DARSHAN SINGH PHERUMAN (1885-1969), political leader and martyr, was born at the village of Pheruman, in present day Amritsar district, on 1 August 1885. His father`s name was Chanda Singh and his mother`s Raj Kaur. After passing his high school examination, he joined in 1912 the Indian army as a sepoy. Two years later, he resigned from the army and set up as a contractor at Hissar. He was doing well as a contractor, when a taunt from his mother, who was deeply religious, led him to give up his business and plunge into the Akali movement for the reform of Gurdwara management.
OMS (d. 1828), a Spaniard, also known as Amise, Musa Sahib, Urns and Hommus, served in Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s army. As a young man, he had enlisted in Napoleon`s artillery. After France`s defeat in 1815, he set out on his travels and reached Persia where he obtained employment declaring himself to be a Frenchman. He left Persia in 1824, reaching Lahore in 1826. He took up service under Maharaja Ranjit Sihgh on a salary of Rs 1,200 per month and was given command of two battalions of infantry and a regiment of cavalry.
