Hari Singh Nalwa Hari Singh Nalwa ( 1791 – 1837 ) was Commander - in - chief of the Khalsa , the army of the Sikh Empire . He is known for his role in the conquests of Kasur , Sialkot , Attock , Multan , Kashmir , Peshawar and Jamrud . Hari Singh Nalwa was responsible for expanding the frontier of Sikh Empire to beyond the Indus River right up to the mouth of the Khyber Pass . In 1831 , he opposed moves by Ranjit Singh to appoint Kharak Singh as his successor as Maharaja of the Sikh Empire . At the time of his death , the western boundary of the empire was Jamrud . He served as governor of Kashmir , Peshawar and Hazara . He established a mint on behalf of the Sikh Empire to facilitate revenue collection in Kashmir and Peshawar . In Kashmir , however , early Sikh rule was considered oppressive and the taxes exorbitant . Early life . Hari Singh ' s ancestors came from Majitha and served the Sukerchakia Misl . His ( maternal ? ) grandfather , Hardas Singh , was killed in action in 1762 . His father , Gurdas Singh , served under Charat Singh and Maha Singh and received the " Jagir " of Balloki , a village in the modern day Kasur District of Pakistan . Hari Singh Nalwa was born into an Uppal Khatri family , in Gujranwala , Punjab to Gurdas Singh and Dharam Kaur . After his father died in 1798 , he was raised by his mother . In 1801 , at age ten , he took Amrit Sanskar and was baptised as a Sikh . At the age of twelve , he began to manage his father ' s estate and took up horse riding . In 1804 , at the age of fourteen , his mother sent him to the court of Ranjit Singh to resolve a property dispute . Ranjit Singh decided the arbitration in his favour because of his background and aptitude . Hari Singh had explained that his father and grandfather had served under Maha Singh and Charat Singh , the Maharaja ' s ancestors , and demonstrated his skills as horseman and musketeer . Ranjit Singh gave him a position at the court as a personal attendant . Military career . During a hunt in 1804 , a lion attacked him and also killed his horse . His fellow hunters attempted to protect him but he refused their offers and killed the lion by himself with a shield and dagger , thus earning the cognomen " Baagh Maar " ( " Tiger - killer " ) . Whether he was by that time already serving in the military is unknown but he was commissioned as Sardar , commanding 800 horses and footmen , in that year . The twenty major battles of Hari Singh Nalwa ( either participated or was in command ) : Battle of Kasur ( 1807 ) Hari Singh ' s first significant participation in a Sikh conquest on assuming charge of an independent contingent was in 1807 , at the capture of Kasur . This place had long been a thorn in the side of Ranjit Singh ' s power because of its proximity to his capital city of Lahore . It was captured in the fourth attempt . This attack was led by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Jodh Singh Ramgarhia . During the campaign the Sadar showed remarkable bravery and dexterity . The Sardar was granted a " jagir " in recognition of his services . Battle of Sialkot ( 1808 ) Ranjit Singh nominated Hari Singh Nalwa to take Sialkot from its ruler Jiwan Singh . This was his first battle under an independent command . The two armies were engaged for a couple of days , eventually seventeen year old Hari Singh carried the day . Battle of Attock ( 1813 ) The fort of Attock was a major replenishment point for all armies crossing the Indus . In the early 19th century , Afghan appointees of the Kingdom of Kabul held this fort , as they did most of the territory along this frontier . This battle was fought and won by the Sikhs on the banks of the Indus under the leadership of Dewan Mokham Chand , Maharaja Ranjit Singh ' s general , against Azim Khan and his brother Dost Mohammad Khan , on behalf of Shah Mahmud of Kabul . Besides Hari Singh Nalwa , Hukam Singh Attariwala , Shyamu Singh , Khalsa Fateh Singh Ahluwalia and Behmam Singh Malliawala actively participated in this battle . This was the first victory of the Sikhs over the Durranis and the Barakzais . With the conquest of Attock , the adjoining regions of Hazara - i - Karlugh and Gandhgarh became tributary to the Sikhs . In 1815 , Sherbaaz Khan of Gandhgarh challenged Hari Singh Nalwa ' s authority