Biographical

VASTI RAM, BHAI (1708-1802), was son of Bhai Bulaka Singh, who is said to have accompanied Guru Gobind Singh to the South in 1707 from where he returned with his blessings to settle in Lahore. Vasti Ram lived through the long period of persecution the Sikhs endured and their eventual rise to political power in the Punjab. He devoted himself to the study of medicine, and became famous for his skill in the use of indigenous herbs. He was deeply religious and God fearing, and treated his patients free of charge. Stories of his healing power and of his piety spread far and wide, and he came to be credited `with supernatural powers. To say nothing of the common people, he was visited by important Sikh chiefs who came to seek his blessings.

BASANT SINGH, PANDIT (1868-1941). eminent Nirmala scholar which status is betokened by the prefix Pandit (meaning a man of surpassing learning) added to his name, was born on 26 June 1868, the son of Bhai Kala Singh of a Jatt Sikh family of Dhingarian village, 3 km north of Adampurin Jalandhar district of the Punjab. Having served his apprenticeship with the head of the village dera or monastery, Basant Singh left home at the age of 16 and went to Nirmal Panchayati Akhara, premier institution of the Nirmalas, at Kankhal, near Haridvar in Uttar Pradesh, where he learnt Sanskrit and studied classical religious literature under Pandit Divan Singh. Two other centres of learning where he studied were Amritsar and Varanasi. Ordained a missionary sadhu of the Nirmala sect, he joined the dera at Thikarivala, in present day Sarigrur district of the Punjab.

JAVALA SINGH, SANT (1878-1938), a pious and learned Sikh who also worked as a royal tutor for a time, was born at the village of Dham Tari Kalari, in Hoshiarpur district of the Punjab, on 26 October 1878. He learnt to read GurmukhT and the Sikh Scripture at the hands of an Udasi priest, GianT Prem Das, and continued further religious study under different scholars and theologians, including Sant Khalsan Singh Virakt of Sukkho in Rawalpindi district (now in Pakistan). The death register of the Municipal Committee of Patiala where he died shows him, in the parentage column, as chela or disciple of Sant Gulab Singh. Such was Sant Javala Singh`s reputation as a scholar that he was in 1905 appointed to instruct Maharaja Bhupindcr Singh of Patiala (1891-1938), then a young prince of 14, in Sikh texts and doctrine.

MUL SINGH, RAI, a Khatri Sikh of Gujranwala district, was a trusted servant of Raja Tej Singh, commander in chief of the Khalsa army during the first Anglo Sikh war (1845-46). Tej Singh died in 1862 leaving behind a large estate and a minor son, (later Raja) Harbans Singh. The British government appointed Mul Singh as steward of the Raja`s estate. Mul Singh was able to increase the revenues of the estate and to pay off the substantial costs associated with the marriage of his ward, Harbans Singh.

SADDA SINGH, PANDIT, was a Nirmala scholar, who read Sanskrit with Pandit Chet Singh of Kashi. He attained such mastery of Sanskrit learning that his teacher made over to him his school before he died. The Pandits of Kashi honored him with the highest scholarly rank of Dandipad, after he had humbled in a Sastrartha or debate a man of acknowledged authority in ancient texts. Sadda Singh translated, in 1767, most famous, but abstruse, Sanskrit work on monism called Advaita Siddhi into Braj Bhasha, using the Gurmukhi script.

SANTOKH SINGH, BHAI (1893-1927), a Ghadr leader, was born in Singapore in 1893, where his father, Javala Singh, of the village of Dhardeo (Amritsar district), was employed as a gunner in the army. Santokh Singh had his early education in a school in Singapore and learnt Punjabi (Gumukhi script) at home from his father. For higher education he came to the Punjab and joined the Khalsa College at Amritsar, from where he passed the Entrance examination in 1910. He gave up his studies and went to the United Stated of America in 1912 where he came in contact with Sant Vasakha Singh and Bhai Javala Singh, who were owners of potato ranches and were working for the freedom of India.

AMAR NATH, DIWAN (1822-1867), bakhshi or paymaster of the irregular forces of the Sikh army who distinguished himself also as a historian, was born in 1822 the son of Raja Dina Nath, finance minister of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. During the prime ministership of Hira Singh, Amar Nath was assigned to the task of settling the accounts of government studs and stables. The town duties of Lahore and Amritsar were also leased out through him. Hira Singh reposed great trust in Amar Nath who became an intermediary between him and his uncle. Raja Gulab Singh, when the two had fallen out.

BHAGAT RAM, BAKHSHI (1799-1865), son of Baisakhi Ram, a small moneychanger in the city of Lahore, joined the service of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1818 at the age of nineteen as a writer in the treasury office under Misr Belt Ram, the chief to shakhama or keeper of the State treasury. In 1824, he was appointed assistant writer of the accounts of the privy purse. In 1831, he was deputed to accompany Kanvar Sher Singh to the hills of Jalandhar Doab to collect revenue from the defaulting states of Mandi, Suket and Kullu. He came back to Lahore in 1832 and was appointed paymaster of fifty battalions of infantry, eight regiments of cavlary and twenty batteries of artillery.

CHHAJJU MALL (d. 1822), son of Keval Narain, belonged to a Brahman family. He and his ancestors had been in the service of the emperors of Delhi. His father, who had shifted to Lahore in Sikh times, died young. Chhajju Mall, entered the service of Sardar Jai Singh of the Kanhaiya misl. He received a command in the chief`s force, and participated in most of the warfare against the neighbouring chiefs. He was present at the battle of Achal in 1783 when Gurbakhsh Singh, the only son of Sardar Jai Singh, was killed fighting against Jassa Singh and Mahari Singh Sukkarchakkla.

DASU, BABA (b. 1524), eldest son of Guru Arigad and Mata Khivi, was born on 9 Bhadon 1581 Bk / 7 August 1524 at Khadur Sahib in present day Amritsar district of the Punjab. He was ambitious to succeed his father in the spiritual line, but the latter, as records Kesar Singh Chhibbar, Bansavalinama, spoke: "He [Amar Das] is my brother and to him I am entrusting the responsibility .... Him I have reckoned as capable of bearing the burden." Dasu kept quiet at the time, but, after the passing away of Guru Angad, as his duly anointed successor, Guru Amar Das shifted to Goindval, he proclaimed himself Guru at Khadur even against the remonstrances of his mother. Later he recanted and apologized to his mother who took him to Goindval. He made obeisance to Guru Amar Das whose true disciple he remained thereafter.