JAMDAN: Kumedan Jai Singh

Founder Recipient of Jamdan Estate (1806 – 1867)

Come to think of it.....
My Grandparents lived in this house till early 1970's.

Sardar Jai Singh was born in the year 1806. His father, Amir Chand, (1780) a Gondal Sood Khatri Sikh, from Rajasthan, worked as a writs petition writer, in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s court, Lahore.

When of age, Sardar Jai Singh commenced soldiering as a Jamadar in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s French Regiment. For a conspicuous act of courage at Peshawar in 1848, when Lawrence was attacked by the mutinous Sikh troops, Jai Singh was appointed Risaldar in the 1st Punjab Irregular Cavalry, raised and commanded by Sir Henry Daly, who mentioned in the highest terms the brave behaviour of this fine old Sikh in more than one frontier expedition. He records of him: “There is not in the army a more gallant soldier, and I know no abler or more experienced officer”

General John Watson wrote further: “He is the one of the most able and excellent officers and the most honest and upright I have ever met. He has been my right hand during the whole mutiny campaign from the siege of Delhi to the fall of Lucknow.”

These commendations were warmly endorsed by Sir James Hope Grant, who commanded the cavalry division at Lucknow, as well as by Sir Colin Campbell, Commander-in-chief. At the close of the campaign Sardar Jai Singh’s services were transferred as Commandant (Kumedan) of the 4th Regiment of Oudh Mounted Police.

As a “Kumedan”, he received a Jagir /grant of twenty-six villages in Jamdan ilaqa of the Bahraich district, in addition to the Orders of Merit and of British India, and the usual military pension. He died in 1867, as a consequence of a fatal accident, after falling off his horse.