HART SINGH, BHAI

HART SINGH, BHAI (1889-1921), one of the Nankana Sahib martyrs, was born at Pandori Nijtjharari in Jalandhar district in November 1889, the son of Bhai Seva Singh and Mai Afar Kaur. On the opening of the Lower Chenab Canal Colony, the family migrated in 1897 to Chakk No. 91 Dhannuana in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad) district, in Pakistan. Hari Singh enlisted in the 36th Sikh Battalion where he look the Khalsa pdhul and fought in the World War, 191418. A bullet wound tore apart his foot, incapacitating him. He was discharged with a pension of Rs 6 per month.

Following the example of Jathedar Sundar Singh of his own village, he joined the jathd of Bhai Lachhman Singh of Dharovali and attained martyrdom inside Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib, on 20 February 1921. The martyr`s mother was granted a pension of Rs 115 per annum by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee of Amritsar. HART SINGH, BHAI (1897-1921), one of the martyrs of Nankana Sahib, was born in Assu 1954 Bk/July-August 1897, the son of Bhai Kanhaiya Singh and Mai Jion Kaur of Chakk No 10, Thothiari in Shcikhupura district, now in Pakistan.

He attended the village primary school and trained as a scripture reader and as a singer of the holy hymns. He was a member of the village choir and recited with gusto ballads of Sikh martyrs. Hari Singh grew up into a handsome, lusty youth and excelled in rural sports such as wrestling, weightlifting and kabaddi. He enlisted in the army and served for some time in 27th Punjab (later 3/15 Punjab Regiment), and got his discharge at the end of the Great War in 1918. Meanwhile, his friend and mentor, Bhai Nand Singh, had also resigned from the army and returned home. Both received the Khalsa pdhul, and set up a platform for reciting gurbdmand preaching the Singh Sabha creed.

Hari Singh joined the Akali ranks and volunteered his services during the Gurdwara Rikabgarij agitation. On receiving the call for the liberation of Gurdwara Janam Asthan at Nankana Sahib, he along with Bhai Nand Singh joined the jathd of Bhai Lachhman Singh of Dharovali and attained martyrdom on 20 February 1921. He was survived by his wife and three sons who were granted a family pension of Rs 175 per annum by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. BIBLIOGRAPHY Shamsher, Gurbakhsh Singh, Shahidt Jivan. Nankana Sahib, 1938 G.S.G. HART SINGH BHANGI (d. 1765), nephew and adopted son of Bhuma Singh, was the founder of the Bharigi mislorchiefship.

Hari Singh received initiatory rites of the Khalsa at the hands of Baba Dip Singh Shahid. At the time of the formation of the Dal Khalsa in 1748, Hari Singh was acknowledged head of the Bharigi clan as well as leader of the Taruna Dal. He vastly increased the power and influence of the Bharigi misi which began to be ranked as the strongest among its peers. He created an army of 20,000 dashing youths, captured Parijvar in the Tarn Taran parganah and established his headquarters first at Sohal and then at Gilvali, both in present day Amritsar district. Lastly, he set himself up at Amritsar where he established a residential area with a market known as Katra Hari Singh, and started constructing a fort called Qila Bharigian.

Hari Singh constantly harassed the Afghan invader, Ahmad Shah Durrani, during his invasions into India. A few months after the massacre of the Sikhs at Kup, near Malerkotia, in what is known in Sikh history as Vadda Ghallughara or the Great Killing (February 1762), Hari Singh attacked Khwaja Sayyid ka Kot, and seized from there a large quantity of arms. In 1763, along with the Kanhaiyas and Ramgarhias, he sacked the Afghan stronghold of Kasur. In 1764, he ravaged Bahawalpur and Multan. Crossing the River Indus, he realized tribute from Baluchi chiefs in the districts of Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan and Dera Isma`il Khan.

On his way back home, he reduced Jharig, Chiniot and Sialkot. When Baba Ala Singh of Patiala submitted to the authority of Ahmad Shah Durrani in March 1765 accepting certain concession from him, the Taruna Dal under Hari Singh marched upon Patiala to chastise him. Hari Singh was killed in this campaign, allegedly owing to the conspiracy of those who had been jealous of his growing influence. According to Khushwaqt Rai, Hari Singh was poisoned to death. Griffin, Lepel, and C.F. Massy, Chiefs and Families of Note in the Punjab. Lahore, 1909 Gnpta, Hari Ram, History of the Sikhs, vol. IV. Delhi, 1982 Ganda Singh, Sarddr Jassn Singh Ahluvalia. Patiala, 1969

References :

1. Shamshcr, Gurbakhsh Singh, Shahidt pvan. Nankana Sahib, 1938