Misldhar (Commander) - Baba Deep Singh (see picture in the Gallery). It combined freedom of action with the discipline of a unified command it channeled the energies of the fiercely independent Khalsa soldier in the service of a cause which he held dear - the expulsion of hostile foreigners from the Punjab and the fulfilment of the prophecy of Guru Gobind Singh Ji of the establishment of a Sikh state. The misldhar system was ideally suited to the conditions of the time and worked well under leaders like Nawab Kapur Singh and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. It is estimated that the total force which the Dhal Khalsa (army of veterans) could put in the field was about seventy thousand Sikhs. Only matters affecting the community as a whole were they to take orders from the Supreme Commander Nawab Kapur Singh (see picture in Gallery).
Each Sikh was free to join any Misl he chose, and every Misl was free to act in any way it wished in the area under its control. The Misls were twelve companies of Sikhs, some numbering a few hundred while others could field tens of thousands of men. The Sikh misls were 'alike', in the sense that they were considered equals. Raja is also used as a name by Hindus and Sikhs.The Arabic word misl means 'like'. However, in Pakistan, Raja is still used by many Muslim Rajput clans as a hereditary title. Raja, the lower title Thakore and many variations, compounds and derivations including either of these were used in and around India by most Hindu and Muslim and some Buddhist and Sikh rulers, while Muslims also used Nawab or Sultan, and still is commonly used in India. The female form, 'queen', mainly used for a Raja's wife, is Rani (sometimes spelled Ranee), from Sanskrit rājñī (compare Old Irish rígain) or Thai Rajanee (Queen). Rather common variants in Hindi, used for the same royal rank in (parts of) India include Rana, Rao, Raol, Rawal and Rawat. (originally denoting tribal chiefs or heads of small 'city states'), ultimately a vrddhi derivation from a PIE root *h₃reǵ- "to straighten, to order, to rule". It is cognate to Latin rēx, the Gaulish rīx etc. The Sanskrit word rājan- is an n-stem, with nominative rājā. Normally the words Shezada or Sahibzada would be used to translate Prince in Persia and the Punjab by Muslims or Sikhs while Rajkumar or just Kumar would be used in Hindi, but the Mughals having an Emperor allowed the relegated the word to Princely status as did the later British Raj (the Princely States).ĭuring the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh the leaders of the Sikh misls were also reduced to the rank of princes by granting the title of Maha (great) Raja to their once equal tribal chieftain or Misaldar. On Bandi Chhorh Divas Sikhs celebrate the release of Guru Hargobind from Gwalior Fort who cleverly outwitted Jahangir to also win the release of 52 Hindu Rajas (here meaning Princes). It is now used used as a common name in India and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, being attested from the Rigveda. A Raja ( Sanskrit rājan-) was a princely ruler from the Kshatriya / Rajput lineages. The word "raja" may be compared with the words "king" or "monarch" (rule by one). Rajah or Raja is a Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu word once used exclusively as a royal title.