ATAR SINGH KALIANVALA

ATAR SINGH KALIANVALA (d. 1851), soldier and feudatory chief in Sikh times, was son of Dal Singh Naherna, a military commander under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Atar Singh`s ancestors belonged to the village of Karial, in Sheikhupura district, now in Pakistan. His great great grandfather, Sahib Singh, had been given a jagir by Charhat Singh Sukkarchakkia. Sahib Singh`s son, Hakumat Singh, and grandson, Kaur Singh, served the Sukkarchakkias. Kaur Singh`s son, Dal Singh, served with honour in the Kasur, Multan, Kashmir and Dera Isma`il Khan campaigns.

His son, Atar Singh, was sent in 1834 to Peshawar under the command of Prince Nau Nihal Singh. While there, Diwan Hakim Rai, who was chamberlain to the Prince and a great favourite, won over some of the sardars under the command of Atar Singh to his camp. On this Atar Singh left the army without permission and came to Lahore to complain to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ordered him to rejoin his regiment, then in Bannu. Upon Atar Singh`s refusal to do so, the Maharaja confiscated all his jagirs which were later partially restored by Maharaja Kharak Singh.

Maharaja Sher Singh, on the return to Lahore of Atar Singh after consigning Maharaja Kharak Singh`s and Prince Nau Nihal Singh`s ashes to the River Gariga, gave him in Pindi Gheb and Miroval jagirs valued at over a lakh of rupees, subject to the service of two hundred horse. Atar Singh was made Adalati (chief justice) of Lahore and the surrounding districts, and received command of the Pindivala irregular cavalry which had been first raised by Milkha Singh Pindivala. He took part in the first AngloSikh war. After the treaty of Bharoval, he was appointed a member of the Council of Regency formed in December 1846 which position he retained till the annexation of the Punjab (1849). Atar Singh died in December 1851.

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
3. Gupta, Hari Ram, Panjab on the Eve of First Sikh War. Chandigarh, 1956
4. Khushwant Singh, Fall of the Kingdom of the Punjab. Delhi, 1971