The Baisakhi of 1801 was a momentous occasion for Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa—the two men who were to create the most empowering era in the history of the nineteenth century Indian subcontinent.

For 21-year-old Ranjit Singh, the day marked his official assumption of the title of ‘Sarkar’ (government) as the ruler of the Kingdom of the Sikhs. For ten-year-old Hari, the day marked his initiation into the fold of the Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh.

On conclusion of Khande-di-Pahul, the ceremony of initiation, Hari's surname would become ‘Singh’. For him, the event was no less significant than the coronation of a king. At the time, a similar change of suffix was usual in two other cases—among faquirs on their entering a religious order, or among heirs to the crown on ascending the throne.

Family

Hari was born in 1791 at Gujranwala, the capital city of the Sukharchakias before Lahore came into Ranjit Singh's possession. Hari's family was of 'Khatri' origin belonging to the Uppal tribe. The family had moved from Majitha, north of Amritsar, to Gujranwala in the eighteenth century.

Hari Singh's genealogy as recorded by the Panda (priests) in Haridwar reads, "Kshattriya Uppal resident of Gujranwala, Hari Singh son of Gurdas Singhji and grandson of Bishen Singhji..." The first entry in the 'Nalwa' family records was made in 1808, in Hari Singh's presence.

Hari Singh's grandfather was killed in 1762. His father accompanied Charrat Singh and Mahan Singh (Ranjit Singh's grandfather and father respectively) on all their expeditions, and received the village of Balloke near Shahdera as jagir (Griffin, 1865 : 184). Hari lost his father at the age of seven.

From Ten to Fourteen Years of Age

Details of Hari Singh's early life is recorded in ballads.

Ballad speaks...
Kabit
ਦਸਵੇਂ ਬਰਸ ਵਿਚ ਪਾਹੁਲ ਲੀਤੀ ਖੰਡੇ ਵਾਲੀ, ਛਕਿਆ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਖ਼ੁਸ਼ ਹੋਂਵਦੀ ਲੁਕਾਈ ਸੀ।
ਯਾਰਵੇਂ ਬਰਸ ਸਵਾਰੀ ਖ਼ੂਬ ਕਰਨ ਲਗਾ, ਸ਼ੇਰ ਵਾਂਗੂੰ ਗੱਜੇ ਵਿਚ ਕੁਵੱਤ ਇਲਾਹੀ ਸੀ।
ਬਾਰਵੇਂ ਬਰਸ ਰੀਤ ਫੜੀ ਸਰਦਾਰਾਂ ਵਾਲੀ, ਤੇਰਵੇਂ ਬਰਸ ਬਾਣੀ ਸਭ ਚਿਤ ਆਈ ਸੀ।
ਚੌਦਵੇਂ ਬਰਸ ਚਿਤ ਕਰੇ ਖੰਡਾ ਫੇਰਣੇ ਨੂੰ, ਸੀਤਾਰਾਮਾ ਰੱਤੀ ਜੋ ਨਸੀਬਾਂ ਵਾਲੀ ਛਾਈ ਸੀ।੩।।

(Sitarama in Amar Singh, 1903)

Dasvein baras vich Pahul leeti Khande vaali, chhakya Amrit khush honvdi lukaayi si,
Yaarvein baras swari khoob karan lagga, sher vaangu gajjey vich quvvat ilaahi si,
Baarvein baras reet phari Sardaran wali, tervein baras Baani sabh chitt aayee si,
Chaudhvein baras chit kare khanda pherney nu, Sitarama ratti jo naseeban wali chhayee si.

In his tenth year, he took Khande-di-pahul which was a source of joy for all (initiated into the fold of the Khalsa).
In his eleventh year, he displayed expert horsemanship, could roar like a lion, and was blessed with immense God-gifted strength.
By the age of twelve, he displayed leadership qualities. By the age of thirteen, he could recite Gurbani (Sikh Scriptures) from memory.
At fourteen, says Sitarama, he aspired to become an expert swordsman and destiny fully favoured him.

On conclusion of Khande-di-pahul, the ceremony of initiation, ten-year-old Hari came into the fold of the Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh at which time his surname became 'Singh'.

