HIRA SINGH (c. 1706-1767), founder of the Nakai misl chief ship, was a Sandhu Jat of the village of Bahirwal, near Chuniari, in Lahore district, now in Pakistan. He was born the son of Chaudhary Hem Raj, Jagirdar of Bahirwal In 1731, he received the initiatory rites of the Khalsa at the hands of the celebrated Bhal Mani Singh, and took to the adventurous and daring way of life of the Sikhs of those days. A number of young men of neighbouring villages joined him in his exploits, and he collected a lot of goods and many cattle, camels and horses. When the Sikhs sacked Kasur in 1763 and conquered Sirhind in 1764, Hira Singh occupied Chunian, Dipalpur, Jambar, Jelhupur, Kariganwal and Khudlan.
He established his headquarters at Chunian, 60 km from Lahore, on the road from Firozpur to Multan, and laid the foundation of the Nakai principality so called after the name of the region known as Nakka over which Hira Singh dominated. Hira Singh was killed in action in 1767 at Pakpattan which he had attacked.
References :-
- Seetal, Sohan Singh, The Sikh Misal and the Panjab. Ludhiana, n.d.
- Khushwant Singh, A History of the Sikhs, vol. I. Princeton, 1963
- Gupta, Hari Ram, History of the Sikhs, vol. IV. Delhi, 1982