Giani Partap Singh (Punjabi: ਗਿਆਨੀ ਪ੍ਰਤਾਪ ਸਿੰਘ; 3 January 1904 – 10 May 1984) was a Sikh priest and Panjabi writer. He served as the first acting Jathedar of Akal Takht from 19 December 1937 to 1948 and 19th Jathedar of Akal Takht from 1952 to 15 February 1955.

Early life and career

Partap Singh was born on 3 January 1904, at Nara village in

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...

division of

Panjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

. His father was Makhan Singh Sasan and mother Mathura Devi. His grandfather, Sundar Singh served in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Between 1909 and 1918, Singh completed 5 years of education at the local primary school in Nara and further education at the middle school in Bishan Daur. Near the completion of his primary education, he took the vows of the Khalsa and became an initiated

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

. Subsequently, for some 3 years he studied Sikh literature and attended the services of Singh Sabha Movement and Isher Singh Rara Sahib. In 1922, Singh enrolled into Khalsa Updesh College at

Gujranwala Gujranwala ( ur, , label=none; ) is a city and capital of Gujranwala Division located in Pakistan. It is also known as "City of Wrestlers" and is quite famous for its food. It is the 5th most populous city proper after Karachi, Lahore, Faisala ...

, where he passed the certificate of Giani with the second highest marks in

. From 1918 to 1921, he attended various conferences organised by

Chief Khalsa Diwan The Chief Khalsa Diwan is a 117-year-old Sikh organisation, which is the central Organization of various Singh Sabhas spread across Punjab, India. Unlike the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, the Diwan is an apolitical body and only conc ...

, Na-Milvartan Lehir and Sikh League. These conferences had a great impact on his mind and conscience. In 1923, Singh contributed with immense participation in the Kar Seva (literally "service with hands") of Harmandir Sahib. Considering the service and education of the Giani, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) employed him as a priest. Soon after he joined, the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

declared that the SGPC was against the law. The government arrested various SGPC workers including Singh and imprisoned them at

Jhang Jhang (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ur, ), ) is the capital city of Jhang District, in the central portion of the province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. Situated on the east bank of the Chenab river, it is the List of most populous c ...

and

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the List ...

. During the one and half years of imprisonment, the Giani managed to learn multiple languages such as

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

and

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

Works

* Zaat Paat te Chhoot Chhaat ( pa , ਜ਼ਾਤ ਪਾਤ ਤੇ ਛੂਤ ਛਾਤ), 1933 * Gurmat Lecture ( pa , ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਲੈਕਚਰ), 1944 * Itihasic Lecture Do Bhaag ( pa , ਇਤਿਹਾਸਕ ਲੈਕਚਰ ਦੋ ਭਾਗ), 1945 * Sadha Desh Te Usdian Smasiawan ( pa , ਸਾਡਾ ਦੇਸ਼ ਤੇ ਉਸਦੀਆਂ ਸਮਸਿਆਵਾਂ), 1945 * Bhagat Darshan ( pa , ਭਗਤ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ), 1945 * Gurmat Philosophy ( pa , ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਫਿਲਾਸਫੀ), 1946 * Sansaar Da Dharmic Itihas ( pa , ਸੰਸਾਰ ਦਾ ਧਾਰਮਿਕ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ), 1948 * Kudrat De Chamatkaar ( pa , ਕੁਦਰਤ ਦੇ ਚਮਤਕਾਰ), 1947 * Pakistani Ghalughara ( pa , ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨੀ ਘਲੂਘਾਰਾ), 1948 * Akali Lahir Da Ithas ( pa , ਅਕਾਲੀ ਲਹਿਰ ਦਾ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ), 1951 * Baba Khuda Singh ( pa , ਬਾਬਾ ਖੁਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ), 1962 * Baba Bir Singh Naurangabad ( pa , ਬਾਬਾ ਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੌਰੰਗਾਬਾਦ), 1962 * Takhtan Bare Vichar ( pa , ਤਖਤਾਂ ਬਾਰੇ ਵਿਚਾਰ), 1966 * Nakli Nirankari ( pa , ਨਕਲੀ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੀ), 1967 * Shaheed Darshan Singh Pheruma ( pa , ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਸ:ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਫੇਰੂਮਾਨ), 1968 * Radha Swami Mat Darpan ( pa , ਰਾਧਾ ਸਵਾਮੀ ਮਤ ਦਰਪਨ), 1969 * Gurbani Es Jag Meh Chanan ( pa , ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਇਸ ਜਗ ਮਹਿ ਚਾਨਣ), 1975 * Kuka Guru Dum ( pa , ਕੂਕਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਡਮ), 1972 * Mahabali Guru Gobind Singh ( pa , ਮਹਾਬਲੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ), 1974 * Hind Di Chadar Guru Tegh Bahadar ( pa , ਹਿੰਦ ਦੀ ਚਾਦਰ ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ ਬਹਾਦਰ), 1975 * Akali Lahir De Mahaan Neta ( pa , ਅਕਾਲੀ ਲਹਿਰ ਦੇ ਮਹਾਨ ਨੇਤਾ), 1976 * Amritsar Sifti Da Ghar ( pa , ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਸਿਫਤੀ ਦਾ ਘਰ), 1977

Jathedar of Akal Takht

The inauguration of Singh as the first vice Jathedar of Akal Takht took place on 19 December 1937. He served alongside Mohan Singh Nagoke up to 1948 and later served as the Jathedar of Akal Takht from 1952 to 15 February 1955. He resign due to political difference with

Master Tara Singh Master Tara Singh (24 June 1885 – 22 November 1967) was an Indian Sikh political and religious figure in the first half of the 20th century. He was instrumental in organising the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee and guiding the Sikhs d ...

Family and personal life

In 1918, Singh married Shaant Kaur, daughter of Mangal Singh. The couple had six children.

Death

He was assassinated by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale's companion Daya Singh in

Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...

Punjab, India Punjab (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northern India. Forming part of the larger Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered by the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Himachal ...

for criticising the occupation of the Akal Takht of the Golden temple by Bhindranwale and his corhorts. He described this occupation as sacrilegious to the Sikh faith.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Partap 1904 births 1984 deaths Punjabi people Punjabi-language writers Sikh writers Indian religious leaders Assassinated Indian people People murdered in India Jathedars of Akal Takht People from Rawalpindi India MPs 1962–1967