The Shaheedan Misl, also known as the Shahid Misl, was one of twelve

Sikh Misls 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 later became the

Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a regional power based in the Punjab, Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. It existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahore, to 1849, when it was defeated and conquered by the East India Company, Br ...

. It held a small amount of territory in the

Malwa (Punjab) Malwa () is a geographical region in the south of Punjab state in India. It is located between south of the Sutlej river, north of the Ghaggar river, east of Pakistan, and west of the Sivalik Hills. Etymology The name of the region is der ...

area around the

Damdama Sahib The Takht Sri Darbar Sahib Damdama Sahib, is one of the five takhts or Seat of Temporal Authority of Sikhism, located in Talwandi Sabo, near the city of Bathinda in Bathinda district of Punjab, India. At this place Guru Gobind Singh, the te ...

before being incorporated into the

of the

Sukerchakia Misl The Sukerchakia Misl was one of twelve Sikh Sikh Confederacy, misls in Punjab region, Punjab during the 18th century, concentrated in Gujranwala and Hafizabad districts in western Punjab region, Punjab (in modern-Pakistan) and ruled from (1752 ...

Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839) was the founder and first maharaja of the Sikh Empire, in the northwest Indian subcontinent, ruling from 1801 until his death in 1839. Born to Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia M ...

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 ...

(later

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 ...

), son of Bhagta, of village Pahuwind (now district Amritsar) was the founder of this Misl. Earlier this Misl was known as Deep Singh’s Misl but after the martyrdom of Deep Singh in 1757 and another

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 ...

general

Gurbakhsh Singh Major General Gurbakhsh Singh, Distinguished Service Order, DSO, Order of the British Empire, OBE (1904 - 11 December 1979), also spelled as 'Gurbaksh Singh', was a general officer who served in the British Indian Army and later the Indian Army. H ...

(of Leel village) in 1764, this Misl came to be known as Shaheedan Misl. The Shaheedan Misl was more akin to a religious-order rather than resembling a large, family clan like most of the other misls of the Sikh Confederacy.''''

Origins and history

In 1748,

was appointed the leader of the Shaheedan Misl and the

Mahant Mahant () is a religious superior, in particular the chief of a temple or the head of a monastery in Indian religions. James Mallinson, one of the few westerners to be named as a mahant, describes the position of a mahant as a combination of an ...

of the

Takht Sri Damdama Sahib The Takht Sri Darbar Sahib Damdama Sahib, is one of the five takhts or Seat of Temporal Authority of Sikhism, located in Talwandi Sabo, near the city of Bathinda in Bathinda district of Punjab, India. At this place Guru Gobind Singh, the te ...

. In 1757,

Ahmad Shah Abdali Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (; ; – 4 June 1772), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the first ruler and founder of the Durrani Empire. He is often regarded as the founder of modern Afghanistan. Throughout his reign, Ahmad Shah fought ov ...

invaded India and sent an army to the Harmindar Sahib to block

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'' ...

from entering the

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 ...

. Baba Deep Singh and a company of men who rode with him to free the gurdwara were killed in the Battle of Amritsar (1757) against the Durrani Army. His successor, Suddha Singh, later led the misl into a skirmish against the

Afghan Afghan or Afgan may refer to: Related to Afghanistan *Afghans, historically refers to the Pashtun people. It is both an ethnicity and nationality. Ethnicity wise, it refers to the Pashtuns. In modern terms, it means both the citizens of Afghanist ...

government of

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 ...

City. The first two leaders of the misl were considered Shaheeds, or martyrs, by their contemporaries so the misl became known as, Shaheedan Misl, or the misl of the martyrs. The misl was annexed by the

at some point in the early 19th century and became a part of the

. 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 ...

order of

maintains the traditions of this

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 ...

List of leaders

Akali Naina Singh Naina Singh (fl. 18th century), also known as Narayan Singh, was a Nihang warrior and fifth Jathedar 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 ...

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 ...

Gallery

File:Fresco of Shaheed Baba Deep Singh from Gurdwara Baba Atal, Amritsar.jpg, Fresco of ''

shaheed ''Shahid'' ( , , ) denotes a martyr in Islam. The word is used frequently in the Quran in the generic sense of "witness" but only once in the sense of "martyr" (i.e. one who dies for his faith); the latter sense acqui ...

'' Baba Deep Singh from

Gurdwara Baba Atal Gurdwārā Bābā Aṭṭal Rāi (Punjabi language, Punjabi pronunciation: Help:IPA/Punjabi, �ʊɾᵊd̪ʊäːɾäː bäbːäː əʈəllːə̆ is a famous Gurdwara in Amritsar dedicated to Atal Rai, a son of Guru Hargobind and Mata Nanaki. ...

, Amritsar File:Fresco of Bijla Singh from Gurdwara Baba Atal.jpg, Fresco of Bijla Singh from

. He was a warrior of the Shaheedan Misl and accomplice of Baba Deep Singh File:Detail of Karam Singh Sidhu of the Shaheedan Misl from a painting three seated Sikh sardars, circa late 18th century.jpg, Detail of Karam Singh Sidhu of the Shaheedan Misl from a painting three seated Sikh sardars, circa late 18th century File:Photograph of the Bunga Amar Shaheed Baba Deep Singh, it has since been demolished.jpg, Photograph of the Bunga Amar Shaheed Baba Deep Singh at the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, it has since been demolished

References

Sikh Confederacy {{Sikhism-stub