Sardar Gulab Singh was the founder of

Dallewalia Misl The Dallewalia Sikh Confederacy, misl was founded by Sardar Gulab Singh a Khatri Sikh as a Jatha but later Succeeded by a Jat Sikh, Jatt Sikh Sardar Tara Singh Ghaiba of Kang Clan Tara Singh made the Jatha into a powerful Misl in the 18th centu ...

, one of the

sovereign states A sovereign state is a State (polity), state that has the highest authority over a territory. It is commonly understood that Sovereignty#Sovereignty and independence, a sovereign state is independent. When referring to a specific polity, the ter ...

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 ...

that rose during the 18th century in the

Punjab region 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 ...

. The Dallewalia and

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 ...

were stationed as a reserve force at

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 ...

to protect the holy city and tackle any emergency. The Amritsar and the Punjab region was subject to raids by the Afghans led by Ahmad Shah Abdali therefore the Sikhs had created

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 ...

to defend the

and push back the invaders.

Early life

Gulab Singh was born in a

Khatri Khatri () is a caste system in India, caste originating from the Malwa (Punjab), Malwa and Majha areas of Punjab region of South Asia that is predominantly found in India, but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Khatris claim they are war ...

family to Shardha Ram of village Dallewal Since Gulab Singh was a resident of the village of Dallewal, hence the name of his

misl Major Indoor Soccer League has been the name of three different American professional indoor soccer leagues: *Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992), known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League *Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2 ...

that was established near Dera Baba Nanak, in Doaba Bist

Jalandhar Jalandhar () is a city in the state of Punjab, India, Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population, third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the ...

. He had a grocery store in his village Dallewal (also called Bora Dalla) where all his goods were stolen by thieves and this incident made him rebel against the Mughal administration. As a middle-aged man with a family to feed, he moved to

where he trained under

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

and became a

Sikh 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 ''Si ...

after baptism.

Pahul

In 1726,

administered pahul to Gulab Singh on

Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...

. Sikhs regarded Nawab Kapur Singh as a leader and general par excellence. He was the organizer of Dal Khalsa and an integral link between two sections of the

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 ...

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'' ...

, Budha dal (veterans-handling administrative functions, taking care of missionary work, Gurudwaras, and protection of religion) and Taruna Dal (the young group-fighters, defenders, and protectors of the community).

Taruna Dal

Gulab Singh became an active member of the taruna dal by late 1726 A.D. and launched into a chivalry career, fighting against Punjab's oppressive Mughal government. Initially, he was having 10-15 companions and commenced plundering slowly; he added 150 comrades. One day, he attacked Jalandhar and, won big booty, returned safely to their jungle camp.

Dallewalia Misl

In 1748, Gulab Singh was declared to be the head of the Dallewalias Misl with two deputies Gurdyal Singh and Tara Singh Ghaiba.

Death

Gulab Singh lost his life in 1759 at the Battle of Kalanaur by the forces of Zain Khan Sirhindi. Hence the command of the misl came to Sardar Gurdiyal Singh and later it was headed by Sardar Tara Singh Ghaiba.

References