Swarup Singh

Swarup Singh

Raja Swarup Singh (30 May 1812 – 26 January 1864) was a Sikh Raja of Jind of the Phulkian dynasty who reigned from 1834 to 1864. He was noted for his bravery as a warrior.

Swarup Singh was born at Bazidpur, the only son of Sardar Karam Singh (d. 1818), who was himself a nephew to Raja Bagh Singh of Jind (1760-1819; r. 1789-1819) through his father, Rajkumar Bhup Singh (1771–1815). In his earlier years, Karam Singh had served under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1815, Karam Singh was granted the fief of Bazidpur after Bhup Singh's death. Through his father, Swarup Singh was a first cousin once removed to Hira Singh of Nabha. Karam Singh died in 1818, and Swarup Singh succeeded his father as Sardar of Bazidpur.

In 1834, Swarup Singh's second cousin, Raja Sangat Singh (1810–1834; r. 1822–1834) died of alcoholism after a profligate and repressive 12-year rule that had brought Jind to the brink of financial collapse; he left no sons. The Government of India (then the British East India Company), selected Swarup Singh as the next ruler.

During the Anglo-Sikh War, Swarup Singh fought on the side of the British, for which he was much honoured by them. During the First War of Independence, he sent his troops into battle against the rebels, personally fighting through many of the major battles clad in armor and chain mail. He rushed his forces to defend the British cantonment at Karnal, then served at Alipur and at the Battle of Badli-ki-Serai. He fought alongside the British forces during the siege of Delhi for which he was mentioned in despatches in 1858 and received the Indian Mutiny Medal. Also in 1858, he received several titles of honour from the British government. In 1860, he was granted a further title, a gun salute of 11-guns, 14 villages and the Delhi properties of a Mughal prince, Shahzada Mirza Abu Baqar. The following year, Swarup Singh received a further 11 villages as a reward.

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