Bedi MAHAL
· Introduction of Bedi Mahal
Bedi Mahal could be a palace set in Kallar Syedan, Rawalpindi District, Punjab, Pakistan. The palace was designed by a Sikh religious and politician World Health Organization was the direct descendant, within the fourteenth place, of Sri religious leader, cake Khem Singh Bedi in the latter half of the 19th century.
Historical Old Houses of Pakistan
Near Rawalpindi, is the town of Kallar Syedan, where is located the old 'Bedi Mahal' (Bedi palace) which was built by Baba Khem Singh Bedi, a famous Sikh notable of the region, in around 1890s. Before this, at this same site, there used to be an older Sikh fort, which was there since 1818-1820.
Baba Sir Khem Singh Bedi one of the founders of the Singh Sabha movement, was born on 21 February 1832 at Kallar Syedan. He was an immediate descendant, within the thirteenth place, of religious leader. He received the rites of 'amrit' at the hands of the celebrated cake Bir Singh of Naurangabad. His father cake ottar Singh was killed during a family feud on twenty five November 1839. Khem Singh and his elder brother Sampuran Singh inherited jagirs in the Jullandar Doab and in Deepalpur tahsil of Gujera,Montgomery (Sahiwal), district.
On the annexation of the Punjab to the British dominions in 1849, some of these jagir villages were resumed by the new government. During the uprising of 1857, Baba Khem Singh assisted the British in quelling a local revolt in Gujera district.
He in person took half during a variety of skirmishes, proving himself a superb crack shot with gun and rifle.
While related to further Assistant Commissioner Berkeley i an endeavor to open communications with Multan, Khem Singh distinguished himself during a cavalry charge on twenty one September 1857. The following day he barely on the loose death in associate ambush within which Berkeley was killed. The Government of India bestowed on him a 'khillat' or robe of honour of the value of 1,000 rupees and a double barrelled rifle.
His jagirs were also enhanced from time to time and, towards the end of his life, his possessions in land in Montgomery district alone amounted to 28,272 acres. He was appointed a judge in 1877 associated an unearned munsif in 1878. He was created Companion of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.) in 1879, was appointive to the Viceroy's legislature in 1893, and once the Indian Council Act was extended to the geographical area in 1897, he was among the primary non-official members appointive to the geographical area assembly. He was knighted in 1898 (K.C.I.E). He died in 1903.
Bedi palace is one of the finest examples of local style construction, in the Potohar region of Punjab. Sadly, after Partition and Indepedence of Pakistan in 1947, this beautiful treasure has been long neglected. Initially it was in use as a school but that too was abandoned and it is now a building in ruins, and needs to be saved as part of the Pakistani especially Punjabi, cultural heritage.
Baba Khem Singh Bedi (1832-1905) of Bedi Mahal, Kallar Syedan was the influential Sikh leader of the traditional “Santana” order in Potohar region, Pakistan.( Sangini fort at Kallar Sayedan is also worth seeing).
Being thirteenth in line when nice religious leader Bedi (1469-1539) within the clan, cake Khem Singh continuously had one eye on political power. His influence was targeted within the West geographical area — Sahiwal (Montgomery) and Kallar Syedan areas.
Being a conventional Sikh, that is an offshoot from a merchant class of Hindus (Kshatriya or Bedi), Khem Singh believed that there is very little difference between the two religions
Khalsa (pure) Sikh followers of the tenth Guru Gobind, insisted on separating Hindu and Sikh religions, but Baba Khem Singh would have none of that. This limited Baba Khem’s influence to the western half of Punjab.
While the influence of Mughals’ had reduced considerably in the Punjab region in the last part of 1700s, the Sikh had risen to prominence. Baba Khem Singh during this time, being a spiritual leader, was very useful to the Colonials in preaching secularism, keeping dissent under check and sending recruits for the British.
Baba Khem Singh fitted dead with the Colonials’ plans sort of a Tee. He participated in suppressing native rebellion in Gujera (Sahiwal) in 1857, personally leading cavalry charge and clearing routes.
For his loyalty to the crown as a ‘friendly native’, he was awarded the whole gamut of titles, powers and lands in Western Punjab, now part of Pakistan. The privileges enclosed magisterial powers, knighthood, and an invitation to King Edward VII’s coronation etc. He was gifted vast agricultural lands appropriated by the British from the Muslim notables and distributed to their ‘loyalists’.
Baba Khem Singh’s descendants also sent soldiers to fight British battles including the 1st world war.
Baba Khem Singh was an enormous giver still. Naturally, Sikhs’ being a minority (3%) anointed to rule by the British, had to be generous, in order to stay influential in a majority Muslim population. He was known to have organized the construction of 50 schools and paid seed money for a college in Rawalpindi.
Despite his generosity, he still had money to splurge on a castle in the center of impoverished Kallar Syedan. The four-floor castle had its own stables, dog kennels, a zoo and servant quarters. The bottom floor was the basement, probably to hide in, in case barbarians ran them over. Only the Muslim servants were allowed inside the premises.
One octogenarian described in his memoir the first time at his teenage that he saw the inside of the Bedi Mahal after the Sikhs’ left in 1947.. All the 5000 Sikhs’ of the encircling space had gathered at the Bedi Mahal compound throughout the nonsecular riots and were driven in army convoys to safety. No one was killed here.
The Bedi Mahal we have a tendency to saw was unsound, but was still grand.
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