According to Amarnath, Maharaja Ranjit Singh bestowed the title of 'Sardar' or Chief on Hari Singh in 1804. Barely thirteen years of age, he was commissioned to command 800 men comprising both sowars(cavalry) and piyade (infantry).

Reference
Amarnath (19th century). Zafarnama-i-Ranjit Singh, ed. Sita Ram Kohli. Lahore : University of Panjab, 1928, (Persian), p. 31.

At Fifteen Years of Age

While still in his teens, Hari Singh earned the cognomen 'Nalwa' from the Maharaja after he "killed a tiger single-handed on horseback, with the sacrifice, however, of his horse" (Prinsep, 1834 : 125).

Ballad speaks...
Kabit
ਪੰਦ੍ਰਵੇਂ ਬਰਸ ਖੂਬ ਪਹਿਣਕੇ ਹਥਿਆਰ ਯਾਰੋ, ਪੈਦਲ ਘੋਲ ਕਰ ਸ਼ੇਰ ਬਾਘ ਸੁਟ ਮਾਰਦਾ।
ਸੁੰਦਰ ਸਰੂਪ ਤੇਜ ਕੋਈ ਨ ਸੰਭਾਲ ਸਕੇ, ਮੁਖੜਾ ਦੀਦਾਰੀ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਲਾਲ ਦਮਕਾਰਦਾ।
ਬਾਲਪਣ ਦੀ ਸੋਭਾ ਗੁਣ ਸੁਣ ਸੂਰਮੇ ਦੇ, ਛੋਡ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਸ਼ਤਰੂਆਂ ਨੇ ਅੰਨ ਪਾਣੀ ਘਾਰ ਦਾ।
ਸੀਤਾਰਾਮਾ ਨਾਮ ਧਾਮ ਸੋਲਵੇਂ ਬਰਸ, ਹੋ ਗਿਆ ਮਸ਼ਹੂਰ ਹਰੀ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਰਦਾਰ ਦਾ।।੪।।

(Sitarama in Amar Singh, 1903)

Pandrvein baras khoob pehen ke hathiyaar yaaro, paidal ghol kar sher bagh sutt maarda,
Sundar saroop tej koi naa sambhaal sakke, mukhra deedari jivein laal damkaarda,
Baalpan di shobha gunn sunn soorme de, chhod ditta shatruan ne ann-paani ghaarda,
Sitarama naam dhaam solvein baras, ho gya mash-hoor Hari Singh Sardar da.

By the age of fifteen, fully armed he wrestled a tiger to its death.
He was extremely good-looking and his aura sparkled.
So formidable was the reputation he had gained since childhood that the mere mention of his name was enough to make the enemy forsake food and water.
By the age of sixteen, says Sitarama, Sardar Hari Singh had gained a great reputation.

For administrative purposes, the Kingdom of the Sikhs was divided into four subahs or provinces—Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and Kashmir.

Hari Singh served as governor of :
1820-21 : Subah of Kashmir—now a part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir (India).
1822-37 : Greater Hazara—a part of the Sikh Subah of Lahore, now a part of Punjab (Pakistan).
1834-37 : Subah of Peshawar—trans-Indus, now a part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan).

From 1822 onwards, Hari Singh Nalwa governed the entire north-west region of the Sikh Kingdom—territory falling within the subahs of Peshawar and Lahore—either as governor or in the capacity of jagirdar (feudal lord). His administrative jurisdiction covered one-third of the territory of the Sikh Kingdom. The territories under his authority later became the British Districts of Peshawar, Hazara, Attock (Chhachch, Hassan Abdal), Jehlum (Pindi Gheb, Katas), Mianwali (Kachhi), Shahpur (Warcha, Mitha Tiwana, Nurpur), Dera Ismail Khan (Bannu, Tank, Kundi), Rawalpindi (Rawalpindi, Kallar) and Gujranwala.

Kashmir (1820-21)
Hari Singh Nalwa was appointed the first Khalsa Governor of Kashmir in 1820. He governed the province for a little over a year, when the pull of the Sikh Forward Policy compelled his recall from the province.

