RAM DIAL, RAI

RAM DIAL, RAI (d. 1863), news writer and vakil of the Sikh kingdom at FIrozpur, was the son of Rai Anand Singh, after whose death he was sent to Ludhiana as vakil in 1827. Shortly thereafter he was recalled to Lahore and, in 1832, was sent to Anandpur Sahib to settle the dispute among the Sodhis, who ruled the town on behalf of the Lahore Darbar. Ram Dial remained there for five years and was, on his return to Lahore in 1837, honoured with a jdgir in Ludhiana district. Later, he was appointed the Darbar`s vakil at Firozpur.

His despatches from Firozpur deal with events such as the meeting between Lord Auckland and Maharaja Ranjit Singh in December 1838, the military pageant of Lord Ellen borogh in 1842, the return of General Pollock`s army at Firozpur after the successful Kabul campaign, and the discovery of Raja Suchet Singh`s treasure of 1,500,000 rupees at Firozpur on the eve of the first Anglo Sikh war. Rai Ram Dial died at Lahore in 1863, survived by two sons, Rai Ghasita Mall and Rai Basheshar Singh. The latter, who was a municipal commissioner at Batala, died in 1889.

References :

1. Suri, Sohan Lal, `Umdat ut-Twarikh. Lahore, 1885-89
2. Griffin, Lepel, and C.F. Massy, Chiefs and Families of Note in the Punjab. Lahore, 1890.
3. Chopra, Barkat Rai, Kingdom of the Punjab. Hoshiarpur, 1969