Naina Singh (

fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...

18th century), also known as Narayan Singh, was a

Nihang The Nihang (also spelt as Nihung lit. "Crocodiles") or Akali (lit. "Immortals"), also known as '' Dal Khalsa'', is an armed Sikh warrior order originating in the Indian subcontinent. Nihangs are believed to have originated either from Fateh Sin ...

warrior and fifth

Jathedar A jathedar () is a leader of high regard chosen to head and ensure discipline within a jatha, a troop of Sikhs. In modern-times, the term is used to in-reference to leaders of Sikh spiritual organizations, such as any of the Panj Takhts. Hist ...

of Budha Dal and a chief of the Shaheedan Misl during the late 18th century.

Biography

Early life

Very little is known or can be assured about the early life of Naina Singh. He was born as Narayan Singh around 1736, into a

Sidhu Sidhu is a Punjabi Jat clan found in Punjab. The Sidhus have had a significant impact on Sikh history. Etymology and origin During British Raj, historians like HA.Rose and Alexander Cunningham note an account of local bards (bhatts) hi ...

Jat The Jat people (, ), also spelt Jaat and Jatt, are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, many Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in l ...

family, in Khudi Kurd located in

Barnala Barnala is a city in the Indian state of Punjab. Barnala city serves as the headquarters of the Barnala district which was formed in 2006. Prior to the formation of Barnala district, the city was located in Sangrur district. It is a centrally ...

district. According to

Harbans Singh Harbans Singh (6 March 1921 – 30 May 1998) was an educationist, administrator, scholar and the editor-in-chief of the ''Encyclopaedia of Sikhism''. He was respected for his contributions to Sikh scholarship and Punjabi literary studies and ha ...

, he must have been alive in or before 1734, the year

Baba Darbara Singh Baba Darbara Singh (1644 – July 1734), also known as Diwan Darbara Singh, was second Jathedar of Budha Dal and third leader of the Akal Takht. He should not be confused with other Darbara Singh of Sirhind who fought in the Battle of Anandpur ...

passed away, because Naina Singh had received the '' Pahul'' rites under the supervision of Darbara Singh. He was also caretaker of Darbar Sahib. He learned

Gurbani Gurbani (, pronunciation: , lit. the Guru's words) is a Sikh term, very commonly used by Sikhs to refer to various compositions by the Sikh Gurus and other writers of Guru Granth Sahib. In general, hymns in the central text of the Sikhs, the Gu ...

and martial skills from

Baba Deep Singh Baba Deep Singh (26 January 1682 – 13 November 1757) is revered among Sikhs as one of the most hallowed martyrs in Sikhism. He is remembered for his sacrifice and devotion to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus. Baba Deep Singh was the fir ...

. He became associated with the Shaheedan Misl. He joined Budha Dal at the age of 20, along with his nephew Nihang Kharag Singh. Within the Shaheedan Misl, he rose to the ranks of a junior leader headquartered at Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo, located in modern-day Bathinda district. Naina Singh is believed to have been talented performer of ''

kirtan Sikh ''kirta''n with Indian harmoniums and '' Kenya.html" ;"title="tabla'' drums (a common and popular pairing), in Kenya">tabla'' drums (a common and popular pairing), in Kenya (1960s) ''Kirtana'' (; ), also rendered as ''Kiirtan'', ''Kirt ...

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

. He became acquainted with a Sikh of the

Nishanwalia Misl The Nishanwalia Misl, also spelt as Nishananvali Misl, was a Sikhs, Sikh Sikh Confederacy, misl. The Misl was founded by Dasaundha Singh, Dasaundha Singh Shergill a leader of Nihang, Tarna Dal. The misl was ruled by the Shergill Jat Sikh, Jat ...

named Ishar Singh, developing a friendship.

Adoption of Phula Singh

During battle in-which the Nishanwalia and Shaheedan misls jointly partook in, Ishar Singh became mortally wounded. Ishar Singh was the father of two sons, with the elder child named Phula Singh. On his dying breath in the battlefield, Ishar Singh granted custodianship over his two sons to Naina Singh and requested the latter to take care of them. Naina Singh would take the two infants to Damdama Sahib and raise them. He was guardian of

Akali Phula Singh Akali Phula Singh Nihang (born Phula Singh; 1 January 1761 – 14 March 1823) was an Akali Nihang Sikh leader. He was a saint soldier of the Khalsa Shaheedan Misl and head of the Budha Dal in the early 19th century. He was also a senior gener ...

(1761-1823) and trained him with scriptures, warfare and martial arts. Bhai Naina Singh, the uncle and the predecessor of

used Akali as a prefix of his name.

Influence on clothing

The unique aspects of the Nihang sect's clothing is attributed to Naina Singh traditionally. He is credited for introducing the tall pyramidal turban, which is common among the Nihangs.''NAINA SINGH, AKALI''
The Sikh Encyclopedia
/ref> As per Nihang lore, Naina Singh wanted to wear a large and tall turban to help make him more recognizable to his fellow warriors of his Misl, since he held the flag-bearer role in the Misl.

Later life and successor

In his later life, he moved to Bharpurgarh village located near Amloh in present-day Patiala district. He was succeeded by his disciple, Phula Singh, as the next chief of the Shaheedan Misl. His successor Phula Singh became even more popular as an Akali.

Legacy

gurdwara A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and place of worship, worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhism, Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and rel ...

located in Bharpurgarh claims to possess clothing and musical instrument relics of Naina Singh, which they display to visitors.

Notes

References

{{Sikhism Nihang 1730s births Year of death unknown Sikh Jathedars 18th-century Indian people