BALAK SINGH, BABA (1785-1862), mentor of Baba Ram Singh, acknowledged to be the forerunner of the Namdhari movement, was born in 1841 Bk/AD 1785 to Dial Singh and Mata Bhag Bhari, in an Arora family of village Chhoi in Attock district, in Rawalpindi division, now in Pakistan. Balak Singh took from a young age to the family business of providing supplies to the garrison in the fort at Hazro, close to his native village. He was married to Mat Toti. No more biographical information is available about him except that he was a man of religious disposition and while at Hazro he was deeply influenced by Bhagat Jawahar Mall.
He soon attracted followers from among the inhabitants of Hazro and from among the garrison in the fort. Baba Ram Singh (q.v.), who succeeded him as head of the sect, was one of the garrison here. His study of Sikh history and letters made him well aware of the rot that was at the time corroding Sikh society. He took upon himself to lead a campaign against the evil and corruption of the tenet that had set in. His religious and social ideas were shaped by the teaching of Baba Balak Singh, though the political edge his movement eventually acquired can only be traced to the advanced precept of Bhai Maharaj Singh (d. 1856).
The religious and ethical code of conduct preached by Baba Balak Singh for his followers included constant meditation on the Transcendental Reality; bathing at least thrice daily; not to use a leather bucket for drinking water; performing marriage rites according to the Anand ceremony; offering as sacrament Karah prasad worth one and a quarter rupee every month; and not to eat food cooked by anyone outside of the Sikh faith. Giving of dowry, meat-eating and use of alcohol were totally prohibited.
Honest labour and truth telling were the virtues prized most. Baba Balak Singh built at Hazro a place where his followers used to meet regularly. It was here that Baba Ram Singh, who had earlier moved southwards with the garrison, came to meet his spiritual mentor around 1860 and sought permission to instruct the people in his doctrine. Prominent among his other disciples were Bhai Kahn Singh, a son of his brother Manna Singh, and Bhai Lal Singh. The former is said to have occupied the gaddi at Hazro and the latter preached in the Amritsar area. Baba Balak Singh died at Hazro on Saturday, Maghar sudi 15,1919 Bk/6 December 1862.
References :
1. Vahimi, Taran Singh, JassJivan. Rampur (Hissar), 1971
2. Ganda Singh, Kukian di Vithia. Amritsar, 1944
3. Fauja Singh, Kuka Movement. Delhi, 1965
4. Jolly, Surjit Kaur, Sikh Revivalist Movements. Delhi, 1988
Baba Balak Singh stands out as a pioneering visionary whose life and teachings paved the way for the later formalization of the Namdhari movement—a reformist stream within Sikhism that emphasized strict adherence to the Sikh code of conduct and a disciplined, meditative focus on the Divine Name. Though historical records on his personal life are relatively sparse, his enduring influence rests on the ethical and spiritual foundations he laid for his followers, ultimately inspiring figures like Baba Ram Singh to carry his mission forward.
Early Life and Background
Born around 1785 in the village of Chhoī in the Attock district (now in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi division), Baba Balak Singh was raised in a Batra Arora family with modest means. His early years were marked by responsibilities in the family business—supplying provisions to the garrison at Hazro Fort—which granted him an intimate connection with both the common folk and the disciplined soldiers of the region. This environment not only honed his practical wisdom but also embedded in him a profound sense of duty and community that would later inform his spiritual quest.
Spiritual Awakening and the Formation of a Following
Although detailed records of his personal journey are limited, it is well attested that the seeds of his eventual spiritual leadership were sown through his exposure to local bhagats, particularly Bhagat Jawahar Mall. Deeply moved by the need for a spiritual revival, Balak Singh began to attract followers among the inhabitants of Hazro as well as soldiers stationed there. He set up a dedicated meeting place in Hazro where regular congregations were held to practice disciplined meditation on the Divine Name (Naam). This space soon became a hub for those yearning for a return to the purity and focus intrinsic to early Sikh teachings.
Ethical Reforms and Religious Discipline
Baba Balak Singh’s teachings were both a call to inner transformation and a rebuke of the laxities that had crept into Sikh practice over time. He preached a rigorous ethical code that included:
- Constant Meditation: Encouraging the regular remembrance of the Transcendental Reality through the chanting of Naam.
- Ritual Purity: Advocating for ritual bathing at least thrice daily as a means to maintain spiritual cleanliness.
- Dietary and Social Prescriptions: Prohibiting the use of a leather bucket for drinking water, mandating that food be prepared only by those who adhered to strict Sikh practices (often identified as Keshdhari Sikhs), and strictly forbidding dowry practices, meat-eating (unless aligned with specified religious parameters), and the use of alcohol.
- Honesty and Labor: Valuing honest labor and truth-telling as integral virtues for personal and communal well-being.
These measures sought to cleanse and energize Sikh society by returning it to a state of disciplined devotion and ethical rectitude.
Mentorship and Lasting Legacy
Among the many disciples influenced by his reformist zeal was Baba Ram Singh, who eventually emerged as a central figure in the Namdhari movement. While historical narratives often describe Balak Singh as more of a forerunner than the formal founder of the sect, his imprint on its doctrinal core is unmistakable. His emphasis on disciplined practice, ethical living, and the revival of early Sikh spiritual values provided a robust framework that his successors would continue to develop in both religious and, later, socio-political dimensions. Baba Balak Singh passed away on December 6, 1862, at Hazro, but his legacy endures in the practices and ideals of the Namdhari movement.
