PRESENT HEAD OF HOUSE:

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: The Majithia Sardars are a set of three related families from the area of Majitha, a town 26 kilometres north of the Punjab city of Amritsar. The town was founded by one Madho, a Jat of the Gill clan. He was 'jetha' (the eldest son) of his father and hence the place was 'Madho-Jetha', which became in time, Majitha. They rose to prominence in the early 19th century by throwing in their lot with the rising star of the Sikh misls, viz. that of Ranjit Singh, during the late 18th century. As Ranjit Singh established the Sikh Empire around the turn of the 19th century, the Majithia sirdars gained prominence and became very influential in the Maharaja's army. Ten different Majithia generals can be counted amongst the Sikh army during the period of 1800 to 1849, and they became one of the three most powerful families in Punjab under the Maharaja. Members were ....

Sardar Dayal Singh and Sardar Mahtab Singh were fifth cousins, but Sardar Umrao Singh is very remote, with a common ancestor 16 generations back. First in rank and influence was the family of Sardar Gajendra Singh (see below).

MAJITHIA OF JADAH

• Manna Singh [Mahna Singh], Jagirdar of Jadah -/1802; he served under Sardar Charhat Singh Sukerchukia, and his son, Sardar Mahan Singh Sukerchukia, and received jagirs for his loyal services; he was granted the jagir of Jadah, which was resumed on his death; married and had issue. He was killed in a battle to take Chiniot Fort in 1802.

  • Dasaunda Singh, died 1806.

  • Jajji Singh

  • Sardar Amar Singh (qv)

• Sardar Amar Singh Khurd, Jagirdar of Jadah 1819/1848 and Jagirdar of Talanwala and Sheikhupura and Majrah 1818/1848; he entered army service in the Dera Khas. a regiment of irregular cavalry composed of the sons of the Sikh nobility, he was granted the villages of Talanwala and Sheikhupura in jagir by Maharaja Ranjit Singh; he received the Ilaqa of Majrah in recognition of his bravery at the siege of Multan in 1818, and after the Kashmir campaign in 1819, he was granted his fathers old estate of Jadah; in 1834, he accompanied the army under Prince Nau Nihal Singh and General Hari Singh Nalwa to Peshawar, when the province was formally annexed to the Sikh kingdom; he fought with distinction at the battle of Jamrud on 30th April 1837; in 1847, he left the Punjab on a pilgrimage to Hardwar where he died a year later, married and had issue. He died 1848 at Hardwar.

  • General Sardar Mahtab Singh (qv)

  • General Sardar Gurdit Singh, he entered military service under Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1834, and rose to command three infantry battalions and a wing of light artillery, he was in command of the Lahore troops at Peshawar in September 1845; married the daughter of Nanak Chand, and niece of Diwan Sawan Mall, the governor of Multan. He died sp in 1853 at Majitha.

  • Colonel Mith Singh, he served as Colonel in the Sikh army from 1844; married and had issue. He died 1857.

    • Bachattar Singh, Jamadar, he died of cholera in 1858 at Cawnpore.

    • Sardar Bijja Singh (qv)

    • Sardar Bishan Singh, born 1856, a Risaldar in the 16th Bengal Cavalry; married 1stly, Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, a daughter of Risaldar Lehna Singh of Mogalchak, married 2ndly, Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, a sister of Col. Jiwan Singh of Shahzadpur (relative of the Patiala and Dholpur rulers), and had issue, an only son.

      • Sardar Balbir Singh (qv)

  • General Kahan Singh, born 1826, he succeeded his father in command of the regiment; Honorary Magistrate; married and had issue, two sons. He died 1888.

    • Pritam Singh, educated at Aitchison College, Lahore; he rose to the rank of Subedar, and served in WWI; married and had issue. He was killed in action in 1914.

      • Arjan Singh

      • Niranjan Singh, he obtained the King's Commission in 1925, and served as Captain in the 10th Battalion of the 19th Hyderabad Regiment;

    • Pargart Singh, educated at Aitchison College, Lahore; member of the Town Committee of Majitha.

  • General Sardar Hardit Singh, born 1836, married and had issue. He died 1882.

    • Partap Singh, born 1855, a jagirdar and brick contractor at Amritsar.

    • Bhup Singh, born 1858, he was given a direct commission in the 22nd Punjabis, but resigned after two years and became an adjutant in the Jammu forces for seven years.

