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RANJÍT SINGH

1718. His two sons, Chanda Singh and Nodh Singh, were as enterprising as their father. About the year 1730 they rebuilt the village of Sukarchak in the Amritsar district, and collecting round them a band of hard-riding Sikhs, seized several villages in its neighbourhood and in Gujránwála. From Chanda Singh the Sindhanwalia chiefs descended, while Nodh Singh was the direct ancestor of Ranjít Singh. He was killed at Majithiá, fighting the Afgháns, leaving one son, Charrat Singh, five years old, who became a powerful Sirdár, and took command of the Sukarchakia misl. Assisted by Sirdár Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, and the Bhangi confederacy, he repulsed Ubed Khán, the Afghán governor of Lahore, from his head-quarters, Gujránwála, with the loss of guns and baggage. He aided the Ahluwalia chief, Jassa Singh, who had been attacked and plundered by some of the Rámgarhias, to annex all their estates. He was killed by the bursting of his matchlock while engaged on an expedition against Rájá Ranjít Deo of Jammu, the cause of whose son, Brij Ráj Deo. he had espoused.

Máhan Singh, his eldest son, succeeded to the command of the confederacy, the influence and possessions of which he largely increased. But he was only eleven or twelve years of age when his father died, and a catastrophe seemed imminent. The Rájput Rájá had summoned to his assistance Sirdár Jhanda Singh, the head of the Bhangis; while the Kanheyas were aiding his rebellious son. The accident to Charrat Singh seemed likely to give the victory to