Baherwal Kalan
Baherwal Kalan is a village in the Kasur District of Punjab, Pakistan. The neighboring villages are Bhonikey, Rore, Taragarh, Khudian, Chak 41, Jaguwala and Kot Het Ram.
History
Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563–1606) fifth Sikh Guru was touring the Nakka area of Punjab located between river Ravi and river Sutlej with some of his Sikhs. Sandhu Jatt Chaudhary Hem Raj (Chieftain) of Baherwal Kalan respected and served Guru Arjan Dev Ji. The Guru blessed him saying that his descendants will be great Chieftains of that area. Guru Sahib left for Jamber Kalan Village near Bhai Phero Town.
Nakai Misl
Sardar Hira Singh (1706–1767), a Sandhu Jatt descendant of Chaudhary Hem Raj, took the area from the Afghans and the Punjabi Pathans in 1748. In 1749 he took Dipalpur, Okara, Kanganpur and Gugera from the Afghan and Pathan Muslim rulers. He had taken Amrit Sanchaar (Sikh Initiation) in 1731 from Nawab Kapur Singh, the leader of the Sikh confederacy in the Punjab. He named his territory Nakai Misl after the Nakka Name of area. He also built an army from neighboring villages around Baherwal Kalan.
Baherwal was Hira Singh Nakai's capital. During an expedition to Pakpattan City, he was shot and killed by Muslim forces in 1767. His army cremated his body in his native Village. He had a son, Dal Singh, who was still a young boy, so his nephew, Nahar Singh, became the next Chieftain. Nahar Singh was killed in 1768 by the Kharal Jats of Kot Kumaliah. His son Sardar Ran Singh (d.1781) became the next leader.
After Ran Singh's death in 1781, his son, Sardar Bhagwan Singh Nakai, became ruler until his death in 1789. He was succeeded by his brother Gyan Singh Nakai, who in 1798 married his sister Raj Kaur (d.1838) to Maharaja Ranjit Singh at a young age. She assumed the name Maharani Datar Kaur after marriage to distinguish from Ranjit Singh's mother. After Gyan Singh Nakai's death in 1807, Kahn Singh became the next and final ruler. In 1810 Maharaja Ranjit Singh annexed their territories and granted the Jagir of Baherwal to Kahn Singh.
Descendants of Nakai Misl
Their descendants achieved much fame during British Rule (1849–1947). In the early 20th century, Sardar Ishar Singh Nakai of Baherwal Kalan, married a Muslim woman and converted to Islam. He took the name Abdul Aziz Nakai. His Grandson was Sardar Muhammad Arif Nakai Sandhu, a noted Pakistani politician who rose to become the Chief Minister of Punjab and Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan. He died in the year 2000. A son named Nihal Singh from first wife of Sardar Ishar Singh was, however, raised as a Sikh. His son Sardar Udham Singh Nakai was a well known Sardar of Baherwal before partition. He had two sons named Ranjit Singh Nakai and Gurdip Singh Nakai. This branch of the family migrated to India and settled in Ferozepur district of Indian Punjab. Their descendants continue to live in village Burj Sidhwan near Malaut in present day Muktsar district.
During the partition in 1947, the Sikhs and Hindus left for India and the Muhajirs Muslims from Delhi migrated to Pakistan Kasur. They destroyed the Samadhis of the Nakai Sikh Sardars at Baherwal Kalan.
See also
2. Nakai Misl
3. Misl Nakai
5. Maharani Datar Kaur
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