The currency minted by Hari Singh Nalwa in Kashmir when he was the governor, came to be called the 'Hari Singhee'. Following his departure from this subah, all the coins minted under the Sikhs in this province were called the 'Hari Singhee'. Thereafter, no matter who was the governor, all coins minted in Kashmir continued to be called the 'Hari Singhee'. Even following Hari Singh's death in 1837, the coin continued to be thus called (Ganeshi Lal 1846 : (4) 23).

Muslim and British historians criticised Hari Singh's tenure as the Governor of Kashmir. Archival records show that their assessment was based on an incomplete understanding of the situation.

Reference
Ganeshi Lal, (March-June 1846). Siyahat-i-Kashmir (Kashmir Nama or Tarikh-i-Kashmir), tr. Vidya Sagar Suri, 1955. Simla : The Punjab Government Record Office, monograph no. 4.

Greater Hazara (1822-37)
Nalwa’s executive control along the cis-Indus frontier commenced in Hazara (Darband), the junction between the outer- and mid- Himalayan ranges, and stretched to Nurpur in the Thal—south of the Salt Range. The term ‘Greater Hazara’ is used here to denote the entire extent of territory under him. In antiquity, Greater Hazara was part of Gandhara or Gandharva country. It later became a part of Chandragupta’s Mauryan Empire (325-185 BCE), when it is referred to as ‘Urasa’.

The Pothohar plateau and Rawalpindi lay between Chhachch or Chhachh in Hazara (centring about the town of Hazro), and the Salt Range (Katas). All these places formed a part of the Lahore subah. All the subahs barring Lahore, were administered by one governor. Hari Singh was concurrently the Governor of the Lahore and the Peshawar subahs.

In the nineteenth century, salt was a very precious commodity. Hari Singh Nalwa’s administrative headquarter at Katas in the Salt Range, is one of the few Sikh monuments still preserved by the Government of Pakistan.

Trans-Indus—Peshawar (1834-37)
From 1822 onwards, Hari Singh Nalwa was the 'Viceroy on the Western Frontier' of the Sikh Kingdom. Peshawar became tributary to the Sikhs in 1818. Hari Singh Nalwa was assigned the duty of keeping the ‘dab daba kayam’, i.e. make the power of the Sikhs felt along this frontier.

Peshawar was occupied by the Sikhs in 1834, at which time Nalwa was appointed its governor. He was again appointed the governor in 1836. He held this administrative position together with his role as the Commander-in-Chief of the Sikh army along this frontier.

Hari Singh Nalwa was assisted in the administration of this volatile region by his Jagirdari Fauj (army raised in consideration of the value of his fiefdom). His personal army, together with the two battalions raised by him for the Fauj-i-Khas (an elite force), were largely responsible for guarding the western frontier of the kingdom and keeping law and order till Hari Singh's death in 1837.

In 350 BCE, Brahmins held sway in the trans-Indus region of the Indian subcontinent. Panini, the greatest Sanskrit scholar and grammarian the world has known came from Salatura. According to Hiuen Tsiang, this town was renowned for literary talent, great knowledge and the intellectual ability of its Brahmins. So persistent and horrific were the Muslim invasions from the west that by the nineteenth century the river Indus had become the 'forbidden river' for the Hindus. It was said, "…no pious Hindoo will venture to go beyond it of his own accord, for fear of losing caste" (Vigne, 1840 : 30).

Hari Singh Nalwa broke an 800-year old psychological barrier of Muslim domination in this region of the Indian subcontinent, by annexing a large part of the Kingdom of Kabul (Ahmad Shah Abdali’s Afghan Empire) to the Kingdom of the Sikhs. The secular rule of the Sikhs, empowered the non-Muslims inhabiting the trans- Satluj and Indus regions of the Indian subcontinent (Nalwa, 2009 : 288-9).

"The natives of India, are not much addicted to curious investigation" wrote an Englishman in the eighteenth century, "and are generally inattentive to the history of their own country" (Forster, 1798 : (1) 15). Contrary to the Englishman’s observations, Hari Singh Nalwa was reportedly inquisitive and put forth a variety of questions to visitors. The Sardar was well informed on the statistics of many European States and the policy of the East India Company. When Hügel, an Austrian, and Vigne, an Englishman, visited him he requested them for information about the names of the different countries in Europe, their capitals and extent, and took notes for his own information (Vigne, 1842 : (1) 235-6; Hügel, 1845 : 255).

