Malva Region
Malva Region of Punjab, is located south to the river Sutlej, bordering the States of Haryana to the South, Powadh region to the East with Rajasthan to the Southwest. The Punjabi districts of Jalandhar, Kapurthala, and Tarn Taran Sahib lie to the North, on the other side of the river Sutlej. The Pakistani districts of Okara and Kasur border Malva on the West. Located between the Sutlej and Yamuna Rivers, Malva is in the shape of a rough parallelogram lying between 29°-30 and 31°-10 north latitudes and 73°-50 and 76°-50' east longitudes.
History
In Punjabi Malva is known as (ਮਾਲਵਾ). The people of the Malva region of Punjab, speak the Punjabi dialect known as Malvai, and the people are also called Malvais. The countryside of Malva, is full of ancient Punjabi culture and Folklore, the land of poets, warriors, and Saints as well as mystics of the past. The villages of Malva are very beautiful, with mud houses, old wells, forts. Surrounded with green fields, some have mounds and sandy areas. Before the arrival of Sikhism, the native Punjabi tribes of the area worshiped Guga Pir, Jathera, and Saints. Sikhism was first preached in the region by Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469-1539), the founder of Sikhism, who preached the message of truth, during his Udasis (Travels). The Second Sikh Guru, Guru Angad Dev Ji, was born in the Malva region, in the year 1504, in the village of Sarai Nagaan, in the Muktsar Sahib district of Punjab. Later, fearing that Sarai Nagaan, would be invaded by the central Asian Muslim ruler Babur, he relocated his family to a village known as Khadur Sahib in the Majha region of Punjab (around1527).
The Third Sikh Master Guru Amar Das Ji, who had established 22 Manji's for preaching across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Kashmir, and Sind and far as Bihar, also sent preachers to the Malva region. Three Sikh preaching centers were soon established with Bhai Khiera in charge of the center at Firozpur, Bhai Mai Das Bairagi in charge of one in Ludhiana District and Mai Sewan in charge of the center in Patiala area. During the time of Guru Ram Das Ji, the fourth Sikh Guru, during his time many famous Jatt's converted to Sikhism, Such as Bhai Adam, a Sidhu Jatt of Vinjhu, in Bathinda district, the father of famous Bhai Bhagatu (d. 1652), Bhai Shalo Ji (1554-1628), the son of Bhai Dayala, and Mat Sukhdei, a Dhaliwal Jatt couple of village, Dhaula Kangra, near Muktsar sahib, who had started following Pir Sakhi Sarvar, but a little later converted to Sikhism. At that time the Jatt clans who were a majority, ruling in the Malva, such as the Sidhu, Gill, Brar, Dhaliwal, Bhullar, Sangha, Grewal, Sandhu, and Maan, who had carved out their own independent territories, they later converted to Sikhism. During the time of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Sikh Guru of the Sikhs, Sikhs like Bhai Ajab, Bhai Ajaib, and Umar Shah, the three Sangha Jatt, brothers of village Daroli Bhai Ke, in Firozpur district, who before were followers of Pir Sakhi Sarwar, had converted to Sikhism, and many more Malvais, in masses, have been converted to Sikhism. The three brothers were sent back home to preach the Sikh faith, they converted the entire areas of Firozpur, Dharamkot, and Zira, Moga, to Sikhism. Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, also visited the Malva, he won many converts to Sikhism including the famous Chaudhary Phul, a Sidhu Jatt, ancestor of the Phulkian Sikh States of Patiala, Nabha, Jind. Bhai Rupa also a famous very devout Sikh, with Guru Sahib;s blessings, he founded the village of Bhai Rupa in the Malva, in Bathinda district of the Punjab. During this time many Jatts of the Malva joined the Sikh faith, in large numbers and joined the army of the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Sahib ji. Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji, also visited the Malva, preaching, he also won many converts, and the eight Sikh Guru, Guru Harkrishan Sahib Ji, also while going to Delhi, passed though the Patiala areas, the ninth Sikh guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, also preached rapidly, in the districts of Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Mansa, Bathinda, from village to village, from 1672-73). The tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji also, after leaving Anandpur Sahib, in 1704, and after the battle of Chamkaur Sahib, in 1705, Guru Sahib, with his three Sikhs, Bhai Daya Singh, Bhai Dharam Singh, and Bhai Maan Singh, and two Muslim followers known as Nabhi Khan and Ghani Khan, Guru Ji traveled, from village to village, preaching, meeting Sikhs, in districts of Ludhiana, Faridkot, Firozpur, Bathinda, Sri Muktsar Sahib (before known as Khidrane de Dhab. The Battle of Khidrane de Dhab was fought here in 1705, in which 40 Sikhs became Shaheed, Mata Bhag Kaur who had led them soon recovered from the injuries, Guru Gobind Singh ji wrote the Zafarnama (letter of Victory), in the village of Dina in Moga District, to the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.
