He joined the army of Ranjit Singh in 1809 and was sufficiently successful to earn a jagir worth 12,000 rupees and also 90 horses.

Ranjit Singh appointed a governor to administer the newly conquered area which was expanded in 1819 with the annexation of Kashmir by a Sikh force.

[2][page needed] Apart from their sterling services, the family's intimate association with the region commended Kishore Singh's candidature to the Lahore court.

[5][page needed] That same year, Gulab Singh took part in the Sikh conquest of Dera Ghazi Khan.

[7][page needed] As Raja (Governor-General/Chief) of Jammu, Gulab Singh was one of the most powerful chiefs of the Sikh Empire.

In 1827 he accompanied the Sikh Commander-in-Chief Hari Singh Nalwa, who fought and defeated a horde of Afghan rebels led by Sayyid Ahmed at the Battle of Shaidu.

The insurgency of Poonch was led by Shams-Ud-Din, a Chief of the Sudhan tribe[9][10] and former confidential follower of Raja Dhyan Singh.

[12][page needed] After peace was made between the two sides, Gulab Singh and his men were allowed to leave with their weapons.

[citation needed] Lacking the resources to occupy such a large region immediately after annexing portions of Punjab, the British recognised Gulab Singh as a Maharaja directly tributary to them on payment of 75 thousand Nanakshahee Rupees for the war-indemnity.

The Dewan was also fully conversant with the political conditions of the Punjab at the time, and his descriptions of events are vivid and informed by direct knowledge of men and things."