SIKH HISTORIANS

Dr.GANDA SINGH

Dr Ganda Singh (1900-1987) is the celebrated Sikh historian, who by his sustained and pioneer work in the field of historical research, initiated new trends in Sikh historiography and who, by his critically important work, became a vital and pervasive influence in historical learning in the field of Sikh Studies, He was born on 15 November 1900, at Hariana, an old town close to the city of Hoshiarpur in Punjab. His father's name was Sardar Jawala Singh. He got his initial education in the village mosque,later shifting to the primary school. He passed the middle standard examination from DAV (Dayanand Anglo-Vernacular) Middle School, Hoshiarpur, and his matriculation from Government High School in the same town. He joined the Forman Christian College at Lahore, but soon left it to enlist in the army (1919). He served at the Supply and Transport Corps Base Depot, Rawalpindl, and at the divisional office at Peshawar before he was attached to the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force, Basra, in 1920 and later to the British Royal Army Pay Corps, also at Basra, in 1921. There he had his thigh torn by a bullet shot and he was hospitalized. After recovery he was repatriated to India, but had been mistakenly reported dead to his family. This led to a dramatic situation. When he suddenly appeared at the door of his home in the village late one evening, he was taken for a ghost and was refused admittance. As he was recognized the following morning at the doorstep of his house, the family's horror turned into jubilation.

Ganda Singh did not stay at home for long. He went back to Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and then to Iran, to join the Anglo-Persian Oil Company at Abadan as accounts officer. At Abadan, he came under the influence of the British scholar, Sir Arnold Wilson, who besides his official duties as General Manager of the company was working on his Bibliography of Persia . Young Ganda Singh now aspired to prepare a bibliography of his native Punjab. On his return to Punjab towards the end of 1930, he first worked on the editorial board of Phulwari, a Punjabi monthly published from Lahore. One long-lasting friendship he picked up there was with Bhagat Lachhman Singh, a Sikh reformer and educationist. He however missed the opportunity to meet Karam Singh, the historian, then very enthusiastic in promoting the cause of Sikh history. Karam Singh died before Ganda Singh could meet him.

In October 1931 began Dr Ganda Singh's long and fruitful career as a researcher and historian. The Khalsa college at Amritsar placed him in charge of its newly-created Sikh History Research Department, which position he occupied till 1949. During this period he travelled extensively, rummaging various public libraries, archives and private collections throughout India in quest of material on Sikh history, enriching the library of his department and also brought out several books and tracts based on these. 

In 1949, he came to Patiala where he was appointed Director of Archives and Curator of Museum under the Government of PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Union). In 1950, he received the additional charge of Director of the Punjabi Department. His thesis on Ahmad Shah Durrani earned him the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the Panjab University in 1954, as well as much applause from scholars and historians among whom was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, a leading Indian savant of the day.

Dr. Ganda Singh was principal of the Khalsa College, Patiala, when he was invited by Punjabi University, Patiala, to organize its Department of Punjab Historical Studies. He set up Punjab History Conference in 1965 which became a very active forum for the discussion of matters relating to Punjab history. In l967, he launched the university's journal, the bi-annual The Punjab Past and Present of which he was the editor and which gathered high repute and much prestige over the years.

In 1938, he had been appointed a corresponding member of Indian Historical Records Commission of Government of India, and was a full member of the Commission from 1950 to 1956. He was nominated member of Punjab Regional Committee for the Survey of Historical Records, Government of Punjab, Lahore, and of Indian Historical Records Commission, Government of India. He was secretary of the Committee for the History of Freedom Movement in PEPSU, Patiala, and chairman of the Regional Records Survey Committee for History of Freedom Movement, Shimla / Patiala, from November 1957 to December 1962. He held membership of Asiatic Society, Calcutta, Indian Institute of Historical Studies, Calcutta, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, London, and Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal, Poona. He presided over the medieval section of Punjab History Conference session of the Institute of Historical Studies, Calcutta, held at Shillong in 1974 as well as over its 13th session held at Panaji (Goa) in 1975. In 1974, he presided the 35th session of Indian History Congress at Jadavpur.
Dr. Ganda Singh was a prolific writer in addition to scores of research papers, booklets and pamphelets, he published over two dozen full-length volumes of great historical value. Dr. Ganda Singh's magnificent work was widely acknowledged and lauded in his lifetime, and he received honours from a number of professional institutions and associations. The Punjab Government invested him with the award for literature on 31 March 1963, and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar, paid its tributes on 28 March 1964. On 19 December 1964, Muslim University, Aligarh, conferred on him the "degree of D. Litt. honoris causa". Sikh Educational Conference honoured him during its 52nd annual session held at Kanpur on 25-27 October 1974, and Punjabi University, Patiala, at the annual session of the Punjab History Conference held during November 1976. The University also brought out during the same year an anthology, Essays in Honour of Dr Ganda Singh, lovingly edited by his old pupil Professor Harbans Singh (Editor of Encyclopaedia of Sikhism from where many documents have been sourced on this site). The University also awarded him the degree of Doctor of Literature at its 15th convocation held on 25 February 1978. The Indian History Congress during its Silver jubilee session held at Panaji (Goa) on 5-7 November 1987, honoured him as one of the five distinguished historians of India. The Government of India honoured him with the award of Padma Bhushan in 1983.

In the course of his long career as a researcher and scholar, Dr. Ganda Singh had acquired a vast personal collection of rare books, maps, documents and manuscripts which occupied several rooms of his modest residence on the Lower Mall at Patiala. This precious treasure is now the property of Punjabi University, Patiala, to which institution he donated the entire collection. Dr. Ganda Singh died at Patiala on 27 December 1987.