February

DR JOHANN MARTINO HONIGBERGER

1795-1869

‘Personal Physician to the ‘Maharajah of Lahore’

After setting up several medical practices in Jerusalem and Damascus, Dr Honigerger arrived in Baghdad and learnt of certain French officers who had been serving in Persia ready to embark for the Punjab where Maharajah Runjeet Singh was enlisting various European officers into his services. Having arrived in Lahore in 1829, his first patience was Achilles Allard, the adopted son of General Allard.

While in Punjab, he also had the rare opportunity to witness the wedding of the Maharajah with Rani Gul Begum at Amritsar. In 1833 feeling homesick he decided to return home overland via Afghanistan. While in Europe, he had learnt that the Maharajah was severely ill that he hastily returned back to Lahore via Egypt in the company of Colonel Francois Mouton.

On his arrival he found the Maharajah in a very critical condition, only able to communicate with hand gestures and signals but slowly treated the Maharajah until his death in 1839. It is interesting to note that during the first Anglo-Sikh war, Dr Honigberger treated several British casualties that had been taken prisoners by the Sikh army at Buddowal.

In recognition and appreciation for his benevolent services the Government of India awarded him a pension of 500 rupees to be paid in Europe which he enjoyed till his death. He was respectively known as ‘Martin Sahib’ by the Sikh courtiers and nobles that the ‘Personal physician to the King of Lahore’ had died from weakness of old age at his ancestral home in Brasov, now situated in Romania.