MAṄGAL SIṄGH (d.1864), manager of Prince Khaṛak Siṅgh's estates in Sikh times, came of a Sandhū family of the village of Sirāṅvālī, in Siālkoṭ district, which traced its ancestry to one Husain who founded, at the beginning of sixteenth century, Hasanvālā, a village in Gujrāṅwālā district. Maṅgal Siṅgh's grandfather Dargāh, who was the first in the family to adopt the Sikh faith, migrated from Sirāṅvālī to Gurdāspur owing to straitened circumstances to which he had been reduced, and joined Jaimal Siṅgh Kanhaiyā as a horseman. His son Lāl Siṅgh, the father of Maṅgal Siṅgh, succeeded him and was promoted to command 100 horse.

         Maṅgal Siṅgh's sister Īshar Kaur was married to Prince Khaṛak Siṅgh in 1815 at Amritsar. This brought the brother favours from the court. A jāgīr of the value of Rs 5,000 was conferred upon Maṅgal Siṅgh and he was given charge of the Chūnīāṅ tract in Lahore district. Khaṛak Siṅgh was so pleased with his management that he entrusted him in 1820 with the charge of all his affairs, civil and military, and gave him an enhanced jāgīr of Rs 19,000 with the title of Sardār. Maṅgal Siṅgh also secured the possession of his old family village of Sirāṅvālī, which was then held by Shām Siṅgh Aṭārīvālā. He retained the favour of his master, though the management of princely estates was in 1834 transferred to Chet Siṅgh Bājvā. Mahārājā Sher Siṅgh resumed most of Maṅgal Siṅgh's original estates but granted him new ones of the value of over a lakh of rupees which he retained until 1846, when Rājā Lāl Siṅgh seized them leaving him a much reduced jāgīr. Maṅgal Siṅgh was appointed Adālatī or judicial officer of the Rachnā Doāb by the British Resident, Major Lawrence.

         Maṅgal Siṅgh died in June 1864.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  1. Sūrī, Sohan LāI, '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