      • Kirpal Singh, served in the Indian Army with the rank of Jamadar.

• General Sardar Mahtab Singh, Jagirdar of Jadah 1848/1865, born 1811, appointed subedar while still a young boy and later then to the rank of Colonel in 1831, and was placed in charge of two regiments at Amritsar; he accompanied his father in a campaign to Peshawar in 1834 where he served with distinction; he took part in the Afridi expedition in 1839; he was promoted to the rank of General in 1841 by Maharaja Sher Singh; he served in the Sutlej campaign in 1846, and was appointed a Sardar soon afterwards; appointed an Honorary Magistrate at Amritsar in 1862, on the annexation of the Punjab, all his personal jagirs were released for two lives, and in 1862, one half of this jagir was continued to his lineal descendants in perpetuity; married 1stly, a daughter of Bhag Singh of Kila Chunda, married 2ndly, a daughter of Oghar Singh Lohianwala, married 3rdly, Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, a daughter of Sardar Gulab Singh Gujratia (see Bhangi), and had issue, an only daughter. He died 1865 at Majitha.

  • Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, married Sardar Bakhshish Singh Sandhanwallia. She died sp in 1889.

• Sardar Bijja Singh, Head of Family 1865/1930, born 1844, he succeeded his brother as Jamadar in the force; married about 1859, a daughter of General Sardar Kahan Singh Mann. He died 1930.

  • Sardar Harnam Singh, manager of the family properties in Amritsar and Gujranwala.

• Sardar Balbir Singh, Head of Family 1930/-, a sufedposh and assessor in Gujranwala.

THE MAJITHIA FAMILY OF SARDAR NAUDH SINGH (extinct in the Senior Branch)

• Sardar Naudh Singh, Jagirdar -/1788, a feudal retainer under Amar Singh Bagga of the Kanhaiya misl, married a daughter of Akal, a Mann Jat Zamindar of the village Bhagga in Amritsar district, and had issue. He died 1788.

  • Sardar Desa Singh, Jagirdar 1788/1832, born 1768, commander of 400 sowars in 1804, appointed commandant of the Fort of Kangra after Ranjit Singh had occupied it driving away the Gurkha general, Amar Singh Thapa in 1809, made the nazim (administrator) of Kangra and hill districts of Chamba, Nurpur, Kotla, Shahpur, Jasrota, Basohli, Mankot, Jasvan, Siba, Guler, Mandi, Suket, Kulru and Datarpur in 1811, participated in the campaigns launched to capture Multan in 1818, Kashmir in 1819 and Naushera in 1823, he served as the nazim of Amritsar and its adjoining territories, with management of the Golden Temple as his special charge, married 1stly, married 2ndly, a Kangra lady, and had issue, three sons. He died 1832.

    • General Sardar Lehna Singh Hasam ud-Daula (by Sardarni Katochni), Jagirdar 1832/1854, was commander, civil and military administrator, and one of the principal sardars of the Sikh court, succeeded his father in 1832 as the nazim (governor) of Kangra and the hill districts, with the title of Qaisar ul-Iqtidar, holding the appointment until early 1844; he commanded 2 battalions of infantry, a topkhana of 10 light and field guns, and 1,500 horse, took part in the Dera Isma'il Khan expedition in 1831, and held charge of the management of Sri Harimandar Sahib, Amritsar; in March 1844, he fell foul of the Jalla regime and left the Punjab for Haridwar and settled in Banaras, he was arrested and kept under surveillance by the British he returned to the Punjab in 1851, but after two years went back to Banaras where he died; he was a man of considerable ability, a skilful mechanist and an original inventor, he much improved the Sikh ordinance, and also invented a clock which showed the hour, the day of the month and the phases of the moon, as an administrator, his assessments were moderate and his decisions were essentially just; married (amongst others), 1stly, a daughter of Sardar Gulab Singh Aimahwala, she died sp six months after the marriage, married 2ndly, and had issue, an only son. He died 25th July 1854 in Banaras.

      • Sardar Dayal Singh Majithia, Jagirdar 1854/1898, born 1848 at Banaras, educated at the Mission School at Amritsar and later privately by English tutors, he served as a member of the managing committee of the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), Amritsar for nearly thirty years; he accepted to be president of the standing committee of the Indian National Congress; he was founder of the Dyal Singh College and Dyal Singh Library; he was the first president of the Indian Asociation of Lahore continuing till his death; he was Chairman, Board of Directors of the Punjab National Bank. He died sp on 9th September 1898.

