Akali Phula Singh
- Deepak Kamboj
- Jul 20th, 2014
- 4916 Views
Akali Phula Singh (Punjabi: ਅਕਾਲੀ ਫੁਲਾ ਸਿੰਘ) was a Nihang serving under the Sikh Empire as a direct adviser to Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century.
Akali Phula Singh born in the Kamboj family of Ishar Singh of village Sihan, now a mound about 5 km to the west of the town Moonak in Sangrur district around 1761 A.D. When he was just over one year his father Isher Singh wounded in the bigger ghalughara, near Malerkotla and died after few days. He was only around 7 when his mother died after which he was brought up by Baba Narain Singh/Naina Singh a friend of his father, and a leader of the Shahid Misl who took him to Anandpur, his headquarters. Since Naina Singh was a Nihang, he also joined the formation and excelled in the learning of martial arts when he was just 12 years old. He accompanied Naina Singh to Amritsar and after his death took over as the leader. He carried on the repairs of the Akal Takhat, while staying at a place called Burj Akali Phula Singh, subsisted on the earnings from estates given to him by various Misls leaders for the upkeep of his soldiers.
Born in 1761 to Kamboj Sikh Chief Sardar Ishar Singh from a village called Shinh around the city of Amritsar, His gotra was Jhand, Akali Phula Singh joined an order of Nihang at an early age. At the age of eighteen, Phula was transferred to the fort of Gobindgarh. There, he formed a band of Nihang separate from the others serving at the fort. When Phula Singh returned to Amritsar later that year with his band of Nihang, he had found the Maharajah to be the new ruler of the city. He and his band of Nihang joined the Maharajah and in 1807 he was elevated to the position of the Jathedar of Amritsar.
He died in 1823 in the battle of Nowshera at Pir sabaq battlefield and his tomb is also located here.