The Eminent Sikh Scholar

 (This write – up about the life o Bhai Kahan Singh was published in The Indian Express dated September 29, 1990.)

        Bhai Kahan Singh (1861 – 1938), the eminent Sikh scholar and writer, will be remembered for long for his invaluable contribution to society. He inherited his love for history and the  scriptures from his illustrious father, Baba Narian Singh, who imparted the best possible education to his eldest son.

Baba Kahan Singh Ji

        Kahan Singh learnt Persian from Giani Sant Singh, while Bhai Bhup Singh taught him Punjabi and Sikh theology. Kahn Singh also learnt Sanskrit and picked up a working knowledge of English from Bhai Gurmukh Singh, a renowned Professor in the Oriental College, Lahore.

        When Max Arthur Mecauliffe was to write his monumental book: “The Sikh Religion, its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors”, he found in Bhai Kahan Singh, one of the greatest scholars among the Sikhs. When Macauliffe requested Sir Hira Singh Malvender Bahadur, the Raja of Nabha, to allow Kahan Singh to work with him, the Raja acceded to his request immediately.

        Bhai Sahib wrote several books, including Gurmat Prabhakar and Gurmat Sudhakar, but Mahan Kosh (Encyclopaedia of Sikh Literature) was his magnum opus. It is a combined dictionary and encyclopaedia of Sikh literature; a magnificent fruit o 15 years of hard and incessant labour; it contains 62263 words occurring in the original Sikh scriptures as well as in other allied books, i.e. the Holy Granth, Dasam Granth, Gur – Sobha, Gurbilas, Nanak Prakash, Suraj Prakash, Panth Prakash, Gurpad Prem Prakash, Bhai Bala’s Sakhi, etc.

        Regarding Mahan Kosh, Dr. Ganda Singh commented:

“The book is written on the most approved lines, containing quotations and illustrations drawn from all the needful sources of religion, history, geography, science, medicine, language, prosody, rhetoric etc. showing an immense store of knowledge drawn from innumerable books, eastern and western, ancient and modern. When we look at the volume of the work undertaken and carried out single – handedly by them, it appears, nothing short of a marvel.”

In the Mahan Kosh, there is reference to the Vedas, Shastras, the Bible, the Quran and other religious books. The approach of Bhai Kahan Singh has been very liberal without any trace of sectarianism and tendentiousness. The book is profusely illustrated with maps and pictures and it embodies more than 7,000 Arabic and Persian words.

Maharaja Hira Singh was so impressed by the intellectual acumen and sincerity of Bhai Kahan Singh that he utilized the services of Bhai Sahib as the City magistrate, the Deputy Commissioner, the Private Secretary and the Foreign Minister and above all, as the tutor to his son Tikka Ripduman Singh.

Kahan Singh demonstrated his intellectual skills and political sagacity when he argued the case of the Nabha State before Col. Dunlop Smith, who was the agent of the Phulkian State. Like Macauliffe, Col. Smith also paid a tribute to him in the following words:

“I have always had a high regard for Sardar Kahn Singh. I never met any official in any of the Phulkian states who so faithfully served the interest of both his Chief and his State”.

Indeed, Bhai Kahan Singh’s knowledge of the Sikh scriptures and history was unparalleled. He left behind valuable works which shall serve as the guide books for students of Sikh history and theology.