ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>MOHAN SI&#7748GH SARD&#256R BAH&#256DUR (1897-1961)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="MOHAN,SIDGH,SARDR,BAHDUR,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279MOHAN SI&#7748GH, SARD&#256R BAH&#256DUR (1897-1961), aesthete, philanthropist and privy counsellor, was born on 6 June 1897 at R&#257walpi&#7751&#7693&#299 in a family of note founded by S&#257dh&#363 Si&#7749gh (d. 1798), who under Sard&#257r Milkh&#257 Si&#7749gh Thehpur&#299&#257, founder of present town of R&#257walpi&#7751&#7693&#299 (now in Pakistan), was entrusted with the duty of providing rations for the Sikh troops. S&#257dh&#363 Si&#7749gh's son, Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 Si&#7749gh (d. 1841), was a revenue official during the Sikh rule and was awarded a share in the octroi collections, later computed into the grant of village Misr&#299o&#7789 in R&#257walpi&#7751&#7693&#299 <i>tahsil</i>. Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 Si&#7749gh's son and great-grandfather of Sard&#257r Bah&#257dur Mohan Si&#7749gh, Nand Si&#7749gh (d. 1871), increased his estate to several villages held in <i>j&#257g&#299r</i>, besides cash assignments, but at annexation of the Punjab to the British empire in 1849 he was deprived of all except Misrio&#7789 for his anti-British role during the second Anglo-Sikh war. Subsequently, for his co-operation with the new regime, especially during the 1857 mutiny, he was granted another village, Mauz&#257 Khatr&#299&#257&#7749. Nand Si&#7749gh was also made a provincial <i>darb&#257r&#299</i> or courtier. His son, Suj&#257n Si&#7749gh (d. 1901) was awarded the title of Sard&#257r in 1888 and of R&#257i Bah&#257dur in the following year.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mohan Si&#7749gh was the younger of the two sons of Sard&#257r Hardit Si&#7749gh (d. 1904), the elder being Sohan Si&#7749gh. He had lost his mother when he was only a few months old and his father died when he was seven years. The estate was placed under a court of wards. Mohan Si&#7749gh received his schooling at the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Collegiate School, Amritsar (1905-07), before he joined the Aitchison College, Lahore, from where he passed out in 1917 as the year's best all-round student. He completed his university education at Government College, Lahore, in 1919. He had been married on 3 May 1916, to L&#257jvant&#299, daughter of D&#299w&#257n Bah&#257dur Pi&#7751&#7693i D&#257s Sabharv&#257l, a noted lawyer of his time. He had been admitted to the rites of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257, on 26 November 1916, at the hands of the renowned Sant Atar Si&#7749gh of Mastu&#257&#7751&#257. He became a member of the Chief <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n in October 1914, and was its honorary joint secretary, 1922 to 1925.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sard&#257r Mohan Si&#7749gh stepped into politics in September 1930 when he was elected unopposed to the Punjab Legislative Council. He was member of the Council of the Secretary of State for India, London, in 1935-40; member of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province Public Service Commission in 1943-47 and chairman of the Public Service Commission of the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and East Punjab States Union in 1948-56. In recognition of his public service, he was awarded the title of Sard&#257r Bah&#257dur in 1931 and was appointed Companion of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.) in 1941.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sard&#257r Bah&#257dur Mohan Si&#7749gh was associated in various capacities with several social and welfare organizations such as Red Cross Society, the Boy Scouts and Temperance League. He was on the boards of directors of numerous joint stock companies and was chairman of some of them. In 1941, he established a plywood factory at Lahore, the first of its kind in Northern India. His deeper interest, however, lay in Sikh religion. He had translated the <i>Japu</i> and <i>&#256s&#257-k&#299 V&#257r</i> into English while still a student. He was a staunch advocate of women's education and encouraged the establishment of girls schools. He was president of the managing committees of <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 High Schools at R&#257walpind&#299, Murree and Kallar. He was chairman of the reception committee for the 18th Sikh Educational Conference held at R&#257walpi&#7751&#7693&#299 in 1927 and presided over the 19th Conference held at Montgomery in April 1928. He became a member of the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee in 1930. He was widely admired and revered among Sikh savants of the day such as Bh&#257&#299 V&#299r Si&#7749gh, Sant Sa&#7749gat Si&#7749gh of Kam&#257lia, Pa&#7751&#7693it Gurdit Si&#7749gh, Sant Nischal Si&#7749gh and Bh&#257&#299 K&#257hn Si&#7749gh of N&#257bh&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The partition of the country in 1947 forced Sard&#257r Bah&#257dur Mohan Si&#7749gh to migrate to Delhi leaving behind all of his urban property. This included his precious Library and collection of antiques gathered over the years from all over the globe. He died suddenly but peacefully at Rish&#299kesh on 27 December 1961.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Gurbachan Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>