and was defeated . Abortive attempt on Kashmir ( 1814 ) The Sikhs made an attempt to take Kashmir soon after the Battle of Attock . The army was under the general command of Maharaja Ranjit Singh , who camped at Rajauri . The troops were led towards Srinagar by Ram Dayal , grandson of Dewan Mokham Chand , while Jamadar Khushal Singh commanded the van , Hari Singh Nalwa and Nihal Singh Attariwala brought up the rear . Lack of provisions , delay in the arrival of reinforcements , bad weather and treachery of the allies forced the Sikhs to retreat . The next few years were spent in subduing Muslim chiefs within the Kashmir territory , en route Srinagar Valley . In 1815 – 16 , Hari Singh Nalwa attacked and destroyed the stronghold of the traitorous Rajauri chief . Conquest of Mahmudkot ( Mehmood Kot , Muzaffargarh ) ( 1816 ) In preparation of the conquest of the strongly fortified Mankera , Ranjit Singh decided to approach it from its southern extremity . After the Baisakhi of 1816 , Misr Diwan Chand , Illahi Bakhsh , Fateh Singh Ahluwalia , Nihal Singh Attariwala and Hari Singh Nalwa accompanied by seven paltans and the topkhana went towards Mahmudkot . When news of its conquest arrived , it left the Maharaja so elated at the success of Sikh arms that he celebrated this victory with the firing of cannons . Two years later , on their way to Multan , the Sikhs captured the forts of Khangarh and Muzzaffargarh . Battle of Multan ( 1818 ) The winter of 1810 saw a jubilant Sikh army stationed near Multan in the Bari Doab . They were riding high on the success of having conquered the Chuj Doab . The possession of the city of Multan was taken with little resistance ; however , the fort could not be captured . The fort was bombarded and mined without effect . Sardar Nihal Singh Attariwala and the young Hari Singh Nalwa were seriously wounded . A fire pot thrown from the walls of the fort fell on Hari Singh and he was so badly burnt that it was some months before he was fit for service . Ranjit Singh was disconcerted beyond measure at the length of the siege and perforce had to abandon the attempt . Multan was finally conquered under the nominal command of Kharak Singh and the actual command of Misr Diwan Chand . It was a fiercely contested battle in which Muzzaffar Khan and his sons defended the place with exemplary courage , but they could not withstand the onslaught of the Sikhs . Hari Singh Nalwa was " chiefly instrumental " in the capture of the citadel . Peshawar becomes tributary ( 1818 ) When Shah Mahmud ' s son , Shah Kamran , killed their Barakzai Vazir Fateh Khan in August 1818 the Sikhs took advantage of the resulting confusion and their army formally forded the Indus and entered Peshawar , the summer capital of the Kingdom of Kabul ( modern - day Afghanistan ) , for the first time . Thereafter , Hari Singh Nalwa was deputed towards Peshawar in order to keep the Sikh " dabdaba kayam " — maintain the pressure . Mitha Tiwana becomes his " jagir " ( 1818 ) In the beginning of 1819 , Hari Singh accompanied Misr Diwan Chand to collect tribute from the Nawab of Mankera . On completion of the mission , Diwan Chand crossed the river Chenab along with his topkhana and set up his camp in Pindi Bhattian near Chiniot . He was asked to leave Hari Singh stationed in the suburbs of Nurpur and Mitha Tiwana . Hari Singh must have achieved significant success for soon thereafter the Maharaja bestowed all the possessions of the Tiwana chiefs in " jagir " on the Sardar . Kashmir becomes a part of the Punjab ( 1819 ) In April 1819 , the Sikh army marched towards Kashmir . On this occasion , Prince Kharak Singh held nominal command . Misr Diwan Chand led the vanguard , while Hari Singh Nalwa brought up the rear for the support of the leading troops . The third division , under the personal command of Maharaja Ranjit Singh , expedited supplies and conveyed these to the advance troops . On the morning of 5 July 1819 , the Sikh columns advanced to the sound of bugles . A severe engagement took place between the two armies and the Sikhs captured Kashmir . Great rejoicing followed in the Sikh camp and the cities of Lahore and Amritsar were illuminated for three successive nights . Thus came to an end the five centuries of Muslim rule in Kashmir . Two