PREDECESSORS: The Randhawah
tribe is of Rajput origin, and its founder was resident in Bikaner in
the 12th century. From him have descended seven families more or less
distinguished in the Punjab, viz. Dharamkot, Ghaniankhi, Chamyari,
Dodah, Talwandi, Kathu-Nangad and Khundah, the latter taking the
highest rank. Little is known of Randhawah, a Jadon Rajput and
eponymous ancestor of the family, but he is said to have been a great
warrior, his descendant in the fifth generation, Kajjal, left Bikaner
and emigrated to the Punjab and settled near Battala. Members were.....
I: FAMILY OF SARDAR JAIMAL SINGH KHUNDAH
SHORT HISTORY: The Khundawalas
belonged to the Kanhaiya misl and managed to hold on to
their estates until 1796, when Sardarni Sada Kaur seized Naosherah and
Hyatnagar
Kalah and then later, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, seized all their
possessions
leaving only ten villages to the family. This jagir was continued to
Sardar Prem Singh's four sons after his death, on the same terms.
- Dyanat Rai, married and had issue.
- Lacchi Ram, married and had issue.
- Majja Singh
- Gajja Singh, married and had issue.
- Panjab Singh, married a daughter of Sardar Nodh Singh
Majithia, and had issue.
- Sardar Prem Singh, he served with Maharaja Ranjit
Singh's forces in many campaigns, including Multan in 1818 and
Peshawar; married and had issue. He drowned in the Indus River on 2nd
November 1824.
- Sardar Jawahir Singh (by 1st marriage), born
1822, he entered the service of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1836, and
served with Sardar Lehna Singh Majithia in the hill country of Mandi;
married 1stly, Bibiji Rattan Kaur, daughter of Sardar Mith Singh
Padhania, married 2ndly, a daughter of Sher Singh Saddorah, and had
issue.
- Sardar Tara Singh, born 1860.
- Sardar Jaimal Singh (by 2nd marriage), born 1823,
he entered the service of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1836, and received
command in the Ramgharia brigade from Sardar Lehna Singh Majithia, and
accompanied him to Peshawar in 1837; he was appointed Naib Adalat
(Deputy Judge) of Amritsar in 1847; he served as Tehsildar of Battala,
made Extra Assistant Commissioner (Thuggi Department), till 1860 when
he resigned; he was granted a valuable khilat for his loyalty after
1857; married a daughter of Commandant Fateh Singh Chahal (died
1834/1836), and had issue. He died 1870.
- Sardar Kirpal Singh, born 1850, married a
daughter of Sardar Gopal Singh Manaulu.
- Sardar Hira Singh (by 1st marriage), born 1825.
- Sardar Jaswant Singh (by 2nd marriage), died 1844.
- Tegh Singh
II: FAMILY OF SARDAR LAL SINGH TALWANDI
SHORT HISTORY: The Talwandi, Khundah
and Chamyari branches share an agnatic descent from Dhir or Randhir
Chand, himself fourteenth in descent from the founder, Randhawah.
Randhir Chand, came to the Punjab in around 1540 and 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. Sardar Lal Singh owned half
of Talwandi in proprietary right with the other half being held by the
descendants of Sahib Singh.
- Pardhan Chand, married and had issue.
- Santokh Singh, he and his brother became Sikhs, joined
the Kanhaiya misl and took possession of Talwandi and Dorangla, married
and had issue. He died 1802.
- Sardar Dal Singh, he was the only son of his father to
obtain a share of his father's jagir, Talwandi and some neighbouring
villages were left to him, Dorangla and the Sialkot estate were seized
by Maharaja Ranjit Singh; he took part in most of the Maharaja's
campaigns; before his death, he partitioned his jagir, married and had
issue. He was killed in the Sutlej campaign in 1845.
- Gulab Singh
- Kahn Singh, he received Rai Chak and Chainiwala from
his father as his share, married and had issue, one son. He was killed vp in the battle of Saidhu in March
1827.
- Ajjab Singh, he was killed sp in the battle of Jamrud in April
1837.
- Sardar Lal Singh, born 1798, he received Talwandi
from his father as his share, he took part in many campaigns, including
Multan in 1818, Kashmir 1819 and at Tamrud in 1837; married and had
issue.
- Harsukh Singh
- Hari Singh, died 1852.
- Gopal Singh, served as Daffadar in 'Hodson's
Horse', married and had issue. He was killed in a skirmish with the
rebels near Cawnpore in 1858.
- Gurdit Singh, born 1855.
- Karta Singh, born 1857.
- Hukum Singh, married and had issue.
- Thakar Singh, born 1843.
- Bhagwan Singh, born 1855.
- Kanda Singh, born 1859.
- Ram Singh, born 1862.
- Hakim Singh, married and had issue.
- Kehr Singh, married and had issue.
- Hira Singh, appointed Risaldar and after retiring
in 1859, he was granted 50 acres of land near Nurpur in the Kangra
district, married and had issue.
- Harbakhsh Singh
- Gurbakhsh Singh
- Nihal Singh
- Ran Singh
- Gajja Singh
- Sahib Singh, his share of the estate was confiscated by
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, married and had issue. He died 1804.
