Bikram Singh Bedi

Bikram Singh Bedi (died 1862) was a direct lineal descendant of Guru Nanak who rebelled against the British-colonial administration during the Second Anglo-Sikh War and also during the initial years following the annexation of the Sikh Empire in 1849.[1][2][note 1]

Biography

He was the son of Sahib Singh Bedi.[3][4] Sahib Singh was a respected member of the Sikh society who had helped Maharaja Ranjit Singh consolidate his rule over Punjab.[5] Bikram Singh was based in Una.[6][4][2] After his father's death in 1834, Bikram Singh succeeded the family estate in Una whilst his brother Bishan Singh succeeded the family estate in Kallar (Rawalpindi).[7]

Bikram Singh was influenced by the Nirankari Sikh preacher, Baba Darbara Singh.[8] He was also influenced by Bir Singh of Naurangabad, and was initiated by Bir Singh at Bir Singh's jatha.[9] Bikram Singh had killed his brother Attar Singh on 25 November 1839 and killed his nephew on 3 December 1839, with him confiscating his nephew's estates.[10][11][12] Bikram Singh had considered himself to be above the laws of the kingdom by-nature of his birth.[12] In April 1840, Bikram Singh refused to release the family of his murdered relative, therefore Kunwar Nau Nihal Singh ordered General Ventura to capture the Dhukee Fort.[11]

To atone for the murder of his brother, Bikram would wash his hands with rhinoceros excrement, particular that produced by a female rhino that was kept at the estate in Una which had been purchased for Rs. 2,500.[10] In late 1840, when Bikram Singh was invited to Lahore to carry-out the enthronment ceremony by applying tilak on the new Sikh ruler, he refused when he discovered it would be applied to Chand Kaur, as Bikram Singh did not believe a woman should rule the Sikh kingdom, thinking he had been invited to apply it to Sher Singh.[13] Bikram Singh was responsible for reconciling the Sandhanwalias and Maharaja Sher Singh in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib.[14]

In the aftermath of the First Anglo-Sikh War, weaponry and part of the estate of Bikram Singh was taken from him by the British and his fortress at Una was demolished.[9] This led to Bikram Singh planning an insurrection against the British, with him contacting Diwan Mul Raj about the matter in 1848.[9] Bikram Singh Bedi helped arise the Sikh insurrection against the British East India Company at Jalandhar (Jullundur Doab[2]) and Kangra.[15] Bikram Singh marched toward Hoshiarpur but while he was at Maili, he heard the news of the defeat of the Raja of Jaswan State and therefore retreated to the camp of Sher Singh.[5] In the aftermath of the Second Anglo-Sikh war, the British confiscated the property and possessions of Bikram Singh, with him being placed on parole at Amritsar where he lived on a British pension.[15]

A calotype photograph of Bikram Singh was captured by John McCosh.[1] In the period following the annexation of the Sikh kingdom, he was one of the few Sikh leaders who decided to assist Bhai Maharaj Singh in his insurrection against the new British administrators.[6] In 1857, the 59th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry invaded Una and confiscated Bikram's rhino.[10]

Legacy

A gurdwara dedicated to him located in Amritsar, Gurdwara Bābā Bikram Singh Bedi, is being renovated and restored by Virasati Asthan Seva.[16][17]

Lineage

The direct lineage going down to Bikram Singh Bedi from Guru Nanak is as follows:[18][19]

  1. Guru Nanak
  2. Lakhmi Das
  3. Dharam Chand
  4. Mehar Chand/Manik Chand
  5. Datār Chand
  6. Pahar Chand
  7. Harkaran Chand
  8. Nihal Chand
  9. Baba Kaladhari
  10. Ajit Singh Bedi/Jit Singh
  11. Sahib Singh Bedi
  12. Bikram Singh Bedi

Notes

  1. ^ His name is alternatively spelt as 'Bikrama', 'Vikram', or 'Vikrama'. He is also known as 'Bedi Bikram Singh of Una'.

