Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa Jee (Baaghmaar):
In 1804, Hari Singh participated in a recruitment test for service in the Sikh army and so impressed
Maharaja Ranjit Singh with his skill at
various drills that he was given an appointment as a personal attendant.
Not long after, in 1805, he received the commission with a command of
800 horses and foot and was given the title of 'Sardar' (Chief). A historical text tells us that his rapid promotion from a personal attendant of the Maharaja to a command of 800 horsemen was owed to an incident in which he had cloven with sword the head of a tiger which had seized him. From that day he came to be known as "Baaghmaar" (meaning - the tiger killer), and earned the title of "Nalwa" (one with claws, like that of a tiger). Another historical text describes his incident with the tiger differently, telling us that he was already a Sardar when the word "Nalwa" was added to his name after he, "had killed a tiger single-handed on horseback, with the sacrifice, however, of his horse." (Prinsep, 1834: 99)
Hari Singh went on to participate in many glorious victories of the Sikhs before becoming the Commander-in-Chief of the army along the North Western Frontier of the Sikh Kingdom. He was appointed Governor of various provinces and was one of the wealthiest jagirdars of the Kingdom.
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