Sardar Nanu Singh Saini was a Sikh army general and a well-known
jagirdar in
Phulkian riyasat. He was a close associate of Maharaja
Ala Singh
Ala Singh Sidhu-Brar (1691–1765) was the first king of the princely state of Patiala. He was born in 1691 at Phul, in present-day Bathinda district of the Punjab, in Jat sikh family to Chaudhary Ram Singh of Phulkian Misl. His father had six c ...
who founded the Patiala state in 1753 AD.
He gained this
jagir
A jagir ( fa, , translit=Jāgir), also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar (Zamindar) system. It developed during the Islamic rule era of the Indian subcontinent, start ...
from Maharaja Ala Singh as a recognition and reward for having liberated him from the
Sunam
Sunam Udham Singh Wala is a town and a tehsil, near city of Sangrur in Sangrur district in the Indian state of Punjab. The city of Sunam Udham Singh Wala, which falls in Sunam Udham Singh Wala tehsil, was previously known only as Sunam. The ...
prison in 1747 where he had been incarcerated by Ali Muhammad Khan for over two years.
Grant of Jagir in 1753 AD
Ala Singh was liberated by Nanu Singh
Saini
Saini () is a caste of North India who were traditionally landowners (zamindars) and farmers. Sainis claim to be descendants of a king, Shurasena, as well as of Krishna and Porus, and to be related to the ancient Shoorsaini clan,'' "The Sain ...
with the help of Karam Singh Semeka in 1747 AD. Thereafter, he went on to found Patiala princely state in 1753 and took the title of Maharaja. Nanu Singh
Saini
Saini () is a caste of North India who were traditionally landowners (zamindars) and farmers. Sainis claim to be descendants of a king, Shurasena, as well as of Krishna and Porus, and to be related to the ancient Shoorsaini clan,'' "The Sain ...
became among his most trusted lieutenants and army generals. As a reward of Nanu Singh Saini's help in his liberation from the prison and his contributions in military campaigns as a general, his family was granted a large jagir which was spread in Patiala, Jind and Ambala regions. Along with Chahal Sardars of Patiala, this
Saini
Saini () is a caste of North India who were traditionally landowners (zamindars) and farmers. Sainis claim to be descendants of a king, Shurasena, as well as of Krishna and Porus, and to be related to the ancient Shoorsaini clan,'' "The Sain ...
family's estates in Patiala were the largest territories that any noble family owned in Phulkian riyasat. Nanu Singh Saini's family was also known as 'Wade Ghar Wale' in the Phulkian court because they had been granted a sprawling bungalow at Der Sodhian by the ruling family.
Following is the complete list of estates owned by Nanu Singh Saini's jagirdar family and his descendants:
*6500 Bigha - Ratanheri (Patiala)
*6000 Bigha - Sanianheri (Patiala)
*2500 Bigha - Barnala
*5000 Bigha - Bhagwanpur (Ambala)
*6000 Bigha - Jainagar (Rajpura)- named after Sardar Jai Singh Saini of Phulkian royal court.
*130 Bigha - Raipur (Chamkaur Sahib)
*150 Bigha - Devinagar (Patiala)
*200 Bigha - Budhanpur (Patiala)
Conquest of Sirhind
In 1763 AD Maharaja
Ala Singh
Ala Singh Sidhu-Brar (1691–1765) was the first king of the princely state of Patiala. He was born in 1691 at Phul, in present-day Bathinda district of the Punjab, in Jat sikh family to Chaudhary Ram Singh of Phulkian Misl. His father had six c ...
and Nanu Singh Saini together conquered Sirhind from Zain Khan and annexed it into Phulkian state.
Family and descendants
Nanu Singh Sainis's family and descendants played important role in the religious and political affairs of the Phulkian state. Four of his lineal descendants, namely, Sardar
Jai Singh Saini, Sardar Sujan Singh Saini, Sardar Kishan Singh Saini, and Sardar Pritam Singh Saini were closely associated with the royal court of Phulkian state.
Sardar Jai Singh Saini was a renowned poet and highly regarded advisor of Maharaja Karam Singh, Ala Singh's son.
[Guru Mahima Ratnavali, Entry 50, Prof. Pritam Singh and Kishan Lal, 1984] His poetic anthology 'Boop Bhookhan' was authored by him to extol ancient Indian spiritual lore and guide Maharaja Karam Singh in the state affairs.
See also
*
Ajit Saini of
Punjab, India
Punjab (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northern India. Forming part of the larger Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered by the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Himachal ...
(Freedom fighter and an acclaimed writer and columnist, also a close lieutenant of
Subhas Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose ( ; 23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
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*) was an Indian nationalist whose defiance of British authority in India made him a hero among Indians, but his wartime alliances with Nazi Germany and Imperia ...
)
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Sangat Singh Saini (General in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the
Sikh Empire
The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...
, also rewarded 300 acres land for bravery in battle)
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List of some famous Sainis
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saini, Nanu Singh
History of Sikhism
Year of birth missing
Year of death missing