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<p class="C1">&#65279SARD&#256R, in Persian amalgam of <i>sar</i> (head) and <i>d&#257r</i> (a suffix derived from the verb <i>d&#257shtan</i>, i.e. to hold) meaning holder of headship, is an honorific signifying an officer of rank, a general or chief of a tribe or organization. Sikhs among whom, during the time of the Gur&#363 and for half a century thereafter, no words indicative of high rank were current other than the common appellation <i>bh&#257&#299</i> or, rarely, <i>b&#257b&#257</i> to express reverence due to age or descent from the Gur&#363s, adopted <i>sard&#257r</i> for the leaders of their <i>jath&#257s</i> or bands fighting against Af<u>gh</u>&#257n invaders under Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299. With the expansion of the fighting force of the Sikhs under the <i>misls</i> the number of Sikh <i>sard&#257rs</i> multiplied. During the reign of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh and his successors, <i>sard&#257r</i> came to be used as an appellation for all ready Sikhs as well as for Sikhs in general having Si&#7749gh as their common surname, although officially <i>sard&#257r</i> was a coveted title conferred on generals or civil officers of rank. The British government also used the word selectively by incorporating it in the titles of <i>sard&#257r s&#257hib</i> and <i>sard&#257r bah&#257dur</i> conferred mostly, but not exclusively, on Sikhs. In the Sikh princely states of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, N&#257bh&#257, J&#299nd, Kap&#363rthal&#257, Far&#299dko&#7789 and Kals&#299&#257, too, <i>sard&#257r</i> signified rank irrespective of the religious affiliation of the official so entitled. In the army, both under the British and in free India, junior commissioned officers called Viceroy's Commissioned Officers (V.C.Os) before independence are referred to as <i>sard&#257r s&#257hib&#257n</i>. Generally, every turbaned Sikh with unshorn hair is addressed as <i>sard&#257rj&#299</i>, and it is customary to use <i>sard&#257r</i> in place of "Mr." before a Sikh name.</p>
</ol><p class="CONT">Ga&#7751&#7693&#257 Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR>
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