Majithia Sirdars
Encyclopedia
This term refers to a set of three related families of Sikh sirdars
#chiefs# that came from the area of Majitha
- a town 10 miles north of the Punjab city of Amritsar and rose to prominence in the early 19th century. The Majithia clans threw in with the rising star of the Sikh misls - Ranjit Singh
- during the latter 18th century. As Ranjit Singh established the Sikh Empire around the turn of the 19th century, the Majithia sirdars gained prominence and became very influential in the Maharaja's army. Ten different Majithia generals can be counted amongst the Sikh army during the period of 1800-1849. According to the English historians, the Majithia family was one of the three most powerful families in Punjab under the Maharaja. Best known of the Majithia generals were General Desa Singh, General Lehna Singh, General Ranjodh Singh, General Surat Singh and General Amar Singh. In all there were 16 Majithia generals in the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The son of General Lehna Singh, Sirdar Dyal Singh, was perhaps the most significant Punjabi of the late 19th century in the British Punjab. He was the main force behind the founding of Punjab University; was the founder and the owner of The Tribune
newspaper - the most respected English-language newspaper in north-western India to this day; and the founder and owner of the Punjab National Bank - also the most powerful bank in north-western India until nationalized by Indira Gandhi
in the early 1970s. He was also one of the charter members of the Indian National Congress
party - which later became the main Indian nationalist political party and the party of Nehru and Gandhi.
The son of General Surat Singh, Sirdar Sundar Singh Majithia, also had tremendous impact on the early 20th century Punjab. He was a main force in the Sikh revivalist movement and was one of the founders of the "Chief Khalsa Diwan
Society". Amongst his accomplishments can be counted the establishment of the Khalsa College, Amritsar
and the founding of the Punjab and Sind Bank. He was knighted by the British - thus often referred to as Sir Sundar Singh Majithia.
Sirdar Sundar Singh's brother, Sirdar Umrao Singh, was the father of Amrita Sher-Gil
- considered by many to be first great female artist of the Indian subcontinent.
The Majithia family, although referred to by the name of their village Majitha - which is common in Punjab, in actuality belong to the "Shergill" clan of the Jat Sikhs - itself a subset of the "Gill" clan.
Other famous members of the Majithia family are:
Sardar Parkash Singh Majitha, who was one of the most prominent of the Akali leaders of the 70s, 80s and 90s, and was popularly known as 'Majhe da jarnail'. He remained cabinet minister in many Akali governments holding important portfolios like Irrigation, Transport, Revenue and Rehabilitation. He was elected MLA five times from Ajnala and Majitha constituencies. He also played the steller role during the Anti-Emergency Morcha and the Dharam Yudh Morcha. In the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, he served as the acting President of Akali Dal. Being the senior most Akali leader in the 1990s, he was unanimously appointed the patron of Shiromani Akali Dal, an honour he retained till he breathed his last.
Sardar Parkash Singh Majitha's nephew, Sardar Rajmohinder Singh Majitha (MP and MLA), is also a well-known Akali leader.
Sardar Bikramjit Singh Majithia (Minister and MLA) is another famous Majithia, who is Son of S.
Satyajit Singh Majithia and Grandson of S. Surjit Singh Majithia and belongs to the family of the Majithia Sirdars.
Sardar Nirranjan Singh Majithia(Beriwale) also belongs to Majithia Sirdars families
Sardar
Sardar is a title of Indo-Aryan origin that was originally used to denote feudal princes, noblemen, and other aristocrats. It was later applied to indicate a Head of State, a Commander-in-chief, and an Army military rank...
#chiefs# that came from the area of Majitha
Majitha
Majitha is a town and a municipal council in Amritsar district in the Indian state of Punjab. Majitha holds a distinguished place in the history of Punjab as the well-known Majithia Sirdars came from this region. These were several generals in Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army of the Sikh Empire in the...
