Hari Singh Nalwa (Punjabi: ਹਰੀ ਸਿੰਘ ਨਲਵਾ) (1791-1837) was Commander-in-chief of the army of the Sikh Empire. He is known for his role in the conquests of Kasur, Sialkot, Multan, Kashmir, Attock, and Peshawar. He led the Sikh Army in freeing Shah Shuja from Kashmir and secured the Koh-i-Nor diamond for Ranjit Singh. He served as governor of Kashmir and Hazara and established a mint on behalf of the Sikh Empire to facilitate revenue collection. His frontier policy of holding the Khyber Pass was later used by the British Raj. He is responsible for expanding the frontier of Sikh Empire to the Indus River. In 1831, he opposed moves by Ranjit Singh to appoint Kharak Singh the Maharaja of the Sikh Empire upon the formers death.^[2] At the time of his death, the western boundary of the Sikh Kingdom was Jalalabad. His death at the Battle of Jamrud was a significant loss to the Sikh Empirehe was very very strong and powerful.

Early life

Hari Singh's ancestors came Majitha and served the Sukerchakia Misl. His grandfather, Hardas Singh, was killed in action in 1762. ^[3] His father, Gurdial Singh, served under Charat Singh and Maha Singh as a Risaldar and received the Jagir of Balloki,^[4] a village in the modern day Kasur District of Pakistan.

He was born in Gujranwala, Punjab to Gurdas Singh and Dharam Kaur(daughter of Kashibai).^[5] He became fatherless in 1798, when he turned seven. After his father's death, He was raised by his mother with help from his uncle. His mother fought off attempts to seize the family's Jagir after his father's death. In 1801, at age ten, he took Amrit Sanskar and was baptized as a Sikh. ^[6] At the age of twelve, he began to manage his fathers estate and took up horseriding. In 1804, at the age of fourteen, his mother sent him to Ranjit Singhs court to resolve a property dispute.^[7] Ranjit Singh decided the arbitration in his favor and asked him about his background. Hari Singh explained his father and grandfather had served under Maha Singh and Charat Singh, the Maharaja's ancestors, and demonstrated his skills as horseman and musketeer.^[8] Ranjit Singh gave him a position at the court as a personal attendant.

Military career

His military career began in 1804 on a hunting trip. At sometime during the hunt, he was temporarily separated from the hunting party and a lion attacked him, killing his horse. The rest of the hunters found him but he refused their attempts to protect him and killed the lion by himself with a shield and short sword.^[9] Ranjit Singh rewarded him with a commission as Sardar and the command of 800 cavalry troops.

Kasur

Hari Singh Nalwa
Hari Singh Nalwa
Nickname(s)	Bag Mar ; (Tiger-Killer)
Allegiance	Sikh Empire
Years of service	1807-1837
Rank	General; Commander-in-chiefdates needed here
Commands	Jagirdari Fauj
Battles/wars	Battle of Jamrud

In 1807, Qutab-ud-Din, the ruler of [[Kasur] tried to avoid an annual payment of tribute to Ranjit Singh. When Ranjit Singh insisted on a prompt payment, Qutab-ud-Din allied himself with Muzaffar Khan Sadozai, the Afghan ruler of Multan.

Sir Henry Griffin called Nalwa the "Murat of the Khalsa". A British newspaper had asserted in the early twentieth century that had Nalwa the resources and the artillery of the British, he would have conquered the East and extended the boundaries of the Sikh Kingdom to include Europe^[10]. This most famous of the great Sikh generals participated in the following conquests: Sialkot, Kasur (1807), Multan (1818), Kashmir (1819), Pakhli and Damtaur (1821-2), Peshawar (1834)^[11] and finally Jamrud (1837) in the Khyber Hills^[12]. He served as the governor of both Kashmir and Peshawar. A coin minted in Kashmir came to be known as the 'Hari Singhee'.^[13] The coin is on display in museums.

Legacy

Haripur city, tehsil and district, in Hazara, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, are named after him.^[14].He defeated the Afghans, something the British failed to do, and annexed a segment of what was the Kingdom of Kabul to the Sikh Kingdom.

Nalwa was the consummate example of the Sikh saint-soldier, and India owes much to his strategic genius. His descendants live in India and abroad. This runs counter to the story of Maharajah Ranjit Singh's line, which was forever destroyed by the British, who abducted his children and took them to England, where they were held hostage against the threat of India rising against British rule. Nalwa was the senior most member of Ranjit's court. His son, Jawahir Singh, led the famous charge at the Battle of Chillianwala, a battle in which the British suffered a retreat.^[15] Another son, Arjan Singh, also posed a tough challenge to the British as they struggled to annex the Punjab.^[16]

Plaudits

A very popular 19th century British newspaper, Tit-Bits, made a comparative analysis of great generals of the world and arrived at the following conclusion:

"Some people might think that Napoleon was a great General. Some might name Marshall Hendenburgh, Lord Kitchener, General Karobzey or Duke of Wellington etc. And some going further might say Halaku Khan, Genghis Khan, Changez Khan, Richard or Allaudin etc. But let me tell you that in the North of India a General of the name of Hari Singh Nalwa of the Sikhs prevailed. Had he lived longer and had the sources and artillery of the British, he would have conquered most of Asia and Europe…."^[17]

Hari Singh Nalwa's meeting with various British and a German travellers are recorded. Baron Charles von Hügel remembers him fondly in his memoirs. He met the Sardar at his residence in Gujranwala. On that occasion the German was gifted a portrait of Nalwa in the act of killing a tiger. Hari Singh Nalwa was fluent in the Persian language. He was also conversant with Punjabi, Gurmukhi script and Pushtu, the latter being the language of the Pashtuns. He was familiar with world politics, including details about the European states.

