HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF NAKKAI MISAL IN THE SIKH COMMUNITY

Abstract

The comprehensive description of the Misal of the Nakka area of Punjab is crucial, considering the context of the emergence of the Sikh empire in the 19th century. For over fifty years, Sikhs in Punjab campaigned for dominance, but they were directionless since there had been no overarching force to lead and guide them. They faced off with Mughals and also with Afghan invaders, as well as each other. Nakkai Misal is an amazing illustration of how the confederation of Sikh Misals in Punjab evolved against Muslim control by the Mughals in Punjab or from Afghanistan. This research is an important reference for research scholars who are interested in the turbulent past of Punjab in the 18th century. This paper explains the dynamics of historical events in Punjab, which ultimately contributed to the decline of Mughal control and the rise of the Sikh community to power. Nakkai Misal, commanded by Sikh Jathedars, was a fighting band of Sikh pillagers, fighting with administrators of the Mughals in their relevant territories and also killing each other for both opulence and authority. The jathedars of Nakkai Misal were fighting with Kahniya Misal, Bhangi Misal, and Sukarchakiya Misal, and withal with each other, as they were not yare to accept the supremacy of a single ascendancy within the jurisdiction of the Nakka region. The dispute for ascendancy resulted in the division of Nakkai Misal into two parallel ascendant entities, one ruling from the Baharwal region and the other from the Syedwala, and conclusively a merger into the Sikh imperium under Ranjit Singh.