Alam Singh Nachna (died 22 December 1704 or 1705), also called Alim Singh, was a warrior in the army of

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the ...

, and was a Rajput turned Sikh. ''Sarup Das Bhalla of Mahima Prakash'' describes him as one of Guru Gobind Singh's constant and closest companions. He is also known for killing a lion single handedly.

Biography

Name

He was born as Alam Chand. He earned the popular epithet of ''Nachna'' ( lit. "dancer") because of his unusual nimbleness.

Spiritual life

In-sequence, he was the nineteenth one to undergo the '' Pahul'' and be baptized into the

Khalsa The term ''Khalsa'' refers to both a community that follows Sikhism as its religion,Khalsa: Sikhism< ...

order on

Vaisakhi Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi or Mesadi, marks the first day of the month of Vaisakh and is traditionally celebrated annually on 13 April or sometimes 14 April. It is seen as a spring harvest celebration primarily in Punjab and Northern In ...

of 1699 in Anandpur.

Military career

Alam Singh fought in the Battle of Anandpur (1695) against the Khanzada Rustam Khan. Rustam Khan crossed the

Sutlej The Sutlej River or the Satluj River is a major river in Asia, flowing through China, India and Pakistan, and is the longest of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. It is also known as ''Satadru''; and is the easternmost tributary of t ...

with his troops at night, about midnight, but was spotted by Alam Singh. He immediately informed the guru and a fierce battle ensued, with the Sikhs defeating Rustam Khan. During June 1699 in the Battle of Anandpur (1699), two hill rajas named Alim Chand and Balia Chand ambushed the Guru when he was hunting. Alam Chand lost his right hand and fled from the battlefield. Alam Singh Nachna showed “bravery and courage”. He was the one who cut the hand of Alam Chand. In the first siege of Anandpur, Raja Ghumand Chand of Kangra attacked

Anandpur Sahib Anandpur Sahib, also referred simply as Anandpur (), is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, in the Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most sacred religious places in Si ...

. His horse was shot by Alam Singh while he himself was killed by

Bhai Himmat Singh Bhai Himmat Singh (1661–1705), born Himmat Rai, was one of the inaugural group of Panj Pyare, or the first group of the ''Five Beloved'' in Sikhism. Biography Early life He was born in 1661 in Jagannath Puri in modern-day Odisha, India in ...

. In the Second Battle of Anandpur (1704), Alam Singh was given the command of a 500 strong garrison in Agampur Fort. On the evacuation of the town, he along with

Bhai Daya Singh Daya Singh ( ; born Daya Ram; 1661–1708) was one of the Panj Pyare, the first five Sikhs to be initiated into the Khalsa order in 17th-century India. Among the inaugural panj piare quintet, he is traditionally the highest-regarded as he was th ...

and Bhai Udai Singh led the vanguard. Alam Singh advanced far beyond the Sikh line of defence, making himself vulnerable to the enemy whom came to surround him. In the heat of battle, he was captured by the hostile forces and became a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

. According to Sikh lore, Alam Singh had bore the

Nishan Sahib The Nishan Sahib (), also known as the Sikh flag, is used to represent the Sikh people worldwide. In 1936, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee ratified the Rehat, Sikh Rehet Maryada, which states its colour as either basanti (xanthic) ...

as a flag-bearer, after taunts and remarks exchanged with the local Mughal commander regarding the flag, Alam Singh was executed by beheading.

Martyrdom

In the

Battle of Chamkaur The Battle of Chamkaur, also known as Battle of Chamkaur Sahib or the Second battle of Chamkaur, was fought between the Khalsa, led by Guru Gobind Singh, and the coalition forces of the Mughals led by Wazir Khan and Hindu hill chiefs. G ...

, the Guru sent his son, Ajit Singh, to fight. He took 5 men with him, one of them being Alam Singh. He is said to have fought, “fiercely, bravely, and with much valour.” Alam Singh with the other Sikhs killed many Mughal soldiers. He fought until his last breath.

References