| Honorific Prefix: | Sardar Sahib |
| Jhanda Singh Giani | |
| Birth Place: | Ambala, Punjab Province, British India |
| Known For: | Leading lawyer Chief Khalsa Diwan Protests against the Rowlatt Act |
| Movement: | Rowlatt Satyagraha |
| Relatives: | Giani Gurmukh Singh (grandfather) Giani Lehna Singh (father) Durga Devi (wife) Sunder Singh Giani (son) Gur Devi (daughter) Shamsher Singh of Mianpur (brother-in-law) |
| Honours: | Sardar Sahib |
Sardar Sahib Jhanda Singh Giani was a leading lawyer and activist, he was noted for his activism during the time of the Rowlatt Act though at the same time was loyal towards the British Government.[1]
He was born to a family of Khatri Sikhs, in the famed Giani family. His father was a Naib Tehsildar, scholar and editor named Giani Lehna Singh and his grandfather Giani Gurmukh Singh was the head of the Giani Samparda, who lived in the Gianian Bunga near the Akal Takht in Amritsar.[2] Giani Lehna Singh founded the ‘Gurmukhi Akhbar’ with his brother Giani Pardoman Singh, who became the next head of the Samparda after their father's assassination. They held their first meeting of the Gurmukhi Akhbar in 1871 at Burj Gianian and it was financed by Maharaja Wazir Singh of Faridkot.[3] [4] He was Naib Tehsildar of Jalandhar, Ferozepore, Ludhiana and Amritsar.[5] [6] He had bought multiple houses in Salogra, Baghal State.[7]
He was married to one Durga Devi and had two children, Sardar Bahadur Sunder Singh Giani, and a daughter, Gur Devi.
He was an active member of the Chief Khalsa Diwan, a loyalist body of the Punjab intellectuals mostly concerned with education and Sikh administration. He was the chairman of the Sikh Educational Conference held in Ambala City, where he lived in a sprawling mansion. His activism included multiple cases including the Kirpan Morcha, keys to the Golden Temple, Rowlatt Act prisoners and more.[8] [9] [10] The British Government seeing that he was an educated and loyal member of the Sikh community honoured him with the title of 'Sardar Sahib'. He was also made a leading member of the Chief Khalsa Diwan by Sardar Bahadur Sir Sundar Singh Majithia who acknowledged his contributions to education in the community, he founded 14 Sikh schools across Punjab's countryside.[11] [12]
The Chief Khalsa Diwan's representatives in the field of law were either Gajjan Singh of Ludhiana or S.S. Jhanda Singh Giani of Ambala.[13]
On 11th February 1919 the largest protest rally against the Rowlatt Act was held in Ambala, Punjab Province under his chairmanship. The Lyall Gazette made note of him for his services.[14] He represented the Chief Khalsa Diwan during the Congress sessions held at Lucknow, Lahore, Calcutta, Madras and Calcutta in 1899, 1900, 1901, 1903 and 1906 respectively.[15]
He contributed heavily to the war fund during the First World War and helped recruiting volunteers into the British Indian Army.
He passed away in 1932 in Ambala, Punjab Province.