Mai Sukhan
Mai Sukhan leader of the Bhangi misl in Amritsar was the widow of late 18th—early 19th century Sikh leader Sardar Gulab Singh Bhangi. The rulers of the Misl were the Jatts of Dhillon Clan who had ruled from 1716-1810. Mai Sukhan gained recognition in Punjab for her military leadership.
Mai Sukhan was a powerful Sikh ruler of the region, famous throughout Punjab.
In 1805, when the forces of the powerful Lahore-based Sikh emperor Ranjit Singh were in the midst of conquest of the holy city of Amritsar, the band of defenders under the command of Mai Sukhan Dhillon held them off for a considerable period of time.[1][2] When requested to surrender the gun Zamzama by Ranjit Singh, Mai Sukhan sealed the city and prepared to defend it. The emperor in his common way after defeating an opponent gave her a jagir of five or six villages.[3]
She had a son named Gurdit Singh Dhillon.
References
- ↑ "Women in Power 1800-1840"; 1805 Army Leader Mai Sukhan in Punjab (India); URL accessed 29/12/14
- ↑ *"Sikh Women in State Affairs", URL accessed 29/12/14
- ↑ Mai Sukhan; In Your Face Women (includes a portrait); accessed 29/12/14
