Ganda Singh Datt

Sardar Bahadur Risaldar Major Ganda Singh Datt (1830 - July 1903) was a decorated soldier in the British Indian Army, who served in the 19th Bengal Lancers also known as Fane's Horse.

Military Career and Awards

Ganda Singh was a Muhiyal born into a Hindu family but brought up as a Sikh, a practice often followed in Muhiyal families at the time. He belonged to the village of Zaffarwal Dattan in Tehsil Rayya of District Sialkot. He enlisted as a Dafadar in 1852 and served as a soldier over 50 years. He received the Indian Order of Merit for having saved the life of Sir Robert Sandeman at Lucknow at the time of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Subsequently, in the Second Anglo-China War, he saved the life of Sir Charles MacGregor as well.

Later in the Afghan Campaign of the British Indian Army, he participated in the and distinguished himself in the Battle of Kandahar, becoming an Honorary Captain. He was eventually appointed ADC to Lord Roberts of Kabul and Kandahar, VC, the then Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian Army.

He was rewarded with large tracts of agricultural land, and the village Ganda Singh Wala on the periphery of Amritsar is named after him. He was president of the first All India Mohyal Conference held in 1902 at Lahore, and was among the select veteran Indian soldiers presented to the British Royals in the Coronation Durbar held in Delhi in January 1903.

Family

Ganda Singh's extended family featured many other eminent persons as well. His cousin Bakshi Prem...
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