BHUP SINGH, SARDAR, remembered as Raja Bhup Singh in local lore, was the chief of the Sikh principality of Ropar, during the earlier half of the nineteenth century. Little is known about his life except that in 1808-09 he, along with Deva Singh, was in possession of Ropar and

GULAB SINGH ATARIVALA (d. 1887), the second son of Chatar Singh Atarivala, was appointed, along with his brother Raja Sher Singh, to look after, during his minority, Maharaja Duleep Singh who had been betrothed to their sister, Tej Kaur, and to manage the palace household. In 1848, when Raja

KHAGATANA Khagatana (the body of a bird), Meentana (the body of a fish), Mrtgatana (the body of a deer) and Brabatana (the body of a boar), were all emancipated in the company of the saint (Guru). (Malar M. 5, p. 1269) The personage in the body of a bird

NAHAN (30° 33`N, 77° 17`E), situated on top of a ridge in the upper reaches of Markanda River, in Sirmur district of Himachal Pradesh, and formerly the capital of the princely state of Sirmur, has a historical gurdwara dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh.Guru Gobind Singh visited Nahan in 1685 on

SANGAT RAI (d. 1696), also referred to in Sikh chronicles as Sangatia Singh, was, according to Guru Gobind Singh`s autobiographical Bachitra Natak, sent on an embassy of peace to the court of Raja Gopal of Guler. At that time a Mughal commander, Husain Khan marching upon Anandpur was extorting along

BIKRAM SINGH, RAJA (1842-1898). born in January 1842, succeeded his father, Wazir Singh, to the throne of Faridkot state in 1874. A dominant figure in Faridkot history, Raja Bikram Singh modernized the state administration. He employed retired British officials of experience and in 1875 set up offices and courts

GURBAKHSH SINGH KANHAIYA (1759-1785), son ofJai Singh, head of the Kanhaiya family, was born in 1759. He was first married to the daughter of Raja Harnir Singh of Nabha and then to Sada Kaur, daughter of Dasaundha Singh Gill. Sada Kaur, who became Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s mother in law,

LAKHISAR, a small habitation in the neighbourhood of Goniana Mandi (30°18`N, 74°54`E) in Bathinda district of the Punjab, is famous for the historical shrine, Gurdwara Lakkhi Jangal, raised in honour of Guru Gobind Singh. According to Sikh tradition,the name Lakkhi Jangal was given this semi desert tract by Guru

NAND CHAND, of the village of Darauli Bhai, who had been a playmate of Guru Gobind Singh, served as a masand or officiant and later as the Guru`s diwdn, looking after his accounts and stores. His grandfather, Umar Shah, was a masand during the time of Guru Arjan. Nand

SANSAR CHAND (1765-1823), Katoch Rajput Raja of Kangra who ascended the throne in 1775. He was an ambitious ruler and began extending his influence over the neighbouring hill states as well as over the plains lying at the foot of the Sivalik ranges. He came as far as Hoshiarpur

CHARYARI SOWARS was the name given to an irregular cavalry regiment in Sikh times. It owed its origin to four friends, or Char (four) Your (friends), who were seen together all the time. Their names were: Bhup Singh Siddhu.Jit Singh, Ram Singh Saddozai and Hardas Singh Bania. They were all

HIRA SINGH DOGRA (1816-1844), prime minister of the Sikh kingdom of Lahore from 17 September 1843 to 21 December 1844, was born the eldest son of Raja Dhian Singh in 1816 at Ramgarh, about 25 km from Jammu. Dhian Singh, an influential courtier, introduced his son to his patron