Bikrama Singh
Encyclopedia
Kanwar Sri Bikrama Singh Bahadur (1835-1887) was a 19th-century Sikh
leader.
Born in Kapurthala
as the second son of Raja Nihal Singh of Kapurthala (from his second Rani, the legendary philanthropist Mai Hiran), he was one of the main progenitors of the 19th Century Sikh Renaissance, being one of the founders of the Singh Sabha Movement aimed at a revival of the Gurudwaras as centres of worship and learning which ultimately culminated in the Gurudwara Reform movement and led to the liberation of the Gurudwaras from the clutches of the hereditary Mahants.
He was also one of the supporters of the claims of Maharaja Duleep Singh of the Punjab, the son of the Great Maharaja Ranjit Singh and, along with the Sandhawalia Sardars, sought to muster support for Duleep Singh amongst the Sikh Sardars of the erstwhile Lahore Durbar.
He was well versed in Persian
, Sanskrit
, and Punjabi
and a very eminent musicologist a great proponent of Modern Learning and of women's education, he was the Author of "Upma Sar Granth".
He was instrumental in saving the lives of the royal musicians at the Mughal Court of Delhi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857
; he gave them shelter at his court in Kapurthala
, thus laying the foundation of the Kapurthala Gharana of Hindustani Classical Music.
Bikrama Singh had constructed, as his personal residence, the first French inspired building in Kapurthala, the Elysee Palace. (His example was later followed by the francophile Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, who constructed the famous French inspired Jagatjit Palace at Kapurthala). When he relocated to Jullunder, he built for himself another residence, Bikram Hall; it has since been demolished, though the grounds, now referred to as Bikrampura, still bear his name.
. When he sought a partition of this Estate his brother, Raja Randhir Singh opted to keep the Estate undivided and, instead, chose to compensate Bikrama Singh. A settled amount was deposited into a Trust which was used to procure a fresh Estate for Bikrama Singh. The lands finally vested in Bikrama Singh in the districts of Sitapur
and Rae Bareli in the United Provinces (present day Uttar Pradesh) were formalized by the central government through the Bikrama Singh Estates Act 1883 (an unrepealed Act of the Government of India).
He died at Jullunder on 8 May 1887.
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
leader.
Early life and Political Contribution
Kapurthala
Kapurthala is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely state in British India. The secular and aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic...
as the second son of Raja Nihal Singh of Kapurthala (from his second Rani, the legendary philanthropist Mai Hiran), he was one of the main progenitors of the 19th Century Sikh Renaissance, being one of the founders of the Singh Sabha Movement aimed at a revival of the Gurudwaras as centres of worship and learning which ultimately culminated in the Gurudwara Reform movement and led to the liberation of the Gurudwaras from the clutches of the hereditary Mahants.
He was also one of the supporters of the claims of Maharaja Duleep Singh of the Punjab, the son of the Great Maharaja Ranjit Singh and, along with the Sandhawalia Sardars, sought to muster support for Duleep Singh amongst the Sikh Sardars of the erstwhile Lahore Durbar.
As patron of the Arts and Builder
He founded the Khalsa Press Lahore as well as the "Khalsa Akhbar", the first journal for the Sikhs.He was well versed in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, and Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
and a very eminent musicologist a great proponent of Modern Learning and of women's education, he was the Author of "Upma Sar Granth".
He was instrumental in saving the lives of the royal musicians at the Mughal Court of Delhi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
; he gave them shelter at his court in Kapurthala
Kapurthala
Kapurthala is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely state in British India. The secular and aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic...
, thus laying the foundation of the Kapurthala Gharana of Hindustani Classical Music.
Bikrama Singh had constructed, as his personal residence, the first French inspired building in Kapurthala, the Elysee Palace. (His example was later followed by the francophile Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, who constructed the famous French inspired Jagatjit Palace at Kapurthala). When he relocated to Jullunder, he built for himself another residence, Bikram Hall; it has since been demolished, though the grounds, now referred to as Bikrampura, still bear his name.
Dispute with the Raja of Kapurthala
His father Raja Nihal Singh wanted him to succeed to the throne but this was opposed by the British. His father's will, which entitled him to inherit large estates, was challenged by his brother, Raja Randhir Singh. After long litigation, a settlement was arrived at by which Bikrama Singh was given a pension by the state; under the terms of this settlement, Bikrama Singh left Kapurthala to settle in Jullunder.Settlement of Estates through the Bikrama Singh Estates Act
He was the joint owner of the Kapurthala Estate in Awadh, Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. When he sought a partition of this Estate his brother, Raja Randhir Singh opted to keep the Estate undivided and, instead, chose to compensate Bikrama Singh. A settled amount was deposited into a Trust which was used to procure a fresh Estate for Bikrama Singh. The lands finally vested in Bikrama Singh in the districts of Sitapur
Sitapur
Sitapur formerly spelled as Citapore is a town and a municipal board in Sitapur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is in the Lucknow Division of Uttar Pradesh...
and Rae Bareli in the United Provinces (present day Uttar Pradesh) were formalized by the central government through the Bikrama Singh Estates Act 1883 (an unrepealed Act of the Government of India).
He died at Jullunder on 8 May 1887.