Majithia Sirdars

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