- a town 10 miles north of the Punjab city of Amritsar and rose to prominence in the early 19th century. The Majithia clans threw in with the rising star of the Sikh misls - Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
- during the latter 18th century. As Ranjit Singh established the Sikh Empire around the turn of the 19th century, the Majithia sirdars gained prominence and became very influential in the Maharaja's army. Ten different Majithia generals can be counted amongst the Sikh army during the period of 1800-1849. According to the English historians, the Majithia family was one of the three most powerful families in Punjab under the Maharaja. Best known of the Majithia generals were General Desa Singh, General Lehna Singh, General Ranjodh Singh, General Surat Singh and General Amar Singh. In all there were 16 Majithia generals in the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The son of General Lehna Singh, Sirdar Dyal Singh, was perhaps the most significant Punjabi of the late 19th century in the British Punjab. He was the main force behind the founding of Punjab University; was the founder and the owner of The Tribune
The Tribune
The Tribune is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published from Chandigarh, New Delhi, Jalandhar, Dehradun and Bathinda. It was founded on 2 February 1881, in Lahore , by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as...
newspaper - the most respected English-language newspaper in north-western India to this day; and the founder and owner of the Punjab National Bank - also the most powerful bank in north-western India until nationalized by Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
in the early 1970s. He was also one of the charter members of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
party - which later became the main Indian nationalist political party and the party of Nehru and Gandhi.
The son of General Surat Singh, Sirdar Sundar Singh Majithia, also had tremendous impact on the early 20th century Punjab. He was a main force in the Sikh revivalist movement and was one of the founders of the "Chief Khalsa Diwan
Chief Khalsa Diwan
The Chief Khalsa Diwan is a 104-year old Sikh organisation, which is the central Organization of various Singh Sabhas spread across Punjab. Unlike the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, the Diwan is an apolitical body and only concerns itself with religious, educational and cultural...
Society". Amongst his accomplishments can be counted the establishment of the Khalsa College, Amritsar
Khalsa College, Amritsar
Khalsa College is a historic educational institution in the northern Indian city of Amritsar in the state of Punjab, India. Founded in 1892, the sprawling campus is located about eight km outside of the city center on the Amritsar-Lahore highway , adjoining Guru Nanak Dev University campus, to...
and the founding of the Punjab and Sind Bank. He was knighted by the British - thus often referred to as Sir Sundar Singh Majithia.
Sirdar Sundar Singh's brother, Sirdar Umrao Singh, was the father of Amrita Sher-Gil
Amrita Sher-Gil
Amrita Sher-Gil , was an eminent Indian painter, sometimes known as India's Frida Kahlo, and today considered an important woman painter of 20th century India, whose legacy stands at par with that of the Masters of Bengal Renaissance; she is also the 'most expensive' woman painter of India.-Early...
- considered by many to be first great female artist of the Indian subcontinent.
The Majithia family, although referred to by the name of their village Majitha - which is common in Punjab, in actuality belong to the "Shergill" clan of the Jat Sikhs - itself a subset of the "Gill" clan.
Other famous members of the Majithia family are:
Sardar Parkash Singh Majitha, who was one of the most prominent of the Akali leaders of the 70s, 80s and 90s, and was popularly known as 'Majhe da jarnail'. He remained cabinet minister in many Akali governments holding important portfolios like Irrigation, Transport, Revenue and Rehabilitation. He was elected MLA five times from Ajnala and Majitha constituencies. He also played the steller role during the Anti-Emergency Morcha and the Dharam Yudh Morcha. In the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, he served as the acting President of Akali Dal. Being the senior most Akali leader in the 1990s, he was unanimously appointed the patron of Shiromani Akali Dal, an honour he retained till he breathed his last.
Sardar Parkash Singh Majitha's nephew, Sardar Rajmohinder Singh Majitha (MP and MLA), is also a well-known Akali leader.
Sardar Bikramjit Singh Majithia (Minister and MLA) is another famous Majithia, who is Son of S.
Satyajit Singh Majithia and Grandson of S. Surjit Singh Majithia and belongs to the family of the Majithia Sirdars.
Sardar Nirranjan Singh Majithia(Beriwale) also belongs to Majithia Sirdars families