The Nishanwalia Misl, also spelt as Nishananvali Misl, was a Sikhmisl.[3][4][5] The Misl was founded by Dasaundha Singh Shergill a leader of Tarna Dal.[6] The misl was ruled by the ShergillJats.[7] The misl was based in Ambala, Shahbad, and parts of the present-day Ludhiana district.[6] The Nishanwalia Misl was more akin to a brotherhood rather than resembling a large, family clan like most of the other misls of the Sikh Confederacy.[8]
The misl was formed on 29 March 1748.[6] The leaders of this Misl used to carry the blue nishans (the flags) of the Sikh army during the battles; hence their name become Nishanwalia.[9][10][6] The misl which was responsible for bearing the Nishan Sahib was the Nishanwalia Misl, named after this role.[11] The Nishanwalia Misl also was responsible for appointing the flag-bearers for the other misls.[11] The role assigned to carry the flag in procession was considered an honourable one.[11]
Dasaundha Singh, son of Chowdhry Sahib Rai of village Mansurwala (near Kot Issa Khan) was the first chief of this Misl.[12][6] Dasaundha Singh was assisted by his brother, Sangat Singh.[6] Some other prominent figures of the Nishanwalia Misl were Jai Singh of Kairon village, and Kaur Singh and Man Singh of Dhand Kasel village in Amritsar district.[6] These Nishanwalia figures all were earlier baptized into the Khalsa order by Diwan Darbara Singh (d. 1734).[6]
The Nishanwalia Misl had strength of twelve thousand cavalry in 1765.[6] It had captured Ambala, Shahbad-Markanda, Sarai Lashkari Khan, Doraha, Amloh, Zira, Singhanwala and some area around Sahnewal too; Dasaundha Singh died in a battle against Zabita Khan in 1767; he was succeeded by his brother Sangat Singh.[6][13] Sangat Singh shifted his headquarters from Ambala to Zira, where he died in 1774.[13][6] Sangat Singh had three sons, namely Kapur Singh, Mehar Singh, and Anup Singh, all of whom were children when their father died.[6] After reaching adulthood, Mehar Singh took on the mantle of leadership of the misl in 1779 but was killed shortly after.[6] Kapur Singh died in-battle.[6] Thus, the sole-surviving son of Sangat Singh, Anup Singh, became the next head of the misl.[6] Anup Singh died without an issue in 1797.[6] In 1807, Maharaja Ranjit Singh occupied the land of the Nishanwalia Misl.[6]
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