The Akali Nihangs and Nihang Singhs

During his tenure as Guru, Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh decided to alter the infrastructure of the Akal Sena. He decreed that all warriors of the Akal Sena should dress in blue and wear a 'dumala' (a conical high sturdy turban).

However, in order to distinguish the higher-ranking ‘sidkhi’ (proven) Sikhs from less experienced and newer warriors, they would display the 'farla'/'farrah' (loose piece of hanging turban) on top of their dumala to represent the Guru's battle standard.

Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa
An old painting of 3 Akali Nihang Singhs adorned with weapons and
'Farlas' at the top of their 'Dastaar Boongahs' (the towering sturdy conical turban )

With this change, only they who had this farla would be known as the Akalis - the very form of Maha Kal. The lower-ranking warriors of the Akal Sena, though dressing like the Akalis (with the exception of the farla), would be known as 'Nihang'. Thus the Akal Sena was divided into Akali Nihangs and Nihangs.

Exactly when these changes happened cannot be dated precisely but the earliest historical reference to Nihangs occurs in the Dasam Guru Durbar.

When describing the battle known as ‘Hussaini Yudh’ (which probably occurred between 1695 and 1698), the 10th Guru mentions Nihangs being present on the battlefield:

Battle
An old artists impression of Akali Nihang Singh warriors engaged in combat

This suggests that the Nihangs existed before the creation of the Khalsa in 1699.

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