Hari Singh Dhillon

Who was Hari Singh Dhillon?

Maharaja Hari Singh Dhillon was one of the most powerful, admired and famous of all the royal Sikh warriors of the 18th century.

He was Maharaja of Amritsar, Lahore and large areas of central and western Panjab. He was the nephew of Bhuma Singh Dhillon, a famous Sikh soldier. They were a family of Jats of the Dhillon clan from the Malwa region of Punjab Moga District. His military exploits were legendary and his defence of Amritsar.

Such was the respect and admiration of the Sikh community for Hari Singh, that at the formation of the Dal Khalsa in 1748, he was democratically elected leader of the Taruna Dal founded in at Amritsar which is considered to be one of the greatest honours given, in the 18th century, to any Sikh.

He fought against the Afghans with the help of his friends Sardar Charhat Singh Sukerchakia and Baron Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, during Ahmed Shah Abdali's sixth invasion of Punjab. He was an intelligent leader, a progressive soldier and a wise statesman. The author of Tarikh-e-Punjab writes that "Hari Singh was clever, powerful and a man of shining abilities."

His two sons were Jhanda Singh Dhillon and Ganda Singh Dhillon. He based his HQ around Amritsar.