Biographical

GURBAKHSH, BHAI, Guru`s masand or sangat leader at Delhi, served Guru Har Krishan (1656-64) with devotion when the latter was in the city in March 1664 at the summons of Emperor Aurarigzib. The Guru had a sudden attack of smallpox and lay critically ill. Bhai Gurbakhsh, seeing the end near, gently begged him to nominate a successor. Guru Har Krishan could barely utter the words: "Baba Bakale," referring to Guru Tcgh Bahadur, who lived at Bakala, as the future Guru. According to Bhai Santokh Singh, Sn Gur Pratdp Suraj Granth, Bhai Gurbakhsh later went to Bakala, made his obeisance to Guru Tegh Bahadur and gave him an account of Guru Har Krishan`s last days in Delhi.

KAHN CHAND, son of Amir Chand, served under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his successors in various capacities. His family originally belonged to Multan. His father had served as a revenue officer under Misr Divan Chand at the Lahore court and afterwards as a commander under Hari Singh Nalva. Kahn Chand joined service as a scribe in 1823 and was promoted to the position of murdsaldnavis or dispatch writer in 1834. This was an office of trust.

KIRPAL CHAND KATOCH (d. 1696) of Karigra, son of Raja Udai Ram Chand (1687-90) and the younger brother of Raja Bhim Chand (1690-97) of Kangra. Kirpal Chand was ambitious and adept in diplomacy. He is said to have incited Raja Bhim Chand of Kahlur to pick up a quarrel with Guru Gobind Singh and expel him from his territory. On the other hand, he sent a messenger to the Guru requesting him to disregard the pretensions of the Raja of Kahlur.

MEDINI PRAKASH, ruler from 1684 to 1704 of Sirmur, a state situated along the river Yamuna in the Kayarda Dun valley of the Sivalik hills, was one among the hill chiefs who did not support Raja Bhim Chand of Kahlur in his designs against Guru Gobind Singh. In April 1685, he invited the Guru to spend some time with him at Nahan which had a cool climate and abounded in game. The Guru accepted the invitation and travelled to Nahan. As he reached the vicinity of the town (14 April 1685), Raja MedinT Prakash came out to receive him and took him to his palace and looked after him and his Sikhs in a most hospitable manner.

PARMANAND, a Maharashtrian saintpoet, one of whose hymns is included in the Guru Granth Sahib. Born probably in 1483, he is believed to have resided at Barsi, situated to the north of Pandharpur, in present day Sholapur district of Maharashtra. Parmanand was a devotee of Visnu and used in his songs the nom de plume Sarang, the name of a bird ever thirsty for the raindrop. He always longed for God whom he worshipped in the Vaisnavite manifestation of Krsna. He used to make, it is said, seven hundred genuflexions daily to God on his uncovered, often bleeding, knees.

RAVIDAS, poet and mystic, was born to Raghu and Ghurbinia, who lived near the city of Varanasi. Not much biographical information about him is available, but, from what can be made out of his own compositions, he belonged to a lowcaste (Chamdr) family. He followed the family profession of tanning hides and making shoes. Gradually he started spending most of his time in the company of saints and sadhus and built himself a thatched hut wherein he received and entertained wandering ascetics. Many stories became current about his simplicity and piety of nature.He became famous as a Vaisnava saint in the tradition of Ramanand.

SIDDHSEN, RAJA, chief of Mandi state in Himachal Pradesh from 1686 to 1729, became a devotee of Guru Gobind Singh. At his request the Guru went to Mandi and stayed with him for some time. The Raja later had the chance of playing host to Banda Singh Bahadur as well.

TOTA PURI, a nineteenth century monk, was the preceptor of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa whom he initiated into sannyasa. Little is known about his early life except that he hailed from the Punjab. He was born presumably of a Sikh family. Tota was his monastic name and Puri the name of a sub caste of Dashnami Sampradaya of Shaivite sadhus to which he belonged. Among the Puris, he belonged to the Naga order of militant ascetics who believe in combating their opponents with sastra (weapon) as well as with sastra (scriptural debate). Nagas are organized around several monastic establishments called akharas. Tota Puri belonged to the Mahanirvani Akhara.

CHAND KAUR, MAHARANI (1802-1842), wife of Maharaja Kharak Singh, the eldest son of and successor to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was born the daughter of SardarJaimal Singh of the Kanhaiya mis in 1802 at Fatehgarh, in present day Gurdaspur district of the Punjab. She was married to Prince Kharak Singh in February 1812 at the age of 10. After the death in most tragic circum stances of her husband, then Maharaja of the Punjab, as well as other son, Kanvar Nau Nihal Singh, in November 1840, she staked her claim to the throne of Lahore. She had won the support of the Sandhanvalia collaterals Atar Singh, Lahina Singh and Ajit Singh, and of other influential courtiers such as Bhai Ram Singh, Bhai Gobind Ram, Gulab Singh Dogra and Jamadar Khushal Singh.

GUL BAHAR BEGAM (d. 1863), a dancing girl from Amritsar, was married to Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1832. Gul Begam had danced before the Maharaja`s English guests at the time of his meeting with British Governor General, Lord William Bentinck, at Ropar in October 1831. Ranjil Singh there after grew very fond other, and eventually admitted her into his harem as a wedded wife. He subsequently visited the Golden Temple in an act of contrition for marrying a lady whose status did not match his own.