55-524: The Ropar Meeting in October 1831 was between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Lord William Bentinck , Governor-General of the East India Company , on the banks of the river Satluj , in a town of the same name. Ranjit Singh's fame had reached its peak, attracting the attention and friendship of sovereigns from afar. The Ropar Meeting highlighted the camaraderie between Maharaja Ranjit Singh of
110-473: A cultural sequence from Harappan to medieval times. Some of the important exhibits include antiquities of Harappan times, gold coins of Chandragupta and copper and bronze implements. Sardar Hari Singh, Rais of Sialba, conquered Ropar in 1763 and established his state there. His son Sardar Charat Singh made Ropar capital of the state. Later in Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Cis-Sutlej invasions in
165-670: A large number of birds, mammals and vegetation. It has at least 9 mammalian , 154 bird , 35 fish , 9 arthropod , 11 rotifer and 10 protozoan species. This important ecological zone is located in the Shivalik foothills of the Lower Himalayas and was created in 1952 on the Sutlej River, in the Punjab state of India, by building a head regulator. The total area of the wetland is 1,365 hectares (3,370 acres). The wetland
220-498: A swivel ( Zamburak ). Raja Fateh Singh Ahluwalia with his son Khalsa Nihal Singh; Sham Singh Attariwala ; Nihal Singh Kalianwala; Attar Singh Kalianwala; Jawala Singh of Nurpur; Fateh Singh Mann; Jawand Singh Mokal; Desa Singh Majithia; Lehna Singh Majithia ; Sardar Mangal Singh. Misr Beli Ram; Misr Ram Kishan. Commandant; Subedar; Jamadar; Chobdar heading a troupe of 100 girls armed with swords. Ghorcharas; Jagirdars; Daftaris; Six Vakils from Sindh (two each, representing
275-498: A walled house with a handful of other senior officers including his brother Lieutenant Charles Burnes, and Major William Broadfoot. On 1 November 1841, Burnes was approached by his former travelling companion Mohan Lal who informed Burnes of a plot to have him killed, urging him to flee the city for the relative safety of the cantonment. As the representative of Britain in Kabul, it was Burnes whom many Afghans considered responsible for
330-760: Is a newly created fifth Divisional Headquarters of Punjab comprising Rupnagar, Mohali, and its adjoining districts. It is also one of the bigger sites belonging to the Indus Valley civilization . Rupnagar is nearly 43 km (27 mi) to the northwest of Chandigarh (the nearest airport and the capital of Punjab). It is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the north and Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar district to its west. There are many historical and religious places in Rupnagar, including gurdwaras such as Gurudwara Bhatha Sahib, Gurdwara Bhubour Sahib, Gurdwara Solkhian and Gurudwara Tibbi Sahib. The ancient town of Rupnagar
385-689: Is connected by the National Highway system to the following nearby cities, by the following highway routes: As per 2011 India census , Rupnagar had a population of 56,038. Males constitute 52.8% of the population and females 47.2%. Rupnagar has an average literacy rate of 82.19%, higher than the national average of 74.04%: male literacy is 87.50%, and female literacy is 76.42%. Rupnagar has public as well as private schools which are affiliated to either Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) or Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and follow
440-487: Is modern Uzbekistan) and Persia . The narrative which he published on his visit to England in 1834 added immensely to contemporary knowledge of these countries, and was one of the most popular books of the time. It was republished in 2012. The first edition earned the author £800, and his services were recognised not only by the Royal Geographical Society of London, but also by that of Paris . He
495-591: Is received during June through September. The city has one of the three important wetlands of the Punjab State known as Rupnagar Wetland or Ropar Wetland .It was declared as a Ramsar site in 2002 This is a man-made freshwater wetland covering 1,365 hectares. Also called the Rupnagar Lake, the wetland developed consequent to the construction of a regulator on the Sutlej River . The area has