III: FAMILY OF SARDAR GURDIT SINGH CHAMYARI (Amritsar
District)
SHORT HISTORY: The founder of the
family was Sawal Singh, who about 1750, adopted the Sikh faith, and
joined the Bhangi misl, he died in battle leaving no issue, but his
widow, Mai Malkian, made over the estate to Nar Singh, a cousin of her
deceased husband. This arrangement was approved by the Sikh National
Council (Gurmatta). On the death of Nar Singh, Maharaja Ranjit Singh
took possession of the greater portion of his estates, leaving only
Chamyari to the family, who held it by proprietary right.
- Nar Singh, he invaded Sialkot district and took possession
of Pasrur and many villages in its vicinty, he then transferred his
services to the Kanhaiya misl, married and had issue. He died 1805.
- Bibiji Karam Kaur, married Sardar Amar Singh Bhangi,
nephew of Sardar Jhanda Singh Bhangi.
- Bibiji Sada Kaur, married Sardar Budh Singh
- Ram Singh, married and had issue. He died of cholera in
the camp of Jaswant Rao Holkar in 1804.
- Sardar Gurdit Singh, he served as Commandant of
Maharaja Duleep Singh's bodyguard, married and had issue.
- Partab Singh, born 1823, he and his brother joined
the rebels in 1848, and both lost their jagirs.
- Nihal Singh, born 1831, married and had issue.
- Bhagwan Singh, born 1857, the Senior Representative
of this family in 1890. He died after 1890.
- Sham Singh, born 1858.
- Hardit Singh, married and had issue. He died 1834.
- Bibiji Raj Kaur
- Jawahir Singh, born 1823, married and had issue.
- Gopal Singh, born 1838, married and had issue.
- Narayan Singh, born 1852.
- Hari Singh, married and had issue.
- Isa Singh, married and had issue.
- Narayan Singh, born 1847.
- Jai Singh, married Bibiji Khem Kaur, died after 1864, and
had issue. He died 1841.
- Gurmukh Singh
- Ranhai Singh
IV: FAMILY OF DODIA
SHORT HISTORY: The family acquired a
great tract of land in the neighbourhood of Doda, and also took
possession of a part of Jammu territory.
- Unknown
- Nathu Singh, married and had issue.
- Gajja Singh, he received 25 villages from Maharaja
Ranjit Singh, he accompanied the Maharaja in his campaigns in Multan
and Kashmir, and took part in the battle at Attock in 1813, and was
also present at the siege of Mankera, married and had issue. He died
1822.
- Hari Singh, on his father's death all his jagirs were
resumed, he fough gallantly at Jamrud in 1837, and was rewarded by the
Maharaja, he served during the Sutlej campaign and joined the rebels at
Multan in 1848, his property was seized except for a portion of Doda,
but later in 1852 he received a pension of 100Rs., married and had
issue.
- Joala Singh, he entered the corps known as 'Suraj
Mukhi' at Amballa, he later joined the Police Force.
- Sant Singh, he served with 'Hodson's Horse' from
1857 to his retirement in 1860 due to poor health.
- Gurbakhsh Singh, took possession of Sadhanwal, Ranjrur,
Jassar and Bhopalwala, married and had issue. He died about 1795.
- Sudh Singh, he was a man of some importance, and added
largley to the family possessions, married (amongst others), Bibiji Ind
Kaur, and had issue. He died spm
in 1813.
V: FAMILY OF SARDAR NAND SINGH KATHU-NANGAL (Amritsar
District)
SHORT HISTORY: Chaudhri Dalah, tenth
in descent from Randhawa, founde the village of Chavinda in Amritsar
district, and his four sons, Gaggu, Jabhu, Ram and Lakhan founded
respectively the villages of Kathu-Nangal, Sahniwali, Wariam-Nangal and
Rupawali. Sahib Singh, was a great grandson of Gaggu, and the first of
this family to become a Sikh. Representative of this family in 1890
was, Khushhal Singh Randhawa of Kathu Nangal.
- Sahib Singh, he took the 'pahal' and became a Sikh around
1770, he joined the Kanhaiya misl and took possession of about thirty
villages in the neighbourhood of Kathu-Nangal, Dharamkot and Chakowal,
married and had issue. He was killed in a skirmish with Ramgharia
troops before the fort of Atalghar in 1800.
- Jit Singh, married and had issue. He was killed at
Lodha-Mandowala, fighting the Ramgharia troops.
- Gulab Singh, married and had issue.
- Sardar Nand Singh, he resigned from army service and
lost his jagir in 1848, with his remaining possession being a well and
half the proprietary rights of the village of Kathu-Nangal, married and
had issue.
- Bibi (name unknown)
Kaur,
betrothed
to Mal Singh Paralia.
- Sukha Singh, married and had issue.
- Budh Singh, he was one of the last Kanhaiya Sardars to
tender his allegiance to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and was allowed to
retain his estate, he served in the army in Hazarah, Yusufzai and
Kashmir until 1823, when he was obliged to retire through ill-health
when all his villages were resumed except for Ladha-Manda and a portion
of Kathu-Nangal, married and had issue, one son. He died 1826.
- Colonel Partab Singh, he served in the 'Ghorchara
Kalan' Regiment, of which he became Commandant in 1840, he was promoted
to Colonel in 1842, and received a grant of the jagir of Khiali worth
1,000Rs, he died sp in 1844.
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