The Unsung Hero of 1857-Story of Raja Nahar Singh

The Unsung Hero of 1857-Story of Raja Nahar Singh by Veena Rawat

The Story Of Raja Nahar Singh - 

The Unsung Hero Of 1857 Who Guarded Delhi's Freedom for  Over 120 Days

Raja Nahar Singh(1821-1857)

Sketch by Veena Rawat

Whether it was Mangal Pandey, Rani Laxmibai, Tatya Tope, 

Nana Saheb, or the last Mughal, Bahadur Shah Zafar - 

the revolt of 1857 saw many heroes. But alongside these 

heroes who got credit for scripting the mutiny, there were 

thousands of others whosacrificed their lives without being sung. 

One such hero was Raja Nahar Singh, the king of Ballabgarh, 

Faridabad who guarded Delhi's borders from British forces 

and kept Delhi liberated for over 120 days.

Bharatmata mandir 

In the first war of Indian Independence, on 16th May 1857, 

when Delhi was liberated, the army of Nahar Singh was on 

guard on the western border of Delhi. He had established 

military guardposts from Delhi to Ballabhgarh, and also had

 his men of intelligence on the ground. 

The English called Ballabhgarh, the eastern border to Delhi, 

"Delhi's gate of Iron" and were fearful of it. 

They did not have the courage to face him. John Lawrence,

the then commissioner of Punjab, had written to 

the then governor-general, Lord Canning 

that, "The East and the South is protected by the 

strong forces of Raja Nahar Singh of Ballabhgarh, and

 it is unlikely we can break this wallof soldiers unless we receive reinforcements from China or England."

His birth

Nahar Singh was born to Jat King Raja Ram Singh and 

Basant Kaur at Ballbhgarh on 6th April 1821. Nahar Singh 

received his education at the feet of his preceptors Pandit Kulkarni 

and Maulvi Rahman Khan which made him secular in 

the true manner. Haryana TourismSince his father passed away when

 he was nine, his uncle Nawal Singh took over the responsibility of

 running the state affairs till Nahar Singh's coronation in 1839. 

Prior to this, Nahar Singh received tutorship in martial arts and soon 

grew to be an adept horse rider and fine shooter. Legend has it that

 he once single-handedly hunted a lion.

In 1839, Nahar Singh organised a meeting in Mukteshwar (Uttar Pradesh), 

which was attended by Rao Krishan Gopal, Raja of Gwalior, 

Tantya Tope  and other important people who later participated in 

the mutiny.He played an important role in safeguarding Delhi 

commons.

Raja Nahar Singh, who was one of the trusted lieutenants

 of Bahadur Shah Zafar, played an important role in repulsing 

successive British attacks on Delhi in the battles of Hindon and Badli-ki-Sarai. 

The Indian forces defeated the British and further extended Delhi's liberation

 from the British.

When Delhi fell

Raja Nahar Singh wanted to bring the emperor to Ballabhgarh, 

which till then was a stronghold of the rebels. But Mirza Elahi Baksh, 

the father of the emperor's daughter-in-law, betrayed the emperor. 

Baksh was an agent of the British, and persuaded the Emperor 

not to go beyond the tomb. Quite different from the British narrative, 

that says that Nahar Singh seized Humayun's Tomb. 

But after British general Hudson killed Bahadur Shah's two sons 

and threatened to kill the emperor, the siege was lifted.

His captureNahar Singh had retired to his stronghold in Ballabhgarh 

after the emperor was arrested. The British emissaries went to

 Ballabhgarh with white flags and asked for peace talks which 

would result in a settlement with the Mughal Emperor.

Story by Veena Rawat