years later , as Governor of Kashmir , Hari Singh Nalwa put down the rebellion of the most troublesome Khakha chief , Gulam Ali . Battle of Pakhli ( 1819 ) Under the Afghans , Hazara - i - Karlugh , Gandhgarh and Gakhar territory were governed from Attock . Kashmir collected the revenue from the upper regions of Pakhli , Damtaur and Darband . Numerous attempts by the Sikhs to collect revenue from Hazara - i - Karlugh not only met with failure , but also the loss of prominent Sikh administrators and commanders . Following the Sikh conquest of Kashmir , tribute was due from Pakhli , Damtaur , and Darband . On his return to the Punjab plains from the Kashmir Valley , Hari Singh and his companions followed the traditional " kafila " ( caravan ) route through Pakhli hoping to collect tribute from the region . The Sikh request for Nazrana resulted in the usual “ fighting and mulcting ” ; the party however , was successful in their mission . Battle of Mangal ( 1821 ) Hari Singh ' s most spectacular success in the region of Pakistan ' s Hazara came two years later . On the successful conclusion of his governorship of Kashmir , he departed from the Valley and crossed the river Kishenganga at Muzaffarabad with 7000 foot soldiers . Hari Singh Nalwa traversed the hazardous mountainous terrain successfully , however when his entourage reached Mangal ( Mangli , Pakistan ) he found his passage opposed . Mangal , the ancient capital of Urasa was now the stronghold of the chief of the Jaduns who controlled the entire region of Damtaur . Hari Singh requested the tribesmen for a passage through their territory , but they demanded a tax on all the Kashmir goods and treasure he was taking with him . All trade " kafilas " routinely paid this toll . Hari Singh ' s claim that the goods he carried were not for trade purposes was not accepted . When parleying produced no result , battle was the only option . A combined tribal force numbering no less than 25 , 000 gathered from all the adjoining areas and challenged Hari Singh and his men . Despite being completely outnumbered , the Sardar stormed their stockades and defeated his opponents with a loss to them of 2 , 000 men . Hari Singh then left to join forces with the Sikh army poised for an attack on Mankera , but after he had collected a fine from every house and built a fort in this vicinity . Battle of Mankera ( 1822 ) The Sindh Sagar Doab was chiefly controlled from Mankera and Mitha Tiwana . Nawab Hafiz Ahmed Khan , a relative of the Durranis , exerted considerable influence in this region . Besides Mankera , he commanded a vast area protected by 12 forts . With the weakening of Afghan rule in Kabul , the governors of Attock , Mankera , Mitha Tiwana and Khushab had declared their independence . Ranjit Singh celebrated the Dussehra of 1821 across the river Ravi , at Shahdera . Hari Singh , Governor of Kashmir , was most familiar with the territory that the Maharaja had now set his eyes on . Nalwa was summoned post - haste to join the Lahore Army already on its way towards the river Indus . The Maharaja and his army had crossed the Jehlum when Hari Singh Nalwa , accompanied by his Kashmir platoons , joined them at Mitha Tiwana . The Sikhs commenced offensive operations in early November . Nawab Hafiz Ahmed ' s predecessor , Nawab Mohammed Khan , had formed a cordon around Mankera with 12 forts — Haidrabad , Maujgarh , Fatehpur , Pipal , Darya Khan , Khanpur , Jhandawala , Kalor , Dulewala , Bhakkar , Dingana and Chaubara . The Sikh army occupied these forts and soon the only place that remained to be conquered was Mankera itself . A few years earlier , the Nawab of Mankera had actively participated in the reduction of Mitha Tiwana . The Tiwanas , now feudatories of Hari Singh Nalwa , were eager participants in returning that favour to the Nawab . The force was divided into three parts — one column being under Hari Singh — and each column entered the Mankera territory by a different route ; capturing various places enroute all three columns rejoined near Mankera town . Mankera was besieged , with Nalwa ' s force being on the west of the fort . The fort of Mankera stood in the middle of the Thal . It was built of mud with a citadel of burnt brick surrounded by a dry ditch . To make the central fortress