LANGAR SINGH, BABA, an eighteenth century Nirmala saint, was the son of Bhai Parshada Sihgh and Mai Valtohl, a devout Sikh couple contemporary with Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) and living at Kot Kapura (30"35`N. 74°49`E) now in Faridkot district of the Punjab. The names Prasada (lit. bread or meal), ValtohT (lit. kettle) and Larigar (lit. food, meal, kitchen), it is said, were given them by the people for their warm hospitality. Larigar Singh after his education at Anandpur under Bhai Kesar Singh, who had been a student of Bhai Karam Singh, one of the five Sikhs sent by Guru Gobind Singh to VaranasT to study Sanskrit, settled down at Harike Kalari, a village 18 km cast of Muktsar, where he established a derd or seminary to leach Sikli texts and tenets. His disciple, Mahant Nikka Singh, founded five other derds, one each at Barnala, Patiala, Malerkotia, Raikot and Jagraori.
PHERU, BHAI (1640-1706), an Udasi Sikh preacher, was born the son of Bhai Binna Uppal of Amb Man in parganah Mien ki Maur in Lahore district (now in Pakistan). His original name was Sarigat. As he grew up, he adopted peddling as a profession and earned the nickname of Pheru, (lit.peripatetic). Journeying out with his wares once, he met Bhai Bhagatu, a devout Sikh who led him to the presence of Guru Har Rai (1630-61) at Kiratpur.
SHAM SINGH NIHANG (1854-1924) was born Harkesh, in 1854, to Chaudhari Jasvant Singh at the village of Muhammadpur, in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. As he grew up, he helped his father in the family`s profession of farming before migrating at the age of twenty. five to Hyderabad, in the Deccan, to do business. There, undergoing several sudden turns of fortune, he went through the rites of Khalsa initiation at Gurdwara Sri Hazur Sahib at Nanded, receiving the name of Sham Singh.
AJUDHIA PARSHAD, DIWAN (1799-1870), soldier and civil administrator in Sikh times, was the adopted son of Diwan Ganga Ram. Maharaja Ranjit Singh first employed Ajudhia Parshad in 1819 to serve in the military office in Kashmir. Three years later, he was recalled to Lahore and appointed paymaster of the special brigade (FaujiKhas), organized by Generals Allard and Ventura. After the death in 1826 of Diwan Ganga Ram, Ajudhia Parshad received the title of Diwan and was assigned to a variety of duties.
BALA JHINGAN, a learned Brahman who was known for his skill in debate and discourse. Accompanied by another learned Brahman, Kishna, of the same Jhirigan subcaste, he visited Guru Arjan. Both confessed to the Guru that despite their knowledge of the sacred texts and despite their ability to sway their audiences with their erudition, they had obtained little spiritual advantage. The Guru, as says Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, advised them to address their preachings to themselves and act on those preachings. They fell at the Guru`s feet and took to his teaching. They became ardent preachers of the Sikh faith.
CHAIYA, BHAI, son of Bulaki, who held charge of Dhaka as a masand, i.e. to the collector, was appointed to that office in Bihar province by Guru Tegh Bahadur. In the time of Guru Gobind Singh, he was found guilty of misappropriating devotees` offerings and suffered punishment.
DIAL, RAJA (d. 1691), of Bijharval who allied himself with Alif Khan, the Mughal commander, despatched by Miari Khan, the viceroy of Jammu, to exact tribute from the hill chieftains. The hill princes sought Guru Gobind Singh`s help and a battle took place on 20 March 1691 at Nadaun on the left bank of the River Beas, 32 km southeast of Kangra. According to Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, Raja Dial fell to a shot from Guru Gobind Singh.
GURBAKHSH, an Udasi saint contemporary with Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), who was at the time of the evacuation of Anandpur directed by the Guru to stay behind to look after the local sangat and the sacred shrines. Years later, when Gulab Rai, a great grandson of Guru Hargobind (1595-1644), occupied the seat where Guru Gobind Singh used to hold assembly and, pretending to be Guru, started accepting offerings from Sikh devotees, Gurbakhsh remonstrated with him and finding him adamant and unrepcntcnt cursed him with an early death, with no progeny to continue his line. Gulab Rai soon died childless and it was the descendants of his brother, Shyam Singh, who flourished in Anandpur.
JUJHAR SINGH HADA (d. 1696), who comes in for a prominent mention in Guru Gobind Singh`s Bachitra Ndtak, was a Rajput general sent by the Mughal authority to the Sivalik hills in the last decade of the seventeenth century to retrieve its hold on the hill rajas. When the news of Husain Khan`s death on 20 February 1696 at the hands of the men of Raja Gopal of Guler reached Lahore, Dilawar Khan, the Mughal chief, despatched Jujhar Singh to the hills. Jujhar Singh recaptured the town of Bhallan, in Una district, which the hill ro/dshad occupied, but, before he could consolidate his position, he was attacked by Gaj Singh ofJasvan. In spite of Jujhar Singh`s hostility.
KIRPAL CHAND, son of Bhai Lal Chand Subhikkhi and brother of Mata Gujari, mother of Guru Gobind Singh. He began his career as a soldier in Guru HarRai`s army and maintained close contact with Tcgh Bahadur during his long years of seclusion at Bakala. He was one of those who protected the Guru`s person against armed attack by the masand Shihah. He served Guru Gobind Singh as treasurer and camp organizer. While Guru Tcgh Bahadur went farther into Bengal and Assam, Kirpal Chand remained at Patna to look after the family, and later, on the way back, he escorted his newly born son, Gobind Rai, and the ladies from Patna to Anandpur.
