One of the best educational institutes of pre-partition Punjab was Khalsa College, Amritsar. It was founded on 5 March, 1892 to counter the growing threat to Sikh cultural ethos by the Mission Schools and the institutions run by the Arya Samaj. The community was galvanized into action after four Sikh students of the Mission School, Lahore, announced their intention to embrace Christianity. A short while thereafter, a Khalsa School was set up and on 5 March 1892, the foundation of Khalsa College was laid by Sir James Broodwood Lyall, the Lt. Governor of Punjab. The site of the college was selected on the outskirts of Amritsar and 101 acres were purchased for Rs 10,000. The plan of the college was entrusted to Dharam Singh of Mayo School of Arts, Lahore, under the supervision of Bhai Ram Singh, who also designed a wing of the Buckingham Palace, London.

Admissions started in May 1897, and the college was open to everybody, regardless of their religious persuasion. The first student was Sohan Singh (14)- his contemporaries were S. N. Mitra and Mohammed Husain,

The palatial building for the new college was ready by 1904. It had been financed liberally by all the Sikh, commoners as well as the Maharajas.

Khalsa College, Amritsar, soon achieved a pre-eminent status among educational institutions in India. The golden period of this institution is often considered to be the time when G.A. Whathen, a former Professor of English, Government, Lahore, was appointed Principal..

Whathen toned up the discipline, made games compulsory and introduced new subjects. His stewardship of the college during the days leading to the Partition was much appreciated as he managed to keep the institution going even through the worst kinds of political tension.

There is an interesting incident which demonstrates the way Whathen functioned. Professor Teja Singh was Professor of History, Divinity and English at Khalsa College. He and his colleague Bawa Harkishan Singh, were so vehemently anti-Colonialism, that when British authorities asked Whathen to suggest two Sikhs for nomination to Punjab University, they warned him not to mention “those anti-British professors Teja Singh and Harkishan Singh.” To this Wathen replied:”They are the only two pro

British professors on my staff, because they love Shakespeare and Wordsworth and so lovingly teach

them.”

As expected, Divinity was a topic of particular focus at this institution. It was a compulsory subject for all students and Bhai Jodh Singh had been appointed the first Professor of Divinity in 1904. He was followed in 1919 by Principal Teja Singh.

The practical aspects of this teaching were demonstrated in the 1920’s when the students of this college, lead by their teachers, took a prominent part in the Gurdwara Reform Movement which culminated, through the Guru-ka-Bagh morcha to the morcha for the keys of the Golden Temple, in the formation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee.

The products of Khalsa College include the elite of the Punjab, and among the prominent students of this college were Master Tara Singh, the Sikh political leader; Professor Teja Singh, an expert on Sikh religious history; Dr. Ganda Singh, an outstanding Sikh historian; Prof. Gurbachan Singh Talib, an erudite interpreter of Sikh religious thought; and Sant Singh Sekhon, the author, Of course, the college produced its share of ICS officers, Generals and great sportsmen.

Sikhs capture Delhi

Sikhs, under the leadership of Bhagel Singh, attacked and captured Delhi on the 9 March 1783 and hosted the Kesri Nishan Sahib on Red Fort, Delhi, on 11th.

During this period, Sikh Sardars, including Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, Sher Singh Bhuriwala, Gurdit Singh Landowalia, Bhagel Singh Shalodiwala, Karam Singh Shahbadia and Gurbaksh Singh Ambalviall took part in making Gurdwara Sis Ganj and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj as memorials to the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji.

Conquest of Peshawar

Peshawar, which is now in Pakistan, was a border outpost for India and was one of the staging points for many a invasion of India. The conquest of this city under the Sikhs finally put of an end the long sequence of invasions by foreign marauders.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh victoriously entered Peshawar on 17 march, 1824. Such was the ascendancy of Ranjit Singh at the time that Dost Muhammad Khan, the ruler of Peshawar, fled on hearing about the approach of the Maharaja’s army. After Ranjit Singh took over the city. Dost Mohammed Khan submitted himself to the Lahore Durbar and was appointed the Governor of Peshawar.

Peshawar soon revolted and Ranjit Singh sent 2,000 horsemen under the command of Sher Singh to recapture it Hari Singh Nalwa and Ranjit Singh himself followed soon thereafter and there was a pitched battle near Naushera at which the Afghan forces: were defeated, but not without the loss of one of the ablest Sikh generals at the time-Akali Phula Singh.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 3, 1995