inaccessible , no wells were permitted by the Nawab to be sunk within a radius of 15 kos . During the night of 26 November Hari Singh Nalwa , together with other chiefs and " jagirdars " , established their " morchas " ( batteries ) within long gunshot of the place . They found old wells , which their men cleared out and fresh ones were dug . On the nights of 6 – 7 December , they approached closer to the ditch . The ensuing skirmish was ferocious and resulted in considerable loss of life . The siege of the fort of Mankera lasted 25 days . Finally , the Nawab accepted defeat and the last Saddozai stronghold fell to the Sikhs . The Nawab was allowed to proceed towards Dera Ismail Khan , which was granted to him as " jagir " . His descendants held the area until 1836 . Battle of Nowshera ( Naushehra ) ( 1823 ) The Sikhs forayed into Peshawar for the first time in 1818 , but did not occupy the territory . They were content with collecting tribute from Yar Mohammed , its Barakzai governor . Azim Khan , Yar Mohammed ' s half - brother in Kabul , totally disapproved of the latter ' s deference to the Sikhs and decided to march down at the head of a large force to vindicate the honour of the Afghans . Azim Khan wanted to avenge both , the supplication of his Peshawar brethren and the loss of Kashmir . Hari Singh Nalwa was the first to cross the Indus at Attock to the Sikh post of Khairabad ; he was accompanied by Diwan Kirpa Ram and Khalsa Sher Singh , the Maharaja ' s teenaged son , besides 8 , 000 men . The Kabul Army was expected near Nowshera , on the banks of the river Kabul ( Landai ) . Hari Singh ' s immediate plan was to capture the Yusafzai stronghold to the north of the Landai at Jehangira , and the Khattak territory to its south at Akora Khattak . The latter was taken with out difficulty however Jehangira was a masonry fort with very strong towers and the Yusafzais offered tough resistance . Hari Singh entered the fort and established his " thana " there . The remaining troops re - crossed the Landai River and returned to their base camp at Akora . Mohammed Azim Khan had encamped about ten miles north - west of Hari Singh ' s position , on the right bank of the Landai , facing the town of Nowshera , awaiting Ranjit Singh ' s approach . The Sikhs had scheduled two battles – one along either bank of the Landai . After Hari Singh had successfully reduced the tribal strongholds on either side of the river , Ranjit Singh departed from the fort of Attock . He crossed the Landai River at a ford below Akora , and set up his camp near the fort of Jehangira . The famous army commander Akali Phula Singh and the no less renowned Gurkha commander Bal Bahadur , with their respective troops , accompanied the Maharaja . The Barakzais merely witnessed the main action from across the river . Hari Singh Nalwa ' s presence had prevented them from crossing the Landai . Eventually , the inheritors of Ahmed Shah Abdali ’ s legacy fled the scene in the direction of Jalalabad chased by Hari Singh Nalwa and his men to the very mouth of the Khyber Pass . Battle of Sirikot ( 1824 ) Sirikot lay less than ten miles to the north - west of Haripur . This Mashwani village was strategically placed in a basin at the top of the north - east end of the Gandhgarh Range , which made its secure location a haven for the rebellious chiefs in the entire region . Hari Singh Nalwa went towards Sirikot before the rains of 1824 . It was another six months before the attempt produced conclusive results . The Sardar almost lost his life in the course of this expedition . Ranjit Singh ' s military campaign for the winter of 1824 was scheduled towards Peshawar and Kabul . While stationed at Wazirabad , he received an arzi ( written petition ) from Sardar Hari Singh informing him that he and his men were overwhelmingly outnumbered – one Sikh to ten Afghans . Ranjit Singh marched to [ Rohtas ] , from there to [ Rawalpindi ] and via [ Sarai Kala ] reached Sirikot . The news of the approach of the Sikh army led to an instant dispersal of the insurgents . The increasing success of the Sikh arms greatly disappointed the Yusafzai and other tribes inhabiting the trans - Indus region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa . The Battle of Nowshera convinced them of