NIHAL SINGH THAKUR (1808-1895), Sikh theologian and musician, was born at Amritsar on 7 Phagun 1864 Bk/17 February 1808 to Bhai Mahal Singh and Mata Basi. Bhai Mahal Singh lived in the village of Sayyid ki Sarai in Gujjarkhan tahsil of Rawalpindi district, now in Pakistan, and had come to

CHAND KAUR, MAHARANI (1802-1842), wife of Maharaja Kharak Singh, the eldest son of and successor to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was born the daughter of SardarJaimal Singh of the Kanhaiya mis in 1802 at Fatehgarh, in present day Gurdaspur district of the Punjab. She was married to Prince Kharak Singh

RAM SINGH, BHAI, a descendant of Bhai Bhagatu, was a devout Sikh. He served Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) with devotion when the latter visited his village Chakk Bhai in Bathinda district of the Punjab during his travels through these parts in 1706. He again presented himself at Damdama Sahib,

CHET SINGH BAJVA (d. 1839), Maharaja Kharak Singh`s distant relation and old tutor who wielded considerable influence at the Sikh court. The Dogra minister, Dhian Singh, looked upon Chet Singh as a potential rival to his position. The latter aligned himself with the Bhais and the Misrs at the

SHAM SINGH ATARlVALA (d. 1846), a general in the Sikh army, was the grandson of Sardar Gauhar Singh, who had embraced Sikhism in the early days of Sikh political ascendancy and joined the Jatha or band of Gurbakhsh Singh of Roranvala. He soon established his rakhior protection over an

DHIAN SINGH, RAJA (1796-1843), the second son of Miari Kishora Singh Dogra and the middle one of the three brothers from Jammu serving Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was born on 22 August 1796. He was presented before Ranjit Singh at Rohtas in 1812 by his elder brother, Gulab Singh, and

THAKAR DAS, son of Kanhaiya Lal, worked as keeper of the small private signet of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in place of his father for some time. He was later appointed manager of the area of Dhanni, Rupoval, etc., on a salary of rupees 4,320 per annum when Kanvar Nau Nihal

FATEH SINGH MAN (d. 1845). son of Sham Singh Man, soldier, diplomat and commander in Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s army. He entered the service of the Maharaja as a trooper, and took part in several campaigns, including those of Multan (1818) and Kashmir (1819). He rose to be a kumeddn.

GURMUKH SINGH GIANI, BHAI (d. 1843), a man of letters and an influential courtier in Sikh times, was the son of the celebrated scholar, Bhai Sant Singh, who had been the custodian of Sri Darbar Sahib at Amritsar. Gurmukh Singh was trained in Sikh religious lore at Amritsar under

HAKTMPUR, a village 9 km southeast of Banga (31"11`N, 76"E) in Jalandhar, district of the Punjab, claims a historical shrine called Gurdwara Nanaksar, sacred to Guru Nanak (1469-1539), who, according to local tradition, once halted here travelling from Kartarpur (Ravi). Guru Har Rai, Nanak VII, (1630-61) also visited this

KISHAN KANVAR, DIWAN, son of Diwan Hakim Rai, served the Sikh rulers of Lahore in various capacities. He had been the playmate and associate of Prince Nau Nihal Singh who bestowed upon him the title of dlwdn and showed him several other favours. In 1837, Prince Nau Nihal Singh,

NAU NIHAL SINGH, KANVAR( 1821-1840), son of Maharaja Kharak Singh, was born on 23 February 1821. According to the official Lahore diarist, Sohan Lal Suri, great rejoicing took place at his birth and a Persian chronogramA bouquet of wisdom`s garden was coined recording the year of his birth. Nau