550-579: Is said to have been named by a Raja called Rokeshar, who ruled during the 11th century and named it after his son Rup Sen. Rupnagar is one of the Indus Valley sites along the Ghaggar-Hakra beds. There is an Archaeological Museum in the city which was opened in the year 1998 for general public. The museum exhibits the archaeological remains of excavated site in the city, the first Harappan site of Independent India. These excavations reveal
605-673: Is surrounded by Shivalik hills to the northwest and by plains to the south and southeast. Rupnagar railway station falls in the Northern Railway zone of the Indian Railways . It is connected to Chandigarh by a single line railway track. It is also connected to Amritsar via Jalandhar , Ludhiana , Morinda , Una (HP) and Nangal Dam . Rupnagar city has a road network to surrounding village and towns in district as well as to major cities including Una , Baddi , Ludhiana , Jalandhar , Chandigarh and Delhi . Rupnagar
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#1732773075660660-774: The 10+2 plan of education. Rupnagar houses the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar which is spread over 525 acres in the banks of Satulj, the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Bhaddal , and Government College, Ropar (affiliated to Punjabi University, Patiala ).Ropar is an education hub for local villages. Colleges in Ropar offers great opportunities to students from nearby districts too. Alexander Burnes Captain Sir Alexander Burnes FRS (16 May 1805 – 2 November 1841)
715-596: The House of Commons . An account of his later labours was published in 1842 under the title of Cabool: A Personal Narrative of a Journey to, and Residence in that City, in the Years 1836, 7, and 8 . On 7 August 1839, the British Government restored Afghan leader Shah Shuja to the throne in Kabul after an exile of over thirty years. Shujah had been living as a pensioner of the crown for the entirety of his exile. He
770-639: The Indus River was approved and in 1831 his and Henry Pottinger 's surveys of the Indus river would prepare the way for a future assault on the Sindh to clear a path towards Central Asia. In the same year he arrived in Lahore with a present of horses from King William IV to Maharaja Ranjit Singh . The British claimed that the horses would not survive the overland journey, so they were allowed to transport
825-529: The Ropar Meeting reached Bokhara . Rupnagar is located at 30°58′N 76°32′E / 30.97°N 76.53°E / 30.97; 76.53 . It has an average elevation of 260 metres (850 ft). The town lies on the bank of Satluj River and the Shivalik hill range spreads along the opposite bank of the river. The climate of Rupnagar is characterized by general dryness (except in
880-741: The Sikh Empire and the East India Company, which governed Hindustan . The grandeur of the Sikh display prompted a British historian to compare it to the Field of the Cloth of Gold . The agenda of both powers differed significantly. Ranjit Singh aimed to secure recognition for his son, Kharak Singh 's accession, and sought the Company's response to his plans to annex Sindh . At the same time,
935-621: The Afghan Frontier: Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa ; Officers of the Campoo-i-Moalla with General Tej Singh ; Colonel Gulab Singh Pahuwindia; Colonel Amir Singh; Colonel Sultan Mohammad; Commandant Chet Singh; General Illahi Bakhsh; Jean-François Allard ’s Dragoons; Jean-Baptiste Ventura . Accompanied by 16,000 cavalry, seven infantry regiments and twenty-one guns and 200 camels; each camel was decorated with coverings of crimson and gold and armed with
990-525: The British agent appointed by the East India Company to oversee Sikh affairs, was tasked by the Governor-General to organize the meeting." All correspondence regarding the proposed meeting was kept confidential because it would have been inappropriate for the Governor-General to appear overly eager to initiate such discussions. William Bentinck and his extensive entourage descended from Shimla in
1045-469: The British feared that India was sought by Russia. Sensing the two empires would collide in Afghanistan, the British Government needed intelligence and dispatched Burnes to get it. In 1831, travelling in disguise, Burnes surveyed the route through Kabul to Bukhara and produced the first detailed accounts of Afghan politics. His proposal in 1829 to undertake a journey of exploration through the valley of
