Raja Dhian Singh Dogra
Chief minister of the Sikh Empire for 25 years and the most powerful man at court after Ranjit Singh. Assassinated in 1843.
Dhian Singh was born in 1796, one of three Dogra brothers from Jammu, with Gulab Singh and Suchet Singh, who came to Lahore as soldiers and rose to the highest positions in Ranjit Singh's court.
He became the Maharaja's chamberlain and then chief minister, holding the title of Raja, and for some twenty-five years controlled access to Ranjit Singh. After the Maharaja's death he was the kingmaker: he helped Nau Nihal Singh take power from Kharak Singh and then helped Sher Singh take the throne from Chand Kaur.
On 15 September 1843, the day Sher Singh was assassinated, the Sandhawalia chiefs lured Dhian Singh into the fort and shot him. His son Hira Singh avenged him and became chief minister until he too was killed in 1844.
Connected
Dogra raja of Jammu under Lahore, whose general Zorawar Singh conquered Ladakh and Baltistan. In 1846 he stayed out of the war and bought Kashmir from the British for 7.5 million rupees.
Sher-e-Punjab, the Lion of Punjab. United the misls into the Sikh Empire, ruled from Lahore for forty years and covered the Harmandir Sahib in gold.
Son of Ranjit Singh who won the throne in 1841 with the army's support. He was shot by the Sandhawalia chiefs in September 1843, the same day his chief minister Dhian Singh was killed.
American-Scottish adventurer and colonel of artillery at Lahore, remembered for his tartan turban.
In the world's museums
9 objects
Raja Dhian Singhca. 1835 - ca. 1840 · Punjab Plain© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗,_Amritsar,_circa_19th_century.jpg)
Painting of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore with Dhian Singh Dogra, Central Sikh MuseumCentral Sikh Museum, Amritsar · photo Wikimedia Commons (Wikimedia Commons) ↗
Painting of Raja Dhian Singh [altLahore Museum · photo Wikimedia Commons (Wikimedia Commons) ↗
Dhian Singhca. 1850 - ca. 1870 · Lahore© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗
Raja Dhian Singhca. 1838 · Punjab Plain© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗
Raja Suchet Singh and Raja Dhian Singhca. 1840 · Punjab Plain© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗
Raja Dhian Singhca. 1840 · Punjab Plain© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗
Raja Nau Nihal Singh and Raja Dhian Singhca. 1838 - ca. 1840 · Punjab Plain© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗
Raja Dhian Singhca. 1830-1835 · Punjab Plains© Victoria and Albert Museum, London ↗