On 14 March 1823, the great Jathedar Akali Phoola Singh Ji attained martyrdom in the Battle of Nowshera. Akali Baba Phoola Singh Ji was a Nihang Singh who served as the Jathedar of the Shiromani Panth Akali Budha Dal and Sri Akal Takht. At the age of 62, he devoted each and every day of his life to the Guru. Such souls appear only rarely in this world. Gurbani says: “Janam maran duhhoo meh naahee jan par-upkaaree aaye ॥” Meaning: such souls are beyond the cycle of birth and death; they come to the world to do good and to serve humanity. Phoola Singh was born in 1761 to Sardar Ishar Singh and Mata Hari Kaur. In the Malwa region, moving towards the Bangar side beyond Sunam and Budhlada, the Bangar belt begins towards Haryana where Bangaru people live. In that area, in the village of Dehlan, Baba Phoola Singh Ji was born in the home of Baba Ishar Singh. In Sikh tradition, on the 21st day after a child is born, a Hukamnama is taken from Sri Adi Granth Sahib and the child is named accordingly. The Hukamnama came: “Phirat phirat bhete jan saadhoo poorai gur samjhaayaa ॥ Aan sagal bidh kaam na aavai har har naam dhi-aa-i-aa ॥1॥” From this, his name was chosen with the letter “F” (Ph). Baba Ishar Singh Ji, Akali Baba Naina Singh Ji, and Baba Tapa Singh Ji were three brothers. Baba Ishar Singh Ji was a householder, while Akali Baba Naina Singh Ji and Akali Baba Tapa Singh Ji were ascetics (bihangam). From a young age, all three lived at Damdama Sahib (Sabo Ki Talwandi) and learned the Adi Granth, Dasam Granth, and Sarbloh Granth from Baba Deep Singh Ji, along with weapons training and horse riding. They shared deep love for one another, were martial warriors, and lovers of Gurbani. In earlier times, many Singhs memorized the Bani of the Adi Granth, Dasam Granth, and Sarbloh Granth. When Akali Baba Phoola Singh Ji was about one year old, his father Baba Ishar Singh Ji (a Nihang Singh) attained martyrdom in the Vadda Ghallughara in February 1761. In his final moments, he entrusted Phoola Singh to his two brothers, asking them to raise him as a servant of the Panth and connect him to the Guru. Baba Naina Singh and Baba Tapa Singh raised him, nourished him with Gurmat, trained him in weapons and horse riding, and he grew into a fearless warrior. At that time, the Jathedar of the Shiromani Panth Akali Budha Dal was Akali Baba Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. After he passed away in 1784, the Panth gathered to choose the next Jathedar—someone spiritually grounded and brave. The Panth’s attention turned to Akali Baba Naina Singh Ji, who was deeply rooted in Gurmat and highly skilled in martial training. He was appointed Jathedar and served remarkably well, spreading Sikhi and keeping Phoola Singh close to him. From a young age, Akali Phoola Singh became highly proficient in horse riding, marksmanship, swordsmanship, and other heroic skills. He served the Panth with Baba Naina Singh according to the needs of the time, and after Baba Naina Singh’s passing, he was unanimously appointed Jathedar of the Misal. After Naina Singh’s death, he settled in Amritsar (where the Akali Phoola Singh Bunga stands today). The Sikh Misal governments entrusted him with the seva of Akal Takht and granted jagirs to support the armed Singhs under his command. In 1802, Maharaja Ranjit Singh decided to capture Amritsar, which was under the control of the Bhangi Misal. When Akali Ji learned about this, he was deeply pained at the prospect of Sikhs fighting Sikhs. With wisdom and diplomacy, he intervened and stopped the battle, preventing Sikh bloodshed. Thereafter, Maharaja Ranjit Singh held deep respect and affection for Akali Ji, sought his guidance in crucial matters, and relied on his support in difficult campaigns. The Maharaja formed a regiment named “Akal” under Akali Ji’s command and appointed him its leader. Most of Akali Ji’s life passed in wars and campaigns for establishing and strengthening Sikh rule—Kasur, Attock, Kashmir, Hazara, Peshawar, Multan, and more. His final battle was the frontier battle of Nowshera. The Afghan king arrived with more than 50,000 soldiers to confront the Khalsa in the open fields of Nowshera. The Khalsa prepared for war and performed Ardas. But because the cannons had not yet arrived from the rear, Maharaja Ranjit Singh ordered the army to wait until noon. When Akali Ji learned of this delay, he declared: “We have already performed Ardas in the presence of the Guru. It is not right to turn back now. We will advance and fight; victory is in the hands of the Tenth Master. Turning back after Ardas is not the way of the Khalsa.” Saying this, he crossed the river with 1,500 cavalry and charged towards the fort, cutting through enemy formations and sending thousands of Pathans to their end. Seeing his courage, the Maharaja ordered the rest of the army forward. Akali Ji breached the fort wall with his horsemen and fought with such fearless determination that the enemy lines collapsed. While raising the flag of victory, he was struck by seven bullets and attained martyrdom on 14 March 1823. His martyrdom was a profound shock to the Maharaja. His cremation was performed there with full military honors. Later, when attempts were made to sell portions of land near his cremation site, Sikhs filed a legal case; on 18 July 1918, the verdict went in favor of the Sikhs, and the land was placed under the supervision of the Shiromani Akali Dal. Among the Pathans who escaped was one named Mulla Rashid, considered a brave man. When asked when he would wage jihad against the Singhs again, he replied that he had abandoned forever the idea of facing the Singhs in open combat. He said he would only reconsider if given a spear so long that he could stand on border peaks and target Singhs from afar. He then kissed his feet and said that only because of these feet he had escaped; otherwise, he too would have been cut down like thousands of his companions. Such was the fear Akali Phoola Singh Ji inspired in the hearts of the Pathans. Akali Phoola Singh Ji was not only a fearless commander but also a strict guardian of Sikh discipline and Maryada. He would not tolerate violations of Maryada by anyone. Even Maharaja Ranjit Singh was once declared “tankhaiya” for acting against Maryada and was ordered punishment in front of Akal Takht; the Maharaja accepted the order with humility. When Maharaja Jind later sought refuge at Anandpur Sahib under Akali Ji during tensions with the British, Akali Ji did not push him away despite British pressure, as that would have been against Sikh ethics. Alongside his martial greatness, Akali Phoola Singh Ji was deeply spiritual. Under his leadership, he rendered major service towards Sikh causes and gurdwara reforms, travelled widely for seva, yet kept his base in Amritsar. In Amritsar, the “Akali Dal Phoola Singh Akali Bunga” and the Nihang cantonment are dedicated to his name. He was not a householder. Author: Zorawar Singh Tarsikka Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
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