Khundah

Kajal Randhawa, left the Bagar tract and emigrated to the Panjab and settled near Batala. He or his immediate descendant founded Khundah. Later during the 18th century Majja Singh , Gajja Singh and Teja Singh sons of Chaudhary Lacchi Ram of Khunda joined Kanaiya Misl.

The brothers took possession of a valuable tract of country in the Gurdaspur district, including Naushera, Zafarwal, Khunda, Shahpur and adjacent villages, and the other branches of the Eandhawa family about the same time rose to importance. Till the death of Sardar Jai Singh of Kanaiya Misl in 1793 they kept possession of all their estates, worth nearly two lakhs of rupees ; but Sada Kaur, widow of Jai Singh, and one of the ablest and most unscrupulous of her sex, taking advantage of some dissensions in the family, seized Naushera and Hayatnagar Kalan. Still later, in the time of Sardar Parem Singh, Maharaja Ranjit Singh seized the whole of the estate, leaving only ten villages to the family, worth Es. 6,000. Panjab Singh, father of Parem Singh, had married a daughter of Nodh Singh Majithia, whose son, Sardar Desa Singh, possessed at this time great influence with the Maharaja. He procured Parem Singh to be placed with his ten sowars under him ; and the young Sardar accordingly served with the Maharaja’s forces in many campaigns, including those of Multan and Peshawar. He was drowned on the 2nd November 1824, when attempting, with the Maharaja’s army, to ford the Indus, then much swollen by the rains, in pursuit of the Gandgarh insurgents, who had attacked and defeated Hari Singh Nalwa. The jagir was continued to his four sons on the salne terms, namely, service of ten sowars in the Majithia contingent.

In 1836 Sardar Jaimal Singh entered the service of the Maharaja with his brother Jawahir Singh. He received a command in- the Ramgarhia brigade from Sardar Lahna Singh, Majithia in the place of his father-in-law Pateh Singh Chahal, who had lately died. The brothers accompanied Lahna Singh to Peshawar when he marched to relieve the Sikh army after its defeat by the Afghans at Jamrud in 1887. Jawahir Singh served with Lahna Singh in the hill country of Mandi ; and the Khunda Sardars were, till the annexation of the Panjab, hereditary jagirdars of the Majithia Chiefs. Jaswant Singh died in 1844.

Sardars Jawahir Singh and Hira Singh are sons of one mother ; Sardars Jaimal Singh and Jaswant Singh of another ; and no love has ever been lost between the half- brothers. Sardar Lahna Singh, their immediate superior, on their disputing about the jagir, divided it between them thus : Jaimal Singh to hold Khunda, Khundi, Sujanpur, Budhipur, Shahpur, Mali Samrar, and half of Harsian, Jafarwal and Bandiwal, value Rs. 4,000, with an allowance of Es. 2,000 cash, and to furnish six sowars. _ Jawahir Singh to hold Zafarwal, Malian and half Harsian,. worth Es. 2,600, with a cash allowance of Rs. 1,200, and to furnish four sowars. But just before Lahna Singh left the second time for Banares, another dispute arose about the proprietary right of the brothers. A panchayat or committee was appointed by Lahna Singh, which decided that Sardar Jaimal Singh should hold the proprietary rights of Khunda and Shahpur, the ancestral villages, and Sardar Jawahir Singh the proprietary rights of Naushera and Jhatupatu. But the proprietors of the last two villages, also of the Randhawa clan, disputed the right, and a decision was given in their favour in the Settlement Courts in 1854. Jawahir Singh then sued for half of Khunda and Shahpur, but the Settlement officer decided against him.

Sardar Jawahir Singh has not served the British Grovenment. In 1850 he visited Sardar Lahna Singh at Banares, but soon afterwards returned to the Panjab.

Sardar Jaimal Singh was in 1847 appointed Naib Adalati or Deputy Judge of Amritsar under Sardar Lahina Singh Majithia. When the rebellion of 1848 broke out he stood man- fully, and without hesitation, on the side of the Government. He took an active part against the insurgents of the Manjha, whose houses he was directed to confiscate ; and, by his loyalty, intelligence and zeal, won the highest praise from the authorities. After annexation he accepted service as Tahsildar of Batala, and did his best to render the new administration popular in the country. Although ignorant of the English system of procedure, he conducted his duties with so much ability that he was made an Extra Assistant Commissioner and placed in the Thagi Department. There Colonel Sleeman, Major MoAndrew and Mr. Brereton testified to the value of his services. He was employed in collecting information in the villages, in arresting Thags, and in conducting prosecutions against them; and later made himself very useful in taking charge of the Jail and School of Industry. He resigned the office of Extra Assistant in 1860. In 1857 he did excellent service, and received, inj acknowledgment of his loyalty, a khilat of Rs. 1,000. He died in 1870, after rendering many years of useful service as an Honorary Magistrate. His jagir of Ra. 2,200 per annum was continued to his son Karpal Singh, subject to a nazarana deduction of one-fourth. Karpal Singh was also a Magistrate at Batala. He died in 1872.

References :-

• Chief and Families of Note by L. H Griffin