by Muhammad Imran Satti
Near Rawalpindi, is the town of Kallar Syedan, where is located the old 'Bedi Mahal' (Bedi palace) which was built by Baba Khem Singh Bedi, a famous Sikh notable of the region, in around 1890s. Before this, at this same site, there used to be an older Sikh fort, which was there since 1818-1820.
Baba Sir Khem Singh Bedi one of the founders of the Singh Sabha movement, was born on 21 February 1832 at Kallar Syedan. He was a direct descendant, in the thirteenth place, of Guru Nanak. He received the rites of 'amrit' at the hands of the celebrated Baba Bir Singh of Naurangabad. His father Baba Attar Singh was killed in a family feud on 25 November 1839. Khem Singh and his elder brother Sampuran Singh inherited jagirs in the Jullandar Doab and in Deepalpur tahsil of Gujera,Montgomery (Sahiwal), district.
On the annexation of the Punjab to the British dominions in 1849, some of these jagir villages were resumed by the new government. During the uprising of 1857, Baba Khem Singh assisted the British in quelling a local revolt in Gujera district.
He personally took part in a number of skirmishes, proving himself an excellent marksman with gun and rifle.
While accompanying Extra Assistant Commissioner Berkeley i an effort to reopen communications with Multan, Khem Singh distinguished himself in a cavalry charge on 21 September 1857. The following day he barely escaped death in an ambush in which Berkeley was killed. The Government of India bestowed on him a 'khillat' or robe of honour of the value of 1,000 rupees and a double barrelled rifle.
His jagirs were also enhanced from time to time and, towards the end of his life, his possessions in land in Montgomery district alone amounted to 28,272 acres. He was appointed a magistrate in 1877 and an honorary munsif in 1878. He was made Companion of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.) in 1879, was nominated to the Viceroy's Legislative Council in 1893, and when the Indian Council Act was extended to the Punjab in 1897, he was among the first non-official members nominated to the Punjab legislature. He was knighted in 1898 (K.C.I.E). He died in 1903.
Bedi palace is one of the finest examples of local style construction, in the Potohar region of Punjab. Sadly, after Partition and Indepedence of Pakistan in 1947, this beautiful treasure has been long neglected. Initially it was in use as a school but that too was abandoned and it is now a building in ruins, and needs to be saved as part of the Pakistani especially Punjabi, cultural heritage.
Further reading : http://sikhfoundation.org/article-lostPalace.html
Near Rawalpindi, is the town of Kallar Syedan, where is located the old 'Bedi Mahal' (Bedi palace) which was built by Baba Khem Singh Bedi, a famous Sikh notable of the region, in around 1890s. Before this, at this same site, there used to be an older Sikh fort, which was there since 1818-1820.
Baba Sir Khem Singh Bedi one of the founders of the Singh Sabha movement, was born on 21 February 1832 at Kallar Syedan. He was a direct descendant, in the thirteenth place, of Guru Nanak. He received the rites of 'amrit' at the hands of the celebrated Baba Bir Singh of Naurangabad. His father Baba Attar Singh was killed in a family feud on 25 November 1839. Khem Singh and his elder brother Sampuran Singh inherited jagirs in the Jullandar Doab and in Deepalpur tahsil of Gujera,Montgomery (Sahiwal), district.
On the annexation of the Punjab to the British dominions in 1849, some of these jagir villages were resumed by the new government. During the uprising of 1857, Baba Khem Singh assisted the British in quelling a local revolt in Gujera district.
He personally took part in a number of skirmishes, proving himself an excellent marksman with gun and rifle.
While accompanying Extra Assistant Commissioner Berkeley i an effort to reopen communications with Multan, Khem Singh distinguished himself in a cavalry charge on 21 September 1857. The following day he barely escaped death in an ambush in which Berkeley was killed. The Government of India bestowed on him a 'khillat' or robe of honour of the value of 1,000 rupees and a double barrelled rifle.
His jagirs were also enhanced from time to time and, towards the end of his life, his possessions in land in Montgomery district alone amounted to 28,272 acres. He was appointed a magistrate in 1877 and an honorary munsif in 1878. He was made Companion of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.) in 1879, was nominated to the Viceroy's Legislative Council in 1893, and when the Indian Council Act was extended to the Punjab in 1897, he was among the first non-official members nominated to the Punjab legislature. He was knighted in 1898 (K.C.I.E). He died in 1903.
Bedi palace is one of the finest examples of local style construction, in the Potohar region of Punjab. Sadly, after Partition and Indepedence of Pakistan in 1947, this beautiful treasure has been long neglected. Initially it was in use as a school but that too was abandoned and it is now a building in ruins, and needs to be saved as part of the Pakistani especially Punjabi, cultural heritage.
Further reading : http://sikhfoundation.org/article-lostPalace.html
Bedi Mahal, in its present ruinous state.
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