Hari Singh Nalwa

The Great Sikh General

Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa

Hari Singh Nalwa was the Commander-in-chief of the empire of the Sikh army. He was responsible for expanding the frontiers of the Sikh empire to beyond the Indus River and right up to the mouth of the Khyber Pass.

He was born to Gurdas Singh and Dharam Kaur, in an Uppal Khatri family, in 1791 in Gujranwala, Punjab (in present day Pakistan). His father died in 1798. At the age of ten, in 1801, he took Amrit and became a baptised Sikh. He began to manage his father’s estate, Jagir of Balloki (in modern day Kasur district of Pakistan), at the age of twelve and also took up horse riding.

He was sent to the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1804 (aged 14) to settle a property dispute. The case was decided in his favour. After learning that his ancestors had served the Maharaja as also after watching his skills at horse riding and as a musketeer, Maharaja Ranjit Singh appointed him at the court as his personal attendant.

In 1804, he was attacked by a lion that also killed his horse. He refused offers of help from his fellow hunters and killed the lion using only his shield and dagger. He thus earned the nickname of ‘Baagh Maar’ (lion killer).

Hari Singh Nalwa fought a number of battles during his lifetime. The important ones among them were battle of Kasur (1807), Battle of Sialkot (1808), Battle of Attock (1813), Battle of Multan (1818), Peshawar (1819), Battle of Pakhli (1819), Battle of Mangal (1821), Battle of Mankera (1822), Battle of Nowshera (1823), battle of Sirikot (1824), Battle of Saidu (1827) and Battle of Jamrud (1836).

He was grievously wounded in the battle of Jamrud in 1837 and died as a result of these wounds. He was cremated in the fort of Jamrud.

Hari Singh Nalwa served as Governor of Kashmir (1820-21), Greater Hazara (1822-37) and Peshawar (1835 till his death). His administrative skills and bravery coupled with his benevolent nature made sure that he was sent to the most troublesome spots in order to create a dynamic, people friendly and efficient administration.

He built a number of forts, towers, tanks, Gurudwaras, temples, mosques, havelis and gardens. He built the fortified town of Haripur in 1822. He built all the Sikh forts in the Trans Indus region, Jehangira and Nowshera on both banks of the river Kabul and Sumergarh in Peshawar. He also built a fort at Jamrud and reinforced Akbar’s fort in Attock.

He built Gurudwara Panja Sahib in the town of Hassan Abdal. He also donated gold required to cover the dome of the Akal Takht in Amritsar.

In his lifetime he was a terror for the then so called ferocious tribes near the Khyber pass. He permanently blocked the routes of invaders through the Khyber Pass at Jamrud. In his death, his formidable reputation ensured victory for the Sikhs against a vastly superior Afghan force.

Dr Vanit Nalwa, a seventh generation of the hero, states that in the two and half centuries that Afghanistan has existed, US, Russia and Britain have tried to subdue the Afghans with little or no success. The Sikhs won the only decisive real and unmatched victories against them. He stopped the plundering, looting and invasions of the Afghans so much so that the raiders were absolutely scared of him. So scared that they resorted to wearing feminine apparel, shalwar kameez (now known as the Pathan Suit), to escape his wrath since they knew that the Sikhs did not attack the defenceless and the weak including women and children. They earlier used to wear only a single robe garment similar to that worn by the Arabs. Afghan mothers used to silence their crying children by saying, “Khamosh bash- Haria raghle” (quiet child, Haria has come).

The editor of the Tit Bits newspaper of England wrote in one of his columns around 1881:-

"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, 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…."

Ballad
Bey - Bahut hoya Hari Singh doolo, jida naam raushan door-door saare,
Dilli Dakhan te CheenMacheen taayn, Baadshanha nu khaufzaroor saare,
Raja Karan te Bikramajit vaangu, Hatam Tai vaangu mashoor saare,
Kadaryar jahaan te nahi hone, sakhi oh budand hazur saare. 

                                  (Qadir Bakhsh urf Kadaryar in Kissa Sardar Hari Singh, c.1840)

Bey- Hari Singh was exceptionally brave; his name and fame travelled afar. Kings in Delhi, Deccan, China and Tibet trembled at the mere mention of his name. The legendary Raja Karan, Raja Bikramajit and Hatim Tai were all famous, said Kadaryar, but none could match him (Hari Singh) in philanthropy.