Sardar Bahadur Risaldar-Major Ganda Singh Datt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sardar Bahadur Risaldar Major Ganda Singh Datt (1830 - July 1903) was a Muhiyal Sikh soldier in the British Indian Army, who served in the 19th Bengal Lancers also known as Fane's Horse.
[edit] Military Career and Achievements
He belonged to the village of Zaffarwal Dattan in Tehsil Rayya of District Sialkot. He enlisted as a Dafadar in 1852 and served as a soldier over 50 years. He received the Order of Merit for having saved the life of Sir Robert Sandeman at Lucknow at the time of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Later in the Afghan Campaign of the British Indian Army, he distinguished himself in the battle of Kandahar, becoming an Honorary Captain and was eventually appointed ADC to Lord Roberts VC, the then Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian Army.
He was rewarded with large tracts of agricultural land, and the village Ganda Singh Wala on the periphery of Amritsar is named after him. He was president of the All India Mohyal Conference held in 1902 at Lahore, and was among the select veteran Indian soldiers presented to the British Royals in the Coronation Durbar held in Delhi in January 1903.
[edit] Family
Ganda Singh's extended family featured some other eminent persons as well. His cousin Bakshi Prem Singh Vaid was a decorated soldier in the British Indian Army as well, and so was his son Bakshi Tirath Ram Vaid. His maternal grandson Dr. Baldev Singh Vaid was a famous neurologist who was awared the Padma Bhushan by the Indian government. Sardar Sant Singh Datt PCS who was appointed Chief Resident of Kalsia State was his grand nephew, whose son Kalwant Singh was a Lt. General in the Indian army.
[edit] External Links
- Eminent Muhiyals
- Obituary Dr. Baldev Singh
- Annual Register for Public Events at Home and Abroad for 1903, Published in 1904 by University of Michigan, Obituaries, Page 144
