SAHIB DIAL

SAHIB DIAL (b.1801), second of the five sons of Misr Ralia Ram, entered the Sikh service as a munshi (clerk) in the Customs Department under his father. In 1832 he was transferred to the Paymaster`s office of the regular army and in 1839 was made chief of the customs at Jalandhar which appointment he held until the end of the First Anglo Sikh war. After the separation of the large district of Jhang from the province of Multan of which it formed nearly a third in 1846, Sahib Dial was appointed to revise its system of imports.

In September 1847, the whole customs network of the country was placed under his superintendence. Sahib Dial helped the British during the second Anglo Sikh war as well as during the revolt of 1857. To reward him the British granted him several jagirs and created him a Raja. In February 1864, Sahib Dial was appointed a member of the Legislative Council of India.

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, 1909