ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>NAI&#7750&#256 SI&#7748GH AK&#256L&#298</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="NAIF,SIDGH,AKL*"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279NAI&#7750&#256 SI&#7748GH, AK&#256L&#298, eighteenth-century Niha&#7749g warrior esteemed as much for his piety as for his valour. His special title to fame rests on the fact that he was the guardian of the celebrated Ak&#257l&#299 Ph&#363l&#257 Si&#7749gh (1761-1823) whom he trained in the martial arts. Little is known about his early life except that his original name was Narai&#7751 Si&#7749gh and that he received <i>kha&#7751&#7693e d&#299 p&#257hul</i> or the rites of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 at the hands of Jathed&#257r Darb&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh (d. 1734), leader of the Sikh fighting forces prior to Naw&#257b Kap&#363r Si&#7749gh. Nai&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh was a junior leader in the Shah&#299d <i>misl</i>, with headquarters at Damd&#257m&#257 S&#257hib, Talva&#7751&#7693&#299 S&#257bo, in present-day Ba&#7789hi&#7751&#7693&#257 district. He was a friend of Bh&#257&#299 &#298shar Si&#7749gh of Nish&#257n&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299 <i>misl</i>, father of Ak&#257l&#299 Ph&#363l&#257 Si&#7749gh. &#298shar Si&#7749gh was mortally wounded in an action in which the Sh&#257h&#299d <i>sard&#257rs</i> had also participated. As he lay dying, he entrusted his two infant sons to the care of Na&#299&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh, who took the family to Damdam&#257 S&#257hib and gave great attention to bringing up the children. Ph&#363l&#257 Si&#7749gh, the elder of the two, grew up into a firebrand Niha&#7749g who later distinguished himself as <i>jathed&#257r</i> of the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t at Amritsar and as commander of Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's crack Ak&#257l&#299 brigade. Ak&#257l&#299 Na&#299&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh is also credited with introducing the tall pyramidal turban common among the Niha&#7749gs to this day, and is said to have been an adept in <i>k&#299rtan</i>, the Sikh devotional music. In a <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> at Bharpurga&#7771h, a village near Amloh in Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 district; are displayed a few garments and the wooden frame of a musical instrument believed to have once belonged to Ak&#257l&#299 Nai&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh who had retired to this village in his later life.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i> Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u> Gur&#363 <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 </i> [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Hot&#299, Prem Si&#7749gh, <i> Ak&#257l&#299 Ph&#363l&#257 Si&#7749gh </i>. Ludhiana, n.d.<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Shamsher Si&#7749gh Ashok<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>