Talwandi

The Talwandi, Khundah and Chamyari branches share an agnatic descent from Randhir Chand a Randhawa Jat. Randhir Chand around 1540 settled near Battala. There he built a village, which he named Jhanda after his eldest son’s name. Turga, the grandson of Randhir Chand, left his father’s village and founded Talwandi, the present residence of the family. About 1640, Bahar Chand, a great grandson of Turga, was appointed to the office of Chaudhri of Tappa Dabha, which was held in the family until the time of Pardhan Chand.

Santokh Singh and Sahib Singh, the two sons of Pardhan Chand, became Sikhs, and, joining the Kanaiya Misl with Sardar Jai Singh as their Chief, they took possession of Talwandi and Dorangla. Little is known of the brothers, who were not men of any importance. Santokh Singh died in 1802, and Sahib Singh two years later. Of the three sons of Santokh Singh, Dal Singh was the only one to obtain a share of his father’s jagir. Talwandi and some neighbouring villages were left him. Dorangla and the Sialkot estate were seized by Ranjit Singh, who also took possession of the estate of Sahib Singh. Sardar Dal Singh fought in most of the Maharaja’s campaigns. During his lifetime he divided a portion of his estate between his sons ; Kahan Singh receiving Rai Chak and Chainiwala, and Lai Singh, Talwandi. The Sardar was ‘killed in the Satlaj Campaign in 1845, and his jagirs were resumed. Kahan Singh had died long before his father. He fell in the battle of Saidhu in March 1827, fighting against Syad Ahmad Shah. His only son was killed ten years later, in April 1837, in the battle of Jamrud. Sardar Lai Singh was born in 1798, and saw a good deal of service. He fought in the Multan and Kashmir Expeditions of 1818-19, and at Jamrud, where . his nephew was slain. In 1848 he was appointed to co-operate with Gurmani Lai, the Adalati, or Chief Justice, of the Manjha, holding the command of fifty horse. In 1857, at the requisition of Government, he furnished ten horsemen for service in Hindustan, and sent with them his two sons Hira Singh and Gopal Singh. Both fought gallantly throughout the campaign. Hira Singh was made a Rasaldar ; and in 1859, on his retirement, received a present of Rs. 1,800 and a grant of fifty acres of land near Kurpur in the Kangra district. Gopal Singh was a Dafadar in Hodson’s Horse. He was killed in a skirmish with the rebels near Kanpur in 1858.

Sardar Lai Singh owned half Talwandi in proprietary right, as also Shekh. Bahlol. The proprietary right of the qth,er half of Talwandi is held by the descendants of Sahib Singb. He was latterly an Honorary Magistrate at Batala.

Rasaldar Hira Singh acted for a few years as Inspector of Police at Gurdaspur after the Mutiny. His eldest son, Gurhakhsh Singh, is a Dafadar in the 11th Bengal Lancers. The second son, Harnam Singh, held a similar rank in the 16th Cavalry. The family jointly owned about seven hundred ghumaos of land, of which one hundred were awarded for services rendered.

Sardar Hukam Singh was a Tahsildar in the service of the Maharaja of Jammu and then he served the Amir of Khairpur in Sind on a salary of Rs. 1,500 per annum. Of his sons, Sardar Thakar Singh was Zaildar of Talwandi. He was a Naib Tahsildar for a short period. His brother Ganda Singh was employed as a Ziladar on the Sarhand Canal. A third brother, Earn Singh, was a Kannngo in Gurdaspur, and a fourth, Udham Singh, a Dafadar in the 6th Bengal Cavalry.