"Sikh Philanthropist Dyal Singh And His Family: Their
Contributions To The Punjab And Beyond"
Bhagwant Singh
Sikh poet and historian
Although Bhagwant Singh's speech was partly about the great Desa Singh and Lena Singh (Majithia), generals in Sardar Ranjit Singh's army, the purpose was to tell the story of a few items donated to the Smithsonian of Dyal Singh's, a man who adopted the religion of Brahma Samaj and then cut his hair.
Between 1874 and 1876, a photograph of Dyal Singh, during his
travels in Europe, shows him without a beard and turban. He was the grandson
of Desa Singh, a general in the army of Sardar Ranjit Singh. Desa Singh conquered
a dozen Rajput hill stations for the maharaja. He became governor of Maja,
Amritsar, and the Golden Temple. He also initiated the project of Ram Bagh,
the largest garden in Punjab covering over eighty-four acres.
Desa Singh died in 1832. His son, Lena Singh, was also a well-known
general in Ranjit Singh's army. He was given the title of "Sword of the
State" by the maharaja and sent on important political missions. He built
guns for the Sikh army and he also built the Sun Clock, which still stands
in the Golden Temple. He died in 1854.
At the age of five, Lena Singh's son, Dyal Singh, inherited
one of the wealthiest estates in the province. He was put under a court of
ward until he graduated from high school. Dyal Singh had no family to impress
upon him the religion of his forefathers. He became interested in the Brahma
Samaj and adopted it. And when he went to Europe for two years, he also cut
his hair. He returned to Lahore with the ideas of freedom of speech, thought
and independence, convinced that the key to knowledge was the use of English
language as a medium for instruction at the college level. In 1881, he established
the Tribune, an English newspaper, in Lahore. The first issue was all about
teaching in the English-language. Soon after, the Punjab Government gave in
and education at the university level came to be taught in English.
Bhagwant Singh is related to Dyal Singh who was his grandfather's
sister's husband. Bhagwant Singh donated four items of Dyal Singh's to the
museum, including the picture of him with his hair cut. None of the items
were of the great generals of Sardar Ranjit Singh.
In Punjab today, Bhagwant Singh said that none of the wishes of Dayal Singh on education in the English language is being fulfilled.