    • Sardar Gujar Singh, in 1834, he was selected to take charge of a mission to Calcutta to convey presents to the King of England, in order to ascertain British intentions with regard to Shikarpur, he fell in love with an European lady and wanted to marry her, but only ended up taking back home, English airs and graces as well as a love for champagne, which killed him two years later, when he walked over the parapet of his home in Amritsar whilst under its influence and was killed instantly ^(#1).

    • General Sardar Ranjodh Singh (by Sardarni Katochni), a military commander and jagirdar of the Sikh Darbar, governor of Hazara and the commander of Darbar troops in 1844, commanded a division of the Khalsa army with 70 guns, took part in the battle of 'Alival on 28th January 1846, made a member of the Council of Regency, arrested in 1848 following interception of his correspondence with Diwan Mal Raj of Multan, but was released after the war, his jagir was confiscated and he was given a pension of 2,500Rs per annum; he married and had issue. He died 1872.

      • Sardar Gajindar Singh Majithia, he died sp and this branch of the family became extinct.

  • Bibiji (name unknown) Kaur, married Sardar Panjab Singh Randhawah of Khundah, and had issue.

OTHER MEMBERS:

• Sardar Harbans Singh Majithia (aged 97 in 2005), married and had issue, six sons, and his grandson Jagjit Singh.

  • Sardar Harjit Singh

  • Sardar Hardial Singh

  • Sardar Harmohinder Singh

  • Sardar Harjinder Singh

  • Sardar Hardavinder Singh

  • Sardar Harpartap Singh

• Sardar Iqbal Singh Majithia, married Sardarni Harbans Kaur, and had issue. (9-A, Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar, Punja, India)

  • Sardar Raj Mohinder Singh Majitha B.A., born 7th October 1939 in Majitha, Distt. Amritsar (Punjab), educated at Khalsa College, Amritsar (Punjab); 1963-83 Sarpanch, Village Hardo Putli, Distt. Amritsar1967-77 Member, Panchayat Samiti, Ajnala, Distt. AmritsarJuly 1998 Elected to Rajya SabhaAug. 1998-2000 Member, Committee on Papers Laid on the Table2001-02 Member, Punjab Vidhan SabhaJuly 2004 Elected to Rajya SabhaAug. 2004 onwards Member, Committee on Chemicals and FertilizersOct. 2004 onwards Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Home Affairs; President, Governing Council, Khalsa College, Amritsar, 1996-2004; Chairman, The Majitha Cooperative Marketing-cum-Processing Society Limited, Majitha, 1991-2000; Chancellor, Governing Council, Khalsa College, Amritsar till date; Managing Director, Central Cooperative Bank Limited, Amritsar, 1968-70; Managing Director, (i) Central Cooperative Bank, Amritsar for six years; Director, (i) Cooperative Sugar Mills, Batala for six years and (ii) Punjab Agriculture Land Development Bank, Amritsar for three terms; Member, (i) Governing Council, Khalsa College, Amritsar since 1971 and (ii) Managing Committee Chief Khalsa Dewan since 1992; married 15th December 1969, Sardarni Gurpreet Kaur, and has issue, two sons and one daughter.

• Sardar Parkash Singh Majithia, he was one of the most prominent of the Akali leaders of the 70's, 80's and 90's, and was popularly known as 'Majhe da jarnail'; he remained cabinet minister in many Akali governments holding important portfolios like Irrigation, Transport, Revenue and Rehabilitation; he was also a five-term elected M.L.A.; he served as the acting President of Akali Dal; being the senior most Akali leader in the 1990s, he was unanimously appointed the patron of Shiromani Akali Dal, an honour he retained till his last breath. His grandsons Sardar Jagteshwar Singh Majithia, Sardar Ajay Singh Majithia and Sardar Gurteshwar Singh Majithia have also been serving the people of Majitha and have carried the legacy of the family forward; married and had issue.

  • Sardar Simarjit Singh Majithia (Ex. chairman PUNSEED punjab), and his nephew Sardar Rajmohinder Singh Majithia (MP and MLA) are also well-known Akali leaders.