Igortxa at 14:45, 22 March 2026

2026-03-22T14:45:17Z

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{{Multiple issues|
{{Notability|Biography|date=July 2023}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=July 2023}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = Akali
| name = Naina Singh
| honorific_suffix = Nihang
| image = Akali Naina Singh Nihang.jpg
| caption = Jathedar Akali Baba Naina Singh Nihang
| birth_name = Narayan Singh
| birth_date = c. 1736
| birth_place = Khudi Khurd, [[Barnala]]
| death_place =
| resting_place =
| years_active =
| other_names =
| known_for = Fifth Jathedar of [[Budha Dal]]
| children =
| predecessor = [[Jassa Singh Ahluwalia]]
| successor = [[Akali Phula Singh]]
}}
'''Naina Singh''' ([[Floruit|fl.]] 18th century), also known as '''Narayan Singh''',<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Dilgeer |first=Harjinder Singh |title=The Sikh Reference Book |publisher=Sikh Educational Trust for Sikh University Centre, Denmark |year=1997 |isbn=9780969596424 |pages=541 |quote=NAINA SINGH : - Also known as Narayan Singh, Akali Naina Singh was one of the senior most leaders of Shaheedan Misl. He is also known as the first formal Akali.}}</ref>{{Efn|Alternatively spelt as 'Narain'.|group=note}} was a [[Nihang]] warrior and fifth [[Jathedar]] of [[Dal Khalsa (Sikh Army)|Budha Dal]] and a chief of the [[Shaheedan Misl]] during the late 18th century.<ref>[http://budhadal.com/?page_id=1011 Buddha Dal Official website]</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Singha |first=H.S. |title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 Entries) |publisher=Hemkunt Press |year=2000 |isbn=9788170103011 |pages=150 |quote=NAINA SINGH: Naina Singh was the chief of the Shahid misl in the later part of the eighteenth century. His real name was Narain Singh. He is credited with the introduction of the Nihang type turban for his followers. He groomed the famous Sikh hero Akali Phula Singh and handed over the command of the Shahid misl to him.}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Harbans |title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism |publisher=Punjabi University |location=Patiala |year=2011 |isbn=978-81-7380-349-9 |edition=3rd |volume=3: M-R |pages=175}}</ref>

== Biography ==

=== Early life ===
Very little is known or can be assured about the early life of Naina Singh.<ref name=":3" /> He was born as Narayan Singh around 1736{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} in Khudi Kurd located in [[Barnala]] district.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> According to [[Harbans Singh]], he must have been alive in or before 1734, the year [[Baba Darbara Singh]] died, because Naina Singh had received the ''[[Amrit Sanskar|Pahul]]'' rites under the supervision of Darbara Singh.<ref name=":3" />
[[File:Fresco of Kharag Singh (left) and Naina Singh (right) from Gurdwara Baba Atal.jpg|thumb|Fresco of Kharag Singh (left) and Naina Singh (right) from Gurdwara Baba Atal]]
He was also caretaker of [[Darbar Sahib Hall|Darbar Sahib]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} He learned [[Gurbani]] and martial skills from [[Baba Deep Singh]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} He became associated with the [[Shaheedan Misl]].<ref name=":1" /> He joined Budha Dal at the age of 20, along with his nephew Nihang Kharag Singh.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} Within the Shaheedan Misl, he rose to the ranks of a junior leader headquartered at Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo, located in modern-day Bathinda district.<ref name=":3" />

Naina Singh is believed to have been talented performer of ''[[kirtan]]'' [[Sikh music|music]].<ref name=":3" />

He became acquainted with a Sikh of the [[Nishanwalia Misl]] named Ishar Singh, developing a friendship.<ref name=":3" />

=== Adoption of Phula Singh ===
[[File:Fresco of Akali Naina Singh from Gurdwara Akalgarh Sahib, Dina, Punjab.jpg|thumb|Fresco of Akali Naina Singh from Gurdwara Akalgarh Sahib, Dina, Punjab<ref>{{Cite book |last=Arshi |first=Pardeep Singh |title=Sikh Architecture in Punjab |publisher=Intellectual Publishing House |year=1986 |isbn=9780836419450 |pages=132}}</ref>]]
During battle in-which the Nishanwalia and Shaheedan misls jointly partook in, Ishar Singh became mortally wounded.<ref name=":3" /> Ishar Singh was the father of two sons, with the elder child named Phula Singh.<ref name=":3" /> On his dying breath in the battlefield, Ishar Singh granted custodianship over his two sons to Naina Singh and requested the latter to take care of them.<ref name=":3" /> Naina Singh would take the two infants to Damdama Sahib and raise them.<ref name=":3" />

