NIHAL SINGH SODHI (d. 1859), son of Megh Singh, entered Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s army in 1819, and was, five years later, made commandant of 100 horsemen in the Charyari corps. He fought for Maharaja Sher Singh during the siege of Lahore in January 1841. Under Sher Singh`s successor, Nihal

ARJAN SINGH NALVA (d. 1848), a minor jagirdar in Sikh times, was youngest of the four sons of the famous general, Hari Singh Nalva. He was a favourite of Kanvar Nau Nihal Singh, Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s grandson. In July 1840, it was reported that Arjan Singh had killed one

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

NIHAL SINGH, BAVA, resident of Sri Hargobindpur in Gurdaspur district, was originally an employee of the princely state of Kalsia serving in the police department. Later, he went over to Maharaja Bikram Singh of Faridkot. Bava Nihal Singh belonged to the Kuka or Namdhari sect and was the author

ATAR SINGH SANDHANVALIA (d. 1844). son of Amir Singh, was a collateral of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. After the direct descendants of the Maharaja, he, as the eldest of the Sandhanvalia family, stood close to the throne. A daring soldier, Atar Singh was a calculating and shrewd courtier. He took

NIHAL SINGH, SANT, also known as Pandit Nihal Singh, a Sanskrit scholar well versed in Vedanta as well as in gurbdm, lived in Sikh times in the village of Thoha Khalsa, in district Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan. Pandit Nihal Singh is famous for his Sanskrit commentary on Japu, {hefapugudhdrthadipakd

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

RAM SINGH, BHAI, a descendant of Bhai Bhagatu, was a devout Sikh. He served Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) with devotion when the latter visited his village Chakk Bhai in Bathinda district of the Punjab during his travels through these parts in 1706. He again presented himself at Damdama Sahib,

CHET SINGH BAJVA (d. 1839), Maharaja Kharak Singh`s distant relation and old tutor who wielded considerable influence at the Sikh court. The Dogra minister, Dhian Singh, looked upon Chet Singh as a potential rival to his position. The latter aligned himself with the Bhais and the Misrs at the

SHAM SINGH ATARlVALA (d. 1846), a general in the Sikh army, was the grandson of Sardar Gauhar Singh, who had embraced Sikhism in the early days of Sikh political ascendancy and joined the Jatha or band of Gurbakhsh Singh of Roranvala. He soon established his rakhior protection over an