Nishanwalia Misl

The Nishanwalia Misl, also spelt as Nishananvali Misl, was a Sikh misl.^[3][4] The Misl was founded by Dasaundha Singh Shergill a leader of Tarna Dal. The misl was ruled by the Shergill Jats.^[5]

Nishanwalia Misl
Flag
Status	Misl
Capital	Ambala and Shahbad (initial) Zira (later)
Common language	Punjabi
Religion	Sikhism (dynastic) Islam Hinduism
Government	Aristocratic republic
Misldar
• 1748-1767	Dasaundha Singh Shergill
• 1767-1774	Sangat Singh Shergill
•	Lal Singh and Gurbakhsh Singh
•	Mohar Singh, Kapur Singh, and Anup Singh
• 1786–1808, 1809–1823[1][2]	Daya Kaur
Legislature	Sarbat Khalsa
Today part of	India

History

The leaders of this Misl used to carry the blue nishans (the flags) of the Sikh army during the battles; hence their name become Nishanwalia.^[6][7] The misl which was responsible for bearing the Nishan Sahib was the Nishanwalia Misl, named after this role.^[8] The Nishanwalia Misl also was responsible for appointing the flag-bearers for the other misls.^[8] The role assigned to carry the flag in procession was considered an honourable one.^[8]

Dasaundha Singh, son of Chowdhry Sahib Rai Shergill, of village Mansurwala (near Kot Issa Khan) was the first chief of this Misl.^[9]

The Nishanwalia Misl had strength of twelve thousand soldiers; by 1765, it had captured Ambala, Shahbad-Markanda, Sarai Lashkari Khan, Doraha, Amloh, Zira, Singhanwala and some area around Sahnewal too; Dasaundha Singh died in a battle against Zabita Khan in 1767; he was succeeded by his brother Sangat Singh; Sangat Singh shifted his headquarters from Ambala to Zira where he died in 1774.^[10]

Daljit Singh Shergill forefathers also belonged to this misl.

Leaders

The list of rulers of Nishanwalia:^[11]

1. Dasaundha Singh (1748–1767)
2. Sangat Singh (1767–1774)
3. Mohar Singh (1774–1785)
4. Gurbakhsh Singh (1785–1786)
5. Daya Kaur (1786–1808 & 1809–1823)

References

1. Singh, Harbans (ed.). The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism: A-D. Vol. 1. Punjabi University. p. 538.
2. Kaura, Bhupindara (2000). Status of Women in Sikhism. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. p. 27.
3. Dhavan, Purnima (2011). When Sparrows Became Hawks: The Making of the Sikh Warrior Tradition, 1699-1799. Oxford University Press. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-19-975655-1.
4. GUR SHABAD RATNAKAR. Mahan kosh (in Punjabi). Bhai Baljinder Singh.
5. Singh, Dr. Bhagat (2009). A History of the Sikh Misals. Punjabi University. p. 169.
6. ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਮਿਸਲ - nishān vālī misala - निशान वालीमिसल  ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਬਾਰਾਂ ਮਿਸਲਾਂ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਇੱਕ ਮਿਸਲ, ਜਿਸ ਦੇ ਜਥੇਦਾਰ ਸਰਦਾਰ ਸੰਗਤ ਸਿੰਘ, ਮੋਹਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਦਸੋਂਧਾ ਸਿੰਘ, ਭੰਗਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਜਿਲਾ ਫ਼ਿਰੋਜ਼ਪੁਰ ਦੇ ਮਨਸੂਰਵਾਲ ਪਿੰਡ ਦੇ ਸ਼ੇਰਗਿੱਲ ਜੱਟ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਨ. ਜਦ ਕਿਧਰੇ ਖ਼ਾਲਸੇ ਦਾ ਧਰਮ ਯੁੱਧ ਹੁੰਦਾ, ਤਦ ਇਸ ਮਿਸਲ ਦੇ ਸਰਦਾਰ ਝੰਡੇ ਫੜ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਅੱਗੇ ਹੋ ਤੁਰਦੇ. ਇਸ ਲਈ ਇਸ ਮਿਸਲ ਦਾ ਨਾਉਂ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਪੈ ਗਿਆ. ਇਸ ਦੀ ਰਾਜਧਾਨੀ ਅੰਬਾਲਾ ਸੀ. ਹੁਣ ਅੰਬਾਲੇ ਜਿਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਾਹਬਾਦੀਏ ਸਰਦਾਰ, ਲੁਧਿਆਨਾ ਜਿਲੇ ਦੇ ਲੱਧੜ ਸਰਦਾਰ, ਫ਼ਿਰੋਜ਼ਪੁਰ ਜਿਲੇ ਮਨਸੂਰਵਾਲੇ ਦੇ ਰਈਸ ਅਤੇ ਇ਼ਲਾਕ਼ੇ ਨਾਭੇ ਦੀ ਸੌਂਟੀ ਵਾਲੇ ਸਰਦਾਰ, ਇਸੇ ਮਿਸਲ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਹਨ
7. "Search Gurbani : Gurbani Research Website". www.searchgurbani.com. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
8. Kulim, Gurcharan Singh (5 October 2012). "The Sikh Flag ~ Nishan Sahib". SikhNet. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
9. Copyright reserved, Nishanwalia misl. "Misls & Maharaja (1799-1860)". thesikhs.org.
10. "DASAUNDHA SINGH". The Sikh Encyclopedia. 19 December 2000. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
11. Singh, Bhagat (1993). "Chapter 12 - The Nishanwalia Misal". A History of the Sikh Misals. Publication Bureau, Patiala Punjabi University.

Further reading

• Gupta, Hari Ram (2011). "NISHĀNĀṄVĀLĪ MISL". In Singh, Harbans (ed.). The encyclopaedia of Sikhism: Volume III (3rd ed.). Punjabi University. p. 105. ISBN 978-8-17-380349-9. OCLC 888565644.
• Siṅgha, Bhagata (1993). "The Nishanwalia Misal". A History of the Sikh Misals. Punjabi University. pp. 259–267. OCLC 622730722.