Panjwar village: Birthplace of Sardar Chhajja Singh, seat of Bhangi Misal

Though Panjwar village is closely connected with well-known politician Dr Gurdial Singh Dhillon, few know that Panjwar is also the place of birth of the founder of Bhangi Misal.

Before the empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, it was the Misals that ruled. There were a total of 12 Misals and their heads were called Sardar. Panjwar village has a rich history as it is the birthplace of Sardar Chhajja Singh, the founder of Bhangi Misal. He established the Jatha that controlled vast areas of Punjab, including Lahore, Amritsar, Gujarat and Sialkot.

Chhajja Singh, a resident of Panjwar village, was one of the first followers of Banda Singh Bahadur, from whom he received Amrit. According to Kanhaiya Lal, he had taken Amrit from the hands of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Chhajja Singh, a Jat Sikh, was of Dhillon sub-caste, with a warrior background.

Before the empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, these 12 Misals provided protection to people from robbers and looters. Sardar Chhajja Singh was the founder of the powerful 18th century Bhangi Misal. This Misal outshone the other Misals in its early stages and the Bhangis were probably the first to establish an independent government of their own in their conquered territories. In Amritsar, there is a Quila Bhangian which exists till now. The Misal was called Bhangi because its leaders and warriors were known to consume bhang (an intoxicating hemp drink).

After Chhajja Singh, the Misal was led by Bhuma Singh Dhillon, who was also from the Panjwar area, followed by Hari Singh, who significantly increased its strength to 20,000 horsemen. They held major cities such as Lahore, Amritsar and Sialkot, establishing the Qila Bhangian (Bhangi Fort) in Amritsar. It is a part of history that the followers of the Misal used to fight to defeat their opponents. It is believed that those were the days when there were buildings with 12 doors (baran-dari). One such structure exists in the village which is in the complex of Government Elementary School.

After the martyrdom of Bundha Singh, Chajja Singh and Jagat Singh, it was administered by Bhima (Bhuma) Singh who made Natha Singh and Jagat Singh his companions. Accompanied by many others, he took part vigorous activities to harass the tyrannical government officials.

A little later, Chhajja Singh was joined by Mohan Singh. The residents of the village feel proud that their forefathers were brave and used to provide protection to people from robbers and looters. There are two gram panchayats under the name of Panjwar Kalan and Panjwar Khurd. The total population is more than 12,000 and votes number around 6,500.