Sati Rani of Raja Suchet Singh––Raja Suchet Singh’s Ranis

BY: MANU KHAJURIA PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 27, 2020

Suchet Singh was the youngest son of Mian Kishore Singh and the brother of Gulab Singh and Dhian Singh. Suchet Singh was also the most handsome and engaging out of the trio that rose to power and influence in Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab’s court.

According to the book ‘Rajgaan Jammu Kashmir’ by Kahn Singh Baloria, Raja Suchet Singh married seven times. Rani Katoch, Rani Bandral, Rani Guleria and Rani Charak, Rani Sulehria and Rani Kalhuria were his seven wives. The names they were popularly referred to most the clans they came from. According to another account Raja Suchet Singh had 10 wives. Besides the wives there were many women in Raja Suchet Singh’s harem.

Raja Suchet Singh had two main palaces, one in Samba and the other in Ramnagar. After his death his queens and their Dasis/women attendants committed Sati in Samba and Ramnagar.

The Practice of Sati during Jammu Raj

Sati was widely practiced in Jammu region especially by women of Rajput families. Samadhis of many Satis like Rani Langeh, Rani Jaral, Rani Bhadwal, Sati Dalaani, Sati Nagru and many more stand testimony to this practice.

27th March 1844, Raja Suchet Singh, fell victim to the intrigues of the Lahore Court and was killed. Ranis of Raja Suchet Singh’s harems at Jammu, Samba and Ramnagar upon hearing of his death performed Sati, setting themselves ablaze on the funeral pyre. The number or Ranis and slave girls who did Sati differs according to different accounts. In the book ‘Essays on Indian Renaissance’ edited by Raj Kumar, 310 women, 10 wives and 300 unmarried ladies of Raja Suchet Singh’s zenana died.

In ‘Gulabnama’ a comprehensive biography on Maharaja Gulab Singh, the founder of the state of Jammu & Kashmir by Diwan Kripa Ram, the incident of Sati is mentioned too. ‘Gulabnama’ recounts 13 Ranis and slave girls of Raja Suchet Singh burnt themselves as Sati in Samba on the orders of Raja Hira Singh, but goes on to add that more Ranis and ladies of Raja Suchet Singh’s harem burnt themselves in Jammu and Ramnagar. It is written in the ‘Gulabnama’ that Maharaja Gulab Singh “shed copious tears of grief from his enraged eyes” upon hearing of the “disagreeable incident”. This was despite the anti-Sati measures of 1829 under the leadership of Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

Rani Samadhi in Samba

Raja Suchet Singh’s wives in the Samba Palace upon hearing this news, along with their servant girls proceeded to commit themselves to the funeral pyre and commit Sati. The Samadhi was on the banks of Basantar River and the inner chambers had Pindis/Moortis of Raja Suchet Singh and his wives. After the devastating floods in the Basantar River, very few remnants of the Samadhi remain. The Baisakhi Mela that used to be held near the Samadhi stopped after 1947.

According to Kahn Singh Baloria the 3 Ranis in Samba Palace along with 3 servant girls opened up their treasures when they heard of their husband’s death. They bedecked themselves in the finest jewels and were taken in palanquins to the large funeral pyre that was lit on the banks of the Basantar River. Of the three servant girls, two were very young and beautiful. They had been brought by Raja Suchet Singh from Peshawar. The queens asked them not to commit Sati and to return to their homeland but they refused.

Prophecy before Dying

The queen just before consigning themselves to the funeral pyre for which nearly 40 kgs of oil, ghee and many kilos of sandalwood had been used made a prophecy. They declared that they would reunite with Raja Suchet Singh after two days and upon their union there would be a storm followed by sounds of thunder and rain.

Rani Samadhi in Jammu

One of the oldest Samadhis in Rani Samadhi at Jammu on the banks of River Tawi is that of Rani Bhutiyali. On the Samadhi the inscription reads “Shri Raje Suchet Singh Di Rani, Samadhi Rani Bhutiyali ji Di”. There is also the depiction of Raja Suchet Singh with six women in the first row and another four women in the second row.

According to some accounts when Raja Suchet Singh was killed in Lahore one of his queens was in Jammu. Rani Bhutiyali from the Krimchi royal clan must have been that Rani. The nine other women depicted in the stone cravings in the Samadhi must be the servant girls who committed sati with her.

Rani’s Samadhi at Ramnagar

Rani Charak, of village Alla was the daughter of Khushhal Singh and the sister of Gaur Singh is most likely to having been living in the Ramnagar Palace of Raja Suchet Singh. After marrying Rani Charak, Raja Suchet Singh had made her brother Gaur Singh the administrator of Ramnagar. Gaur Singh lived close to the Palaces of his sister.

The news of the death of Raja Suchet Singh reached Ramnagar a day late. Hence the queens of Ramnagar performed Sati only a day after the queens in the Samba Palace had consigned themselves to the flames. In two queens and 30 female servants committed Sati.

A Mausoleum/Samadhi was built at the site where the Rani of Raja Suchet Singh and other ladies of the harem in Ramnagar became Sati. This was mausoleum was built by Maharaja Ranbir Singh, the nephew of Raja Suchet Singh. This mausoleum lies in the shadow of the Ramnagar Fort. There was an annual fair that was held near the Samadhi but it has been discontinued.

How to Get to Ramnagar

Ramnagar is 40kms from Udhampur, which is well connected to Jammu city both by rail and road.