1100-400: The Company harboured suspicions that Ranjit Singh had initiated communication with Russia . The East India Company was preparing to court him, recognising him as essential to realising it's expanding aspirations for 'rightful influence' and lucrative commerce. It wanted Ranjit Singh to permit trade access through the Indus and Satluj rivers. The Treaty of Amritsar , signed by Ranjit Singh and
1155-628: The Company in 1809, constrained Sikh expansion south of the Satluj and prevented the Company from extending north of it. Sindh, located south of the Satluj, was a matter of interest due to the flow of the Satluj's waters after it left the Punjab. The Satluj joined the Panjnad before reaching the Indus near Mithankot , at which place it left the Sikh Empire and entered Sindh. The Treaty did not address
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#17327730756601210-474: The Himalayas to Ropar on the plains of Punjab. Ropar, a small town situated on the banks of the river Satluj, was under the control of Bhup Singh, a Sikh chieftain loyal to the East India Company. The parties had determined to encamp on ‘their side’ of the river Satluj. Both parties constructed their bridge of boats to facilitate passage across the river. Commandant Chet Singh supervised the bridge on behalf of
1265-837: The Indus River. From Attock, goods could be transported up the Kabul River. Caravans would carry the goods through the Khyber Pass to Kabul and to markets in Bokhara , Khorasan , and Iraq , providing competition to Russian goods. In April 1831, four months before the Ropar Meeting, Ranjit Singh deputed a mission to Shimla to felicitate the Governor-General. The Sikh delegation was the first foreign mission hosted by Lord Bentinck as Governor-General. Claude Martin Wade ,
1320-506: The Indus. His immense skills in diplomacy and knowledge of local customs and rites of flattery enabled him to travel through areas of the Indus previously closed to Europeans, including Thatta , Hyderabad , Bukkur , and Shujabad , among others. In October 1831, Burnes coordinated the first meeting of Maharaja Ranjit Singh with a sitting commander of British forces in India, Governor General Lord William Bentinck . The assembly took place in
1375-545: The Ropar meeting. Despite not receiving approval, she decided to go anyway. Her entourage positioned themselves approximately 12 kos behind the Governor-General's camp.; Sardar Bhoop Singh of Ropar was the host for the East India Company. Ropar Rupnagar ( / ˈ r ʊ p n ə ɡ ər / ; formerly known as Ropar ) is a city and a municipal council in Rupnagar district in the Indian state of Punjab . Rupnagar
1430-653: The Ropar summit while in Bokhara . Later, Wade disclosed that "the Sikh chiefs were said by Runjeet Singh himself to be averse to the meeting with the British Governor General." The Sikh Sardars believed it beneath the Maharaja's dignity to meet with the Governor-General, as he represented the East India Company rather than the British Crown. They felt that no one but the King of England could match
1485-783: The Sikhs and Lieutenant Frederick Mackeson did the same for the Company. The Governor-General reached Ropar on the evening of the 22nd, two days before Maharaja Ranjit Singh did. Maharaja Ranjit Singh arrived on the morning of the 25th to a 101-gun salute. Invitations were extended, salutes fired, ceremonial exchanges and gift-giving took place, followed by displays of military prowess and feasting with entertainment. Amidst all this, discussions commenced. Conversations occurred in three languages—Punjabi, Persian, and English. Ranjit Singh conveyed his message in Punjabi to Fakir Azizuddin , who translated it into Persian for Captain Wade. Wade then rendered
1540-576: The amirs of Sindh ( Talpur dynasty ), who had incited the Balochis to raid into the Sikh territory. It recognised the Maharaja's grievance as legitimate. However, it knew that were the Sikhs to take control of Sindh, Ranjit Singh would always have the power to annoy the Company by closing the navigation of the Indus. The Company checkmated Ranjit Singh by engaging in secret negotiations with the Mirs, employing diplomatic manoeuvres to prevent him from conquering
1595-425: The cis-Satluj Rajas and Sardars, eager to accompany Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s mission to Simla earlier this year, were barred from doing so and instructed to return to Ludhiana. The British authorities deliberately kept them away to prevent them from observing the reception given to Ranjit Singh’s delegation. In 1831, Begum Samru of Sardana submitted a formal request to the Governor-General seeking permission to attend
