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Hari Singh Nalwa

  • August 28, 2021
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Hari Singh Nalwa

Subject – History

Context – Hari Singh Nalwa, a legendary Sikh commander, tamed the turbulent forces at play in Afghanistan and earned the reputation of the most feared Sikh warrior there.

Concept –

  • He was one of the main and most trustworthy commanders of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s force.
  • He remained Governor of Kashmir, Hazara and Peshawar.
  • He defeated various Afghans and established control over various regions along the boundary of Afghanistan and prevented Afghans from entering Punjab through Khyber pass, which was the main route to enter India by the foreign invaders from 1000 AD till early 19th century.
  • When Afghans were repeatedly coming to Punjab and Delhi, Maharaja Ranjit Singh decided to have a secure empire and he had formed two types of armies one organized by employing French, German, Italian, Russians Greeks etc. with modern type of weapons etc. and other army was under Hari Singh Nalwa, who was biggest strengths of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and who had defeated thousands of Hazars, a tribe of Afghanistan, with less than three times their strength.
  • For his bravery and ferocity, the government of India released a stamp on the name of Nalwa in 2013.
  • Hari Singh Nalwa participated in various battles against Afghans because of which Afghans lost their control over various Afghan-held territories and most of these battles were fought under the command of Hari Singh Nalwa.
    • Like in 1807, at the age of 16, he participated in the battle of Kasur (now in Pakistan) and defeated Afghani ruler Kutab-ud-din Khan.
    • In the Battle of Attock (in 1813) Nalwa along with other commanders won against Azim Khan and his brother Dost Mohammad Khan, who fought on behalf of Shah Mahmud of Kabul and this was the first major victory of the Sikhs over the Durrani Pathans.
    • In 1818, Sikh army under Nalwa won the Battle of Peshawar and Nalwa asked to be stationed there.
    • Nalwa took control over Jamrud in 1837, a fort at the entryway to Afghanistan through Khyber Pass.
    • Historians said that in the battle of Jamrud, where Hari Singh Nalwa had died, Dost Muhammad Khan along with his five sons participated against Sikh army which was limited in number (around 600) with limited supplies.
  • He was also called ‘Bagh Maar’ (killer of tiger) after an attack by a tiger on him during a hunting expedition.
  • Then Maharaja Ranjit Singh after hearing this incident called him ‘Wah Mere Raja Nal Wah’. ‘Nal’ was a king in the epic Mahabharat who was noted for his bravery.
  • His father Gurdial Singh died when he was just seven in 1798 and his maternal uncle had raised him.
Hari Singh Nalwa History

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