Open Research Questions

This archive is not a finished product. This page lists what remains genuinely unresolved, so a visiting researcher can see exactly where the evidence runs out — and, where relevant, what would close the gap.

Questions currently open

OQ-1 — What was the name of his wife?

Status: OPEN

Existing evidence: Not named in the Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, SikhiWiki, Tribune coverage, or any secondary source consulted.

What would settle it: The English translation of Dr Piar Singh's 1975 biography, currently in acquisition, or a family genealogical record.

Likely repository: GNDU Bhai Gurdas Library; family records

Last reviewed: 2026-08-09

OQ-2 — Where was he held in custody at the time of death — Lahore Fort or Lahore Central Jail?

Status: OPEN

Existing evidence: Both locations are named across different sources; no primary record adjudicates between them.

Conflict: Encyclopaedia of Sikhism and press accounts diverge on the specific location.

What would settle it: A primary jail or custody record from 1926, or the Piar Singh biography's source apparatus once translated.

Likely repository: Punjab State Archives; National Archives of India; British Library India Office Records

Last reviewed: 2026-08-09

OQ-3 — Did the Sikh Gurdwaras Act 1925 provide for women's franchise, and what was its exact statutory wording (ss.44, 49, 50, 92, 93)?

Status: PARTIALLY RESOLVED

Existing evidence: The assent date has been corrected to 28 July 1925 (Claim Change Log entry #1). The franchise question itself remains unresolved.

What would settle it: Recovery of the original 7 August 1925 Punjab Gazette publication of Act VIII of 1925.

Likely repository: Punjab State Archives; National Archives of India; British Library IOR; GNDU Bhai Gurdas Library

Last reviewed: 2026-08-09

OQ-4 — Did he chair the SGPC's Council of Action during the Guru ka Bagh morcha?

Status: OPEN

Existing evidence: Reported in one press account only; not found in the Encyclopaedia of Sikhism or in the (not yet acquired) Piar Singh biography.

What would settle it: SGPC minutes or committee records from the Guru ka Bagh period.

Likely repository: SGPC records office, Amritsar

Last reviewed: 2026-08-09

OQ-5 — Was he among the Panj Pyare at the 17 June 1923 Kar Sewa of the Golden Temple sarovar?

Status: OPEN

Existing evidence: Reported in press coverage only.

What would settle it: A contemporary SGPC or Akali record naming the five.

Likely repository: SGPC records office; contemporary Akali press archives

Last reviewed: 2026-08-09

OQ-6 — What were his exact enlistment and discharge dates in the 22nd Cavalry?

Status: OPEN

Existing evidence: The fact and approximate duration (~3.5 years) of service and his rank (Dafadar) are documented; exact dates are not.

What would settle it: British Indian Army service records.

Likely repository: British Library India Office Records; National Archives of India

Last reviewed: 2026-08-09

What is not shown here

This register omits operational research-planning notes, institutional outreach sequencing, and any private contact information. Those are internal project-management material, not historical findings, and are kept out of the public site by design.