Col J P Singh, Retd
230th birth anniversary of General Zorawar Singh Kalhuria this year is being celebrated on 14 April 2016 as part of Baisakhi Mela celebrations at General Zorawar Rotary, Bahu Plaza. Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (erstwhile J&K State Force) celebrates ‘General Zorawar Day’ to commemorate birth and successes of legendary warrior who happens to be architect of present Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. Zorawar Singh was born in April 1786 in village Kahlur, now Bilaspur in Himachal in a Rajput family. When 16, he is said to have killed his uncle who surreptitiously grabbed his father’s land. Having done it, he went to Haridwar for solace where he was spotted sitting in desperation by Rana Jaswant Singh, Jagirdar of Marmethi near Kishtwar. When asked reason of his agony, he told the truth. Impressed by truthfulness of the lad, Rana offered him job and brought him along. Finding him able and enthusiastic, Rana trained him in riding, swordsmanship and archery. Once hearing that Main Dido was on plundering expedition to Marmethi, Zorawar Singh exhorted Rana to encounter him. Finding Rana reluctant and cowardly, he left Marmethi in desperation and came to Jammu. One day when Raja Gulab Singh was returning after his morning bath in Tawi, Zorawar Singh came infront. Seeing a young stranger, Gulab Singh made enquiries. Zorawar Singh narrated his story, listening which Raja Gulab Singh asked him what did he want to do next. “Time will tell (waqt batae ga)” Zorawar Singh said! Impressed, Gulab Singh told him that he will offer him the desired opportunity and enrolled him at Reasi Fort. Which year did this happen is not known but my sense is it should be around 1816-17 when Reasi was awarded as Jagir to Gulab Singh. Being brave, intelligent and enterprising he won the favours of Kiladar. To recount Gen Zorawar Singh’s achievements, a look to the East of Kishtwar is inescapable. To its East were the snow clad mountains and valleys of upper Himalayas. Several principalities of this region were tributary to the Gyalpo (king) of Ladakh. In 1834 one of these, the Raja of Timbus, sought Gulab Singh’s help against the Gyalpo. Gen Zorawar Singh probably was waiting for an opportunity to excel himself in warfare. The Rajputs of Jammu and Himachal had traditionally excelled in fighting in the mountains. Having trained them himself harshly, Zorawar had no problem in crossing the mountain ranges and entering Ladakh through the Suru River where he defeated an army of local Botis and subdued landlords along the way. The Gyalpo sent Gen Banko Kahlon to cut off Zorawar Singh’s lines of communications. The astute Dogra General rushed back to Kartse where he sheltered his troops during the winter. In the spring of 1835, he defeated the large Ladakhi army of Gen Kahlon and marched his victorious troops to Leh. The Gyalpo surrendered and agreed to pay 50,000 rupees as war-indemnity and 20,000 rupees as an annual tribute. Within a year he had gifted entire Ladakh to Gulab Singh. This is considered as one of the greatest victories of Gen Zorawar Singh. Yet another challenge lay to the Northwest of Ladakh. The challenge was Baltistan. Zorawar Singh annexed it 1839 with the help of Mohammad Shah, disinherited son of Ahmed Shah, the ruler of Skardu.
Having consolidated Gulab Singh’s reign in Northwest, Zorawar Singh turned his attention Eastwards, towards Tibet. Love of conquests cherished by Raja and his General have been suggested by historians as reason for Tibet adventure. He recruited Baltis in his army for the invasion of Tibet. His force now comprised of men from Jammu hills, Kishtwar, Ladakh and Baltistan. In May 1841, this army marched into the unknown land of Tibet. Sweeping all resistance on his way, Zorawar Singh passed the Mansarovar Lake and converged at Gartok where he defeated the Gompo at a place called Dagpacha. Besides inflicting heavy loses on Botis, Dogras captured the enemy ‘Colours’; the Chinese Flag which the Dogras named as Mantalai Flag. This flag is the proud passion of 4 JAK Rifles (Fateh Shivji) proudly displayed in their Officers Mess. Gompo and Tibetan Gen Pi-his fled to Taklakot. Gen Zorawar followed them. The fort was stormed on 6 September and entire Taklakot occupied by a Dogra Unit led by Kumedan Baste Ram Mehta by the middle of September. With this victory, entire Tibet West of Mayum Pass was in Dogra hands. Gen Zorawar’s forces had gone in 550 miles into Tibetan territory in less than three and half months. The fall of Taklakot finds mention in the report of the Chinese Imperial resident, Meng Pao posted at Lahasa. Envoys from Tibet and agents of the Maharaja of Nepal, whose kingdom was only 15 miles from Taklakot, came to Zorawar for negotiations. At about the same time, on the insistence of British, Maharaja Sher Singh is said to have issued withdrawal orders to Zorawar Singh, not to his liking. Before the negotiations could be concluded and withdrawal executed, the winter had set in and all the passes had closed. Zorawar Singh withdrew to Tirathpuri for the winters. Due to continuous intense rains, snow, thunderous lightning and cold wave for weeks, many of the soldiers lost their fingers and toes to frostbite. Due to short supplies some even starved. In the meantime Kahlon Surkhang followed Zorawar with a large force via Mayum Pass which soon closed entrapping the Tibetan force. Entrapped Kahlon offered to retreat and vacate the areas conquered by Dogras. But another pass Mastang La, close by, was still negotiable through which another strong Tibetan force descended and surprised the Dogras at Taklakot in early November 1841 and invested it. The situation became desperate for Zorawar Singh. With no reinforcements in sight, Zorawar’s only hope lay in recapturing Taklakot. On 3 December 1841 he divided his force in five columns and attacked Taklakot in waves. Tibetans being far superior numerically, Dogras were forced to fall back after suffering heavy casualties. Determined to reach Chi-Tang to link up Baste Ram’s force, he personally led a determined attack on the strong Tibetan positions. Gen Pi-his withdrew to To-Yo. Thinking that being intruder whom Tibetans will attack, Gen Zorawar waited for 3 days in defensive position. But Tibetans did not do so. These three days wait took a heavy toll climatically. On 12 December 1841 Gen Zorawar Singh launched a determined attack. A furious hand to hand battle ensued. 200 Dogras and unknown Tibetans were killed. General himself was hit by a bullet in the right shoulder and fell from the horse but arose and kept on fighting with the sword in left hand.
The Tibetans and their Chinese counterparts regrouped and counterattacked. When the hand to hand battle was going on, just then a Tibetan horseman came charging and thrust his lance through Generals chest claiming the honour of killing the greatest warrior of the time. On the death of their commander, his troops were thrown in disorder. They fled helter-skelter. Hence the saga of military adventures of ‘Napoleon of the East’ ended on the 12th December 1841. Next day the Dogra soldiers avenged the death of their commander by executing the enemy commander. Kumedan Baste Ram Mehta, the first Commanding Officer of Fateh Shivji, the unit he led in action in Tibet, took over the command. Addressing Mr. Bobb Blackman, Member of British Parliament in Dogra Sadar Sabha, Gen G S Jamwal said, “Gen Zorawar’s successes were far superior than Napoleon and had he lived before Napoleon, Napoleon would have been called Zorawar Singh of France”. In the hindsight I feel if Gen Zorawar Singh hadn’t done what he did, Ladakh would have been in China and Chinese would have been lurching around Kishtwar.
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