their extreme vulnerability . Not only had the Kabul Barakzais let them down , but their subsequent application to the British for help had also met with little success . Battle of Saidu ( 1827 ) The redeemer of the Yusafzais came in the form of one Sayyid Ahmad , who despite being a ' Hindki ' was accepted as a leader by them . Budh Singh Sandhanwalia , accompanied by 4 , 000 horsemen , was deputed towards Attock to assist in suppressing the Yusafzai rebellion . The Maharaja ' s brief required him to thereafter to proceed towards Peshawar and collect tribute from Yar Mohammed Khan Barakzai . Budh Singh first heard of the Sayyid after he had crossed the Indus and encamped near the fort of Khairabad . Ranjit Singh was still on the sickbed when the news of the Sayyid ' s arrival , at the head of a large force of the Yusafzai peasantry , reached him . The gallantry of the Yusafzai defence in the Battle of Nowshera was still vivid in his mind . On receiving this news , he immediately put into motion all the forces that he could muster and immediately dispatched them towards the frontier . The Barakzais in Peshawar , though outwardly professing allegiance to the Sikhs , were in reality in league with the insurgents . The Sayyid marched from Peshawar in the direction of Nowshera . Sardar Budh Singh wrote to the Sayyid seeking for a clarification of his intention . The Sayyid haughtily replied that he would first take the fort of Attock and then engage Budh Singh in battle . Hari Singh Nalwa stood guard at the fort of Attock with the intention of keeping the Sayyid and his men from crossing the river until reinforcements arrived from Lahore . News had reached the Sikhs that the jihadis accompanying the Sayyid numbered several thousand . The battle between the Sayyid and the Sikhs was fought on 14 Phagun ( 23 February ) 1827 . The action commenced at about ten in the morning . The Muslim war cry of " Allah hu Akbar " , or " God is the greatest " , was answered by the Sikhs with " Bole so nihal , Sat Sri Akal " , or “ they who affirm the name of God , the only immortal truth , will find fulfilment ” . Ironically , the opposing forces first professed the glory of the very same God Almighty , albeit in different languages , before they commenced slaughtering each other . The cannonade lasted about two hours . The Sikhs charged at their opponents , routed them , and continued a victorious pursuit for six miles , taking all their guns , swivels , camp equipage , etc . The number of killed was not mentioned , but blood was said to have flowed in torrents . The Sayyid sustained a complete defeat despite his vastly superior numbers . He was compelled to retreat to the Yusafzai Mountains . It was reported that 8 , 000 Sikhs had defended themselves against an enraged population of Mohammedans . A salute was fired , illumination was ordered by drumbeat in the city of Lahore in honour of the victory . Occupies Peshawar ( 1834 ) The actual occupation of the great city of Peshawar and its ruinous fort , the Bala Hisar , by the Sikhs was quite a comedy and a total anti - climax . It was a reflection of Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa ' s formidable reputation in ‘ Pashtunistan ’ . Masson arrived in Peshawar just in time to see the Sikhs take control of the city . His eyewitness account reports that the Afghans simply fled the place and Hari Singh Nalwa occupied Peshawar without a battle . Dost Mohammad Khan flees ( 1835 ) Hari Singh Nalwa was the governor of Peshawar when Dost Mohammed personally came at the head of a large force to challenge the Sikhs . Following his victory against Shah Shuja at Kandahar , in the first quarter of 1835 , Dost Mohammed declared himself " padshah " ( king ) , gave a call for jihad and set off from Kabul to wrest Peshawar from the Sikhs . Ranjit Singh directed his generals to amuse the Afghans with negotiations and to win over Sultan Mohammed Khan . He directed them that on no account , even if attacked , were they to enter into a general engagement until his arrival . Hari Singh Nalwa and the other Sikh chieftains requested Ranjit Singh to permit them to engage with the Kabul Afghans . On 30 Baisakh ( 10 May 1835 ) , Sardar Hari Singh , Raja Gulab Singh , Misr Sukh Raj , Sardar Attar Singh Sandhanwalia , Jamadar Khushal Singh , the Raja Kalan ( Dhian Singh ) , Monsieur Court , Signor Avitabile , Sardar Tej Singh , Dhaunkal Singh , Illahi Bakhsh of the topkhana , Sardar Jawala Singh and Sardar Lehna Singh Majithia were ordered to move . The troops fanned out over five kos , forming a semicircle in front of the Amir ' s encampment . Sardar Hari Singh proposed that the water of the stream Bara , which flowed in the direction of Dost Mohammed Khan ' s camp , be dammed . When the Ghazis appeared , Sardar Hari Singh commenced firing his guns . The Maharaja , however , prohibited him from indulging in battle and dispatched his Vakils to negotiate with the Amir . Once Dost Mohammed Khan was assured that the Sikhs would affect a truce until their Vakils were in his camp , he let them know what he really felt . Harsh words were exchanged . He accused Fakir Aziz - ud - din of making “ use of much language , having plenty of leaves but little fruit ” . On finding both his step brothers , Jabbar and Sultan , irredeemably lost to him , Dost Mohammed decided to retire from the field with the whole of his army , armament and equipage . He left at night , making sure that the Fakir did not return to the Sikh camp until after he had gone through the Khyber Pass . Takes Jamrud ( Khyber Pass ) ( 1836 ) In October 1836 , following the Dussehra celebrations in Amritsar , Hari Singh made a sudden attack on the village of Jamrud , at the mouth of the Khyber Pass . The Misha Khel Khyberis , the owners of this village , were renowned for their excellent marksmanship and total lack of respect for any authority . Hari Singh Nalwa ' s first encounter with this tribe had taken place following the Battle of Nowshera when he had pursued the fleeing Azim Khan ; and once again , when he chased Dost Mohammed Khan in 1835 . The occupation of Jamrud was rather strongly contested , but it appeared that the place was taken by surprise . On its capture , Hari Singh Nalwa gave instructions to fortify the position without delay . A small existing fort was immediately put into repair . News of this event was immediately transmitted to Kabul . Masson informed Wade of the passage of events along this frontier in a letter dated 31 October 1836 . With the conquest of Jamrud , at the very mouth of the Khyber , the frontier of the Sikh Empire now bordered the foothills of the Hindu Kush Mountains . Panjtaar defeated ( 1836 ) The defeat of the Khyberis sent shock waves through the Afghan community . However , more was to follow . Hari Singh Nalwa accompanied by Kanwar Sher Singh , now proceeded towards the Yusafzai strongholds , north - east of Peshawar , which had withheld tribute for three years . The Sikhs completely defeated the Yusafzais , with their chief , Fateh Khan of Panjtar , losing his territory . It was reported that 15 , 000 mulkia fled before the Sikhs like a herd of goats , many being killed and the remaining taking refuge in the hills . After burning and levelling Panjtar to the ground , Hari Singh returned to Peshawar realising all the arrears of revenue . Fateh Khan was obliged to sign an agreement to pay tribute on which condition Panjtar was released . When news of the conquest of Panjtar reached the Court of Lahore , a display of fireworks was proposed . Battle of Jamrud ( 1837 ) The news of the conquest of Jamrud put Dost Mohammed Khan into a state of greatest alarm . General Hari Singh ' s latest possession gave the Sikhs the command of the entrance into the valley of Khyber . “ If this was a prelude to further aggressive measures , ” the Amir “ saw in the intimation and submission of the people of Khyber , the road laid open to Jelalabad . ” Were the Sikhs to take Jalalabad , their next stop would be Kabul . This information was followed by the intelligence of the defeat of the Panjtaris . The Maharaja ' s grandson , Nau Nihal Singh was getting married in March 1837 . Troops had been withdrawn from all over the Punjab to put up a show of strength for the British Commander - in - chief who was invited to the wedding . Dost Mohammed Khan had been invited to the great celebration . Hari Singh Nalwa too was supposed to be at Amritsar , but in reality was in Peshawar ( some accounts say he was ill ) Dost Mohammed had ordered his army to march towards