From 1714 to 1764, Sikh Chieftains began, carving out their own territories, Such as Ala Singh (1791-1765), Gajpat Singh (d. 1789), Hamir Singh, Kapura Singh Brar (d. 1708), Buddha Singh Brar (d. 1774), Dasaunda Singh Gill (d. 1767) and many more. The princely States of Faridkot, Patiala, Jind, Nabha, were founded. including Sardar Rai Singh, the son of famous Shaheed Bhai Mehtab Singh (d. 1745), a Bhangu Jatt, also in 1764 migrated to Ludhiana district, where he took possession of village Bhari, and surrounding villages. His son was Rattan Singh Bhangu (d. 1846), the famous Sikh historian of the Sikh Period in the Punjab. The Malva region, formed part of the Sirhind Province of Punjab, during the Mughal rule. But in 1764, The remaining Malvai areas Such as Ludhiana, Sirhind, Firozpur, were brought under Sikh Rule. The Malva region, was carved in to large and small Sikh principalities, there names were Faridkot, Maloudh, Bhadaur, Patiala, Jind, Nabha, Bhari, Nishanwalia Misl, Misl Shaheedan, Ahluwalia Misl, Dallewalia Misl, Karora Singha Misl, Jhamba, Bagrian, Ladhran, Bhangi Misl, and Dharam Singh Wala. It was in this region that in 1762, 30000 Sikhs who were from the Majha region of Punjab attained martyrdom, fighting against the Afghan Muslim army. it was Sikh Victory, proclaimed by the Sikh Sardars at that time in the battle, the battle took place in the village of Kup Rahira, near Malerkotla, a small Muslim territory. The Sikhs in 1764, killed Zain Khan of Sirhind, the Pathan Chief, and pushed them out, from the area, towards back to Afghanistan. From 1764-1809, the Malvai Sikh Kingdoms ruled independently. By 1835, 95% of the Malva land, had come under British East India Company. accept for the Biggest Sikh Kingdom, which ruled 90% of Punjab, was still independent and safe from the British Influence, until 1849, when it fell, after the Anglo Sikh Wars from 1845-46 and 1848-49. The two Sikh wars were also fought in the Malva, in Baddoval, Ludhiana, Mudki, Ferozshah etc. During the British Rule, in 1857, the Kuka Movement was founded in Ludhiana district, by Baba Ram Singh (1816-1885), who used to work in the Sikh army of Punjab, during the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Sher-e-Panjab (1780-1839), also known as Kookeh, Namdhari, or Kuka, have stablished their capital, in Ludhiana District, in the village of Bhaini Sahib, where thousands of them are found. in 1920s the Jaito Morcha, took place here in Jaito in the historical Gurdwara of Patshahi Dasvin, many of Sikhs Attained shaheedi, freedom fighters like Sardar Kartar Singh Sarabha (1896-1915), belonged to the Malva, a village known as Sarabha, in Ludhiana District. In 1914, during the great Gadar lehr took place a large number of Malvais also joined the revolution. In 1947, during the Partition of the Punjab, the Muslims, of this region migrated to Pakistan, to the districts of Kasur, and Okara etc. Many Sikh families, from Western Punjab, migrated to Eastern Punjab, many settled, a large number of them settled in the districts of Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Barnala, Bathinda, Firozpur. Today many freedom fighters like Sardar Balwant Singh Rajoana, who assassinated the evil Beant cief minister, for his killings of over 5000 Sikhs in the punjab between 1992-95, who are fighting against the Indian government, for independence and Khalistan. Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar, originally his parents were from Lahore District, in the Majha Region, who also belongs to the Malva. Sardar Jagtar Singh Halwara, also a freedom fighter of the Panth, belongs to village Halwara near Sirhind. All the Punjabi politicians of present day Punjab are from the Malva Region of Punjab, such as Parkash Singh Badal, Captain Amarinder Singh.