References

  1. ^ a b Madra, Amandeep Singh; Singh, Parmjit. "73. The Siege of Multan: Diwan Mul Raj". Warrior Saints. Vol. 1 (illustrated ed.). Kashi House: Four Centuries of Sikh Military History. p. 153. ISBN 9780956016867.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  2. ^ a b c Singh, Kirpal (1994). "Baba Bikram Singh Bedi (A Pioneer Freedom Fighter)". The Historical Study of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Times. National Book Shop. pp. 20, 137–143. ISBN 9788171161638.
  3. ^ Dilagīra, Harajindara Siṅgha (1997). The Sikh Reference Book (1st ed.). Edmonton, Alb., Canada: Sikh Educational Trust for Sikh University Centre, Denmark. pp. 588–89. ISBN 0-9695964-2-1. OCLC 37769917.
  4. ^ a b Grewal, J. S. (Oct 8, 1998). The Sikhs of the Punjab. Cambridge University Press. p. 115. ISBN 9780521637640.
  5. ^ a b Singh, Nahar; Singh, Kirpal (1989). Rebels Against the British Rule. Vol. II: Bhai Maharaj Singh, 1810–1857, died in Singapore jail, 5th July, 1857. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. pp. xi, 43–44.
  6. ^ a b Singh, Harjinder (15 May 2017). "Bhai Maharaj Singh - Freedom Fighter for The Panjab". Sikh Research Institute (SRI). Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  7. ^ Dilgeer, Harjinder Singh (1997). The Sikh Reference Book. Denmark: Sikh Educational Trust for Sikh University Centre. pp. 588–589. ISBN 9780969596424.
  8. ^ Webster, John C. B. (May 1, 2018). "The Recording of Nirankari History". The Nirankari Sikhs. Routledge. ISBN 9780429842931.
  9. ^ a b c Dilgeer, Harjinder Singh (1997). The Sikh Reference Book. Denmark: Sikh Educational Trust for Sikh University Centre. p. 314. ISBN 9780969596424.
  10. ^ a b c Rookmaaker, Kees (Apr 30, 2024). "Chapter 5". The Rhinoceros of South Asia. BRILL. p. 82. ISBN 9789004691544.
  11. ^ a b Walia, Jagjiwan Mohan (1982). Parties and Politics at the Sikh Court, 1799-1849. Master Publishers. p. 82.
  12. ^ a b Lafont, Jean-Marie (1991). La présence française dans le royaume sikh du Penjab, 1822-1849 [The French presence in the Sikh kingdom of Punjab, 1822-1849] (in French). FeniXX. p. 411. ISBN 9782402434294.
  13. ^ Shanker, Rajkumari (Sep 21, 2015). "Women in Sikhism". In Sharma, Arvind (ed.). Religion and Women. State University of New York Press. p. 200. ISBN 9781438419602.
  14. ^ Arora, A. C. (1984). Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Politics, Society, and Economy. Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. p. 34.
  15. ^ a b Singh, Amarpal (Jun 15, 2016). The Second Anglo-Sikh War. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781445650241. Bikram Singh Bedi, the priest who had helped organise insurrection in the Kangra and Jalandhar areas and had surrendered to the British at Rawalpindi with the Sikh army, was one of those shown more leniency. He was to spend the rest of his life on parole at Amritsar on a modest British pension, his property and wealth having been confiscated.
  16. ^ "The Saṃbhāl of GurSikh Asthāns". The Vital Anjan. 31 May 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  17. ^ "Home". Virasati Asthan Seva. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  18. ^ Dilgeer, Harjinder Singh (1997). The Sikh Reference Book. Denmark: Sikh Educational Trust for Sikh University Centre. p. 501. ISBN 9780969596424.
  19. ^ "Family Tree of Baba Sahib Singh Bedi Sahib Ji". Bedi Foundation. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
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