Zorawar Singh and the Dogra Conquest of Ladakh
Zorawar Singh Kahluria was Maharaja Gulab Singh's greatest general. He took Ladakh and Baltistan for the Dogras and died in Tibet.
Who was he?
- A Rajput of the Kahlur (Bilaspur) family who joined Gulab Singh's service as a clerk at Reasi and rose to Wazir of Kishtwar (Wazir-i-Wazarat).
The campaigns
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1834 | Zorawar Singh marched from Kishtwar through Suru and Kargil, and took Leh. The Ladakhi king agreed to pay tribute. |
| 1838 to 1839 | A revolt in Ladakh was crushed. The Dogras took direct control. |
| 1840 | Zorawar Singh took Baltistan (Skardu). |
| 1841 | He marched into Western Tibet, reaching Taklakot (Purang) and the Mansarovar region. |
| December 1841 | He was killed in a battle with Tibetan (and Chinese) forces near Mansarovar, at Toyo. |
| 1842 | The Dogras won back ground at Chushul. The Treaty of Chushul (1842) restored the old boundaries and trade. |
Keep practising
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Prepared for exam revision from standard sources, official publications and the Census. Figures and recent developments change, so check official sources before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.