Aala Singh (8.1.1691 – 7.8.1765), son of Bhai Rama (Ram Singh) and grandson of Baba Phul, a small feudal, was born in Phul town. He was married to Bibi Fateh Kaur, daughter of Bhai Kala of Khanna. He had three children: Bhumia Singh, Sardul Singh and Lal Singh. Aala Singh succeeded his father’s small estate, in 1714. By 1723, he was ruler of thirty villages and by the time of his death he had established a large kingdom. His first major battle (in 1731) was with Bhai Rai Kallha, a devoted admirer of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. (Bhai Rai Kallha, an old man, was the chief of the area around Raikot). In 1732, Aala Singh got initiation from Nawab Kapur Singh. Aala Singh was arrested by the Governor of Sirhind in 1745. He remained in his custody till the invasion of Ahmed Shah Durrani in 1748. Aala Singh was in the camp of anti-Abdali forces in the battle of Manupur, fought on March 11, 1748. In 1753, Aala Singh founded the city of Patiala (and made it his capital in 1763). In 1758. Aala Singh supported the Mogul king against the local rebels. In 1761, when Ahmed Shah put siege to the Maratha camp, near Panipat, Aala Singh supported the Marathas secretly. When this information reached Ahmed Shah Durrani, he decided to attack Aala Singh but Aala Singh’s wife apologized and paid four hundred thousand rupees (as penalty). Aala Singh presented himself before Durrani at Sirhind and accepted his (Durrani’s) subordination. On March 29, 1761 Ahmed Shah conferred on Aala Singh the right to reign the zone around Patiala. In February 1762, when Durrani killed several thousand Sikhs in the Vadda Ghallughara (the Great Carnage), Aala Singh remained neutral. In January 1764, Aala Singh joined hands with the Khalsa army under the command of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and captured Sirhind. In 1765, Ahmed Shah invaded the Sikh Homeland again. Aala Singh presented himself as a loyal subordinate and offered several presents to Ahmed Shah. Ahmed Shah granted Aala Singh the title of Raja. Aala Singh accompanied Durrani on latter’s return to Afghanistan (probably to facilitate safe passage through the zone). Within a few days of his return from Durrani’s camp, Aala Singh died. Aala Singhstarted the tradition of his dynasty’s loyalty for all the mighty rulers or the perspective rulers. His successors were loyal to the British, and later, till now, are fully loyal to the ruling Congress Party. The only exception to this policy was the resignation by Amarinder Singh, from the Hindu-dominated Congress Party, in 1984, when the Indian army invaded the Sikh shrines at Amritsar and other places. He, later, changed his loyalties again from the Sikh camp to the Congress camp. But, after 2017, Amarinder Singh too became an agent of anti-Sikh forces and during his second term as chief minister Punjab, he acted like Beant Singh, who was known as terrorist chief minister.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)