GAṆḌĀ SIṄGH (d. 1845), of Butāla, in Gujrāṅwālā district of undivided Punjab, was a soldier in the Sikh army. Early in his career, he was assigned by Mahārājā Raṇjīt Siṅgh to Prince Sher Siṅgh's troops. Gaṇḍā Siṅgh's father, Dharam Siṅgh, had also served in the army and taken part in several battles including those of Multān, Kashmīr and Peshāwar. Gaṇḍā Siṅgh remained the favourite of Prince Sher Siṅgh who granted him a jāgīr worth 3,000 rupees from his own estates. He fought in the Prince's Yūsafzaī and Kullū campaigns and held both civil and military appointments under him when he was the Nāzim of Kashmīr. He afterwards served at Naushehrā and Bannū. When Sher Siṅgh ascended the throne, he conferred upon Gaṇḍā Siṅgh several jāgīrs around Butālā, and appointed him to the command of the Orderly Ḍerā. He was with the Mahārājā when the latter was assassinated in September 1843, and was severely wounded in the endeavour to save his life.

         Gaṇḍā Siṅgh was killed in December 1845 in the battle of Ferozeshāh in which his son, Kirpāl Siṅgh, was wounded.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  1. Sūrī, Sohan Lāl, 'Umdāt-ut-Twārīkh. Lahore, 1885-89
  2. Griffin, Lepel, and C.F. Massy, Chiefs and Families of Note in the Punjab. Lahore, 1909

Sardār Siṅgh Bhāṭīā