Not only was Hari Singh Nalwa a talented military commander, he was open-minded and constantly endeavoured to extend the boundary of his knowledge. His achievements show that he was never afraid of failures and took unimaginable risks. His leadership qualities were exceptional and he inspired his men into action. He was so generous that his spirit of philanthropy entered the ballads of the time :

Ballad speaks...
ਬੇ—ਬਹੁਤ ਹੋਇਆ ਹਰੀ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੂਲੋ, ਜਿਹਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਰੌਸ਼ਨ ਦੂਰ ਦੂਰ ਸਾਰੇ।
ਦਿੱਲੀ ਦੱਖਣ ਤੇ ਚੀਨ ਮਾਚੀਨ ਤਾਈਂ, ਬਾਦਸ਼ਾਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਖ਼ੌਫ਼ ਜ਼ਰੂਰ ਸਾਰੇ।
ਰਾਜਾ ਕਰਣ ਤੇ ਬਿਕ੍ਰਮਾਜੀਤ ਵਾਂਗੂੰ, ਹਾਤਮਤਾਈ ਵਾਂਗੂੰ ਮਸ਼ਹੂਰ ਸਾਰੇ।
ਕਾਦਰਯਾਰ ਜਹਾਨ ਤੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋਣੇ, ਸਖੀ ਉਹ ਬੁਲੰਦ ਹਜ਼ੂਰ ਸਾਰੇ।।੨।।

(Qadir Bakhsh urf Kadaryar, 1840)

Bey—Bahut hoya Hari Singh doolo, jida naam raushan door-door saare,
Dilli Dakhan te Cheen Macheen taayn, Baadshanha nu khauf zaroor saare,
Raja Karan te Bikramajit vaangu, Hatam Tai vaangu mashoor saare,
Kadaryar jahaan te nahi hone, sakhi oh buland hazur saare. [2]

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, says Kadaryar,
But none could match him (Hari Singh) in philanthropy. [2]

Towns

There are many famous towns, forts, gardens and shrines associated with Hari Singh Nalwa’s name.

Some famous towns associated with Hari Singh Nalwa include :
Gujranwala (Punjab, Pakistan) : Maharaja Ranjit Singh gave his ancestral lands of Gujranwala to Hari Singh Nalwa as jagir around 1815. In the twenty-two years that Nalwa held Gujranwala as a jagir (1815-1837), he transformed it from being an inconsequential hamlet in the late eighteenth century, to a chief town in the nineteenth.

Reverend Cave-Browne visited Gujranwala in the 1850’s and reported that Hari Singh Nalwa was remembered as the greatest benefactor of the place, being credited with having built its 'New Town'.

In the twenty-first century, Gujranwala is a flourishing city in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Haripur (Hazara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) : Hari Singh Nalwa was given Hazara in jagir by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1822, following his victory in the battle of Mangal and the conquest of Damtaur.

Between 1822-23, Nalwa commenced building a new town in the midst of the most hostile area in the Hazara plains. This was a planned town, with the natural features being used to its great advantage. Initially, the town was protected with a thick wall and a strong fort in its vicinity, provided it additional security. When the Austrian-German, Baron Hügel, visited the place in the mid 1830’s, he found it a flourishing town. At this time, such a sense of security prevailed that the protective wall around the town had crumbled (Hügel, 1845 : 207).

Forts

The most famous forts built by Hari Singh Nalwa include :
Peshawar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) : the fort was built on the site of the Bala Hissar of the Mughal/Afghans by Hari Singh, who renamed it Sumergarh. The fort built by the Sikhs continues to overlook the city of Peshawar in the 21st century.

Katas (Salt Range, Punjab, Pakistan) : the fort can still be seen in the midst of Hindu and Buddhist temples in Katas Raj.

Gujranwala (Punjab, Pakistan) This fort was destroyed by the British following the annexation of Punjab.

Harkishangarh (Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) : vestiges of this fort can still be seen.

Gardens

Hari Singh ka Bagh

Hari Singh was an avid lover of nature and a great promoter of horticulture. The highest appreciation for Nalwa’s private garden at Gujranwala comes from Baron Hügel, who had devoted his life to the study of natural history.

