W.G. Osbome Military Secretary to the Earl of Lake Governor General of British India began his account of the funeral obsequies of Ranjit Singh in a letter to his superior with the following words:
“Ranjit Singh is dead poor fellow! and died as like the old Lion as he had lived. He preserved his senses to the last and was (which is unusual with native princes) obeyed to the last by all his chiefs.”
It took a lot to kill the old loin three strokes of paralysis in four years several bouts of fever and dysentery experiments by a whole host of allopathic homeopathic Ayurveda and unani doctors and quacks and last but not least his absolute refusal to allow himself any rest.
The realization that his days were numbered came to Ranjit Singh on June 201839 with a fresh attack of fever after an uneasy respite and a discharge of blood from the nose. For the first time he voiced the anxiety that had been preying upon his mind for years about the future of his kingdom after his death. It was to Fakir Azizuddin that he did so. Azizuddin with his usual tact avoided betraying the thought that end was not far off. As if implying that the Maharaja needed rest to help his recovery he suggested the delegation of powers to Kharak Singh who had already been designated as the successor as early as 1816. He also suggested the formal appointment of Dhian Singh as Prime Minister. The Maharaja was not one to delude himself. He asked Azizuddin point-blank whether it would not be a good idea to make a formal proclamation of succession. Azizuddin agreed that it would be a good idea and proceeded to draft the proclamation It was read out on the following day at a durbar held after a review of the troops by Kharak Singh and Dhian Singh.
On June 22 the Maharaja became unconscious. The physicians in attendance including Azizuddin gave up all hope. Accordingly in Sohan Lals words (all the quotations that follow are from his Umdat-ut-Tawarikh):”It was decided as a point of policy to get ready a bier worth Rs.1000000 for the last day of the Sarkar.” It was also decided that “a sankalp (ceremonial offering) of 100 horses with gold and silver harnesses and brocade velvet and embroidered trappings and saddlecloth and 500 cows be performed. The gatekeepers of the eastern western and southern gates of the fort and the gate of Hazoori Bagh were ordered to guard the gates carefully and to allow nobody to come in “As soon as this terrible news became known in the town of Lahore noise and hue and cry arose from streets and bazars.”
But the Maharaja when he regained consciousness thought all this to be premature. He therefore “issued an order for the performing of his sucheta and from all sides’ cries of congratulations arose high. After the performance of the sucheta the Sarkar ordered the presentation of the musicians the bards and the singers and after that inspected the chaukis. After that the Sarkar issued an order to John Holmes asking him to march at midnight and to go to Amritsar along with his platoons 250 horsemen and some cannon and to establish himself firmly at the gates of the fort of Gobindgarh and not to show any kind of confidence in any one of his own (the Mcharajas) relatives and the like. An order was issued to the camp of Raja Hira Singh to establish them near the tomb of Anarkali. The Raja Kalan (Dhian Singh) proposed in agreement with the Sarkar that the Sarkar should perform sankalp with his own blessed hands of so much property as (it) is reported to be the practice of the kings (to distribute at such a time) adding that all kinds of things and horses were present in the treasury of the Sarkar.” Besides Rs.22000 in cash the articles proposed for distribution were:”lakhna ornaments and jewelry including the pearl necklace of Misr Dewan Chand 1100 armlets with green stones momenta bracelets 8 gold rings gold vessels dishes cups jugs 4 in number 1 silver pitcher 1 silver wash-basin 1 ganga sagar a silver short-stool special suits of clothes 11 pashmina badris having only one seam 51 gold chairs 1 silver chair bejewelled and gold swords one very well-inlaid shield 1 bejewelled dagger another of gold 1 gun with a gold cover 2 elephants with gold howdahs 2 elephants with silver howdahs 19 horses with silver gold plain bejewelled and gold threaded saddles 101 pairs of bejewelled garlands without any string 11 velvet banat plain and other canopies with poles of gold and silver.”
“At night the Raja Kalan (Dhian Singh) Sardar Ajit Singh Raja Hira Singh the Bhai Sahibs Fakirji (Azizuddin) and Misr Ram Kishan remained present”
On June 23 the Maharaja got up early in the morning and calling for his special conveyance went out for a drive. On his return “he performed a sankalp of horse’s elephants 5 gold vessels cups jugs etc. 51000 rupees and a pair of bangles.” Later in the day the royal physicians held a discussion. “Fakir Azizuddin said that everything was in the hands of God. In the meantime the Sarkar once again became senseless. At the time of noon when four hours of the day had passed the Sarkar woke up and became alert as usual. After that he took invigorating medicines like gems and placing his head upon the pillow lay down lo take rest.”
