Leader of the Namdhari or Kuka movement; 1816-1885
Baba Ram Singh Namdhari
A soldier turned preacher, Baba Ram Singh organised the Namdharis at Bhaini from 1857, taught a strict code and boycott of British institutions, and was exiled to Burma after his followers attacked Malerkotla in 1872.
Founding the movement
He was born on 3 February 1816 at Bhaini Araian in Ludhiana district. He served in Kanwar Nau Nihal Singh's regiment and met Baba Balak Singh at Hazro. After the first Anglo-Sikh war he left the army, and on Vaisakhi, 14 April 1857, he gave his followers a code of conduct. Followers were to give up meat, liquor and tomb worship, and to wear homespun.[EoS][EoS]
Conflict with the British
He set up twenty-two subas and a private postal service, and urged boycott of British schools, courts and goods. The government detained him at his village and restricted his followers. In 1871 Namdharis killed butchers at Amritsar and Raikot. On 15 January 1872 over a hundred attacked the treasury at Malerkotla, and sixty-eight were blown from guns on 17 January.[EoS][EoS]
Exile
He was sent to Allahabad and then Rangoon, and followers managed to reach him with letters. He passed away on 29 November 1885, and many followers refused to believe he was gone.[EoS]
What the sources disagree on
Images
Baba Ram Singh with his subas, the governors he appointed. Its source titles it Sri Satguru Ram Singh Ji with his Subas. Commons dates it only to about the 19th century, and the artist is not known.
Unknown, About the 19th century, uncertain. Public domain. Source
A government telegram of 8 December 1885 from Rangoon to Calcutta, reporting that the state prisoner Baba Ram Singh had passed away at Mergui on 29 November. It is held by the National Archives of India. Many of his followers did not accept this report.
Government of British Burma, 1885. National Archives of India. Public domain. Source
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