RAM DIAL, DIWAN (1798-1820), a general in the Sikh army, was the eldest son of Diwan Moti Ram. He is said to have become a divisional commaner at the age of 16. In 1814, during the second expedition of Kashmir, he had independent command of a force of 30,000

SANHSIS, also called Sansis, Sainsis and Bhatus, are a nomadic people counted among one of the Scheduled Tribes in the Constitution of India which entitles them to certain special rights and privileges. They claim descent from one of the Aryan tribes entering India centuries ago. Some of the immigrants

TREHAN, a sub caste of Khatris. It belongs to the Sarin group, one of the four subgroups into which the Khatris are divided. They are categorized in two main divisions the higher and the lower. The Trehans belong to the higher group. The etymology of the word trehan is

TURK, a word standing in Sikh tradition usually for a Muslim, is really the name of a race of people which orginating probably in Central Asia established itself in Asia Minor and southeastern Europe in the west and in India in the east. The earliest references to Turks connect them

GHARIBDAS IAS, followers of` Sant Gharibdas (1717-78), also known as Satsahibias for their peculiar form of greeting which is `Sat Sahib,` i.e. eternally existent (satya) is the Lord (sahib). The founder of the sect, Gharib Das was born in 1717 in the small village Chhudani, in Rohtak district. He got

GULABDASIAS, a sect subscribing to epicurean ethics, were the followers of one Pritam Das, originally an Udasi sddhu. Pritam Das`s principal disciple was Gulab Das after whom the members of the sect came to be known as Gulabdasias. Gulab Das, son of Hamira, was born in 1809 at the

JIVAN SINGH CHHACHHI (d. 1852), son of Uttam Singh, a Kohli Khatri, was a military commander in Sikh times. His father and grandfather had also served under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Jivan Singh`s contingent, consisting of sixty-five horse, five zamburds or camelswivels, and a kettledrum, was known all along the

PISHACHAS There are millions of Jakhyas (Yakshas), Kinnaras and Pisachas (Pishachas). (Gauri Sukhmani M. 5, p. 276) Pishachas are friends and evil spirits. Vedas consider them lower than Rakshasas. They hare ill-natured spiteful and mischievous beings. It is said that they were created by Brahma alongwith other demons. They