Bishan Singh, adopted son of Jamadar Khushal Singh
Bishan Singh, a general in the Sikh army, was the adopted son of Jamadar Khushal Singh, the royal chamberlain (deorhidar). He received his education at the Ludhiana Mission School across the Anglo-Sikh frontier. In 1848, when stationed at Pind Dadan Khan, Bishan Singh was ordered to move his troops to assist Herbert Edwardes, the British resident's assistant at Bannu, who was then marching against Diwan Mul Raj at Multan.
A few months later, his troops revolted and joined the insurrectionists, but Bishan Singh sided with the British and joined Lord Gough's camp. For this he was rewarded with a pension by the British government.
References
1. Suri, Sohan Lal, `Umdat-ut-Twarikh. Lahore, 1885-89
2. Griffin, Lepel, and C.F.Massy, Chiefs and Families of Note in the Punjab. Lahore, 1909
3. Chopra, B.R., Kingdom of the Punjab. Hoshiarpur, 1969
4. Edwardes, Herbert, A Year on the Punjab Frontier in 1848-49. London, 1851
5. Gulcharan Singh, Ranjit Singh and His Generals. Jalandhar, n.d.
Bishan Singh (d. 1868) was like his father, Sultan Singh, in the Ghorcharha regiment of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In Maharaja Sher Singh's time, he was placed in charge of the artillery park at Lahore. After the annexation of the Punjab by the British, Bishan Singh joined the 2nd Punjab Irregular Cavalry raised in 1849, and received the rank ofRisaldar. During the uprising of 1857, he marched to Delhi with a squadron commanded by Sir Dighton Macnaghten Probyn and served his new masters with distinction. General Probyn writes of him: "He must have been in fifty fights; a braver man I never saw. He knew not what fear was, and delighted in danger. He was conspicuous for his gallantry on many occasions." For his services, Bishan Singh received the Order of Merit and was shortly afterwards appointed RisaldarMajor of his regiment.
Bishan Singh died in 1868.
References
1. Suri, Sohan Lal, `[/mdat-ut-TwariJcA. Lahore, 1885-89
2. Griffin, Lepel, and C.F.Massy, Chiefs and Families of Note in the Punjab. Lahore, 1909