1650-412: The city's financial and religious decay. Confident he could quell any potential trouble, Burnes decided to stay in Kabul against his friend's advice. That night, a small group of men began driving up a mob around the city. The group was originally a small contingent directly opposed to Burnes's presence. They managed to swell their numbers by spreading the message that the building adjacent to Burnes's house
1705-678: The communication into English for the Governor-General. Throughout the proceedings, Captain Wade served as interpreter and master of ceremonies. Alexander Burnes , an East India Company employee, remarked, "The English gentlemen appeared a sorry contrast to the gilded splendor of the Sikhs' elephants." Upon noticing this difference, Ranjit Singh invited the Englishmen to transfer to his lavishly adorned elephants. The Ropar meeting, characterized by Sikh opulence, failed to achieve substantial alignment of interests. "Eastern vanity" clashed with "English pragmatism and sobriety." The only tangible outcome
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1760-473: The dismemberment of Poland, and was so impressed with the young boy's knowledge of western geography, he invited Lal to travel with him to Tartary . From Delhi, Burnes then travelled to Ludhiana where he received permission to proceed in his travels into Central Asia. In the following years, in company with Mohan Lal , his travels continued through Afghanistan across the Hindu Kush to Bukhara (in what
1815-410: The early 1800s, he established Jagirs in the area including Mianpur and others. In 1831, Ropar was under a Sikh chieftain, Bhup Singh, who had pledged his allegiance to the East India Company . Ropar shot into prominence when it was chosen as the venue for the meeting between Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire and Lord William Bentinck , the Governor-General appointed by the Company. News of
1870-1251: The grandeur of their king. In hindsight, Ranjit Singh might have considered the advice of his Sardars. The Sardars had eagerly anticipated Lady Bentinck and her companions performing for them, as they had done during the Sikh mission at Shimla earlier that year. Their disappointment was palpable when Lady Bentinck did not dance at Ropar. Son and apparent: Kanwar Kharak Singh ; Grandson: Prince Nau Nihal Singh . Sardar Attar Singh Sandhanwalia; Sardar Waswa Singh Sandhanwalia; Sardar Lehna Singh Sandhanwalia. Raja Sangat Singh of Jind ; Raja Ajit Singh Ladwa ; Bhai Udey Singh of Kaithal . Bhai Ram Singh; Bhai Gobind Singh; Bhai Sadhu Singh. Foreign minister: Fakir Azizuddin Deorhiwala: Raja Dhian Singh Dogra. Diwan Moti Ram ; Raja Gulab Singh Dogra; Raja Suchet Singh Dogra; Raja Hira Singh Dogra; Jamadar Khushal Singh ; Vazir Kaisari Singh; Munshi Kahan Chand; Munshi Lala Sarda Ram; Dewan Sher Ali; Dewan Bhawani Dass; Lala Karam Chand; Lala Nanak Chand; Maharaja’s agent with Captain Wade: Lala Kishen Chand. Commander-in-chief along
1925-552: The horses up the Indus and used the opportunity to secretly survey the river. Despite pressure from his superiors, Burnes declined a military escort on his journey up the Indus, fearing their presence would cause the native population to conclude the British intended to mount an invasion. Instead, Burnes travelled with only one other British officer, Ensign J.D. Leckie, and periodically enlisted members of native communities to man and navigate his convoy. In so doing, Burnes developed close bonds with local leaders and governors in cities along
1980-614: The issue of territorial control along the Satluj's route to the Arabian Sea. The events following the Ropar Meeting showed that the East India Company misinterpreted the 1809 treaty to suit their own convenience. In the first half of the nineteenth century, the historical land trade route from the plains of Hindustan to Afghanistan ran through the Sikh Empire. Other overland routes were considered unsafe and circuitous. The East India Company aimed to gain waterway access through Sikh territory to facilitate sea trade from Bombay to Attock via
