Naudh Singh, also spelt as Nodh Singh (died 1752), was a Sikh leader and founder of the Sukerchakia Misl.[3]
Biography
Naudh Singh inherited a territory consisting of a few villages and surrounding areas paying rakhi tribute from his father, Budh Singh, after his father's death in 1718.[4]Chaudhary Naudh Singh was the landlord of Gujranwala area that he renamed as Shukar Chak (meaning: "thanks for the land").[5] Naudh Singh fortified the village of Sukerchak and raised a jatha (militia) who came to be known as the Sukerchakias.[4] The very beginning and earliest traces of the Sukerchakia Misl can be traced to Nodha Singh constructing a minor fortress in his native village of Sukerchak, along with gathering a small jatha of 30 horsemen to protect his locality from invading Afghans.[6] He and his group of horsemen would later join the Faizalpuria Misl of Nawab Kapur Singh in 1730.[6] He became wealthy by pillaging the caravans of the invading Afghans and established himself as the local chieftain of Sukerchak.[6] During his time, the jatha joined forces with the militias of other misls against the Afghan forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali.[4] When the Afghans withdrew, the Sukerchakias came to possess tracts of land between the Ravi and Jhelum rivers.[4]
At the annual Diwali meeting of the Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar in 1748, a Gurmata was passed that reorganized the various scattered and numerous jathas into eleven organized Misls, with the Sukerchakia Misl forming out of this judgement.[7][note 1]
Death
Nodh Singh died in 1752 in a skirmish after enemy soldiers set fire to a cave he was in.[4] When Naudh died in 1752, he had four sons who survived him named Charat Singh, Dal Singh, Chet Singh, and Mangi Singh.[6] He was succeeded by his son Charat Singh.[8]
However, other sources state that he was severely wounded in 1747 during a fight with Afghans after being shot in the head.[6]
Notes
^It is unclear if the Sukerchakia Misl would have been established as an independent misl in 1748 after the passing of the Gurmata by the Sarbat Khalsa or if it was established a little later by Charat Singh's split from the Singhpuria Misl.
^Gupta, Hari Ram. History Of The Sikhs Vol II Evolution of Sikh Confederacies. Munshilal Manohorlal, Pvt Ltd. p. 92.
^ abcdeSingh, Khushwant (24 March 2009). "Ranjit Singh's Ancestors, Birth and the Years of Tutelage". Ranjit Singh: Maharajah of the Punjab. Penguin. pp. 1–2. ISBN9780143065432.
^Dhir, Krishna S. (2022). The Wonder That Is Urdu (1st ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. p. 537. ISBN9788120843011. The early 18th century remained a turbulent period during which the Sikhs did not have a single individual as a Sikh leader. The Mughals had taken control of much of Punjab from 1733 until, in 1735, the Khalsa rejected the confederacy status granted to them by the Mughals. Ahmed Shah Durrani began his campaigns in April 1748 and recaptured Punjab in the Third Battle of Panipat. At the time, Sardar Charat Singh, son of Naubh [sic] Singh, was a member of the Singhpuria Misl. Born in about 1733, he distinguished himself even at an early age. He married Sardarni Desan Kaur, the daughter of Sardar Amir Singh, a powerful leader in Gujranwala, and moved to his headquarters there. Along with 150 horsemen, he split from the Singhpuria Misl and established the Sukerchakia Misl (Suker from "shukar = an expression of 'gratitude for' or "thanks for'; 'chak'= 'land' or 'territory'). The Sukerchakia strength and territory grew under the leadership of Charat Singh. On his death in 1770, his son, Maha Singh took over the misl and the growth continued. When Ahmad Shah Durrani died in June 1772, he was succeeded by his son Timur Shah, whose forces invaded Punjab a number of times.
^ abcdeChhabra, G. S. (1972). "Chapter 1: The Ancestors of Maharaja Ranjit Singh". Advanced History of the Punjab: Ranjit Singh & post Ranjit Singh period. Advanced History of the Punjab. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New Academic Publishing Company. pp. 1–13.
^Singh, Harbans. The Encyclopedia of Sikhism. Vol. 2: E-L. Punjabi University, Patiala. pp. 362–3.
^Hari Ram Gupta (October 2001). The Sikhs Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of the Sikh Misls. Munshilal Manoharlal Pvt.Ltd. p. 295. ISBN81-215-0165-2.