On June 24 “the Sarkar took medicines of gems and in his special conveyance went out to Baradariwala gardenandretumed. After that he went out to enjoy the sacred sight of a sadhu.” On his retum he performed one more sankalp.
On June 25 the Maharaja was too weak to go out and became unconscious more than once. Raja Dhian Singh proposed that as it was too hot in the Shish Mahal the Maharaja should go down to the ground floor. The idea was thathe should be made to lie down on the floor so that he should die in the lap of Mother Earth in the traditional Hindu manner. The Maharaja however showed displeasure at the suggestion: he was not yet ready today. The Ministers therefore “proposed that from under the compound pieces of wood should be heaped up to the roof so that he might be made to go down at the time of loosening them.” By the afternoon “bodily and mental movements of the Sarkar became suspended” and the pulse became weak and intermittent.
Early in the morning of June 26 “the Sarkar had the honor and pride of enjoying the sacred sight of the Adi Granth and Baba Granth and made a prostrauon before them.” He was administered a new medicine which revived him a litde. Taking advantage of this he made a further sankalp of eight lakhs of rupees his special conveyance elephants with gold and silver howdahs and horses with gold and silver trappings. Thereafter “the Sarkar undid the weapons from his waist and handed them over to the servants with the words that the last moment had drawn near.” The servants broke down. There were tears in the Maharajas eyes too. A little later “51 cows 11000 gold ducats many swift-footed horses and many suits of clothes were given away in sankalp.”
Bhai Govind Ram brought up the subject of the Koh-i-Noor. The Maharaja he recalled had often remarked that none of the kings who had possessed the diamond before him had taken it away from this world along with himself. He had therefore had a mind to entrust the affairs of his kingdom to Kanwar Kharak Singh a pilgrimage to the various sacred places and present the Koh-i Noor personally to the temple of Jagannath. Now that the moment of his departure from the world had come all of a sudden asked the Bhai what was his pleasure? The Maharaja made a sign to say that the diamond should be sent over to the temple of Jagannath Then Bhai Govind Ram mentioned that the Maharaja had already ordered Raja Dhian Singh to do so: the latter had however replied that it was for Kanwar Kharak Singh and not for him to carry out the order. The order Bhai Govind Ram continued had accordingly been communicated to Kanwar Kharak Singh The latter however had stated that the diamond was with Misr Beli Ram On hearing this Jamadar Khushal Singh asked Misr Beli Ram to produce the diamond: but the latter began to put forward excuses and replied that it was in Amritsar “The Sarkar produced wrinkles upon his forehead on hearing this discussion. After that according to a request by Bhai Govind Ram two armlets with diamonds worth Rs.2 lakhs several bejewelled ornaments 8 top hats of the Persian style 2 elephants with gold seatsand Rs.5 lakhs in cash were given away in sankalp. After that the Sarkar put on all his ornaments and then removed them from every limb of his body and making a prostration by resting his head upon the earth gave them away in sankalp.”
“On the 15th of Har (June 271839 A.D)a Thursday within three hours the Sarkar had nine successive motions and the movement of his lips stopped and his pulse left altogether its normal course Fakir Raza (Azizuddin) said with his eyes full of tears and his heart full of anxiety that he was a Mussulman and knew that it was the last hour. With these words he came outand all began to weep and cry. After that the Sarkar got up again at about noon and felt severe pain developing into his final restlessness and uneasiness.” A little later Raja Suchet Singh came to present himself. “The Sarkar opened his eyes once and cast an unconcerned look and closed his eyes again and the pulse left beating altogether. After that the Sarkar was made toile straight upon the bed which had been set right with all the requisites of the last day like doshalas tulsi leaves gold ducats linseed and soon and lighting up a gold lamp gave it away by way of sankalp along with other things. After that they made him sit upon a wooden stool and washing his blessed hair with Ganges water and curd dressed him in new clothes Bhai Gobind Ram said into the ear of the Sarkar at the moment he was expiring the words “Ram Ram” three times. The Sarkar repeated them twice but at the third me his lips did not open and his life went out of him by way of his eyes. Emphatic orders were issued for closing up the doors of the fort and Rajaji (Dhian Singh) ordered that a gold and silver bier must be got ready along with other things very soon This dreadful news became known to the ladies and they began to cry and weep and got ready to burn themselves alive. The Raja Kalan went to them to set their grieved hearts at rest and said that the Kanwar (Kharak Singh) would be looking to their needs considering them as his real mothers as before remarking that everything other than the Sarkar himself would be available to them ”
Raja Dhian Sigh next went into the octagonal tower to set at rest the minds of Rani Kattochan (Guddan) and the other ranis. Rani Kattochan daughter of Sansar Chand used to observe Strict purdah. On this occasion she came out of the seraglio “without any hesitation with her open face with her bright looks and with her glowing forehead” into the presence of Dhian Singh and Said that “assurances were necessary for those who had to live after the death of the Sarkar and added that she was going to accompany the Stirrup of the Sarkar” into the other world. The other ranis gave him a similar reply.
