Inconnection with the 228th birth anniversary of Maharaja Gulab Singh, a web lecture was organized by the Maharaja Gulab Singh Research Centre here. The lecture started with a welcome note by Prof Suman Jamwal, followed by a note on the activities undertaken by the Centre by Sushma J. Barnawal. Brig J S Rajput dwelt upon the aims and agenda of Research Centre and how Maharaja Gulab Singh Trust has played an active role in its creation. Dr Karan Singh, Chairman Trustee, Maharaja Gulab Singh Memorial Trust presided over the programme. While speaking on the occasion, Dr Singh underlined the necessity of revisiting the life and time of Maharaja Gulab Singh, the founder of Royal Dogra dynasty and first Maharaja of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir and the second largest princely state in British India. He regretted that the historians have not given the place, that he deserves in history of India. Dr Singh further added that Maharaja Gulab Singh was a multi-faceted personality and they all need to be brought into the centre stage of the academic and research. In this context, he particularly emphasized his role in Ladakh and the nature of relationship that he developed with the peripheral region such as Humza, Gilgit- Baltistan etc. Harbans Singh, an eminent scholar, who has immensely contributed to our understanding of the history of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir , was the key speaker, who briefed on Maharaja Gulab Singh and the making of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. In this context , he pointed out, how he reached the Lahore Darbar and grabbed place in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Army and soon became the Commander of the Dogra Cavalry contingent. Singh said this Dogra warrior distinguished himself in several campaigns, including the conquest of Multan in 1816 and also led an independent campaign in 1816 to conquer the hill town of Reasi. Because of the sterling services that he rendered to Lahore Darbar, Gulab Singh was confirmed as Raja of Jammu by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. “Soon after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Lahore Darbar became a centre of conspiracies. However, Maharaja Gulab Singh came out of the crisis and soon became the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. Gulab Singh’s Trans-Himalayan conquests pushed the boundaries of this state upto Tibbet Xinjiang,” Singh said. The web lecture was attended by the members of Academic fraternity of the University of Jammu , Research Scholars, students, members of civil society including, Maj Gen G S Jamwal, Gulchain Singh Charak, Mubarak Singh and others. It was hosted by Prof SN Lal, HOD History, University of Jammu.
