AKALI SAHAYAK BUREAU, lit. a bureau to help (sahayak, from Skt. sahaya, one who lends one company or support) the Akalis, then engaged in a bitter struggle for the reformation of the management of their places of worship, was a small office set up at Amritsar in 1923 by the

ALAM CHAND was a masand or parish leader at Lahore in Guru Arjan\'s time. He was known for his pious and honest ways. He brought to the Guru regularly offerings collected from the Lahore sangat. His favourite maxim, tells Bhai Mani Singh in the Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, was

ALAM CHAND HANDA, a Sikh of Guru Arjan\'s time. As says Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, Alam Chand, along with Bhai Murari Anand, Bhai Kaliana, Bhai Nanori, Bhai Latkan of Bindrao clan, and Bhai Saisaru Talvar, once came to the Guru and spoke with folded hands, "0

ALI SINGH (d. 1716), a native of the village of Salaudi, near Sirhind, was in the service of Wazir Khan, the Mughal faujdar of Sirhind. According to Ratan Singh Bharigu, Prachin Panth Prakash, Wazir Khan, on learning of Banda Singh\'s advance from the South towards the Punjab under the

ALIM, a Muslim poet, enjoyed the patronage of Guru Gobind Singh. Formerly in the employ of Prince Mu\'azzam (later Emperor Bahadur Shah), he probably came to Guru Gobind Singh sometime during the period 1687-94 when the prince, having fallen from the favour of his father, Aurangzib, was under internment.

ALEXANDER ALIAS MUHAMMAD SADIQ, a European of unknown nationality, who drifted to Lahore in 1841 from Kabul, where he had served in Shah Shuja\'s army, and had adopted the Muslim faith. He joined the Khalsa army as a battalion commander serving under John Holmes.

ALIF KHAN, who is mentioned in Guru Gobind Singh\'s Bachitra Natak, was an officer in the Mughal army of Aurangzib. In 1691, he was despatched by Mian Khan, the viceroy of Jammu, to Kangra for collecting arrears of tribute from the hill chiefs. Raja Kirpal Chand Katoch of Kangra

ALA SINGH, BABA (1691-1765), Sikh mis leader who became the first ruling chief of Patiala, was born in 1691 at Phul, in present day Bathinda district of the Punjab, the third son of Bhai Ram Singh. His grandfather, Baba Phul, had been as a small boy blessed by Guru

ALAM SINGH NACHNA (d. 1705), a warrior in the retinue of Guru Gobind Singh, was the son of Bhai Durgu, a Rajput Sikh of Sialkot. He earned the popular epithet Nachna (lit. dancer) because of his uncommon agility. Sarup Das Bhalla, Mahima Prakash, describes him as one of Guru

ALAM KHAN, son of Nihang Khan of Kotia Nihang Khan and son-in-law of Rai Kalha, the chief of Raikot, was a devotee of Guru Gobind Singh. According to Sarup Singh Kaushish, Guru kian Sakhian, he was with Rai Kalha when he met Guru Gobind Singh passing through Raikot after

ALAMGIR, a village in Ludhiana district, 13 km to the southwest of the city (30°54\'N, 75°52\'E), is famed for its Gurdwara Manji Sahib Patshahi 10. Guru Gobind Singh made a halt in the village as he was travelling after the battle of Chamkaur in December 1705. Here the Guru