“The splendour of the rooms in the palace did not excite my admiration nearly so much as the garden, which was the most beautiful and best kept I had seen in India. The trees were loaded with oranges, of the same kind known in China as Mandarin oranges, but much larger and finer, here called the Santreh orange; Hari Singh has also transported the plane-tree from Kashmir, which seems to flourish exceedingly well in its new locality. An odour almost overwhelming ascended from the jonquils, which were in immense abundance, and of an incredibly large size. Nothing, in fact, could be more carefully adorned with lovely flowers and plants of various kinds, than this garden, which evidently formed one of the chief delights, and sometimes the occupation of its owner: it reminded me of my own at home.” (Hügel, 1845: 253-4)

Nalwa’s garden had some fine cypress trees and two or three large vineries. It became famous in Punjab for its variety of rare trees and plants. Many years later, when Malta oranges were introduced in Punjab they were first grown there.

Hari Singh provided large open green spaces in the form of gardens in the outskirts of towns he built and/or administered. There were three Hari Singh ka Baghs to be found in the Kingdom of the Sikhs.

Amritsar (Punjab, India)

In Amritsar, Hari Singh ka Bagh was located to the east of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Rambagh palace. The place was outside the walled city of Amritsar, on the Batala road. It was used as an encamping ground for Hari Singh Nalwa’s forces when on a visit to the Holy City. In the early nineteenth century there was a large lake in its vicinity, which made it well-suited for camping. A haveli for residence of the Sardar and his family stood within the confines of the Bagh.

Srinagar (Kashmir, India)

In Srinagar, Hari Singh Nalwa’s garden was situated on the right bank of the Jehlum :

“The river passes within half a mile of the foot of the Tukt, and is nearly two hundred and fifty yards in width, before it enters the city. Its banks are fringed with willows, and among them is a summer-house, with a white cupola, built by the Sikh governor, Huri Singh. An avenue of poplars of nearly a mile in length, runs through the cornfields parallel to it, from the foot of the Tukt, to the Amir’s bridge; close to which is the Shyr Gurh (the city fort), or residence of the Governor…” (Vigne, 1842: (2) 64).

Haripur (Hazara)

Northeast of the fort of Harkishangarh, in the direction of Sikanderpur (Town of Alexander), was an orchard in Haripur known as Hari Singh ka Bagh. The British later converted a portion of Hari Singh ka Bagh at Haripur into a cemetery.

“Pretty little canals cut out of the Dor stream run racing about the town. The borders of Haripur are draped with a voluptuous profusion of jasmine flowers and garden full of prunes and apricots and mango and mulberry. The cool shades of the gardens and flowing canals make Haripur a little, poor man’s paradise in hot summer.” wrote Puran Singh, a poet and resident of Hazara in the early 20th century.

Shrines

Hari Singh Nalwa built a number of religious shrines, including two mosques—one in Haripur and another in Gujranwala (Prem Singh Hoti 1937 : 268).

Panja Sahib Gurdwara in Hassan Abdal (north of Rawalpindi, Pakistan) : Hari Singh Nalwa built this Gurdwara and named it Panja Sahib (Shahamet Ali, 1849: 158-9). This shrine continues to attract a large number of Sikhs from around the world in the 21st century.

Akal Takht, Amritsar : Hari Singh Nalwa was remembered in the holy city of Amritsar (Punjab, India) for the embellishments he commissioned within the Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex. He had wished to make the Akal Takht resplendent with gold and had donated a part of his wealth for this purpose.

The oral tradition has been robust in the Indian subcontinent and nowhere more than in Punjab. The Punjab Census Report of 1881, revealed the presence of over 150,000 minstrels in the erstwhile Sikh Kingdom (Ibbetson, 1883: 232-3). These wandering musicians sang ballads, folklore and other traditional forms of poetry that often carried a socio-political message. They drew the attention of their audience to the significance of a past event in the light of prevailing conditions. Their songs highlighted acts of heroism.

Reference

Ibbetson, D. (1883). Panjab Castes, rpt.1970. Patiala: Languages Department.

