1. K1SHAN CHAND, RAI

K1SHAN CHAND, RAI (d. 1873), news writer and vakil or agent of the Sikh court at Ludhiana, the British post on the Anglo Sikh frontier, was son of Bakhshi Anand Singh. Well versed in diplomacy, he accompanied Colonel Claude Wade on a political mission to Peshawar in 1839. In 1840, Karivar Nan Nihal Singh conferred on him the title of Rai. After the death of Maharaja Sher Singh, he began exercising civil and criminal powers over territories under the protection of the Lahore Darbar, and amassed great wealth. When Raja Hira Singh became the prime minister, he grew jealous of Rai Kishan Chand`s increasing influence and his pro Gulab Singh leanings.

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2. KA'BAH

If you pray fraudulently in your mind, what is the need of going to Ka'bah .for a Å«^/ ? (Prabhali Kabir, p. 1350) The Sheikh (Muslim divine) without the quality of sabar (patience)—why should he go to Ka'bab for a hajj, says Kabir ? The one who has no completeness of the heart, why should he hope for union with God? (Shalok Kabir, p. 1374) Ka'bah is a square temple in the city of Mecca, which is the most sacred shrine of the Muslims. It is said to have been built by Adam and later on rebuilt by Abraham and Ishmael.

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3. KABIR PANTHIS

KABIR PANTHIS, followers of Kabir (1398-1448), a saint and reformer some of whose compositions have been included in Sikh Scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib. Kabir did not found any sect during his own lifetime; it was after his death that a math, called Kabir Chaura, was established by Surat Gopal, said to be the first missionary of the Kabirpanth, at Varanasi which had been Kablr`s seat for many years. His object was to propagate the teachings of his mentor. This math, known as bdp (father), with a branch establishment at Magahar, covered the states of the Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

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4. KABITT-SAVAIYYE,

KABITTSAVAIYYE, by Bhai Gurdas who had worked with Guru Arjan on the preparation of the original volume of Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, and who is remembered in the Sikh tradition as the first consistent interpreter of the Gurus` word, is a collection of 675 kabitts and savaiyyds composed by the poet in Braj. Of his kabitts and savaiyyds, a total of 556 only were known before 1940 when Bhai Vir Singh searched out and published another 119 of them, thereby bringing their total to 675.

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5. KABLASA (KAILASA)

Whose Praises are sung by Brahma (Birancha) alongwith the hymns of the Vedas and for whom Shiva (the ascetic) holds fast on the Kahlasa (Kailasa) mountain and does not leave it... (Swayye Mahle Chauthe Ke, p. 1404) Kailasa is a mountain situated like Meru to the north of Himalayas. The beautiful Manasarovar lake lies towards its south. Shiva's paradise (Shivapuri) is said to be a Mount Kailasa. Kuvera's abode is also there. It is also called Ganaparvata.

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6. KABUL VALI MAI

KABUL VALI MAI. or the Lady from Kabul, is the name chroniclers have given to a woman who rendered devoted service during the digging of the bdoH at Goindval under the supervision of Guru Amar Das. Day after day, says Sarup Das Bhalla, Mahimd Prakdsh, she toiled away at the site, without anyone knowing who she was, and where she had come from.One day Guru Amar Das told the Sikhs that the lady was from Kabul and that she had by her love of the Almighty and duty towards her husband attained spiritual insight.An old manuscript, Mahimd Prakdsh Sri Guru Amar Dev, and an inscription in Gurdwara Haveli Sahib at Goindval mention a lady being in charge of the manji or Sikh centre at Kabul, though they name her differently the former calling her Bibi Bhago and the latter Mat Sevan. It is likely that the Kabul Vali Mat was that lady, later appointed by Guru Amar Das a preacher in her own country.

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7. KACHHA (KURAMA)

KACHHA (KURAMA)(Tortoise Incarnation) Machh (Matsya incarnation), Kachh, Kurama (names of Tortoise incarnation) took birth according to the 'will of the Lord. (Maru M. 5, p. 1082) The ten incarntions were created under the Will of the Lord. (Maru M. l, p. 1037) Both the words Kachh and Kurama are applied to the Tortoise incarnation of Vishnu. Vishnu assumed the form of a tortoise at the bottom of the milk-ocean, making his back, the pivot of the mountain Mandara, which was churned by twisting the great serpent Vasuki as the rope. In this way fourteen objects (jewels) were recovered from the ocean. See : Das Avataras.

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8. KAFI (Arabic Qafi)

KAFI (Arabic Qafi), literally stands for the leader, the enlightener, one who fulfils the need. In poetics it denotes the refrain in a song or hymn, and is also the title given to a poetic form in Arabic as well as in Indian literature. Guru Nanak was the first to use this poetic form in Punjabi literature, and this he was followed by several Sufi poets and others. Kafi has also been called a ragim and a metre (tatank), though opinion differs on this count.In the Sikh Scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, Kafis have not been collected under any one raga; they occur under ragas Asa, Tilang, Suhi and Maru.

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9. KAHN CHAND

KAHN CHAND, son of Amir Chand, served under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his successors in various capacities. His family originally belonged to Multan. His father had served as a revenue officer under Misr Divan Chand at the Lahore court and afterwards as a commander under Hari Singh Nalva. Kahn Chand joined service as a scribe in 1823 and was promoted to the position of murdsaldnavis or dispatch writer in 1834. This was an office of trust.

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10. KAHN SINGH

KAHN SINGH, son of Baba Binod Singh, a Trehan Khatri, was with Guru Gobind Singh at Nanded during his last days. He, along with his father, was among the five Sikhs chosen to accompany Banda Singh Bahadur to the Punjab in 1708. He took part in Banda Singh`s campaigns against the Mughal rulers. After the capture of Sirhind by the Sikhs in May 1710, Kahn Singh was made deputy to his father who was given charge of the border district of Karnal. He fought battles against the Mughal commander Firoz Khan Mcvati at Arnin, Taraori, Thancsar and Shahabad to check the latter`s advance towards the Punjab. Later, he had differences with Banda Singh during the siege at Gurdas Narigal and left his camp. He was captured and taken to Delhi along with other Sikh prisoners for execution.

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