Jamrud together with five sons and his chief advisors with orders not to engage with the Sikhs , but more as a show of strength and try and wrest the forts of Shabqadar , Jamrud and Peshawar . Hari Singh had also been instructed not to engage with the Afghans till reinforcements arrived from Lahore . Hari Singh ' s lieutenant , Mahan Singh , was in the fortress of Jamrud with 600 men and limited supplies . Hari Singh was in the strong fort of Peshawar . He was forced to go to the rescue of his men who were surrounded from every side by the Afghan forces , without water in the small fortress . Though the Sikhs were totally outnumbered , the sudden arrival of Hari Singh Nalwa put the Afghans in total panic . In the melee , Hari Singh Nalwa was accidentally grievously wounded . Before he died , he told his lieutenant not to let the news of his death out till the arrival of reinforcements , which is what he did . While the Afghans knew that Hari Singh had been wounded , they waited for over a week doing nothing , till the news of his death was confirmed . By this time , the Lahore troops had arrived and they merely witness the Afghans fleeing back to Kabul . Hari Singh Nalwa had not only defended Jamrud and Peshawar , but had prevented the Afghans from ravaging the entire north - west frontier . The Afghans achieved none of their stated objectives . The loss of Hari Singh Nalwa was irreparable and this Sikh victory was as costly as a defeat . Victories over the Afghans were a favourite topic of conversation for Ranjit Singh . He was to immortalise these by ordering a shawl from Kashmir at the record price of Rs5000 , in which were depicted the scenes of the battles fought with them . Following the death of Hari Singh Nalwa , no further conquests were made in this direction . The Khyber Pass continued as the Sikh frontier till the annexation of the Punjab by the British . Administrator . Hari Singh ' s administrative rule covered one - third of the Sikh Empire . He served as the Governor of Kashmir ( 1820 – 21 ) , Greater Hazara ( 1822 – 1837 ) and was twice appointed the Governor of Peshawar ( 1834 - 5 & 1836 - his death ) . In his private capacity , Hari Singh Nalwa was required to administer his vast " jagir " spread all over the kingdom . He was sent to the most troublesome spots of the Sikh empire in order to " create a tradition of vigorous and efficient administration " . The territories under his jurisdiction later formed part of the British Districts of Peshawar , Hazara ( Pakhli , Damtaur , Haripur , Darband , Gandhgarh , Dhund , Karral and Khanpur ) , Attock ( Chhachch , Hassan Abdal ) , Jehlum ( Pindi Gheb , Katas ) , Mianwali ( Kachhi ) , Shahpur ( Warcha , Mitha Tiwana and Nurpur ) , Dera Ismail Khan ( Bannu , Tank , and Kundi ) , Rawalpindi ( Rawalpindi , Kallar ) and Gujranwala . In 1832 , at the specific request of William Bentinck , the Maharajah proposed a fixed table of duties for the whole of his territories . Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa was one of the three men deputed to fix the duties from Attock ( on the Indus ) to Filor ( on the Satluj ) . In Kashmir , however , Sikh rule was generally considered oppressive , protected perhaps by the remoteness of Kashmir from the capital of the Sikh empire in Lahore ; The Sikhs enacted a number of anti - Muslim laws , which included handing out death sentences for cow slaughter , closing down the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar , and banning the " azaan " , the public Muslim call to prayer . Kashmir had also now begun to attract European visitors , several of whom wrote of the abject poverty of the vast Muslim peasantry and of the exorbitant taxes under the Sikhs . The Sikh rule in lands dominated for centuries by Muslims was an exception in the political history of the latter . To be ruled by ‘ kafirs ’ was the worst kind of ignominy to befall a Muslim . Before the Sikhs came to Kashmir ( 1819 CE ) , the Afghans had ruled it for 67 years . For the Muslims , Sikh rule was the darkest period of the history of the place , while for the Kashmiri Pandits ( Hindus ) nothing was worse than the Afghan rule . The Sikh conquest of Kashmir was prompted by an appeal from its Hindu population . The oppressed Hindus had been subjected to