Sardar Jassa Singh was born in the house of Bhai Badar Singh on May 3, 1718 AD, just eleven years after the demise of Shri Guru Gobind Singh. (Some accounts have associated his ancestry with a village called Ahlu, appending Ahluwalia with his name). Both his parents had adorned Khalsahood by getting baptism during the life of the Tenth Master. They, particularly the mother, became the ardent devotees of the Guru. With sword in her shoulder-belt and Gurbani on her lips, she became the epitome of the brave Sikh ladies of distinction (such as we observe personified in the historical novels of Bhai Vir Singh).

Jassa Singh was moulded into the true Sikh form right from the childhood. His mother infused in him the understanding of the Gurbani, the Sikh Scriptures, and started him to get well-versed in the Keertan, the singing of hymns. He was just four years old when his father breathed his last.

Mata Sundri, revered wife of Guru Gobind Singh, was still residing in Delhi. The Jathas, groups of people, from Punjab often came to Delhi to seek her blessings. The boy Jassa Singh, accompanied by his mother, joined one Jatha and set upon on such a sojourn. He was about five years old at the time. Mata Sundri was very much impressed with the devotion of the mother, and the eloquence and enthusiasm of her son for Sikh teachings. She was captivated with melodious singing of the Gurbani by the boy. Mata Sundri was overwhelmed and asked the mother and the son to stay with her for longer period. The mother considered it to be her good fortune, and readily concented. They remained in the audience of Mata Sundri for seven years. During this period, Jassa Singh made himself enlightened with Sikh Religious Thought and History. There, he also learned Persian Language.

Jassa Singh's maternal uncle, Sardar Bagh Singh, a baptised Sikh, came to pay his respect to Mata Sundri in about 1729. He requested Mata Ji to let his sister and Jassa Singh go with him. At the time of their departure, Mata Ji gave the young lad a sword, a bow with one quiver, a club, a shield, and a silver mace. She graced him with the prophecy, "your descendants will be led by the mace bearers (i.e. the way royalty is ushered)." Sardar Bagh Singh brought them to his place of residence at Jullundur.

Nawab Kapoor Singh had encamped nearby Kartarpur those days. Bhag Singh was a regular visitor to the Noble Court of the Nawab, and had frequently attended his early morning prayer sessions. On his return from Delhi he took both his sister and his nephew with him. The mother and son participated in the Asa Dee Var. Their love for Gurbani, their learned eloquence and melodious voices captured the admiration of the Nawab and all the Sardars in the congregation. On the request of them all Bhag Singh persuaded his sister and Jassa Singh to stay with them for one month. But one month was too short. The Nawab wanted them to stay with his army permanently, which they agreed, and he adopted Jassa Singh as his son.

Nawab Kapoor Singh was inundated with the veneration of Jassa Singh rendering service to the congregationalists; he would partake in preparing the langar--the community kitchen, wouldn't mind clearing the offal and washing the utensils, fanning the people who were attending the prayer meetings during the summer months, and looking after Nawab's stable-feeding and grooming the horses. Nawab himself joined the Panj Piyare, the Five-loved-ones, at the time Jassa Singh was baptised as a Khalsa.

The Nawab had seen a great potential in this young lad. He arranged for him to be trained in the warfare. Soon he became adept in horse-riding, learned the tactics of brandishing sword, and mastered the skills of throwing arrows from the bow. It was not very long when he found himself to be counted among the front ranking Sardars.

Jassa Singh showed his first debut in the skirmishes with the Mughal army in 1746. Sardar Jassa Singh and Sardar Sukha Singh Marrhi-Kamboh were the commanders of the Khalsa corps during a battle when the Mughal Official, Jaspat, was beheaded by a Nibhahu Singh. To avenge this, Diwan Lakhpat Rai, with the connivance of Nawab Yahiya Khan, persecuted hundreds civilian Sikh residents of Lahore and, then, marched forward with huge army and far superior artillery to the Kahnuwan basin. Fifteen thousands of Khalsa troops were encamping in the area under the leadership of Sardars Kapur Singh, Gurdial Singh Dalewala, Charhat Singh Sukherchakiya, Sukha Singh and Jassa Singh. Khalsa troops confronted not only the far superior and highly equipped Mughal Army, but also they faced the shortage of means of life subsistence. About seven thousand Singhs were killed, and other three thousand were captured as prisoners and brought to Lahore. They all were decapitated there. This genocide is known as the Chhota Ghalughara.

