Religious leader who fought the British after 1846; d. 1856
Bhai Maharaj Singh
Head of the Naurangabad dera, Bhai Maharaj Singh was implicated in a plot against Henry Lawrence, fought in the second Anglo-Sikh war, and kept resisting after the surrender. The British deported him to Singapore, where he passed away in solitary confinement.
Resistance
Born Nihal Singh at Rabbon in Ludhiana district, he succeeded Bhai Bir Singh at Naurangabad in 1844. He went underground after the Prema plot, joined Mul Raj at Multan with 400 horsemen in 1848, then Raja Sher Singh's army, and fought at Chillianwala and Gujrat. He refused to surrender at Rawalpindi in March 1849.[EoS]
Capture and exile
He was arrested at Adampur on 28 December 1849 with a price of 10,000 rupees on his head. Dr Vansittart, who arrested him, wrote about the reverence he inspired. He was sent to Singapore, went blind, and passed away there on 5 July 1856.[EoS]
Images
Bhai Maharaj Singh holding court, in a 19th-century painting reproduced in a Singapore Sikh publication. Its exact date and maker are not known.
Unknown, 19th century. Public domain. Source