forced conversions , their women raped , their temples desecrated , and cows slaughtered . Efforts by the Sikhs to keep peace in far - flung regions pressed them to close mosques and ban the call to prayer because the Muslim clergy charged the population to frenzy with a call for ‘ jihad ’ at every pretext . Cow - slaughter ( Holy Cow ) offended the religious sentiments of the Hindu population and therefore it met with severe punishment in the Sikh empire . In Peshawar , keeping in view “ the turbulence of the lawless tribes … and the geographical and political exigencies of the situation ” Hari Singh ' s methods were most suitable . Diplomatic mission . In 1831 , Hari Singh was deputed to head a diplomatic mission to Lord William Bentinck , Governor - General of British India . The Ropar Meeting between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the head of British India followed soon thereafter . The Maharaja saw this as a good occasion to get his son , Kharak Singh , acknowledged as his heir - apparent . Hari Singh Nalwa expressed strong reservations against any such move . The British desired to persuade Ranjit Singh to open the Indus for trade . Legacy . Nalwa was also a builder . At least 56 buildings were attributed to him , which included forts , ramparts , towers , gurdwaras , tanks , " samadhis " , temples , mosques , towns , " havelis " , " sarais " and gardens . He built the fortified town of Haripur in 1822 . This was the first planned town in the region , with a superb water distribution system . His very strong fort of Harkishengarh , situated in the valley at the foothill of mountains , had four gates . It was surrounded by a wall , 4 yards thick and 16 yards high . Nalwa ' s presence brought such a feeling of security to the region that when Hügel visited Haripur in 1835 - 6 , he found the town humming with activity . A large number of Khatris migrated there and established a flourishing trade . Haripur , tehsil and district , in Hazara , North - West Frontier Province , are named after him . Nalwa contributed to the prosperity of Gujranwala , which he was given as a " jagir " sometime after 1799 , which he held till his death in 1837 . He built all the main Sikh forts in the trans - Indus region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — Jehangira and Nowshera on the left and right bank respectively of the river Kabul , Sumergarh ( or Bala Hisar Fort in the city of Peshawar ) , for the Sikh Kingdom . In addition , he laid the foundation for the fort of Fatehgarh , at Jamrud ( Jamrud Fort ) . He reinforced Akbar ' s Attock fort situated on the left bank of the river Indus by building very high bastions at each of the gates . He also built the fort of Uri in Kashmir . A religious man , Nalwa built Gurdwara Panja Sahib in the town of Hassan Abdal , south - west of Haripur and north - west of Rawalpindi in Pakistan , to commemorate Guru Nanak ' s journey through that region . He had donated the gold required to cover the dome of the Akal Takht within the Harmandir Sahib complex in Amritsar . Following Hari Singh Nalwa ' s death , his sons Jawahir Singh Nalwa and Arjan Singh Nalwa fought against the British to protect the sovereignty of the Kingdom of the Sikhs , with the former being noted for his defence in the Battle of Chillianwala . Plaudits . For decades after his death , Yusufzai women would say " Raghe Hari Singh " ( " Hari Singh is coming " ) to frighten their children into obedience . Death . Hari Singh Nalwa died fighting the Pathan forces of Dost Mohammed Khan of Afghanistan . He was cremated in the Jamrud Fort built at the mouth of the Khyber Pass in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa . Babu Gajju Mall Kapur , a Hindu resident of Peshawar , commemorated his memory by building a memorial in the fort in 1892 . Popular culture . Hari Singh Nalwa ' s life became a popular theme for martial ballads . His earliest biographers were poets , including Qadir Bakhsh urf Kadaryar , Misr Hari Chand urf Qadaryaar and Ram Dayal , all in the 19th century . In the 20th century , the song " Mere Desh ki Dharti " from the 1967 Bollywood film " Upkaar " eulogises him . Amar Chitra Katha first published the biography of Hari Singh Nalwa in 1978 ( see List of Amar Chitra Katha comics ) .