150th
Birth Anniversary
Bhai Kahan Singh:
Rich legacy to cherish
by Roopinder Singh
Author of Mahãn Kosh, the encyclopaedia in Punjabi, Bhai Kahan Singh was a Renaissance man, who has left a lasting
impact on Punjab and Punjabi scholarship.
Administrator, diplomat, encyclopaedist,
historian, hunter, interpreter of Sikh scriptures, tennis player,
tutor to an heir apparent and scholar, Bhai Kahan Singh of Nabha
was, indeed, a Renaissance man, who has left a lasting impact on
Punjab and Punjabi scholarship.
Widely known as the author of Mahãn Kosh, the encyclopaedia in Punjabi that was published in
1930, Bhai Kahan Singh was born on August 30, 1861. His father,
Mahãnt Narain Singh, was steeped in the Sikh tradition and was
well known for his ability to recite Guru Granth Sahib.
Like many others of that time, Bhai Kahan Singh
received no formal education, but was taught by tutors at home. He
became well versed in Hindi, Braj Bhasha, Sanskrit, Urdu, Farsi,
English and, of course, Punjabi.
Bhai Kahan Singh was taught music by the famous
musician, Mahant Gajja Singh. He learnt martial arts from Nihangs
and was also a good shot and fond of hunting. He played the sitar
and the dilruba with distinction, and was known as a soft-spoken,
considerate man, who was always immaculately attired.
As an administrator, he began his innings in 1880, when
he started working for Nabha state. He held administrative
positions that included City Magistrate, Nazim, Mir/Munshi, Nehar
Nazam. The term nazim
was used for an administrator and would roughly be equivalent of
Collector or Deputy Commissioner.
Bhai Kahan Singh had met British administrator Max
Arthur Macauliffe in Rawalpindi in 1885. Macauliffe was engaged in
research on the Sikh religion and Guru Granth Sahib. Naturally, he
relied on a number of Sikhs to help him. Bhai Kahan Singh’s
first book Raj Dharam had been published a year ago, and, thus, it came as no
surprise that Macauliffe asked Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha to
spare Bhai Kahan Singh for three months, so that they could work
together.
Years of research went into what became a six-volume
work and Macauliffe often visited Nabha and other places to work
with Bhai Kahan Singh who, in the meantime, had published Nanak Bhavarth Dipika (1888),
Ham Hindu Nahin (1898),
Gurmat Prabhakar (1898),
Gurmat Sudhãkar (1899), Gur
Gira Kasauti (1899) and Sharãb
Nikhedh (1907). He had also come out with two tikãs
or exegeses, Jaimant
Assamedh (1896) and Visnu
Purana (1903).
The Sikh Religion was published by Clarendon
Press, an imprint of Oxford Press, in the UK in 1907. Bhai Kahan
Singh accompanied Macauliffe to London to assist him in the
publication of the book. Macauliffe even transferred the copyright
of the book to Bhai Kahan Singh. According to Major A. P. Singh,
grandson of Bhai Kahan Singh, Macauliffe also offered his house,
10 Sinclair Road, London, to him. Bhai Kahan Singh, however,
declined the offer.
Along with his literary pursuits, Bhai Kahan Singh
continued to serve Nabha state and with increasing experience, and
because of his ability to sort out problems, he was also given
other responsibilities that included being a foreign minister, a
Judge of the High Court and member of the Judicial Council, etc.
He played a significant role in the framing of the Anand Marriage
Act, which was proposed by Maharaja Ripudaman Singh, and as a
result of which marriages were given a legal status. Like other
people with means, he would spend summers in Solan and Shimla.
Nabha and Patiala states did not always enjoy a
positive relationship even though the rulers of both states,
Maharaja Bhupindra Singh and Maharaja Ripudaman Singh, were
related. However, Bhai Kahan Singh, Bhai Arjan Singh Bagrian and
Raja Gurdit Singh of Retgarh played a significant role in
effecting reconciliation between the two rulers.
He compiled Gurushabad
Ratanakar Mahãn Kosh from 1912-1930. During the years
1915-1917, he was the legal
adviser to the political agency of Patiala state. Mahãn
Kosh, as it is commonly called, has 64,263 entries and is well
known for pithiness and accuracy. Maharaja Bhupindra Singh of
Patiala sponsored its publication, and now Punjabi University,
Patiala, is translating it into English and Hindi.
A Sikh with strong convictions, Bhai Kahan Singh
practised what he preached. His son, Bhagwant Singh, popularly
known as Hari ji, wrote Dasam
Granth Tuk Tatkara, and index of Dasam Granth, thus continuing
his father’s legacy.
Bhai Kahan Singh passed away on November 23, 1938. The
sequential celebrations of Bhai Kahan Singh’s birth anniversary
are being held at various venues in Punjab. As people reflect on
his rich legacy, it is only natural that they should also salute
this Renaissance man, Punjab’s pioneering encyclopaedist.
•
Courtesy The Tribune. The
author is Asst Editor of the same publication.