In news- 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 in the Afghan state.
About Hari Singh Nalwa-
- Hari Singh Nalwa was born in Gujranwala, in the Majha region of Punjab to Dharam Kaur and Gurdial Singh Uppal, in a Sikh Uppal Khatri family.
- He was one of the main and most trustworthy commanders of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s force.
- He was Commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Fauj, the army of the Sikh Empire.
- He was responsible for expanding the frontier of Sikh Empire beyond the Indus River right up to the mouth of the Khyber Pass.
- He served as governor of Kashmir, Peshawar and Hazara.
- He established a mint on behalf of the Sikh Empire to facilitate revenue collection in Kashmir 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.
- At the age of 16, in the Battle of Kasur (1807) he defeated Afghani ruler Kutab-ud-din Khan.
- In the Battle of Attock (1813) Nalwa along with other commanders won against Azim Khan and his brother Dost Mohammad Khan 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.
- In the Battle of Jamrud (1837), where Hari Singh Nalwa had died, Dost Muhammad Khan along with his five sons participated against Sikh army.
Source: The Indian Express
