Giani Family of Amritsar

The Giani family of Amritsar was a line of Sikh scholars who served as head priests of the Harimandar, now Sri Harmandir Sahib. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, in its entry on the Giani Sampradai, says members of that school were first known by the common honorifics bhai or sant. Bhai Gurmukh Singh, son of Bhai Sant Singh, earned the title Giani for the first time from the sardars in Sikh times. The title stayed, the family came to be known as the Giani family, and the house in which they lived at Amritsar became famous as Bunga Gianian.

Head priests in order: The Encyclopaedia says the Gianis served in succession as head priests of the Harimandar at Amritsar.

• Bhai Surat Singh.
• Bhai Gurdas Singh, his son.
• Bhai Sant Singh, son of Gurdas Singh, who died in 1832.
• Bhai Gurmukh Singh, son of Sant Singh, who died in 1843.
• Giani Pardumaan Singh, who died in 1875.

The Encyclopaedia's table of the family line also names Bhai Santokh Singh (died 1844), Bhai Megh Singh, Giani Gian Singh (died 1884) and Giani Sardul Singh, Gian Singh's son (died 1913).

The wider school: The Giani Sampradai is one of three major schools of Sikh theologians and expositors of scripture, the other two being the Udasis and the Nirmalas. The Encyclopaedia says it is claimed that the school began with Bhai Mani Singh, who died in 1737 and was sent by Guru Gobind Singh to Amritsar to take charge of Sri Harimandar Sahib. It adds that almost all the recognised serving granthis today, including those at the Harimandar, come from either the Amritsar school or the Damdami Taksal. The sources found do not say what became of the family's house or seat after the nineteenth century.