AMRIT RAI, son of Chhail Rai, a Bhatt of Lahore, and pupil of Chatar Das, a noted poet, had completed his Ras Ratnakar and Chitra Bilas ( the latter in 1679) before he came under the patronage of Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur. What is left of his compositions while with the Guru is his rendering in Hindi verse of aparva or part from the Mahabharata and a stanza quoted by Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth (q.v.), ntu 5, arisu 26.
BHAGO, MALIK, was, according to Sikh chroniclers, the Hindu steward of the Muslim chief of Saidpur, present day town of Eminabad, now in Gujranwala district of Pakistan, during the days of Guru Nanak. The tradition relates that once while Guru Nanak was staying with Bhai Lalo, a poor carpenter, in the town, Malik Bhago gave a feast to which Guru Nanak, along with other holy men and dignitaries, was invited. As the Guru declined the invitation, the Malik had him summoned to his presence and asked the reason for his refusal.
DAGGO, BHAI. a rich landlord of Dhamtan, now in Jind district of Haryana, was a masand having jurisdiction over the Bangar region during the time of Guru Tegh Bahadur. When the Guru visited Dhamtan in 1665, Bhai Daggo received him with exceeding joy and put him up in a new house he had constructed. The Guru showered his blessings upon him: "For meeting me with presents, milk shall abound in thy house. Minister to the Sikhs and devotees, and remain with us during our stay in this place." Guru Tegh Bahadur stayed at Dhamtan to celebrate the festival of Divali.
FAZALDAD KHAN CHIB (d. 1864), son of Raja Umar Khan Chib, was recipient of a pension of rupees four thousand from Maharaja Ranjit Singh which was originally granted to his elder brother Amir Khan as compensation for the confiscated territory of his father. Fazaldad Khan was taken into service by Prince Kharak Singh to whom the area of Khari Kariali, the territory which had belonged to Fazaldad Khan`s ancestors, was given in jagir. Ten years later some sovars or horsemen were also allowed him. Fazaldad Khan accompanied Sher Singh Atarivala to Multan in 1848, but did not join the rebellion. He died in 1864.
HUKAM CHAND, DIWAN (1807-1869), son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s minister, Dlwan Bhavani Das, was appointed a daftari or record keeper on the establishment of Prince Kharak Singh in 1836 and was promoted the following year to the rank of kdrddr or administrator of Satghara. In 1840, he was sent to Bannu under the orders of Raja Suchct Singh for the realization of State revenue. Maharaja Shcr Singh conferred upon him the title of Diwan. In 1847, he was ordered to accompany Lieut Herbert Edwardes to Bannu whom he continued to assist in the settlement of the district until the commencement of the second Anglo Sikh war.
KARAM GHAND, DIWAN (d. 1836), son of Javala Natli who served as a munshi (accountant) under the Sukkarchakkta sarddrs, Gharhat Singh and Mahan Singh. Karam Ghand was first employed by Bislian Singh Kalal, a confidential agent of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, wlio retired in the year 1813 to Banaras where he died. Karam Chand was in course of time promoted to offices of trust under the Maharaja. In 1806, he was employed as an agent in the arrangements concluded between the Lahore State and tlie Sikli chiefs south of the Sutlej.
KUNVARESH, one of the many poets and scholars kept by Guru Gobind Singh, came from a Kashyap Brahman family of the village of Bari, near the ancient town of Kara (26°7`N, 80°22`E), in the present Fatehpur district ofUttar Pradesh. He translated into Bhakha, written in GurmukhT script, "Drona Parva" of the Mahdbhdrata at the instance of Guru Gobind Singh in 1695. Only a fragment of this work has survived. It is preserved in the private collection of the Maharaja of Patiala. A manuscript in the Sikh Reference Library, Amritsar, contained another work by Kunvaresh, Rati Rahasya Kos, a panegyric on Guru Gobind Singh.
MUL CHAND, BHAI father in law of Guru Nanak, was a Chona Khatri, resident of Batala, who looked after the lands of the Randhava Jatts of the village of Pakkhokc in present day Gurdaspur district of the Punjab. He had a daughter of marriageable age named Sulakkhani whom he betrothed to (Guru) Nanak, then working as a modi or storeholder for the Nawab of Sultanpur Lodhi.
RALIA RAM (d. 1864), eldest son of Misr Chhajju Mall, was appointed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh as administrator of Amritsar in 1811. Ralla Ram displayed great energy and resourcefulness in securing peace and putting an end to thefts and highway robberies. In 1812 he was entrusted with charge of the customs department of the Slate. Ralla Ram introduced uniform rates for articles of import and export and kept a strict watch over the accounts.
SANKARNATH, PANDIT (1789-1858), astrologer and diplomat, belonging to the village of Karivallur, in north Kerala, was a celebrated scholar of ancient lore. His reputation especially as an astrologer spread far beyond the confines of his native Kerala and he was in 1816 invited by Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra to become his spiritual adviser. From Kangra, he came to Lahore as Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s counsellor and astrologer. It is said that besides the Maharaja and his courtiers, even the English consulted him on matters of diplomacy.