2035-515: The political agent, he took an interest in the history and geography of north-western India and the adjacent countries, which had not yet been thoroughly explored by the British; he then went to Afghanistan . Afghanistan, one of the most remote kingdoms in the world, found itself sandwiched between the rival British and Russian empires. British control in India made the Russians suspect an intention to move northwards through Afghanistan; conversely,
2090-448: The portion of Sindh that lay well within his sphere of influence. The Indus Navigation Treaty for the opening of the navigation of the rivers Indus and Satluj was signed in 1832. The Ropar convention drew international attention in the nineteenth century as an event showcasing the grandeur of the Sikh Empire. During his travels, Reverend Joseph Wolff visited the Sikh Empire and astonished the Maharaja by mentioning that he had heard about
2145-615: The possession of the British royal family, and set in the Crown of Queen Alexandra ). Following the Rupur summit, Burnes took up brief residence in Delhi from November to December 1831. It was in Delhi that, on 19 December, Burnes first made contact with his future travelling partner Mohan Lal . While visiting a Hindu school in the grounds of Humayun's Tomb , Burnes witnessed a recitation by Lal on
2200-403: The post-monsoon or transition season. The temperature ranges from a minimum of 1 °C (34 °F) in winter to 47 °C (117 °F) in summer. May and June are generally the hottest months and December and January are the coldest months. Relative humidity is high, averaging about 70% during monsoon. The average annual rainfall in the district is 1030mm. About 78% of the annual rainfall
2255-405: The same time, Shujah had greatly increased taxation on the population, leading to a large scale economic depression among the lower class. At the urging of Shah Shuja, the British and Indian troops had agreed to relocate their encampment out of the city walls, setting up a series of cantonments outside the city. Burnes however, chose to remain within the heart of the old city, taking up residence in
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2310-423: The same time, large numbers of British officers, their wives, children, and staff, had relocated to Kabul for the favourable temperatures, having previously been stationed in the hot, dry plains of Hindustan. The British influx brought with it numerous foreign customs such as cricket, skating, and steeplechase. The sudden swelling of the city's population caused prices for food and goods in the bazaars to skyrocket. At
2365-479: The south west monsoon season), a hot summer and a cold winter. The year may be divided into four seasons . The period from about middle of November to February is the cold season. This is followed by the summer season from March to about the end of June. The south-west monsoon season commences late in June and continues up to about middle of September. The period from mid September to the middle of November constitutes
2420-405: The threat. The situation with the rioters continued to deteriorate as they set fire to the compound stables. A single shot was fired from the crowd and Major Broadfoot, standing beside Burnes on the balcony, was killed. Now assured that there was no longer a chance for rescue, Charles Burnes exited, armed, into the courtyard, reportedly killing six men before being hacked to death. Alexander Burnes
2475-1125: The three Mirs). Governor General: Lord William Bentinck accompanied by his wife, Lady William Bentinck. General Adams; Major-General Ramsay; Major Caldwell; Major Maclachlan; 4th Native Infantry: Dr Murray; Military secretary: Captain Benson; Persian secretary: Henry Prinsep ; Political agents (Ludhiana): Captain Claude Martin Wade , (Sabathu): Charles Pratt Kennedy , (Ambala): George Russell Clerk ; Henry Miers Elliot ; Alexander Burnes ; 1st regt. Light Horse Colonel: James Skinner ; Brigade of guns: Lieutenant Maidman; Horse artillery: Captain Johnstone; HM 16th Lancers: Colonel Arnold; HM 31st Foot: Colonel Cassidy; 32nd regt. Native Infantry: Major Stacey; 14th regt. N.I. Colonel Little; Lieutenant Frederick Mackeson ; J. Ramsay; Lt Col Lockett; Mr Ravenshaw; Bodyguard: Captain Honeywood. Sixty officers and two khidmatgars. The vakils representing
