SINGH, Attar, Sardar of Bhadaur.

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Sakhee Book, First and only contemporary edition of the English translation of an esoteric and influential Sikh text. The work was commissioned by the British authorities in response to outbreaks of insurrection linked to prophetic interpretations of the Sau Sakhi. While reasonably well represented in institutions, it is distinctly uncommon on the market.The translator, Sardar Sir Attar Singh, Raiss of Bhadaur (1833-1896), was a Sikh noble and polymath, among the first Sikhs fully literate in English and fluent also in Punjabi, Sanskrit, Persian, and Urdu. A progressive landholder and educational patron, he became involved during the Kuka (Namdhari) Revolt, when colonial officials traced millenarian violence to circulating versions of the Sau Sakhi, a contested collection of tales attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. Attar Singh concluded that spurious prophecies, rather than inherent disloyalty, lay behind the unrest, and at official encouragement published his findings, as well as a translation of the Sau Sakhi text into English (Oberoi).Closely associated with the colonial administration, Attar Singh assisted with other translations, advised Ernst Trumpp on the Adi Granth, and was widely honoured by the Raj, culminating in a KCIE. At the same time, he played a leading role in the Singh Sabha movement, helping to revitalise Sikh religious and educational institutions in Punjab. His career thus exemplifies the complex, reciprocal production of colonial knowledge, shaped jointly

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