He was guardian of [[Akali Phula Singh]] (1761-1823) and trained him with scriptures, warfare and martial arts.<ref>[http://centralsikhmuseum.com/tag/akali-baba-naina-singh/#sthash.vXHwPofM.dpuf baba naina singh on centralsikhmuseum.com]</ref>{{Failed verification|date=July 2023}}<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal |orig-date=October 2006 |title=Interpid Warror Akali Baba Phoola Singh |journal=The Sikh Review |volume=54 |issue=7–12 |publisher=Sikh Cultural Centre, Calcutta, India |pages=35 |quote=But before his death Ishar Singh managed to leave his young son to the affectionate care of Baba Narain Singh, popularly known as Akali Naina Singh.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Samra |first=Mandeep Kaur |title=Modern Sikh Historiography: Analysis of Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh by Baba Prem Singh Hoti |publisher=K.K. Publications |year=2004 |isbn=9788178440255 |pages=92 |quote=According to Hoti, Akali Phula Singh was born in 1761 to Bhai Isher Singh in 'Shihan' in Bangar. He lost his parents at an early age and was brought-up by Baba Naina Singh of Shahid Misl.}}</ref> Bhai Naina Singh, the uncle and the predecessor of [[Akali Phula Singh]] used [[Nihang|Akali]] as a prefix of his name.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

=== Influence on clothing ===
The unique aspects of the Nihang sect's clothing is attributed to Naina Singh traditionally.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Pashaura |title=The Sikh World |last2=Mandair |first2=Arvind-Pal Singh |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2023 |isbn=9780429848384 |series=Routledge Worlds |quote=The blue outfit and oversize turban motif are furthered by Akalis' reference to the story of Naina Singh Akali. As the standard bearer of his misl band, Naina Singh Akali found it wise to wear a turban almost as large as the battle flag so that his compatriots could see it during battle, even if the standard fell. This would also allow him to fight with both hands and embolden the spirit of the fighters around him, just as the battle standard would.}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> He is credited for introducing the tall pyramidal turban, which is common among the [[Nihang|Nihangs.]]<ref>
{{cite encyclopedia
|last=Nabha
|first=Kahn Singh
|encyclopedia=Gur Shabad Ratnakar Mahankosh
|title=Nihang
|trans-title=
|url=
|access-date=
|language=Punjabi
|edition=
|date=
|year=
|publisher=Sudarshan Press
|quote=''ਬਹੁਤ ਨਿਹੰਗ ਸਿੰਘ ਇਹ ਭੀ ਆਖਦੇ ਹਨ ਕਿ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਸ੍ਵਾਮੀ ਨੇ ਸਿੰਘਾਂ ਦੇ ਸੀਸ ਦਮਾਲੇ ਦਾ ਫਂਰਹਰਾ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਦਾ ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹ ਥਾਪਿਆ, ਪਰ ਗੁਰੁਪੁਰ- ਨਿਵਾਸੀ ਵ੍ਰਿੱਧ ਵਿਵੇਕਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੀ ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰੀ ਦੇ ਕਥਨ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਬਾਬਾ ਨੈਣਾ ਸਿੰਘ (ਨਾਰਾਇਣ ਸਿੰਘ) ਨੇ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਫ਼ੌਜ ਦੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨਚੀ ਦੇ ਸਿਰ ਉੱਪਰ ਦਮਾਲਾ ਸਜਾਕੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਦਾ ਫਰਹਰਾ ਝੁਲਾਇਆ, ਤਾਕਿ ਉਹ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਅੱਗੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਦੀ ਥਾਂ ਭੀ ਹੋਵੇ ਅਤੇ ਹੱਥ ਵੇਹਲੇ ਹੋਣ ਕਰਕੇ ਸ਼ਸਤ੍ਰ ਭੀ ਚਲਾ ਸਕੇ''
}}</ref><ref>''NAINA SINGH, AKALI'': [http://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/martial-heritage/naina-singh-akali The Sikh Encyclopedia]</ref>{{Failed verification|date=July 2023}}<ref name=":3" /> As per Nihang lore, Naina Singh wanted to wear a [[Dastar bunga|large and tall turban]] to help make him more recognizable to his fellow warriors of his Misl, since he held the flag-bearer role in the Misl.<ref name=":0" />

=== Later life and successor ===
In his later life, he moved to Bharpurgarh village located near Amloh in present-day Patiala district.<ref name=":3" /> He was succeeded by his disciple, Phula Singh, as the next chief of the Shaheedan Misl.<ref name=":2" /> His successor Phula Singh became even more popular as an [[Nihang|Akali]].<ref name=":3" />

== Legacy ==
A [[gurdwara]] located in Bharpurgarh claims to possess clothing and musical instrument relics of Naina Singh, which they display to visitors.<ref name=":3" />

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Budha Dal Jathedars|Jassa Singh Ahluwalia||Baba Naina Singh|Akali Phula Singh|}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Sikhism}}

[[Category:Nihang]]
[[Category:1730s births]]
[[Category:Year of death unknown]]
[[Category:Sikh Jathedars]]
[[Category:18th-century Indian people]]

Naina Singh (Jathedar) - Revision history

Igortxa at 14:45, 22 March 2026