- Ganda Singh Datt
Sardar Bahadur Risaldar Major Ganda Singh Datt (1830 - July 1903) was a decorated soldier in the
British Indian Army , who served in the 19th Bengal Lancers also known as Fane's Horse.Military Career and Awards
Ganda Singh was a
Muhiyal born into aHindu family but brought up as aSikh , a practice often followed in Muhiyal families at the time. He belonged to the village of Zaffarwal Dattan in Tehsil Rayya of District Sialkot. He enlisted as a Dafadar in 1852 and served as a soldier over 50 years. He received theIndian Order of Merit for having saved the life of Sir Robert Sandeman atLucknow at the time of theSepoy Mutiny of 1857 . Susbequently, in the Second Anglo-China War, he saved the life of Sir Charles MacGregor as well.Later in the Afghan Campaign of the British Indian Army, he participated in the [http://www.britishbattles.com/second-afghan-war/kandahar.htm famous march to Kandahar] and distinguished himself in the
Battle of Kandahar , becoming an Honorary Captain. He was eventually appointed ADC to Lord Roberts of Kabul and Kandahar, VC, the then Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian Army.He was rewarded with large tracts of agricultural land, and the village
Ganda Singh Wala on the periphery of Amritsar is named after him. He was president of the first All IndiaMohyal Conference held in 1902 atLahore , and was among the select veteran Indian soldiers presented to the British Royals in the Coronation Durbar held in Delhi in January 1903.Family
Ganda Singh's extended family featured many other eminent persons as well. His cousin Bakshi Prem Singh Vaid was a decorated soldier in the British Indian Army as well, and so was his son
Bakshi Tirath Ram Vaid . His maternal grandson Dr. Baldev Singh Vaid was a famous neurologist who was awarded thePadma Bhushan by the Indian government, and whose son-in-law KK Bakshi was a decorated Air Vice Marshal of the Indian Air Force. Sardar Sant Singh Datt PCS who was appointed Chief Resident ofKalsia State was his grand nephew, whose son Lt. Gen. Kalwant Singh was a senior officer in the Indian army.External links
# [http://www.mohyal.com/gms/m_member.htm Eminent Muhiyals ]
# [http://www.ijpp.com/vol48_2/vol48_no2_guest_edit_01.pdf Obituary Dr. Baldev Singh]
# Annual Register for Public Events at Home and Abroad for 1903, Published in 1904, Page 144
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