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<p class="C1">&#65279S&#298T&#256 R&#256M KOHL&#298 (1889-1962), the first Punjab historian to undertake research in historical documents relating to the Punjab, was born on 28 February 1889 at the ancient town of Bher&#257, now in Pakistan. He passed his matriculation examination from the local Government High School and went to Government College, Lahore, for his Master's degree in History.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1913 the University of the Pañj&#257b invited the eminent British historian, Ramsay Muir, from England as a visiting professor. He stayed at Lahore from October 1913 to March 1914. His lectures, discussions, and formal addresses created great interest in the study and research of Punjab history. This led to the establishment of Punjab Historical Society to serve as a forum for students and researchers of history, and of a journal for publication of such papers. A scholarship of the value of Rs. 100 per month named Alexandra Research Scholarship was also instituted. As S&#299t&#257 R&#257m had shown an early talent for historical research, he was the first scholar to be awarded this scholarship in 1915.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;S&#299t&#257 R&#257m read closely the huge mass of material of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's time lying tied up in red cloth bundles in the tomb of An&#257rkal&#299 at Lahore. It fell to Kohl&#299's lot to resurrect the dead documents to tell their tale of past glory. These records were in Persian often in the fast running hand, called <i>shikast&#257</i>. S&#299t&#257 R&#257m displayed remarkable perseverance and industry in dealing with more than three lakh folios covering the period of Lahore Darb&#257r from 1811 to 1849 and in preparing a catalogue of these documents giving the name of the department, date and a brief reference to the subject-matter in each case. This was later on published by the Punjab Government in two volumes entitled <i>Catalogue of <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Darbar Records</i>.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In appreciation of his outstanding talent, the Punjab Government gave him appointment as a lecture in History at Government College, Lahore, in the Punjab Educational Service in 1919. He stayed in that College for 14 years. During this period he not only lectured to undergraduate and postgraduate classes, but also retained his connection with the Punjab Government Record Office of which he held the additional charge as the Deputy Keeper of Records. There he spent most of his time after college hours in guiding M.A. students for writing dissertations and monographs which was a compulsory academic requirement in those days.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1933, he was transferred to Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257 where he was the Vice-Principal under Principal Harvey. There he lived in a portion of the same house as was occupied a hundred years earlier by the ex-rulers of Afghanistan, Sh&#257h Zam&#257n and Sh&#257h Sh&#363j&#257'. In 1940 Professor Kohl&#299 was appointed Principal at Government College, Hoshi&#257rpur. In 1944 he was transferred to Government College, Rohtak, which then was the only Government College in present-day Hary&#257&#7751&#257. After his retirement from Punjab Government service in 1946, he was offered appointment as Principal, Ra&#7751b&#299r College, Sa&#7749gr&#363r, and was given the additional charge as Superintendent, Education Department, J&#299nd state, and a little later that of Secretary, Education Department of the state. With the creation of PEPSU in 1948, he ceased to be Secretary, Education, but retained the post of the Principal up to November 1951, when he finally retired and settled at Rohtak in his newly built house named Retreat (Gosh&#257-i-Afiyat). Towards the end of his life he fell victim to the pernicious disease of Asthma, which ultimately carried him off in July 1962.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Among his historical works, the earliest, <i>Catalogue of Khalsa Darbar Records</i> in two volumes is most famous. The first volume was published is 1919. It gives a summary of records of the military department (Daftar-i-Fauj). Based on these records he published a series of articles on the <i>Army of Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh</i> tracing its origin, growth and organization in the <i>Journal of Indian History</i>, Madr&#257s.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The second volume came out in 1927. It mainly deals with revenue records. The manuscript of D&#299w&#257n Amar N&#257th's <i>Zafar N&#257m&#257h-i-Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh</i> was edited by him and published in 1928. In 1932 he published a monograph entitled <i>Trial of Diwan Mul Raj</i>, the Sikh governor of Mult&#257n province, held responsible by the British Government for his soldiers' mutiny leading to the second Sikh war in 1848-49. In 1933 Professor Kohl&#299 brought out a short volume on Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh in Urdu for the Hindust&#257n&#299 Academy, All&#257h&#257b&#257d. Its material was drawn from original records, in particular from Sohan L&#257l's Diary called <i>'Umdat ut-Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u></i>. Another original source of Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's period was <i>Gur&#363 <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 J&#299 K&#257 Fatah N&#257mah</i> by Ganesh D&#257s published in Hindi. In 1956 he brought out Sh&#257h Muhammad's <i>kiss&#257</i> in Punjabi on the first Anglo-Sikh war. He prepared a volume entitled <i>The Last Phase, 1839-1849</i>, which was edited and published by Khushwant Si&#7749gh after the death of the author under the new title, <i>Sunset of the Sikh Empire</i>.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Professor Kohl&#299's main field of historical research was the history of the Sikh empire, 1799 to 1849. All his writings betray maturity of judgement and balance. He has a simple and forceful style of writing. He possessed a highly analytical mind. He was a pioneer in the field of historical research in the Punjab. Professor Kohl&#299 served on a number of historical organizations such as Indian Historical Records Commission, Indian History Congress and Punjab History Conference. Punjabi University, Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, instituted an annual lecture series in his honour.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Professor S&#299t&#257 R&#257m Kohl&#299 was a handsome and impressive man to look at. He was married to the daughter of an eminent Professor of Chemistry of Government College, Lahore, Professor Ruch&#299 R&#257m S&#257hn&#299. He lived well and was fond of good food and good company. He rarely missed his club and was an extremely good host. He drove his own car and maintained a lavish table-spread. He spent his summers at Gulmarg, an attractive hill city. He would inspire his pupils to read more and more and write with exactness and brevity.</p>
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