Bhagowal

The Kahlon family of Bhagowal, claims to have descended from Bhago, who was eleventh in descent from Kahlon(the founder of the Dynasty, he built the village of Bhagowal in the Batala pargana of Amritsar District. The family remained landlords of Bhagowal until the time of Ram Singh. Ram Singh, was a follower of Sardar Bhag Singh of Bhaga, who in 1795 gave him: the two villages Bhugadh and Khatab. After the death of Bhag Singh, Ram Singh served with his brother Sardar Bodh Singh of Bhaga. In 1809 Maharaja Ranjit Singh(see Lahore) took possession of the greater part of the Bhaga territory, and, among other places, of Bhagowal, which he granted to Sardar Desa Singh of Majithia. Ram Singh accompanied the Maharaja to Kangra in 1809 in the force of Sardar Desa Singh of Majithia and in thr battle with the Gurkhas he was killed. His son Mian Singh was then, a minor, but Desa Singh did not forget him, and when he was able to bear arms released in his favour some wells at Bhagowal, and placed him under his son Sardar Lahna Singh.

When this Chief was made Governor of the Hill districts(Himachal) an assignment of of Rs. 2,200 per annum was given to Mian Singh from the tribute of Mandi, Kulu, Suket, Kangra, Bilaspur and Nadaun. He accompanied Lahna Singh and Jamadar Kushal Singh on the expedition against Chauki Kotlahar in 1825, and his old friendship with the Raja of that State had its effect in inducing him to surrender the fort, which was a strong one, and to accept a jagir which the Jamadar pledged himself to obtain for him. After the death of Desa Singh Majithia in 1832, his son confirmed Mian Singh in his jagir, and left him as Thanadar at Amritsar during his own absence in the Peshawar Campaign. He also granted him an additional cash pension of Es. 1,200 and jagirs of Rs. 1,550.

Gulab Singh, son of Mian Singh, entered the force of Lahna Singh of Majithia as a gunner in 1828, and was made a commandant in 1835. Up to the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh the Bhagowala Chiefs had been merely feudal retainers of the Majithia Sardars, but on the accession of Maharaja Sher Singh Gulab Singh entered the regular army, and was made a Colonel of Artillery, with comnaand of eleven guns, with a cash salary and jagirs of Rs. 2,116. Under Raja Hira Singh he was made a General, and his pay was raised to Rs. 3,458 being Rs. 1,000 in cash and the villages of Kharabad and Luhaika, yielding Rs. 2,458 per annum. Under Jawahir Singh his pay ‘ remained- the same, but he was in command of twelve guns. When Sardar Lahna Singh Majithia retired from the Panjab before the Second Sikh War, Gulab Singh wished to accompany him, but he was not permitted, and was appointed Magistrate of Gugaira, where he was stationed when the Multan war broke out. At that crisis he remained faithful to Government. In 1853 Gulab Singh left the Panjab with Sardar Lahna Singh Majithia to make a pilgrimage to Banares and other holy cities. He returned home on the ‘ death of his friend in the following year. In 1863 he was appointed guardian of Sardar Lahna Singh’s only son, Dayal Singh. He had previously been in charge of the minor Rur Singh, son of Sardar Jasa Singh of Naushera Nangal, Amritsar. He was also for some years guardian of Sardar Bakhshish Singh, adopted son of Sardar Shamsher Singh Sindhanwalia of Raja Sansi, and he acted for a short period as manager of the Darbar Sahib at Amritsar. On the death of his father, Sardar Mian Singh, Honorary Magistrate, in 1870, the family jagir, yalued at Rs. 3,000, was resumed.

Subsequently, however, in 1877, one half was released to Sardar Gulab Singh in recognition of his many loyal and useful seryioes. The Sardar died in 1882.

He was succeeded by his son Sardar Richpal Singh, who was Munsif of Ludhiana. He commenced service as Naib Tahsildar in 1870, and’ was apppointed Munsif in 1875. He was connected by marriage with Sardar Badan Singh of Bundala.

Sardar Richpal Singh’s brother Bishan Singh was for some time Naib Tahsildar, but was obliged to resign on account of bad health. The brothers were sharers in eight hundred ghumaos of land in five villages in Gurdaspur. They also owned a small tea garden at Mouza Gajian, Palampur, Kangra ; and they enjoyed a joint maufi of one hundred and eighty ghumaos in Bhagowal, Gurdaspur. Sardar Richpal Singh’s maufis and jagirs (the latter in five villages of the Gurdaspur district) yield about Rs. 2,600 per annum.