Raja Sir Harnam Singh Ahluwalia , KCIE (15 November 1851 – 20 May 1930) was a member of the Kapurthala royal family in the direct line founded by

Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Jassa Singh Ahluwalia (3 May 1718 – 23 October 1783) was a Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy, being the supreme leader of the Dal Khalsa (Sikh Army), Dal Khalsa. He was also Misldar of the Ahluwalia (misl), Ahluwalia Mi ...

. He was the first president of the

All India Conference of Indian Christians The All India Conference of Indian Christians (AICIC) is an ecumenical organisation founded in 1914 to represent the interests of Christians in India. It was founded to advocate for the moral, economic, and intellectual development of the Indian C ...

, which played an important role in the

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed. The first nationalistic ...

, advocating for

self-rule Self-governance, self-government, self-sovereignty or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any ...

and opposing the partition of India. He was also a member of the Kapurthala Council of State and one of the founder trustees of the

Tribune Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the Tribune of the Plebs, tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs ac ...

Newspaper. He also was one of the patrons of the New India Insurance company founded in 1906 in Calcutta under the

Swaraj Swarāj (, IAST: , ) can mean generally self-governance or "self-rule". The term was used synonymously with "home-rule" by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati and later on by Mahatma Gandhi, but the word usually refers to Gandhi's concept of Indian ...

movement. It was later nationalised to become India's 4th largest Insurance Company

National Insurance Company National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) is an Indian public sector insurance company owned by the Government of India and administered by the Ministry of Finance. It is headquartered at Kolkata and was established in 1906 by Gordhandas Dutia ...

Biography

Harnam Singh was the second son of Raja Sir Randhir Singh Ahluwalia,

GCSI The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander (:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India, GCSI) # K ...

, Raja of

Kapurthala Kapurthala () is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely state in British India. The aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent b ...

, and younger brother of Raja Kharak Singh Ahluwalia. He left Kapurthala in 1878 after the premature death of his elder brother led to a struggle for the succession to the Kapurthala throne. Under the influence of his English Tutor Rev. Woodside and aided by a Bengali Missionary Golaknath Chatterji, Harnam Singh converted to Christianity thus renouncing his rights for good. Raja Harnam Singh held many dignities in his life. He was a member of the Legislative Council for the Punjab from 1900 to 1902, a Member of the Kapurthala Council of State and an honorary Fellow of

Panjab University Panjab University (PU) is an Indian collegiate public state university located in Chandigarh. Funded through both State and Union governments, it is considered a state university. It traces its origins to the University of the Punjab in Lahor ...

. In 1902 he and his wife were in London to attend the

Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra The coronation of the British monarch, coronation of Edward VII and his wife, Alexandra of Denmark, Alexandra, as King of the United Kingdom, king and List of British royal consorts, queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, ...

, as representatives of the Christian community in India. He was appointed a Companion of the

Order of the Indian Empire The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander (:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire, ...

(CIE) in 1885 and knighted as a Knight Commander of the order (KCIE) in 1898.Great Britain. India Office In 1907, Harnam Singh was given the personal title of

Raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...

(roughly equivalent to the modern British

life peerage In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

), and he was made a hereditary

in 1911, thus enabling him to found a separate branch of the

Ahluwalia Ahluwalia may refer to: * Ahluwalia (misl) Ahluwalia (also transliterated as Ahluvalia) was a misl, that is, a sovereign state in the Sikh Confederacy of Punjab region in present-day India and Pakistan. The misl's name is derived from Ahlu, th ...

dynasty. He was given the administration of his Awadh properties for his lifetime, a move which was objected by

Jagatjit Singh Colonel Maharajah Sir Jagatjit Singh Sahib Bahadur (24 November 1872 – 19 June 1949) was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Kapurthala during the British Raj in India, from 1877 until his death, in 1949. He ascended to the ...

but in vain. Harnam Singh died in 1930 at the age of 78, and was succeeded in his title by his eldest son, Raghubir Singh, who himself died two years later without issue. whereupon the title devolved upon his second surviving son,

Raja Maharaj Singh Raja Sir Maharaj Singh (17 May 1878, Kapurthala, Punjab – 6 June 1959, Lucknow Lucknow () is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the largest city of the List of state and union territory capitals in Ind ...

. The line of Maharaj Singh maintains the title to this day.

Family

In 1875, he married Rani Priscilla Kaur Sahiba (née Priscilla Golaknath), and had nine children, seven sons and two daughters: #

Raghbhir Singh,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(3 May 1876 – 17 November 1932) # Kanwar Rajendra Singh (1877–1883) #

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part ...

Maharaj Singh, CIE,

CStJ The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (), commonly known as the Order of St John, and also known as St John International, is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria and dedica ...

(17 May 1878 – 6 June 1959), who had issue (see article) # Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Kanwar Shamsher Singh,

M.D. A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of physician. This ge ...

, MRCS, LRCP (21 June 1879–?) #

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Dr. Kanwar Indrajit Singh, MC,

, MRCP (27 December 1883 – 23 November 1914) (

KIA Kia Corporation (, formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry (京城精密工業) and Kia Motors Corporation) is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second larges ...

) # Kanwar

Dalip Singh (2 June 1885 – 13 January 1971) # Kanwar Jasbir Singh, CIE (16 June 1887 – 15 October 1942), who had issue including: #*

Air Vice Marshal Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries which have historical British infl ...

Kanwar Jaswant Singh, PVSM (1915–1963) #*

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

Kanwar Billy Arjan Singh (1917–2010) # Rajkumari Bibiji

Amrit Kaur Rajkumari Dame Bibiji Amrit Kaur (''née'' Ahluwalia) DStJ (2 February 1887 – 6 February 1964) was an Indian activist and politician. Following her long-lasting association with the Indian independence movement, she was appointed the firs ...

DStJ The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (), commonly known as the Order of St John, and also known as St John International, is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria and dedica ...

(2 February 1889 – 9 February 1964) # Bibi Raj Kaur (29 May 1882 – 29 May 1882)

Titles

*1852–1885: Kanwar Harnam Singh *1885–1898: Kanwar Harnam Singh, Ahluwalia, CIE *1898–1900: Kanwar Sir Harnam Singh Bahadur, KCIE *1900–1907: The Hon Kanwar Sir Harnam Singh Bahadur, KCIE *1907–1930: The Hon Raja Shri Sir Harnam Singh, KCIE

Honours

Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander ( GCIE) #Knight Commander ( KCIE) #Companion ( CIE) Appoint ...

(KCIE – 1898) (CIE – 1885) * Prince of Wales's Medal in silver – 1876 * KIH Silver Medal – 1877 *

Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Medal The Golden Jubilee Medal was instituted in 1887 by Royal Warrant as a British decoration to be awarded to participants of Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, Queen Victoria's golden jubilee celebrations. Issue The medal was struck to celebrate Quee ...

– 1887 * King Edward VII Coronation Medal in silver – 1902 *

Delhi Durbar Medal Delhi Durbar Medals were instituted by the British Raj, United Kingdom to commemorate the Delhi Durbar where the new Emperor of India was proclaimed, in 1903 for Edward VII, and in Delhi Durbar Medal (1911), 1911 for George V. On both occasions t ...

in silver – 1903 * Personal title of

– 1907 *

in silver – 1911 * Hereditary title of

– 1911

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Harnam Indian Christians Indian royalty 1851 births 1930 deaths Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire People from Kapurthala Indian knights Converts to Christianity from Sikhism

Biography

Family

Titles

Honours

See also

References