BHIVA, BHAI, and his brother, Rup Chand, businessmen of Sirhind, were devout Sikhs of the time of Guru Arjan. They lived honestly, celebrated the Sikh festivals, and entertained their brethren faith on such occasions. Once a Mughal came to deposit with them gold mohars hid in a hollow piece of bamboo. They put away the bamboopiece for safe custody, but forgot to make an entry of the deposit in their books. The Mughal returned after five years to claim the deposit.
BHUPAL SINGH, a son of the Gurkha general, Amar Singh Thapa, came to Lahore and took up service under Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839). He became an officer in a battalion in the Sikh army under General Ventura. In 1838, Bhupal Singh returned to Nepal and was appointed to command a check post on the Indo Nepalese border. Two years later he was selected to lead an embassy to Lahore. He left Kathmandu on 6 June 1840, but the mission returned without transacting much business owing to the death in Lahore of Kanvar Nau Nihal Singh.
BROWN, JOHN, alias RICHARD POTTER, an Englishman, who, deserting the East Indian Company`s service in the Bengal artillery, came to Lahore and joined the Sikh artillery in 1826. He was later promoted colonel and placed in charge of the artillery depot at Lahore. During the first Anglo Sikh war, he acted as a British spy. Just before the battle of `Aliwal, he went to Ludhiana and offered his services to his countrymen.
DE LA FONT, CAPTAIN AUGUSTE, a Frenchman, who entered Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s service in 1838. He was appointed an aide decamp to General Ventura. Later, he acted as a staff officer to Colonel C.M. Wade during his journey to Kabul. He took active part in the action at Fort `All Masjid and was also helpful in maintaining peace between the Sikh contingent and Wade`s "somewhat unruly" force. He left service in the Punjab in 1843 and returned to France. His younger brother (Christian name not known) also served in the Sikh army under Generals Avitabile and Ventura.
FATEH SINGH AHLUVALIA (d. 1836), son of Bhag Singh, and a grandnephew of Jassa Singh Ahluvalia, leader of the Ahluvalia misi and of the Dal Khalsa, who in 1758 proclaimed the sovereignty of the Sikhs in the Punjab. Fateh Singh succeeded to the Ahluvalia chiefship in 1801. He was the chosen companion of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, with whom he in 1802 exchanged turbans in a permanent bond of brotherhood. Fateh Singh took part in almost all the early campaigns of Ranjit Singh Kasur (1802-03), Malva (1806-08), Kangra (1809), Multan (1818), Kashmir (1819) and Mankera (1821). He fought in the battle of Haidru (1813) and held command in the Bhimbar, Rajauri and Bahawalpur expeditions.
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GUJJARVAL, village in Ludhiana district, 30 km from the city (30°44`N, 75°43`E), has an historical shrine called Gurdwara Guru Sar Mariji Sahib Chheviri Patshahi. Guru Hargobind, during his tour of the Malva country in 1631, halted here and put up camp near a pool. Chaudhari Phatuhi of Gujjarval served him with devotion. But he became proud of the service he had rendered, and returned to the Guru in state, attended by servants and richly attired, with a hawk on his hand, and asked the Guru if he could do anything for him. The Guru asked him to give him his hawk.
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