Context

• Over the years, Afghanistan has been notoriously difficult to govern, with the US now and erstwhile USSR in 1988 deciding to pull out their forces after having once established control in the region.
• But Hari Singh Nalwa, a legendary Sikh commander, had once tamed the turbulent forces in Afghanistan and earned the reputation of being the “most feared Sikh warrior”.

Who was Hari Singh Nalwa?

• Hari Singh Nalwa was one of the most trustworthy commanders in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army.
• He was the Governor of Kashmir, Hazara and Peshawar.
• Nalwa shot to fame after defeating the Afghans and establishing control over various regions along the boundary of Afghanistan.
• He also prevented Afghans from entering Punjab through the Khyber Pass, which was the main route that foreign invaders used to enter India from 1000 AD till the early 19th century.
• When the Afghans were trying to make repeated incursions into Punjab and Delhi, Maharaja Ranjit Singh decided to take steps to build a secure empire. He formed two types of armies.
• For one of these, he employed French, German, Italian, Russians and Greeks soldiers, and also brought in modern weaponry.
• For the other army, he handed over the charge to Nalwa, who had by then defeated thousands of Hazars, a tribe based in Afghanistan, with less than three times their strength
• To celebrate his unmatched bravery, the Government of India in 2013 released a stamp featuring the name of Nalwa.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/hari-singh-nalwa-sikh-warrior-afghanistan-7472991/

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