JAVALA SINGH PADHANIA alias LAKHDATA

JAVALA SINGH PADHANIA alias LAKHDATA

JAVALA SINGH PADHANIA alias LAKHDATA (d. 1835), a SandhuJatt of the village of Padhana, in Lahore district, was a military commander in Sikh times. His father, Mit Singh (d. 1814), had joined service under Mahari Singh Sukkarchakkia and continued to serve under his son Maharaja Ranjit Singh, taking part in several of his military campaigns. Sohan Lal Sun, the official Lahore diarisi, lists Javala Singh, among the principal sarddrs of the Maharaja. Javala Singh following in his father`s footsteps, took part in the Maharaja`s Malva campaign of 1807 and in expeditions of Multan (1818), Kashmir (1819) and Mankcra (1821). He was put in charge of the fortress of Attock which he, with a handful of troops, successfully guarded against Afghan onslaughts.

In 1829, Javala Singh suffered a stroke of paralysis and retired from active service. A brave soldier, he was a man of generous disposition. Many stories are current of his generosity towards faqirs, Brahmans and indigent persons. It is recorded that he rescued from custody Diwan Baisakha Singh, a kdrddr under Karivar Shcr Singh, by paying his entire fine of over one lakh of rupees where after he came to be known as Lakhdata (dispenser or lakhs or millions). Javala Singh, who was married to the elder sister of MaharaniJind Kaur, laid out an extensive garden midway between Lahore and the Badami Bagh, which became the Maharaja`s favourite resort. He often held his court there and received foreign dignitaries. Javala Singh died in 1835.

References :

1. Sini, Sohan Lal, `Umdat ul-Twaiikh. Lahore, 1885-89
2. Griffin, Lepel, and C.F. Massy, Chiefs and Ffnnilics of Note in the Punjab. Lahore, 1909

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