Fort, Lahore |
| Predecessor |
Maharani Chand Kaur (as Regent) Maharaja Nau Nihal Singh |
| Successor | Maharaja Duleep Singh |
| Prime Minister |
See list
|
| Born | 4 December 1807 Batala, Sikh Empire, now Gurdaspur district, Punjab, India |
| Died | 15 September 1843 (aged 35) Shah Bilaal gardens, Lahore, Sikh Empire, now Kot Khawaja Saeed, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Spouse |
Desa Kaur Nakai (m. 1819; her death 1821) Prem Kaur Waraich (m. 1822; his death 1843) Bibi Pratap Kaur Jagat Singh Brar (m. 1825; his death 1843) Dakno Kaur Mai Sahiba (m. 1842; his death 1843) |
| Issue | By Maharani Desa Kaur: * None By Maharani Prem Kaur: * Kanwar Pratap Singh Bahadur By Maharani Pratap Kaur: * Kanwar Deva Singh Bahadur By Maharani Dakno Kaur: * Shahdeo Singh Bahadur |
| Father | Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab |
| Mother | Mahtab Kaur Kanhaiyā |
| Religion | Sikhism |
Maharaja Sher Singh (4 December 1807 - 15 September 1843) was a Sikh Maharaja of the Sikh Empire and the Punjab
He was the son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Maharani Mehtab Kaur, who was also the mother of Prince Tara Singh (1807-1859). (Mehtab Kaur, who was also known as Mahitab Kaur, is not to be confused with Maharani Mahtab Devi Sahiba, daughter of Maharaja Sansar Chand of Kangra, another wife, who committed sati in 1839 with Ranjit Singh lying with his head on her lap.)
He became Maharaja on 27 January 1841, after the sudden death of Nau Nihal Singh whose death was set in motion, some say purposely, while returning from his father's cremation. He was the half brother of Nau Nihal Singh's father, Maharaja Kharak Singh.
Proclaimed Maharaja by his wazir (prime minister) Dhian Singh Dogra, he won the throne after a protracted siege of the Lahore Fort which was held by the Royal family. Thousands died in the siege.
Historians record that he was not very smart politically and let the Dogra brothers take charge of all functions of state. The Dogras, like puppet masters, pulled the strings of others to bring about the death of Sher Singh.
Sher Singh was killed as he reached for a new shotgun held by Ajit Singh Sandhawalia, his cousin, who pulled the trigger. Sher Singh only had time to utter, "what treachery." The Sandhawalias also murdered Dhian Singh. The Sandhawalias were thought to have also had designs on the empire.
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Wikipedia