SEVA, from Sanskrit root sev (to serve, wait or attend upon, honour, or worship), is usually translated as `service` or `serving` which commonly relates to work paid for, but does not convey the sense in which the term is used in the Sikh tradition. The word seva has, in

BATTICE, an Italian, who joined the Sikh service in 1843. He was employed in the ordnance factory at Lahore for manufacturing gunpowder and saltpetre. In 1844, the army Panchayats removed him from the service, along with some other European officers. He died at Lahore soon afterwards.

GARDNER, ALEXANDER HAUGHTON CAMPBELL (1785-1877). son of a Scottish immigrant, was, according to an autobiographical account, born in North America in 1785. As a boy, he learnt Italian, Spanish, Latin and Greek, and proceeded in 1807 to Ireland to train for a maritime career. Returning to America, he set out

LALU, BHAI, headman of Khadur (Sahib), a village in Amritsar district of the Punjab, became a devout Sikh of Guru Angad. According to Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, he along with Bhai Durga and Bhai Jivanda once begged the Guru to show them the way to liberation.

SHANKAR DAS (d. 1832) was introduced at the Sikh court by his father, Shiv Dial, himself an employee of Maharaja Ranjit Singh who had appointed him manager of the Dhanni country. Shankar Das was placed under Prince Kharak Singh, the heir apparent, to manage his Jagirs. When Diwan Moti

BHAGATU, BHAI (d. 1652), a devoted Sikh who served the Fifth, Sixth and the Seventh Gurus, was the son of Adam (Uddam in some chronicles), a Siddhu Brar of Malva country. Sikh chronicles record that Adam, without a son for a long time and despaired of prayers at the

GHULAM MOHIY UDDIN, SHAIKH (d. 1845), who rose to be governor of Kashmir in Sikh times, was the son of Shaikh Ujala, a munshi or accountant in the service of Sardar Bhup Singh of Hoshiarpur. At a young age, Ghulam Mohiy udDin took up service under Diwan Moti Ram, the

LANE, STEPHEN, an American, who served for some years in Scindia`s army rising lo the rank of lieutenant. Hejoined Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s army in 1834, and was entrusted with the command of a battalion. Being an habitual drunkard, he was dismissed from service after about 18 months and deported

SHIV DIAL, whose ancestors had made their home in Wazirabad, entered the service of Charhat Singh Sukkarchakkia and was assigned to managing his estates. His father, Kishan Kumar, a follower of Gurbakhsh Singh Wazirabadia, was the first in the family to have taken up service with the Sikhs. When

BHOG (which by literal etymology, from Sanskrit, signifies "pleasure," "delight") is the name used in the Sikh tradition for the group of observances which accompany, the reading of the concluding parts of Scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib. This conclusion may be reached as part of the normal and routine reading

GOIND KUKK, BHAI, and Bhai Gola and Bhai Mohan, also Kukk Jatts, sought refuge at the feet of Guru Arjan and asked to be instructed in the path of righteousness and liberation. The Guru gave them twofold advice: "Repeat the Name of God and remember death. By remembering death,

MALI SINGH (d. 1716), resident of the village of Salaudi near Sirhind, was in the service of Nawab Wazir Khan, the Mughal faujdar. Following his brother Ali Singh, he left his service and joined Banda Singh Bahadur\'s army. Mali Singh took part in several of Banda Singh\'s campaigns and