Rani Sada Kaur
Head of the Kanhaiya misl after her husband's death and the mother-in-law of Ranjit Singh. Her support helped him take Lahore in 1799.
Sada Kaur was born around 1762, the daughter of a chief of the Kanhaiya misl's neighbours, and married Gurbakhsh Singh, son of Jai Singh Kanhaiya. When her husband was killed in battle against the Sukerchakias in 1785, she took control of the Kanhaiya misl.
She arranged the marriage of her daughter Mehtab Kaur to the young Ranjit Singh, son of her husband's enemy, and became his chief adviser and ally. Her troops and judgement were decisive when Ranjit Singh took Lahore in 1799, and she fought beside him in many campaigns.
As his power grew, relations soured; she resented his growing control, and in 1821 he imprisoned her and annexed her lands. She died in captivity at Lahore in 1832. She is remembered as the woman who made the Maharaja.
Battles
Connected
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.
Head of the Kanhaiya misl and for a time the most powerful chief in Punjab. His daughter-in-law Sada Kaur arranged the marriage that allied the Kanhaiyas with Ranjit Singh.
In the world's museums
2 objects
A Sketch of Sardarni Sada Kaur, by the Court Artist of Maharaja Ranjit SinghCentral Sikh Museum, Amritsar · photo Kehar Singh, court artist of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (Wikimedia Commons) ↗
Sada Kaur was the wife of Gurbaksh Singh Kanhaiya, the heir of Jai Singh KanheyaWikimedia Commons · Sikh Heritage Museum.(Unknown authorUnknown author) ↗