Nawab Kapur Singh (1697 – 9 October 1753) was a major Sikh leader who led the community during the early-to-mid 18th century. He was the organizer of the

Sikh Confederacy The Sikh Confederacy was a confederation of twelve sovereign Sikh states (each known as a Misl, derived from the Arabic word مِثْل meaning 'equal'; sometimes spelt as Misal) which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region in the n ...

and its military force, the Dal Khalsa. He is held in high regards by

Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...

Early life

Nawab Kapur Singh was born into the Virk clan of

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 ...

in 1697. His native village was Kaloke, now in the

Sheikhupura district Sheikhupura District (; ), is a district located in Lahore Division of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Sheikhupura is the headquarters of Sheikhupura district. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the district had a population of 3,321,029 of ...

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

, Pakistan. When he seized the village of Faizullapur, near

Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...

, he renamed it Singhpura and made it his headquarters. He is thus, also known as Kapur Singh Faizullapuria, and the small principality he founded, as Faizullapuria or Singhpuria.

Initiation into the Khalsa fold

In 1721, Kapur‌ Singh underwent‌ amrit-initiation‌ at a large‌ gathering held at Amritsar 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 ...

Day, ‌from Panj Piarey led by Bhai Mani Singh.

The title of Nawab

In 1733, the Mughal government decided‌, at ‌the insistence of Zakarya Khan, to revoke all repressive measures issued against the Sikhs and made an offer of a grant to them. The title of

Nawab Nawab is a royal title indicating a ruler, often of a South Asian state, in many ways comparable to the Western title of Prince. The relationship of a Nawab to the Emperor of India has been compared to that of the Kingdom of Saxony, Kings of ...

was conferred upon their leader, with a

jagir A jagir (), ( Hindustani: जागीर/جاگیر, ''Jāgīr''), ( Marathi: जहागीर, ''Jahāgīrá'') also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar ( Zamindar ...

consisting of the three

pargana Pargana or parganah, also spelt pergunnah, equivalent to Mohallah as a subunit of Subah (Suba), was a type of former administrative division in the Indian subcontinent during the time of the Delhi Sultanate, Mughal and British Colonial empire ...

s of Dipalpur, Kanganval and Jhabal. During a

Sarbat Khalsa Sarbat Khalsa (lit. meaning ''all the Khalsa''; Punjabi: ( Gurmukhi) pronunciation: ), was a biannual deliberative assembly (on the same lines as a Parliament in a Direct democracy) of the Sikhs held at Amritsar in Punjab during the 18th cent ...

, Baba Darbara Singh was offered to be Nawab. Since he rejected this, Kapur Singh was offered the Nawabship and he accepted.

Formation of the Dal Khalsa

With the arrival of peace with the Mughals, Sikhs returned to their homes and Kapur Singh undertook the task of consolidating the disintegrated fabric of the Sikh ''Jathas''. These were merged into a single central fighting force (The Dal) divided into two sections: the Budha Dal was the army of the veterans, and the Taruna Dal became the army of the young, led by

Hari Singh Dhillon Hari Singh Dhillon (died 1765) was an 18th century Sikh warlord and the chief of Bhangi Misl. During the formation of the Dal Khalsa (Sikh army) he was acknowledged as leader of Tarna Dal, and made chief of Bhangi Misl following the death of Bh ...

. The former was entrusted with looking after the holy places, preaching the word of the Gurus and inducting converts into the Khalsa Panth by holding baptismal ceremonies. The Taruna Dal was the more active division and its function was to fight in times of emergencies. Kapur Singh's personality was the common link between these two wings. He was universally respected for his high character. His word was obeyed willingly and to receive baptism at his hands was counted an act of rare merit.

Rise of the Misls

Under Hari Singh's leadership, the Taruna Dal rapidly grew in strength and soon numbered more than 12,000. To ensure efficient control, Nawab Kapur Singh split it into five parts, each with a separate centre. Each part had its own banner and drum, and formed the nucleus of a separate political state. The territories conquered by these groups were entered in their respective papers at the

Akal Takht The Akal Takht (; ), also spelt as Akal Takhat and historically known as Akal Bunga, is the most prominent of the Takht (Sikhism), five takhts (Seat (legal entity), seats of authority) of the Sikhs. Located within the Golden Temple, Darbar Sah ...

Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Jassa Singh Ahluwalia (3 May 1718 – 23 October 1783) was a Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy, being the supreme leader of the Dal Khalsa (Sikh Army), Dal Khalsa. He was also Misldar of the Ahluwalia (misl), Ahluwalia Mi ...

. From these documents or misls, the principalities carved out by them came to known as

Misls The Sikh Confederacy was a confederation of twelve Sovereign state, sovereign Sikh states (each known as a Misl, derived from the Arabic word مِثْل meaning 'equal'; sometimes spelt as Misal) which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab ...

. Seven more groups were formed subsequently and, towards the close of century, there were altogether twelve Sikh Misls ruling the Punjab.

Death

Nawab Kapur Singh requested the community to relieve him of his office, due to his old age, and at his suggestion, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was chosen as the supreme commander of the Dal Khalsa. Kapur Singh died on 9 October 1753 at Amritsar and was succeeded by his nephew (Dhan Singh's son), Khushal Singh.

Legacy

The village of Kapurgarh in Nabha is named after Nawab Kapur Singh. The derelict Manauli Fort in Mohali district was owned by his descendants.

Battles

* Battle of Thikriwala (1731) * Battle of Sunam (1735) * Battle of Sirhind (1735) * Battle of Basarke (1736) * Battle of Amritsar (1738) * Samad Khan's expedition against the Sikhs (1738) * Skirmish of Chenab (1739) * Battle of Kahnuwan (1746) * Siege of Amritsar (1748) * Battle of Kahnuwan (1752)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nawab Kapur Singh 1697 births 1753 deaths Sikh generals Jat rulers Nihang Jathedars of Akal Takht 18th-century Indian monarchs People from Sheikhupura People from Amritsar Military personnel from Amritsar Politicians from Amritsar