BUTA SINGH, DIWAN (b. 1826) .journalist, printer and one of the last employees of the Sikh royal household, was born the son of Gurdial Singh at Lahore in 1826. He was a man of wealth and influence, being the owner of a chain of printing presses. In his earlier career, he had served as diwan or household minister to Maharani Jind Kaur in whose cause he had attempted to raise disturbances just before the second AngloSikh war for which he was deported from the Punjab to Allahabad where he was kept a political prisoner for seven years. In 1866, he set up Aftabi Punjab press in Lahore and issued in Urdu a fortnightly law journal, Anwar ulShams.
Explore the life of MAHER JOHN, a unique Eurasian musician and drum-major in Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army, highlighting European adventurers in India.
CAMPBELL, WILLIAM (d. 1866), a Scotsman, who came to Lahore in September 1828 and was employed in the Sikh cavalry and given command of a regiment of 1200 horse. He soon gained the favour of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, but was dismissed from the service in August 1829 on a charge of misbehaviour towards a woman, and sent across the River Sutlej under an escort. Later, he served the Afghan rulers. He died in Kabul in 1866.
Discover the legacy of Martindale, an Anglo-Indian officer in Sikh infantry. Son of General Martindale, he also served in Skinner's Horse.
CHAR BAGHIPANJAB by Ganesh Das Badhera, a history in Persian of the Punjab which, according to the author, then extended from the River Indus to the Sutlej. The work, completed in 1855, was published by Khalsa College, Amritsar, in 1965. The author served under the Lahore Darbar as a revenue official (qanungo) of Gujrat (now in Pakistan) where earlier his father Shiv Dayal, had also served under Sardar Gulab Singh of the Bhangi misl. Later he joined the service of Raja Gulab Singh at Jammu where he compiled his Raj Darshani, a history of the Dogra rajas.
Explore the legacy of Mazhar Ali, the skilled artillery officer of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, highlighting his expertise and loyalty in Sikh times.
DESA SINGH MAJITHIA (1768-1832), an army general and civil administrator in Sikh times, was the son of Naudh Singh, a feudal retainer under Amar Singh Bagga of the Kanhaiya misl. When Naudh Singh died in 1788, Desa Singh succeeded to the family estates. He served Buddh Singh Bagga, successor of Amar Singh Bagga, for a number of years before joining Ranjit Singh`s army. In 1804, Desa Singh was made a commander of 400 sowars. He served the Maharaja in many of his early campaigns.
Discover the bravery of Nahar Singh and Sher Singh, two valiant Sikh warriors who defended crucial forts and fought in historic battles under Guru Gobind Singh.
DIPA, BHAI, was a devoted Sikh of Guru Arjan\'s time (Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XI. 22). He zealously served in the Guru ka Larigar. He cooked food and served it to visiting Sikhs. He took the last turn and ate what was left over. He washed with warm water the feet of those who came from afar and kneaded their limbs to relieve them of fatigue. On cold winter nights he went round adjusting the quilts and coverlets of sleeping visitors. Upon his lips were always the Guru`s hymns.
Explore Nanak Chand's legacy, from serving Dal Singh of Akalgarh to managing revenues of Multan and Kashmir; a pivotal figure in the Sikh era.
