Susheel Kaur
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(present-day Himachal Pradesh, India)
Delhi, Mughal Empire
(present-day Delhi, India)
| Susheel Kaur | |
|---|---|
| Rajkumari of Chamba | |
| Born | Chamba State, Punjab Hills (present-day Himachal Pradesh, India) |
| Died | 1716 (1717) Delhi, Mughal Empire (present-day Delhi, India) |
| Spouse | Banda Singh Bahadur (m.1711- 1716) |
| Issue | Ajai Singh |
| House | Mushana (by birth)[1] |
| Father | Maharaja Udai Singh of Chamba |
| Religion | Sikhism |
Susheel Kaur also referred to as Mata Susheel Kaur was the wife of Sikh General Banda Singh Bahadur, who established the first Sikh state and the mother of his son, Ajai Singh.[2] She was the only daughter of Maharaja Udai Singh of Chamba.
Susheel Kaur was born as Rajkumari Susheel Kanwar to Maharaja Udai Singh.[1] Like the princesses of her time she was trained in sword fighting, equestrianism, as well as arts and craft; she was skilled in embroidery handicraft of the Chamba Rumal.[3] Her known physical and personal attributes describe her as being extremely beautiful, graceful and delicate.[4] Max Arthur Macauliffe describes her as a "Goddess of Love" the physical embodiment of Rati.[5][4]
Udai Singh invited Banda Singh to Chamba and following his brother Lakshman Singh's advised, proposed a wedding alliance to him.[4] Banda Singh agreed and the wedding took place in March 1711.[6] Brought up as a Sahajdhari she became Sushil Kaur upon her marriage to the Banda Singh.[7][8] In 1712, she gave birth to his son, Ajai Singh.[9]
Siege of Gurdas Nangal, Confinement and Death
Susheel and her infant son accompanied Banda Singh when he marched with his army to Gurdas Nangal.[10] The Sikhs defended the fort for 8 months but on December 7, 1715, the mughal army under, Abd al-Samad Khan sieged the fort and took the Sikhs along with Banda, Susheel and Ajai captive.[11][12] Banda Singh was paraded in an iron cage while the remaining Sikhs were chained and brought to Delhi.[13] In Delhi, she was separated from her husband and son and taken to the prison.[14] Just like the other Sikh prisoners she remained unmoved on giving up her faith no matter what riches were promised to them. Every day for 7 days, 100 Sikh soldiers were brought out of the fort and murdered in public.[15] On June 9, 1716, her four-year son, Ajai and husband, Banda Singh were cruelly executed. Ajai Singh's heart was cut out, and thrust into his father's mouth. Ajai Singh died in his father's lap while Banda Singh's limbs eyes were gouged out, his skin was removed, his limbs severed, and then he was decapitated.[16][17]: 161–164
Historians such as Karam Singh and Dr. Raj Pal Singh (referencing the work by Shiv Das Lakhnavi ‘Shahnama Munawwar Kalam’) make a claim that the Raj Kumari of Chamba—overcome by the agony of witnessing her son’s torture—converted to Islam. They also assert that Banda Singh Bahadur’s wife similarly embraced Islam, entered the palace, and became part of the royal seraglio.[18] In contrast, Mata Joginder Kaur of Dera Baba Banda Singh Bahadur disputes these claims, arguing that a woman who spent nearly two years living in the wilderness with Banda Singh Bahadur and fought alongside him would be unlikely to convert; instead, she contends that Bibi Shushil Kaur ultimately chose to end her own life to safeguard her honor from being compromised in the imperial harem.[18]: 227 Moreover, historians Hari Ram Gupta and Ganda Singh report that Banda Singh Bahadur’s wife, together with their four‑year‑old son, Ajai Singh, and his nurse, was captured and taken to Delhi, where they were admitted into the harem of Darbar Khan Nazir.[17][19]
Genealogical tradition records that Sardarni Bibi Sushil Kaur married Banda Singh Bahadur at Chamba in 1711. This account relates that Banda Singh was tortured and executed on 9 June 1716 at Delhi following the killing of his young son. According to the same tradition, Bibi Sushil Kaur ended her life while in confinement on 20 June 1716,[20] after witnessing the murder of her only child, Ajai Singh, aged four.
Some historians argue that this account aligns with the broader Rajput and Kshatriya tradition of jauhar—a practice in which women chose death over the possibility of dishonour in the face of defeat, siege, or imminent capture.[21] Under this interpretation, Bibi Sushil Kaur’s reported suicide while imprisoned in Delhi may reflect the same cultural ethos observed in several Rajput lineages.
References
- 1 2 Rathore, Abhinay. "Chamba (Princely State)". Rajput Provinces of India. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
- ↑ Singha, Dr H. S. (2005). Sikh Studies. Hemkunt Press. ISBN 978-81-7010-258-8.
- ↑ Dhillon, Harish (2004). The Legend of Banda Bahadur. UBS Publishers' Distributors. ISBN 978-81-7476-458-4.
- 1 2 3 Gandhi, Surjit Singh (1999). Sikhs in the Eighteenth Century: Their Struggle for Survival and Supremacy. Singh Bros. ISBN 978-81-7205-217-1.
- ↑ "Bibi Shushil Kaur - Gateway To Sikhism". 2014-01-27. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
- ↑ Dhillon, Harish (2013-05-01). First Raj of the Sikhs: The Life and Times of Banda Singh Bahadur. Hay House, Inc. ISBN 978-93-81398-39-5.
- ↑ Sangat Singh (1994). The Sikhs In History.
- ↑ Singh, Sawan (2005). Noble & Brave Sikh Women. B.Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh. ISBN 978-81-7601-701-5.
- ↑ VSM, D. S. Saggu (2018-06-07). Battle Tactics And War Manoeuvres of the Sikhs. Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-64249-006-0.
- ↑ Jawandha, Nahar (2010). Glimpses of Sikhism. New Delhi: Sanbun Publishers. p. 82. ISBN 9789380213255.
- ↑ Jacques, Tony (2007). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Press. p. 421. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5.
- ↑ Pletcher, Kenneth (2010). The History of India. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 200. ISBN 9781615302017.
- ↑ Team, YCT Expert. History Of Ancient & Medieval India. Youth Competition Times.
- ↑ "Bibi_Shushil_Kaur". sikhwiki. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- ↑ Jawandha, Nahar (2010). Glimpses of Sikhism. Sanbun Publishers. p. 89. ISBN 9789380213255.
- ↑ Singh, Kulwant (2006). Sri Gur Panth Prakash: Episodes 1 to 81. Institute of Sikh Studies. p. 415. ISBN 9788185815282.
- 1 2 Singh, Ganda (1935). Life of Banda Singh Bahadur: Based on Contemporary and Original Records. Amritsar: The Sikh History Research Department, Khalsa College, Amritsar. p. 223.
- 1 2 Sagoo, Harbans Kaur (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications. p. 227. ISBN 9788176293006.
- ↑ Gupta, Hari Ram (1978). History Of The Sikhs Vol. II Evolution Of Sikh Confederacies (1707-69). p. 34.
- ↑ "Chamba Princely Family Genealogy". The Royal Ark. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
- ↑ Chandra, Satish (2005). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals, Volume II. Har-Anand Publications. p. 215.