<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BIKRAM SI&#7748GH R&#256J&#256 (1842-1898)</TITLE>
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<p class="C1">&#65279BIKRAM SI&#7748GH, R&#256J&#256 (1842-1898), born in January 1842, succeeded his father, Waz&#299r Si&#7749gh, to the throne of Far&#299dko&#7789 state in 1874. A dominant figure in Far&#299dko&#7789 history, R&#257j&#257 Bikram Si&#7749gh modernized the state administration. He employed retired British officials of experience and in 1875 set up offices and courts on the British model and adopted British law. Schools and charitable hospitals were opened and <i>dharams&#257l&#257s</i> and rest houses for travellers constructed. <i>Sad&#257varats</i> or free kitchens were established at Far&#299dko&#7789, Th&#257nesar and Amritsar. Sanskrit <i>pa&#7789hsh&#257l&#257s</i>, or schools were started where free food was served to the students. In 1881, one-pice postal stamp was introduced in the state.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;R&#257j&#257 Bikram Si&#7749gh had a religious bent of mind and was a leading figure in the Sikh renaissance at the turn of the 19th century. He was a patron of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n, Amritsar, to which Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257s then springing up in the Punjab were affiliated. Following the publication in 1877 of Ernest Trumpp's <i>The &#256di Granth</i>, not received favourably by the Sikhs, R&#257j&#257 Bikram Si&#7749gh commissioned a full scale commentary in Punjabi on the Holy Book. To this end, he appointed a distinguished synod of Sikh schoolmen of the period. The work which resulted from its labours is now famous as the <i>Far&#299dko&#7789 &#7788&#299k&#257</i> and occupies an honoured place in the Sikh exegetical literature. At a public meeting of the Sikhs in Amritsar convened on 14 August 1897, R&#257j&#257 Bikram Si&#7749gh announced in honour of Queen Victoria's Diamond jubilee a donation of rupees one lakh for electricity to be brought to the premises of the Golden Temple and for a new building for the Gur&#363 k&#257 La&#7749gar. He was among those Indian princes who were sympathetic to the cause of the deposed Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Duleep Si&#7749gh. He had holy shrines raised in memory of Sikh Gur&#363s and martyrs at Gur&#363sar, Lakh&#299 Jungle, Muktsar (Gurdw&#257r&#257 Shah&#299d Gañj) and Sr&#299nagar. He was appointed a Fellow of the Pañj&#257b University to which he donated large sums of money.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;R&#257j&#257 Bikram Si&#7749gh died on 8 August 1898 and was succeeded by his son, Balb&#299r Si&#7749gh.</p>
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<p class="BIB">
BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Griffin, Lepel, <i>The Rajas of the Punjab</i> [Reprint], Delhi, 1977<BR>
<li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>Far&#299dko&#7789 Itih&#257s B&#257re</i>. Faridko&#7789, 1947<BR>
<li class="C1"> Ganda Singh, <i>The Patiala and the East Panjab States Union : Historical Background</i>. Patiala, 1951<BR>
</ol><p class="CONT">Sard&#257r Si&#7749gh Bh&#257&#7789&#299&#257<br></p><BR>
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