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{{short description|17th-century Garhwali warrior and administrator}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Madho Singh Bhandari
| honorific_prefix = Shri
| image = Madho Singh Bhandari.png
| caption =
| birth_date = c. 1585 {{circa}}
| birth_place = Maletha, [[Tehri-Garhwal]], [[Uttarakhand]]
| death_date = c. 1640 {{circa}}
| death_place = Chotta Chini, [[Tibet]] (present-day China)
| allegiance = [[Garhwal Kingdom|Kingdom of Garhwal]]
| branch = Garhwali Army
| serviceyears = c. 1600–1640
| rank = General Commander
| battles = Battle of Chotta Chini (c. 1635–1640) <br> Campaigns against Tibet and
| awards = Folk hero status; subject of ''Pawara'' ballads
| relations =
| laterwork = Administrator, builder of Maletha Canal
}}

'''Madho Singh Bhandari''' (c. 1585 – c. 1640) was a prominent warrior, military general, and administrator in the [[Kingdom of Garhwal]] during the reign of King Mahipat Shah in the 17th century.<ref name="GKV">{{cite book |last=Bhakt Darshan |title=गढ़वाल की दिवंगत विभूतियां |language=hi |publisher= |year= |pages=152–160}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Chandola |first1=Khemanand |title=Across the Himalayas Through the Ages: A Study of Relations Between Central Himalayas and Western Tibet |date=1987 |publisher=Patriot Publishers |isbn=978-81-7050-042-1 |pages=31 |language=en}}</ref> He is celebrated in Garhwali folklore for his military bravery, infrastructural contributions, and ultimate sacrifice during the construction of the Maletha Canal.

== Early life ==
Madho Singh Bhandari was born around 1585 CE in Maletha, a village in the present-day Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India.<ref name="GKV" /> His family belonged to a respected warrior lineage and served the Garhwali kings for generations. From an early age, he was trained in martial arts, horse riding, and warfare strategy.

== Military career ==
During the reign of King Mahipat Shah (r. c. 1620–1640), Bhandari emerged as one of the three most prominent generals of Garhwal, alongside [[Lodi Rikhola Negi|Rikhola Lodi]] and Banwari Dass.<ref name="GH27">{{cite book |title=Garhwal Himalaya |publisher=Mittal Publications |year=1993 |pages=27 |isbn=9788170994376}}</ref> His period of activity coincided with campaigns against Tibet, Sirmour, and the southern frontiers of Garhwal.<ref name="GH41">{{cite book |title=Garhwal Himalaya |publisher=Mittal Publications |year=1993 |pages=41 |isbn=9788170994376}}</ref>

A well-known Garhwali saying encapsulates his legendary status:
''"Ek Singh desh ran, ek Singh gaay ka, ek Singh Madho Singh aur Singh kaaye ka"'' — meaning "One Singh in the battlefield, one Singh (horn) of a cow, and one Singh Madho Singh."<ref name="GH27" />

=== Battle of Chotta Chini ===
Bhandari is believed to have died in the Battle of Chotta Chini in Tibet, sometime between 1635 and 1640 CE.<ref name="GH41" /> According to tradition, he was fatally wounded in battle when Garhwali forces were in disarray. To prevent his death from demoralizing the troops, he ordered his men to roast his body and display it on horseback so that the enemy would believe he was still alive. This stratagem reportedly caused the Tibetans to retreat, thinking he remained in command. His bravery is immortalized in the ''Pawara'' ballads sung in Garhwal.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rawat |first1=Ajay Singh |title=History of Garhwal, 1358-1947: An Erstwhile Kingdom in the Himalayas |date=1989 |publisher=Indus Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-85182-18-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RYVuAAAAMAAJ&q=madho+singh+bhandari |language=en}}</ref>

== Maletha Canal ==
Bhandari is also renowned for his role in constructing the [[Maletha Canal]], a 2-kilometre-long irrigation channel from the Takoli Gad to Maletha village.<ref name="HH172">{{cite book |title=The Holy Himalaya |publisher=|year= |pages=172}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Nand |first1=Nitya |last2=Kumar |first2=Kamlesh |title=The Holy Himalaya: A Geographical Interpretation of Garhwal |date=1989 |publisher=Daya Publishing House |isbn=978-81-7035-055-2 |pages=172 |language=en}}</ref> Built in the 17th century, the canal includes a 600-metre tunnel carved through hard rock. Local tradition holds that he sacrificed his own son to propitiate a goddess and ensure the canal's successful completion. This act is considered one of the greatest sacrifices in the history of Himalayan public works.

== Legacy ==
Madho Singh Bhandari remains one of the most celebrated figures in Garhwali history. His military exploits, infrastructural achievements, and self-sacrifice have inspired folk songs, particularly the chivalric ''Pawara'' ballads.<ref name="GH27" /> In Uttarakhand, his name is invoked as a symbol of bravery, leadership, and devotion to public welfare.

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="GKV">{{cite book |last=Bhakt Darshan |title=गढ़वाल की दिवंगत विभूतियां |language=hi |publisher= |year= |pages=152–160}}</ref>
<ref name="HH172">{{cite book |title=The Holy Himalaya |publisher=|year= |pages=172}}</ref>
<ref name="GH27">{{cite book |title=Garhwal Himalaya |publisher=Mittal Publications |year=1993 |pages=27 |isbn=9788170994376}}</ref>
<ref name="GH41">{{cite book |title=Garhwal Himalaya |publisher=Mittal Publications |year=1993 |pages=41 |isbn=9788170994376}}</ref>
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhandari, Madho Singh}}
[[Category:Army officers]]
[[Category:Garhwali people]]

[[Category:1580s births]]

[[Category:1640 deaths]]

[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]

[[Category:Year of death uncertain]]

Madho Singh Bhandari - Revision history

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