Conquest of Sialkot

In 1808, Sardar Jeevan Singh Sialkotia clashed with the fauj or army of the Lahore Darbar. Amar Singh recounted Hari Singh’s role in the conquest of Sialkot. Besides the information culled from Sitarama’s poetic rendition of Hari Singh’s life, this nineteenth-century author/poet also incorporated the narrative of an 85-year-old Sikh soldier. His referral had served as a Subedar of a paltan (platoon) for 28 years in the Sikh Army. He had seen Hari Singh Nalwa many a time. He had also heard of the Sardar’s exploits from those who personally knew him (Amar Singh, 1903 : 2-3).

According to the Subedar’s version, Sardar Hari Singh led the Lahore forces in the Battle of Sialkot. Both sides were evenly matched. On the second day, the Sardar stormed the Qila (fort) along with Hukma Singh Chimni. He scaled the wall and planted the Sikh standard atop the fort (Amar Singh, 1903 : 14-15).

Kadaryar confirms Hari Singh Nalwa’s participation in the conquest of Sialkot :

Ballad speaks...
ਕਾਫ਼—ਕੋਈ ਜਹਾਨ ਤੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋਨਾ, ਹਰੀ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੇਹਾ ਵੱਡੀ ਓਟ ਵਾਲਾ।
ਪਹਿਲਾ ਹਥ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਦਸਿਆਸੂ, ਕਿਲਾ ਫ਼ਤਿਹ ਕੀਤਾ ਸਿਆਲਕੋਟ ਵਾਲਾ।
ਦੂਜਾ ਹਥ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਦਸਿਆ ਸੂ, ਕਿਲਾ ਮਾਰ ਮੋਇਆ ਜਮਰੌਦ ਵਾਲਾ।
ਕਾਦਰਯਾਰ ਜਹਾਨ ਤੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਰਹਿਣਾ, ਲਸ਼ਕਰ ਮਿਲ ਗਿਆ ਜੇ ਮੁਲਕੁਲ ਮੌਤ ਵਾਲਾ।।੨੨।।

(Qadir Bakhsh urf Kadaryar, 1840)

Kaaf—Koi jahaan te naahi hona, Hari Singh jeha vaddi oat wala,
Pehla hatth Sarkar nu dassya su, Qila fateh keeta Sialkot wala,
Dooja hatth Sarkar nu dassya su, Qila maar moya Jamrud wala,
Kadaryar jahaan te naahi rahena, lashkar milgeya je malkul maut wala. [22]

Kaaf—There is no one in the world who matches Hari Singh’s monumental stature.
His career commenced with the conquest of the fort of Sialkot,
His second major achievement before the Sarkar was when he died defending the fort of Jamrud.
No one, however, lives on in this world when death beckons, says Kadaryar. [22]

Family records maintained by the Pandas in Haridwar, an invaluable source of authentic historical information, provide details of dharamarth grants made by Nalwa to the priests of this place. It was commonplace to bestow a grant on priests, mendicants, religious institutions to mark a significant event in an individual’s life :

Fact or Fiction?

The author of the book 'Hari Singh Nalwa―Champion of the Khalsaji' observes :

Feminine apparel for Pashtuns
In accordance with the teaching of their Guru, the Sikhs did not attack the defenceless or the weak : this included children, women, mendicants and the elderly. Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa advised the Pathans that they could escape the wrath of an infuriated Sikh, were they to adorn the dress of a woman.

In Punjab, the shalwar kameez is feminine apparel. The shalwar is a loose trouser with a stiff border at the ankle, while the kameez was a loose shirt falling to the knees. In India, this dress came to be popularly known as the 'Punjabi suit'. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, men still wear its variant―the 'Pathan suit'.

The following is the gist of an open letter written by Miangul Aurangzeb, the Wali of Swat, to the Taliban, at the time when the Taliban were preaching and enforcing strict dress and conduct codes for the women in the areas that fell under their control :

"At the outset I want to record that you all must love me very much as you have decided not to take over my property in Swat unlike those you have taken over of other landed families. I am therefore emboldened to believe that I have the privilege of sharing some historical facts for you to know about and I urge you to absorb the same before you continue your campaign of moral policing, especially when it comes to the manner of dressing and code of conduct for women.

