The Nihang (also spelt as Nihung) or Akali (lit. "the immortals"), also known as Dal Khalsa, is an armed Sikh warrior order originating in the Indian subcontinent. Nihangs are believed to have originated either from Fateh Singh and the attire he wore or from the "Akali" (lit. Army of the Immortal) started by Guru Hargobind. Early Sikh military history was dominated by the Nihang, known for their victories where they were heavily outnumbered. Traditionally known for their bravery and ruthlessness in the battlefield, the Nihang once formed the irregular guerrilla squads of the armed forces of the Sikh Empire, the Sikh Khalsa Army.
Etymology
The word Akali/akaali means timeless or immortal.
Literally, one who belongs to Akaal (beyond Time). In other words, an Akaali is that person who is subject of none but God only. Conceptually speaking, the terms Akaali, Khalsa and Sikh are synonymous. The term Akaali was first used during the time of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. It became popular in the last decades of the eighteenth century.
The term came to be associated with “commitment, fearlessness, boldness, struggle, and justice.”The word Nihang may come from the Persian word for a mythical sea creature (). The term owes its origin to Mughal historians, who compared the ferocity of the Akali with that of crocodiles. The meaning of Akali in Sikhism however, is the immortal army of Akal (God).
Origin
According to Pashaura Singh and Louis E. Fenech, there exists three main theories regarding the genesis of the Nihangs. These three theories are summarized below:
Began with the son of Guru Gobind Singh, Fateh Singh with his blue clothing and turban with the Guru prescribing this uniform for his warriors. Second hypothesis claims that they originate from the disguise of Guru Gobind Singh when he escaped from Chamkaur in 1704 or 1705. Third theory postulates that they can be traced back to the garb of Akali Naina Singh of the Nishanwalia Misl.
Arms and attire
Traditional Nihang dress is known as Khalsa Swarupa. This comprises full attire of navy blue selected by Guru Gobind Singh after conflicts with Vazir Khan, the Mughal Governor of Sirhind, several edged bracelets of iron round on each of their wrists (jangi kara) and quoits of steel (chakram) tiered in their lofty conical blue turbans, together with the either a dori kirpan (an open blade kirpan that is worn with a rope attached and was meant to be used as a quick access weapon) or a pesh kabaz - a predecessor to the modern kirpan. When fully armed a Nihang will also bear one or two swords (either the curved talwar or the straight khanda, or another type of sword like saif or sarohi on his right hip), a katar (dagger) on his left hip, a buckler made from buffalo-hide (dhal) on his back, a large chakram around his neck, and an iron chain. In times of war, arms worn on the Nihang's person would generally be reserved until the warrior lost the weapon he held, often a bow (kamaan) or spear (barcha). Armour consisted of sanjo or iron chainmail worn under an iron breastplate (char aina). Nihang war-shoes (jangi mozeh) were constructed of iron at the toe, making their pointed toes capable of inflicting cuts and stab wounds. The firearms carried by nihangs are either a toradar (matchlock) or a musket. The Nihangs favour the dark blue colour for their clothing, which they adopted to emulate Guru Gobind Singh's attire when he escaped from Chamkaur through the Machhiwara jungle.
The Nihang were particularly known for their high turbans (dastar bunga) and their extensive use of the chakram or war-quoit. Their turbans were often pointed at the top and outfitted with a chand torra or trident called astbhuja which could be used for stabbing in close-quarters. Other times, the turbans would be armed with a bagh naka (iron claw) and one or several chakram to slice at an opponent's eyes. These steel-reinforced turbans, it was said, afforded enough protection so that there was no need for any other form of headgear. Today, Nihang still wear miniature versions of five weapons (pancha shastra) in their turbans, namely the chakram, the khanda (sword), the karud (dagger), the kirpan, and the tir (arrow).
Divisions
There are four main factions amongst the Nihangs of the modern-era, them namely being:
Budha Dal
Originally created for older members (over 40) by splitting the Dal Khalsa into two. Their headquarters are located in Raqba.
Taruna (or Tarna) Dal
Originally created for younger members (under 40) by splitting the Dal Khalsa into two. The Taruna Dal was further divided in five jathas, each with 1300 to 2000 men and a separate drum and banner.