Amar Singh

Amar Singh (7 June 1748 – February 1781) was the second ruler and the Raja-e-Rajgan (King of Kings) of Patiala. Singh succeeded his grandfather, Ala Singh, as the Raja of Patiala in 1765. In 1767, Ahmed Shah Abdali, the founder and king of the Afghan Durrani Empire, bestowed upon Singh the title of Raja-e-Rajgan, a superior royal title compared to the titles of other Sikh rulers and leaders. He reign is characterized by the expansion of the kingdom's territory to its greatest extent.

During his reign, Singh through many battles and conflicts, made Patiala the most powerful state between the Yamuna and the Sutlej rivers of North India.

Early life and background Raja Sardul Singh of Patiala, by Philip Tennyson Cole, published in 'The Graphic' (15 August 1925 issue). Sardul Singh was the son of Ala Singh and father of Amar Singh. Amar Singh was born on 7 June 1748. He was the son of Sardul Singh and the grandson of Raja Ala Singh, the founder and first ruler of Patiala. Singh was a member of the Phulkian dynasty of Sikh rulers. Through his grandfather Ala Singh, Singh was also a direct descendant of Rawal Jaisal Singh, the founder and first ruler of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer in the 12th century. Early in his life, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia administered the Sikhism Amrit Sanskar initiation rite to Singh.

Ascension Ala Singh had three sons, all of whom predeceased him. After the death of his grandfather in 1765, Amar Singh, who was 18 years old at the time, was installed on the throne of Patiala by Fateh Kaur, his paternal grandmother and Ala Singh's widow.

However, Singh's ascension was contested by other members of his family, including his older half-brother Himat Singh, who revolted against him and captured Singh's Bhawanigarh Fort. During this expedition, Singh met Abdali in person received the title Raja-e-Rajgan Bahadur (Brave King of Kings).

Battles and conflicts In his reign, Singh engaged in numerous battles and conflicts. In 1766, Singh, along with Ahluwalia, captured the villages of Kotla and Issru. In 1779, Singh and other Sikh rulers united to oppose the Mughal Empire's forces marching into Punjab, and their combined strength forced the Mughals to retreat. In 1781, Singh again supported Durrani Empire against the Dal Khalsa; however this time, Ahluwalia in retaliation invaded Singh's territory, forcing Singh to suspend his support to the Durrani Empire and make peace with Ahluwalia at the city of Khanna.

Legacy Singh significantly strengthened Patiala State during his rule, making it the most powerful state between the Yamuna and the Sutlej rivers. Historians have speculated that, had he lived another twenty years, two powerful Sikh polities might have emerged: the Sikh Empire extending up to the Sutlej and the Patiala State spanning from the Yamuna to the Sutlej and from the Shivalik hills to the Thar Desert area near Bikaner.

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