2530-605: The throne of Kabul, but the viceroy preferred to follow the opinion of Sir William Hay Macnaghten and reinstated Shah Shuja , thus leading to the outbreak of the First Anglo-Afghan War . On the restoration of Shah Shuja in 1839, Burnes became regular political agent at Kabul. He was knighted by Queen Victoria on 6 August 1838, while serving in the 21st India Native Infantry on a mission in Afghanistan, and remained there until his assassination in 1841, during an insurrection in which his younger brother, Charles,
2585-542: The village of Rupur (present day Rupnagar ) on the banks of the Sutlej from 22 to 26 October. The event was attended by numerous British political attachés and subalterns including Bentinck, General John Ramsay, and H.T. Prinsep. The event was also marked by the Maharajah's open display of the celebrated Koh-i-Noor diamond, which he presented for free inspection by the British attendees (the jewel would eventually come into
2640-465: Was first cousin to the poet Robert Burns . His brother was the doctor and surgeon James Burnes . At the age of sixteen, Alexander joined the army of the East India Company and while serving in India , he learned Urdu and Persian , and obtained an appointment as an interpreter at Surat in 1822. He was transferred to Kutch in 1826 where he was based at Bhuj for three years. As assistant to
2695-531: Was a Scottish explorer , military officer and diplomat associated with the Great Game . He was nicknamed Bokhara Burnes for his role in establishing contact with and exploring Bukhara . His memoir, Travels into Bokhara , was a bestseller when it was first published in 1835. Burnes was born on 16 May 1805 in Montrose , Scotland, as the fourth son of James Burnes (1780–1852) the local provost , who
2750-463: Was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society the same year. London's prestigious Athenaeum Club admitted him without ballot. Soon after his return to India in 1835 he was appointed to the court of Sindh to secure a treaty for the navigation of the Indus and in 1836 he undertook a political mission to Dost Mohammed Khan at Kabul . He advised Lord Auckland to support Dost Mohammed on
2805-416: Was also killed. The calmness with which he continued at his post despite the threat to his life, and after the death of his political assistant Major William Broadfoot, won him a heroic reputation. It came to light in 1860 that some of Burnes's dispatches from Kabul in 1839 had been altered to convey opinions that had not been his, but Lord Palmerston refused after so long to grant the inquiry demanded in
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#17327730756602860-521: Was considered to be the candidate most complacent and willing to cooperate with British interests in the region. Burnes, having long considered Shujah unfit to rule, had implored then Governor General Lord Auckland to endorse Dost Mohammad Khan to accede to the throne. His recommendations went unheeded and, on 3 November 1840, Dost Mohammad surrendered himself to British forces, going into exile in India. Despite his hesitation in endorsing Shujah; Burnes, along with Sir William Hay Macnaghten, 1st Baronet ,
2915-507: Was installed in Kabul as resident political officers, a position Burnes himself resented, calling himself "a highly paid idler". In Kabul, the reign of Shah Shuja was marked by tyranny and widespread poverty among the Afghan people. Shuja announced that he considered his own people to be "dogs" who needed to be taught to be obedient to their master, and spent his time exacting bloody vengeance on those Afghans who he felt had betrayed him. At
2970-493: Was the Maharaja gaining insights into military science, but at what cost? The weeklong indulgence resulted in a somewhat unsatisfactory ‘Yaddasht’ (commemorative document) for the Sikh Maharaja. Ranjit Singh's failed attempt to obtain British ‘approval’ for his ambitions concerning Sindh made its conquest a distant dream. The East India Company acknowledged that Ranjit Singh had ample justification to launch an attack on
3025-462: Was used as the garrison treasury, holding pay for the entire British forces in Kabul. By nightfall, a large mob had assembled within the courtyard of Burnes's house. Burnes sent a runner to the cantonments asking for immediate assistance, before stepping out onto his balcony to attempt to reason with the crowd. Reportedly, assistance from the British army was delayed by a series of internal arguments between senior officers there on how best to respond to
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