Kanvar Bikram Singh was one of the pioneers who was involved in the activities of the Singh Sabha movement which was initiated to save the Sikh religion from eroding into obscurity. Kanvar Bikram Singh was one of those who organised the Sri Guru Singh Sabha movement in 1873. This movement checked the receding of Sikhism back into the clutches of Hinduism. It also became an impediment to the pockets of trend toward Christianity.

Kanvar Bikram Singh was a knowledgeable person who was also a poet and had good acquaintance with Gurbani. He was born in 1835 in Kapurthala. His father was Raja Nihal Singh, a resident of Kapurthala. His interest in classic learning and Sikh religious music helped him to make an outstanding place in the Sikh community. He was well respected by the British rulers as well because of his support to the British in the 1857 insurgency. In this insurrection he defended Hoshiarpur with a contingent of 300 men, horse and foot and two guns. With this same force he also suppressed an uprising in Oudh and saved it. For this support of the British he received several honours from them. He was given a large jagir (land) and the little of Sardar Bahadur.

Kanwar Bikram Singh was also appointed an honorary magistrate at Jalandhar and in 1879 he was assigned the duty of an honorary assistant commissioner. The newly created Municipal Board of Jalandhar also had the honour of having Kanavar Bikram Singh as its president.

As Kanvar Bikram Singh was a learned person, he was very much inclined towards education. He visualised that without education the Sikhs will not be able to make progress. He was in favour of women's education as well. The vision of having a Khalsa college for the Sikh youth was originated by him in 1882. His interest in safeguarding and promoting Sikhism became very obvious when he was one of the three Sikhs who established the Sri Guru Singh Sabha movement. The other two were Sardar Thakur Singh Sandhanvalia and Baba Khem Singh. This happened on October 1, 1873, in Amritsar.

Bhai Gurmukh Singh professor also owed his success to Kanvar Bikram Singh. As Bhai Gurmukh Singh's father was a family servant in the house of Kanvar Bikram Singh, Kanvar ji became interested in the upbringing and education of Bhai Gurmukh Singh. The promising and impressive personality of Bhai Gurmukh Singh attracted the attention of Kanvar ji. This patronage of Kanvar Bikram Singh produced results when the Sikh Panth found a very sincere and devoted Sikh in the person of Bhai Gurmukh Singh. Bhai Sahib was given good education in his childhood and the loving and sympathetic attitude of Kanvar Bikram Singh had its influence in shaping the personality of Bhai Gurmukh Singh.

When Bhai Gurmukh Singh wanted to establish a Khalsa Press Kanvar Bikram Singh supported him with funds. This financial help enabled Bhai Gurmukh Singh to commence a Punjabi weekly known as Khalsa Akhbar in 1886. This Khalsa Akhbar played a leading role in spreading the ideology of the Singh Sabha. When Bhai Gurmukh Singh ji was excommunicated, it was this Khalsa Akhbar by means of which Giani Ditt Singh ji wrote and revealed the self-centred and parochial views of the opponents which were against the very tenets of the Sikh philosophy. Giani Ditt Singh was the editor of this weekly Punjabi newspaper. He wrote a satirical drama called Svapan Natak in which he exposed the biased thinking of the opponents. Although Giani Ditt Singh was blamed for defamation and had to go through a court case, he was happy helping a sincere friend and committed Sikh. This case brought financial strain on Giani Ditt Singh and Kanvar Bikram Singh came to his aid. As president of the Jalandhar Singh Sabha, Kanvar Bikram Singh always gave his support to the Lahore Singh Sabha which was formed by Bhai Gurmukh Singh ji.

Kanwar Bikram Singh also wrote a book himself. It was entitled Upma Sar Granth. This sincere and humble servant of the Sikh Panth died on May 8, 1887, after a short illness. His contribution to the Singh Sabha movement will always be remembered by the Sikh Panth.