He rebuilt the Bala Hisar Fort in Maharaja Ranjit Singh's name.

Accolades continued coming long after Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa's death^[18]. Pannikar perhaps sums him up best — “The noblest and the most gallant of the Sikh generals of his time, the very embodiment of honour, chivalry, and courage…” ^[19]

^[20] at Gujranwala (now in Pakistan).^[21]^[22]

References

^ Sandhu 1935, p. 4
^ Sandhu 1935, p. 1
^ Sandhu 1935, p. 1
^ Sandhu 1935, p. 1
^ http://www.harisinghnalwa.com/family_tree.html
^ Sandhu 1935, p. 2
^ Sandhu 1935, p. 2
^ Sandhu 1935, p. 2
^ Sandhu 1935, p. 4
^ Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafar, Phulwari, March 1934; Prem Singh Hoti, Jivan-itihas Sardar Hari Singh ji Nalua - Life of the Sikh General Hari Singh Nalua, 7th edition, Amritsar: Lahore Book Shop (Gurmukhi) (1937) 1950: 356-9; Ganda Singh, A Bibliography of the Punjab, Patiala: Patiala University, 1966: 199
^ http://www.harisinghnalwa.com/general.html
^ http://www.harisinghnalwa.com/final_frontier.html
^ http://www.harisinghnalwa.com/index.html
^ Tehsils & Unions in the District of Haripur - Government of Pakistan
^ Nalwa 2009, p. 279-280
^ Nalwa 2009, p. 278-279
^ [1]
^ http://www.harisinghnalwa.com/accolades.html
^ K.M. Panikkar in The Founding of the Kashmir State, 1930 (Historian, Author, Diplomat and Editor, Hindustan Times, 1925)
^ Hari Singh Nalwa Foundation Trust
^ Gurabacana Siṅgha Naīara (1995). The campaigns of General Hari Singh Nalwa. Punjabi University. p. 77. ISBN 9788173801419.
^ Balraj Saggar (1993). Who's who in the History of Punjab, 1800-1849. National Book Organisation. ISBN 978818513560. OCLC 29752158. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)

Bibliography

Sandhu, Autar Singh (1935). General Hari Singh Nalwa. Lahore: Cunningham Historical Society.
{{cite book |title=Hari Singh Nalwa - Champion of the Khalsaji |last=Nalwa |first=Vanit |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2009 |publisher=Manohar Books |location=New Delhi |isbn=8173047855 }

External links

General Hari Singh Nalwa: Builder Of The Sikh Empire Author: A S Sandhu
Hari Singh Nalua
Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa
[2]

Category:Haripur District Category:Indian Sikhs Category:Sikh warriors Category:1791 births Category:1837 deaths

[1] Sandhu 1935, p. 4

[2] Sandhu 1935, p. 1

[3] Sandhu 1935, p. 1

[4] Sandhu 1935, p. 1

[5] ttp://www.harisinghnalwa.com/family_tree.html

[6] Sandhu 1935, p. 2

[7] Sandhu 1935, p. 2

[8] Sandhu 1935, p. 2

[9] Sandhu 1935, p. 4

[10] Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafar, Phulwari, March 1934; Prem Singh Hoti, Jivan-itihas Sardar Hari Singh ji Nalua - Life of the Sikh General Hari Singh Nalua, 7th edition, Amritsar: Lahore Book Shop (Gurmukhi) (1937) 1950: 356-9; Ganda Singh, A Bibliography of the Punjab, Patiala: Patiala University, 1966: 199

[11] ttp://www.harisinghnalwa.com/general.html

[12] ttp://www.harisinghnalwa.com/final_frontier.html

[13] ttp://www.harisinghnalwa.com/index.html

[14] Tehsils & Unions in the District of Haripur - Government of Pakistan

[15] Nalwa 2009, p. 279-280

[16] Nalwa 2009, p. 278-279

[17] [1]

[18] ttp://www.harisinghnalwa.com/accolades.html

[19] K.M. Panikkar in The Founding of the Kashmir State, 1930 (Historian, Author, Diplomat and Editor, Hindustan Times, 1925)

[20] Hari Singh Nalwa Foundation Trust

[21] Gurabacana Siṅgha Naīara (1995). The campaigns of General Hari Singh Nalwa. Punjabi University. p. 77. ISBN 9788173801419.

[22] Balraj Saggar (1993). Who's who in the History of Punjab, 1800-1849. National Book Organisation. ISBN 978818513560. OCLC 29752158. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)

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