NAINA SINGH, AKALI, eighteenth century Nihang warrior esteemed as much for his piety as for his valour. His special title to fame rests on the fact that he was the guardian of the celebrated Akali Phula Singh (1761-1823) whom he trained in the martial arts. Little is known about his early life except that his original name was Narain Singh and that he received khande di pahul or the rites of the Khalsa at the hands of Jathedar Darbara Singh (d. 1734), leader of the Sikh fighting forces prior to Nawab Kapur Singh. Naina Singh was a junior leader in the Shahid misl, with headquarters at Damdama Sahib, Talvandi Sabo, in present day Bathinda district.
He was a friend of BhaIIshar Singh of Nishanarivali misl, father of Akali Phula Singh. Ishar Singh was mortally wounded in an action in which the Shahid sardars had also participated. As he lay dying, he en trusted his two infant sons to the care of Naina Singh, who took the family to Damdama Sahib and gave great attention to bringing up the children. Phula Singh, the elder of the two, grew up into a firebrand Nihang who later distinguished himself as jathedar of the Akal Takht at Amritsar and as commander of Maharaja Ranjit Singh`s crack Akali brigade.
Akali Naina Singh is also credited with introducing the tall pyramidal turban common among the Nihangs to this day, and is said to have been an adept in kirtan, the Sikh devotional music. In a gurudwara at Bharpurgarh, a village near Amroh in Patiala district, are displayed a few garments and the wooden frame of a musical instrument believed to have once belonged to Akali Naina Singh who had retired to this village in his later life.
References:
1. Gian Singh, Giani, Twarikh Guru Khalsa[Reprint]. Patiala, 1970
2. Hoti, Prem Singh, Akali Phula Singh. Ludhiana, n,d
Jathedar Akali Baba Naina Singh Ji enlisted in the Budha Dal at the age of 20, becoming its 5th Jathedar. He was a devout follower of Gurmat and a skilled practitioner of Shastar Vidiya. Under Baba Ji’s leadership, the illustrious warrior Akali Phoola Singh Ji emerged as a formidable force in the Panth. Baba Ji fearlessly led many Singhs into battle, achieving numerous victories. In one such war, a young boy’s father sacrificed his life and Jathedar Baba Naina Singh Ji took the responsibility of raising and educating him. This young boy eventually grew up to become Akali Phoola Singh Ji.
Stationed at Anandpur Sahib, Akali Baba Naina Singh Ji initiated a revival movement, reviving several ancient traditions of the Nihangs. One of these traditions included the donning of a grand Durmalla, as mentioned in Sri Gur Panth Parkash by Giani Gian Singh Ji. During his travels, Akali Baba Naina Singh Ji would recite the following Shabad:
I am a wrestler; I belong to the Lord of the World.
I met with the Guru, and I have tied a tall, plumed turban.
SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI, ANG 74-SRI GURU ARJAN DEV SAHIB JI MAHARAJ
Akali Baba Naina Singh displayed a deep distrust towards the East India Company, recognizing their intentions to undermine Sikh rule in Punjab. He held the colonizers in contempt and remained vigilant about their true motives. This awareness extended to his role as Jathedar of the Akali Nihangs, where both Akali Baba Phula Singh Ji and Akali Baba Hanuman Singh Ji shared his understanding of the British presence in Punjab.
Stationed at Anandpur Sahib, Akali Baba Naina Singh Ji commanded a force of 2,000 troops. It was during this time that he took under his wing the young Akali Baba Phula Singh Ji, whose father, Shaheed Baba Ishar Singh Ji, had sacrificed his life. Akali Baba Naina Singh Ji dedicated himself to reviving the original traditions established by the 10th Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. In an era when the Misldars and Sardars, fueled by the wealth amassed by the Misls, began adopting regal lifestyles and diluting their devotion, Akali Baba Naina Singh Ji raised the standards set by the Guru. As a result, Akali Phula Singh became the most influential figure in the Sikh Empire, with even Maharaja Ranjit Singh unable to defy his commands.