The Maharajas body lay in state on the floor during the night. “All those who present remained weeping and crying all night while the Brahmins kept on reading the Gita and the Bishan Shahasaranam and the Bhais remained busy in _acting the Granth Sahib.”
On June 28 “Kanwarji (Kharak Singh) took his bath and put on clothes like dhoti uparna and so on and making the Sarkar sit on a wooden stool bathed him in the water of the Ganges and made him put on a suit of clothes perfumed with saffron and decorated the body of the Sarkar with ornaments such as a bejewelled plume a bejewelled turban gem a bejewelled hand-chain a pearl necklace a bejewelled armlet and a diamond ring. After that he made the Sarkar lie down on the bier with one pillow under his head and another under his cheek and sending for a doshala from the clothes store spread it over him. — After that all the chieftains and near attendants presented doshalasa.” At this stage “the news came that the ladies had made a sankalp of all their estates ornaments and other belongings and handing over the receipts of the revenue tax of the spring crop to the kardars had presented themselves near the gate fully decorated and adorned. Kanwarji (Kharak Singh) ran to the door to receive them and threw himself at their feet. The ladies uttered ” prayers for him and put their hands upon his back and patted him.” Then the ladies left their special conveyance and entered “with glowing foreheads bright looks resplendent cheeks laughing and dancing looking like figures of the spiritual world and approached the Sarkar.”
When Raja Dhian Singh had gone into the octagonal tower on the previous evening to give assurances to the ranis one of them namely Hardevi had tauntingly reminded him of a previous statement of his that “he would always remain with the stirrup of the Sarkar.” Dhian Singh had kept quiet; but he now appeared in fine clothes and covered with ornaments and “declared that he had a mind to join the stirrup of the Sarkar” Kharak Singh and others threw down their turbans at his feet saying that the kingdom could not go on without him. A heated: debate followed as to whether the Scriptures required or permitted Ministers to bum themselves with their kings. The question was at last resolved by the intervention” of Kattochan who in a tone of authority commanded Dhian Singh to agree that he would remain in the service of the new king for a year after which he would be free to retire and go away to the Sacred places. This was agreed upon by all concerned and reduced to writing. The funeral procession then left the fort. “The Sarkar was lifted up on a glorious bier and weeping and crying arose from all sides. All the Surviving ladies including Gul Begum wept very bitterly and fell senseless on the ground.” The four ranis who had resolved upon burning themselves on the Maharajas pyre followed his bier on foot dressed in their bridal costumes and jewelry. The streets of the city were lined with people row upon row As the cortege passed people cried and prayed aloud Muslims Hindus Sikhs all in their own way. The ranis kept taking off their jewels and throwing them to the poor.
The bier was taken to the garden near the gate at the foot of the Badshahi mosque and the Maharajas body after being given a bath was laid on a pile of sandalwood Prayers were offered for about an hour by members of all communities in their respective ways Then the four queens led by Rani
Kattochan walked up to the pyre. Kattochan seated herself in the middle of the pyre with the Maharajas head in her lap.
The other three ranis seated themselves round her with seven maidservants forming an outer circle. Before the pyre was lit Rani Kattochan asked Kharak Singh and Dhian Singh to go up to her and placing Dhian Singhs hand on the Maharajas chest made him swear aloud that he would befriend and support Kharak Singh Thereafter she made Kharak Singh swear in a similar way that he would never go against Dhian Singh Kharak Singh then set the pyre alight. There was a gentle shower after some time A pair of pigeons came out of the sky and fell into the flames.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 26, 1992