The Sikh army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, under the leadership of Hari Singh Nalwa came to the Frontier in the 1820's and swiftly conquered our ancestors. It is the only time in recorded history that our people were ruled over by foreigners. The locals were so utterly terrified of the Sikh army that they used to hide every time the Sikhs came into view. Those that decided to resist were met with ruthlessness. During this time, the word was spread around that the Sikhs did not harm elderly people, women and children and that the local men who did not wish to earn wrath of the Sikhs should wear the garb of Punjabi women, which was the Salwar-Kameez. At that time in our history both men and women alike, wore only a single-robe garment (similar to that worn by the Arabs) and the Sikhs would not harm any man either when wearing the Salwar-Kameez.

So you see, our men happily adopted the garb of Punjabi women since they were too terrified to stand up and they have adopted the garb as being theirs' ever since. I am very intrigued to see that you are following in the footsteps of your ancestors by wearing the adopted Punjabi women's garb as your own, but now go around preaching and coercing our women as to how they should be living their lives! I suggest that take a deep look inside yourselves, given this historical perspective."

Sincerely,

Miangul Aurangzeb,
Wali of Swat.

Reproduced verbatim from 'Nishaan Nagaara', a magazine published by The Nagaara Trust, III/2009, p. 45.

Mistaken Identity!

[Right, top] The photograph supposedly shows Hari Singh Nalwa in the company of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. That this was not a photograph of Hari Singh Nalwa was clear merely from the chronology of events. Hari Singh Nalwa died in 1837 at the age of 46. The supposed Hari Singh Nalwa in the picture is a young man. Though the earliest camera adapted to making a permanent image was developed in the 1820s, photography was first used in India in 1840. Moreover, the dress of those featured in the photograph did not bear resemblance to the mode of the Sikhs.
The photograph in question features Sher Ali, son of Dost Mohammed Khan, two of his advisors and four firangis. The two Afghans standing together behind Sher Ali were mistaken for Hari Singh Nalwa and Fakir Aziz-ud-din.

[Right, bottom] Amir Sher Ali Khan (seated in the centre) ruled for two spells, from 1863-66 and again from 1868-79.

Complicity of Gulab Singh

The year Hari Singh Nalwa was killed in the Battle of Jamrud, the author of Tawarikh Guru Khalsa, Giani Gian Singh, was aged fifteen. Ranjit Singh had appointed the young lad to read out the Holy Scriptures to him.

Some people believed that there was antagonism between the Jammu Dogras and Hari Singh. The revenue collection of Peshawar was in the hands of Gulab Singh Dogra. Yar Mohammed of Peshawar owed thirteen and a half lakh rupees to the Lahore Darbar. Gulab Singh colluded with the Khan. In the Battle of Jamrud, when Sardar Hari Singh was driving the enemy ahead of him, one of Gulab Singh's men in the Sikh army shot the Sardar in his back, from behind. The Sardar stooped over the neck of his horse. At the time people merely suspected Gulab Singh, but when he forgave Yar Mohammed's dues—his complicity became more apparent. Bijay Singh Dogra revealed this information. The Sikhs were greatly pained. Following this, at Gulab Singh's specific request Ranjit Singh granted him Hari Singh's territory. On seeing the treatment meted out to a great Sardar who had conquered so many lands for the Lahore Darbar, many Sikh Sardars were disheartened. Following the death of Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa, no further conquest was made in the direction of the north-west frontier.

(Giani Gian Singh 19th cent.: 390)

The Lahore Court chronicle confirms Gulab Singh's appointment to collect the revenue of Peshawar in 1835 (Sohan Lal Suri 19th cent.: III (2), f. 253). There was, however, one inconsistency in the Giani's narrative. Yar Mohammed died in 1828. The author either incorrectly referred to him, or used his name to refer to the Peshawar Barakzais in general.

Reference
Giani Gian Singh. (1892). Tawarikh Guru Khalsa, ed. K.S Raju, 1999. Patiala: Languages Department, (Gurmukhi).
Suri, Sohan Lal. (19th century). Umdat-ut-tawarikh Daftar III, Part (2), English tr. V.S. Suri, 2002. Amritsar : Guru Nanak Dev University (original in Persian).