Nahar Singh
Raja Nahar Singh (6 April 1821 – 9 January 1858) was the ruler of Ballabhgarh in what is now Haryana. He became ruler in 1839 after his father, Raja Ram Singh. Nahar Singh was known as a fair and secular leader who promoted harmony between Hindus and Muslims. He even wrote to the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, saying that although he followed Hinduism, he respected Muslim leaders and worked to protect all communities. He built a mosque inside Ballabhgarh Fort and an Idgah, and he rewarded talented Muslim court musicians.
During the 1857 rebellion against British rule, Nahar Singh supported the revolutionary movement. He stopped British forces from advancing near Delhi and raised his own troops, recruiting hundreds of soldiers and gathering weapons. He aligned with Bahadur Shah Zafar and helped secure routes and push the British back in parts of the region, including Pali, Palwal, and Fatehpur. He refused to acknowledge British supremacy and continued to fight.
On 9 January 1858, Nahar Singh was hanged in Chandni Chowk, Delhi, and his estate was taken by the British. His ally Gulab Singh Saini was executed the same day. Nahar Singh’s adopted heir and nephew, Kushal Singh, received a pension and later ruled Kuchesar until 1948.
Today, Nahar Singh is remembered as a hero of India’s first war of independence in 1857. In Haryana, 9 January is observed as Balidan Diwas (Day of Sacrifice). The legacy lives on in places named after him, such as Raja Nahar Singh Marg in Delhi and the Nahar Singh Mahal palace, where a cultural festival has been held every Kartik since 1996.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:51 (CET).