Wadala

For early history see Sindhu Dynasty

The jagirdars of Sindhu belongs to the Mokal sub sept of Sindhu clan. Mokal sept was founded by Mokal Sindhu a warrior who emigrated to Sialkot, where, close to Daska, he founded a village to which he gave his own name. Some generations later, one of his descendants, named Gaju, founded close to Mokal another village which, as he was the eldest of the family, he named Wadaja (Panjabi wada, great).

The family first emerged from obscurity during the Mughal ascendency, when one Durga Mal , Chaudhary over the neighbouring villages. The office was hereditary, and came in course of time to be held by ‘his grandson, who was the first of this branch of the tribe to embrace the Sikh faith. Diwan Singh until the day of his death kept up his allegiance to the Mughal throne, and received as a reward for his services three villages of his Ilaka in proprietary right.

He left one son, under whom the history of the family took a new course. Shortly after his father’s death Sardar Mahtab Singh perceived that the old empire was on the wane, and determined to strike out a new course for himself. He began by appropriating the revenue of the fifty-two villages in his charge, and thereby strengthening his position at Wadala. He soon realized, however, that he could not stand alone, so he offered his own and his retainers’ services to two of the leaders of the great Bhangi Misl, Sardars Ganda Singh and Jhanda Singh. He was allowed to retain the revenue of the villages, but was bound down to supply his new masters with a small body of troops. In the meantime, his third son, Sultan Singh, had married a relative of Sardar Bhag Singh Malodha. On the strength of this relationship, and the connection it gave him with Mahan Singh, the father of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and elated no doubt by a rapid increase of power, Sardar Mahtab Singh began to “intrigue on his own account. This excited the apprehensions of Mahan Singh, who summoned him to a family gathering at Gujranwala. He set out with great pomp and ceremony at the head of five hundred men ; but on the day after his arrival he was entrapped, after the fashion of the times, and put in close confinement. A large force was sent to subdue Wadala, but the four sons showed a bold front ; and after a little desultory fighting, an arrangement was come to by which the young men secured their father’s release on payment of a fine of Rs. 1,25,000. As all the money was not forthcoming at once, Sultan Singh, -whose marriage was partly the cause of the disturbance, was given up as a hostage. On Mahan Singh’s death an attempt was made to evade payment of the balance, but -with no result. Sultan Singh was released only after the whole fine had been realized.

Previous to this there had been bad blood between Sham Singh and Nadhan Singh of Hatu; and on the death of their father, the feud which his strong hand had kept under broke out. Their neighbours were not slow to take advantage of this, and Nadhan Singh Hatu and Bhag Singh Ahluwalia began to encroach on the Wadala estates. Meanwhile Ranjit Singh invaded the district. He found Hadhan Singh master of Wadala and Mokal, and defeated him in 1809 in a pitched battle at Daska. Nadhan Singh of Hatu fled to Kashmir, where Tek Singh, the eldest son of Sham Singh, had preceded him ; and Wadala was handed over to Kharak Singh. Both uncle and nephew took service under Ata Mahomed Khan, the Governor of Kashmir ; but the old family quarrel was still kept up.

When Ata Mahomed Khan refused to obey the invitation of Dost Mahomed Khan to visit Kabul, and thus recognize the Amir’s sovereignty over Kashmir, measures were taken by the Amir, in conjunction with the Sikhs, to bring him to reason. These came to a successful issue in 1813, when Diwan Mohkam Ohand and Fateh Khan drove Ata Mahomed out of the country. On this, Tek Singh, with such members of his family and clan as had been following his fortunes, went over to the Diwan and accompanied him on his return march to Lahore, where he was given a command by the Maharaja and proprietary rights over three villages in Hushiarpur. He deputed his younger brother to look after the latter, and went on service to Attock. Prom that time, until his death in 1844, he was constantly employed on one or other of the petty wars and campaigns which the Khalsa found it necessary to engage in to keep their rule from falling to pieces.

In return for Tek Singk’s services his uncles were confirmed in possession of a small portion of the original family estates, to which they had returned shortly after the establishing of Ranjit Singh’s rule over the Sialkot district. None of these men, and none of their children, took any active part in the constant succession of hostilities which only ended with the British occupation. The ad- venturous and pushing spirit of the race seemed to be inherited only by the children of Sardar Sham Singh.

