Bhangi Misl

What it was: The Bhangi Misl was one of the misls, the fighting bands of the Dal Khalsa, and for a time among the strongest. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism says it took its name from its members' addiction to bhang, a hemp drug, and names its founder as Chhajja Singh of Pajvar village near Amritsar. Wikipedia describes him as a Dhillon Jat baptised by Banda Singh Bahadur.

Its chiefs, in order (Encyclopaedia of Sikhism)

• Chhajja Singh, the founder.
• Bhuma Singh, a Jat of Hung village near Badhni, known from skirmishes with Nadir Shah's troops in 1739. He died in 1746.
• Hari Singh, Bhuma Singh's nephew and adopted son, recognised as head of the misl at the Dal Khalsa's formation in 1748. He built an army of about 20,000 and died in 1765 in a battle with Patiala's forces.
• Jhanda Singh, Hari Singh's eldest son, under whom the misl peaked. He took Multan in 1772 and was killed at Jammu in 1774.
• Ganda Singh, his brother, who died of illness at Dinanagar.
• Desa Singh, Ganda Singh's minor son, killed in 1782 fighting Mahan Singh Sukerchakia; his weak leadership began the decline.
• Gulab Singh, Desa Singh's minor son, who ruled through a cousin, and Gurdit Singh, who succeeded in 1800 and governed through his mother, Mai Sukkhan.

Territory and the gun: In 1765 the Bhangi chiefs joined Sobha Singh Kanhaiya in taking Lahore, which was divided among them. The misl held land around Lahore and Amritsar, in Gujrat, Bhera, Rawalpindi and Hasan Abdal, and reached Multan. It also held the great gun Zamzama, known as Bhangian di Top. The Encyclopaedia says Jhanda Singh recovered it from the Chattha rulers at Rasulnagar, while Wikipedia's article on the gun says Hari Singh seized it in 1762 at Khawaja Said near Lahore, so accounts differ on which chief took it. The Encyclopaedia says a fort at Amritsar called Qila Bhangian was built by Jhanda Singh; Wikipedia's article on Hari Singh credits him.

Its fall: Local Chaudhris and Khatris invited Ranjit Singh and Sada Kaur to take Lahore, and in July 1799 he arrived with 5,000 troops; the Bhangi sardars left. In 1802 he marched on Amritsar, and Gurdit Singh and his mother fled without resistance. The last chief, Sahib Singh of Gujrat, was dismissed with a grant of a few villages, and by 1810 all Bhangi territory had merged into Ranjit Singh's kingdom (Encyclopaedia of Sikhism). Zamzama passed to Ranjit Singh after he defeated the Bhangis.

Key moments

• 1739: Bhuma Singh makes his name against Nadir Shah's troops.
• 1748: Hari Singh recognised as head at the Dal Khalsa's formation.
• 1765: Lahore taken and divided.
• 1772: Multan taken.
• July 1799: Ranjit Singh enters Lahore.
• 1802: Amritsar falls.
• 1810: last Bhangi lands absorbed.

Where it stands: The misl is gone, but Zamzama survives and stands on Mall Road in Lahore, in front of the Lahore Museum.