Diwan Kirpa Ram

Not to be confused with Misr Diwan Chand.

Diwan Diwan Kirpa Ram
Died	1842 Benares
Rank	Officer
Children	Dhanraj (adopted, d. 1889)

Diwan Kirpa Ram (d. 1842), the youngest son of Diwan Moti Ram, was a civil administrator and soldier in the Sikh Empire.

Family

Diwan Kirpa Ram was born into a family with a rich legacy of military and administrative service. His grandfather Dewan Mokham Chand, contributed significantly to the early consolidation of territories that came under the sway of Ranjit Singh. Moti Ram was an honest, well-respected administrator and faithful courtier, who served as the governor of Kashmir for two terms. Diwan Kirpa Ram's brother, Diwan Ram Dayal, was killed in the line of duty while trying to enforce tribute collection from rebellious tribes in Hazara.^[1]

Career

Kirpa Ram managed the Jalandhar doab while his father, Diwan Moti Ram, was serving in Kashmir. In 1823, Diwan Kirpa Ram participated in the Battle of Nowshera against the Barakzai Afghans in the trans-Indus region on the banks of the river Kabul. He was with the advance troops and played a crucial role alongside Hari Singh Nalwa in securing Sikh dominance against Afghan forces, which underscored his strategic capabilities and military prowess. ^{[2] [3]}

In 1827, Diwan Kirpa Ram was appointed the Governor of Kashmir, a post he held till 1831. Despite his success, and like his father before him, Kirpa Ram faced political challenges and intrigues within the Maharaja's court, particularly from rivals like Dhian Singh and Gulab Singh Dogra, who had long been eyeing Kashmir. Accusations of embezzlement led to Kirpa Ram's imprisonment. ^[4]

Departure

Repeated insults, slights, imprisonment and the imposition of an unjustified exorbitant fine forced Kirpa Ram to apply for permission to join his father in Benares. While Moti Ram obtained permission from Ranjit Singh before he left the Sikh Empire for Benares in May 1833, Kirpa Ram applied but got no answer. Tired of waiting, Diwan Kirpa Ram undertook a pilgrimage to Jwalamukhi and crossed the Satluj into British territory. En route, he was offered a job by the Phulkian rajas whose state he travelled through, but he refused them.^[5]

After Kirpa Ram's departure, Ranjit Singh applauded the capability and intelligence of Dewan Mokham Chand, Moti Ram, Ram Dayal and Kirpa Ram in the Durbar.^[6] He attempted Moti Ram's return without success. After Ranjit Singh's demise, his inheritors tried to tempt Diwan Kirpa Ram with money and position but failed.^[7]

References

1. Nalwa, V. (2009). Hari Singh Nalwa—Champion of the Khalsaji. Manohar. p. 79. ISBN 978-81-730478-5-5.
2. Sohan Lal Suri (1851). Umdat-ut-Twarikh Vol II. Guru Nanak Dev University. p. 366.
3. Griffin, L. (1890). The Panjab Chiefs, vol. 1. Civil and Military Gazette. p. 39.
4. Gupta H.R. (1982). History of the Sikhs, vol. V. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 133.
5. Sohan Lal Suri (1851). Umdat-ut-tawarikh, Vol. III (ii). Guru Nanak Dev University. p. 295.
6. Gupta H.R. (1982). History of the Sikhs, vol. V. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 551.
7. Gupta H.R. (1982). History of the Sikhs, vol. V. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. xi.