Sardar Fateh Singh died in Hushiarpur in 1830- leaving no issue, and Kishan Singh succeeded to the management ‘of the jagir villages. On his death in 1862 the jagir lapsed to Grovernment, but the family still hold land in the district. He left two daughters, both of whom have since died.

Sardar Sahib Singh was a soldier like his eldest brother, and served in the Bara G-horchara, but he did not enjoy the same opportunities of distinction as Tek Singh. He died in 1881.

Jawala Singh and Mahan Singh were with their father when the latter died in Kashmir. General Mian Singh, the Governor, provided for the elder, and the younger was given a commission in the Sher Dil regiment. “When the Governor was murdered by his own troops, Jawala Singh narrowly escaped with his Hfe. He joined the force that arrived to quell the rebellion ; and when order was restored gave up his commission and returned to Wadala, where he remained looking after the private property inherited from his father. This was confiscated for his rebellion during the Second Sikh War. Sardar Jawala Singh died in 1883 leaving one son, a boy of five years of age.

Sardar Mahan Singh was given a commission in the Sher Dil regiment when only ten years of age. He served with them until 1855, when lie retired on a pension of Rs. 20 per mensem. On the outbreak of the Mutiny at Meerut he offered his services, and was gazetted as Subadar and Wardi Major of the Banda Military Police. He distinguished himself by his gallantry during the rebellion, and was twice severely wounded in personal encounters with the rebels.. As a reward he was granted a pension of Es. 120 and the rights of two wells in Mokal.

On the death of Sahib Singh the Government resumed three fourths of his jagir, the remaining fourth being divided between his two sons. The elder, Sardar Mangal Singh, did not accept Government service, but he has always rendered Ibyal assistance to the district officials. Two of his sons are were in the army. Gopal Singh was a Jamadar in the 12th Bengal Cavalry, and Sundar Singh recently entered the I8th Bengal Cavalry. Sahib Singh’s younger son, Sardar Baghel Singh, has had a distinguished career. When the Mutiny broke out in May 1857 Baghel Singh, in response to a call from the Deputy Commissioner, came to Sialkot with two hundred men, and was appointed a Subadar in the Police ; and after training his men for a month at Sialkot, and despatching most of them to Dehli, he returned to Wadala for more recruits. While there he heard of the revolt of the 9th July in cantonments. He at once set out alone for Sialkot, and reached the fort with some little difficulty. He accompanied Lieutenant MacMahon to Bhiko Ohak, and rendered valuable assistance in watching the disaffected villages in the district. A year afterwards he joined the Oudh Military Police, and on the reduction of that force in 1861 he was appointed an Inspector of Police in the Panjab. During his twelve years of service in this capacity he developed into a most capable and efficient civil officer, while his hereditary military instinct manifested itself on more than one occasion. In 1878 he was selected for the appointment of Assistant Superintendent in the Andamans. Soon after lie joined lie was given tlie charge of the Police of the island in addition to his judicial and political duties. He retired in 1884 on a well-earned pension, having in the previous year received from the Yiceroy the title of Rai Bahadar in recognition of his honourable career. His emoluments comprise the hereditary jagir of Rs. 125, a grant of two hundred and twenty acres in Wadala and a grant of two hundred and eighty acres in Rakh Paimar, Lahore; a service pension of Es. 200 a month ; and a grant of five hundred acres in the Gujranwala district.

The Sardar’s elder son, Thakar Singh, entered service in the Andamans in 1874. On his father’s retirement he was promoted to an Inspectorship of Police. In 1880 he was killed by a fall from his horse. He left two sons ; the elder, Sohan Singh, is a Jamadar in the 5th Panjab Cavalry, while the younger holds the same rank in the 3rd Hydrabad Cavalry.

Sardar Baghel Singh’s younger son, Hakim Singh, was given a direct commission in the 18th Bengal Cavalry, and served with that regiment throughout the last Afghan Campaign. He served as Subadar in one of the Police battalions in Burma.

References :-

• Sir L.H Griffin, Chief and Families of Note in Punjab Vol. 2