Who is Hari Singh Nalwa? Read all about the legendary Sikh Khalsa Fauj General's life

Hari Singh Nalwa was a legendary historical figure who was Commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Fauj in the Sikh Empire. He ran many successful conquests and captured Kashmir, Peshawar and Jamrud. He was responsible for the expansion of the Sikh Empire beyond the Indus River and also was known to be very brave and intelligent. He is usually depicted holding the mouth of a tiger open with his hands sporting bold and colourful outfits. 

A major motion film is also soon going to be made on the life of the great general. The film will be based on the book - Hari Singh Nalwa: Champion Of The Khalsaji (1791-1837) by Vanit Nalwa, who is a relative of the late general. The rights of the book have been acquired by Almighty Motion Picture and the producers are very excited to start the project. Read all about the life of Hari Singh Nalwa and his conquests:

Hari Singh Nalwa's early life

Hari Singh Nalwa was born in 1791 in Gujranwala, which was in the Majha region of Punjab. His father died in 1798 and Hari Singh Nalwa was raised by his mother. In 1801, Hari Singh was initiated as a Sikh and took Amrit Sanchar, which is one of the four Sikh Sanskaars. Hari Sigh also took up his father's duties at a very young age. When he was 12 years old, he took over his father's properties and also started horseriding. 

When Hari Singh reached the age of 14, he was already a very skilled musketeer. In 1804, his mother sent him to the court of Ranjit Singh to solve a dispute. Impressed by how skilled Hari Sigh was, Ranjit Singh gave him a position in his court. 

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Hari Singh Nalwa's military career

As mentioned earlier, Hari Sigh was very brave and once killed a tiger with his bare hands. He then took over the command of the Sikh Khalsa Fauj and led and helped in many of the Sikh's empire conquests. Take a look at his major three conquests:

Battle of Kasur (1807) 

Hari Singh's first battle was Battle of Kasur in 1807. In this battle, the entire army with the help of Jari Sigh was able to conquer  Kasur. Kasur was a very important place as it close to the capital city. The battle won him many favours and many army officials recognised the strength of Hari Sigh at that point.  

Jamrud (Khyber Pass) (1836)

Later in 1836, Hari Singh made a sudden attack on the village of Jamrud, at the mouth of the Khyber Pass. The people of this village were known to be very skilled and had no respect for authority. This conquest marked the Sikh's empire entry into the Hindu Kush Mountains area. 

Battle of Jamrud (1837) 

Battel of Jamrud was Hari Singh's last mission and it is also the battle in which he lost his life. The battle was very important as he had defended Jamrud and Peshawar from the Afghans' attack. This defeat and death would heavily cost the Sikh army later. 

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Hari Singh Nalwa's diplomatic mission

Hari Singh Nalwa headed a few diplomatic mission. He headed one with Lord William Bentinck, who was the Governor-General of British India. His other diplomatic mission was with the Indian Maharajas as well. 

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Hari Singh Nalwa's death

Hari Singh Nalwa died in the battle of Jamrud in 1837.  He was cremated in the Jamrud Fort near Khyber Pass. The entire Sikh nation mourned his death. 

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Promo Pic Credit: Ajab Gajab Facts' YouTube