Similarly, in February 1762 the Singhs were blockaded in between the armies of Durani (coming from the direction of Lahore) and Zain Khan (advancing from Sirhand). Khalsa forces, under the commands of Jassa Singh, Sham Singh and Charhat Singh fought valiantly. More than 20 thousand Sikhs--men, women and children were martyred. This colossal loss of life is known as Wadha Ghalughara. Sardar Jassa Singh, himself, sustained twenty two wounds.

These episodes made deep impressions on the life of Ahluwalia Sardar, and instilled in him a spirit of determination.

In 1747, with the collaboration of other Sardars, Jassa Singh gave a crushing defeat to the Mughal Army, killed their Commander, Silabat Khan, and regained the control of the City of Amritsar. Once again the Besakhi of 1748 was celebrated there with great splendour, and they resolved to build a Fortress named Ram Rauni there. (Jassa Singh had come to the rescue of Sikh Troops when they were besieged in this Fortress for over four months. As the seige was lifted with the efforts of Jassa Singh, the Fortress came to be known as Ram Garh, and, hence, he was designated the name of Ramgarhia).

To pacify the rising Sikh passion against the ruling elite, Mir Manu of Lahore decided to make good with them. He imprisoned Lakhpat Rai for his misdeeds, imposed on him a fine of thirty lakhs of rupees, and appointed Diwan Kaura Mal in his place. Lakhpat Rai was handed over to Jassa Singh to face an ignoble death.

On April 10, 1754, Sarbat Khalsa, the gathering of all and manifold Sikhs, paid homage, in the final supplication, to the departed soul of Nawab Kapur Singh. There, after the ceremony, with an overwhelming consensus, Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was bestowed with the Leadership of the Khalsa Polity and Religiosity.

Adina Begh, the area commander of Jullunder previously had invited Jassa Singh to a conciliatory meet. At that time his intentions were to arrest Jassa Singh, by fair and foul means, to impress Delhi Rulers. Jassa Singh was clever enough to understand his deceptive designs, and replied that the only place, he could meet Adina Begh, was the battlefield.

But now when Taimur Shah, the Durani Son, had dismissed Adina Begh for not handing over the revenue, and appointed Sarfraz Khan in his place, the Singh Sardars heeded to his request for help. Taimur had demolished the Fort at Ram Rauni along with the desecration of the Sarowar, the Sacred Tank, in Amritsar. Consequently, the Sikhs were already in rage. They accepted Adina Begh's solicitation, and the Khalsa Squads met Durani invaders at a pitched battle at Mahalpur (District Hoshiarpur). Most of the famous army generals of Durani were killed. Jassa Singh seized the Jullundur Area, but, without any plunder, returned it to Adina Begh on the payment of one hundred and twenty-five thousand rupees.

On March 21, 1758, in a joint operation, Singhs, Maharatas, and Adina Begh ravaged Sirhand and, from then on, on April 20, 1758, apprehended Lahore. They took a large number of prisoners, brought them to Amritsar, and made them to clear the Sarowar of debris and filth dumped by the Durani Army earlier.

In March 1759, almost all the Khalsa Sardars, along with their armies, were gathered at Anandpur for the celebration of the festival of Hola. The Governor of Sirhand, Sadiqe Begh, took advantage of the Sikhs in a lax position and raided the place. A large number of Singhs lost their lives. Not a single Sardar escaped injury. Even Jassa Singh was wounded. But the usurper, Sadique Begh, soon realised the vengeful spirit of Sikh troops, and apologised with the payment of revenue to them. In spite of heavy losses, Jassa Singh's ever benevolence character accepted his plea.

Under the leadership of Jassa Singh, once again, Khalsa Army took seize of Lahore in 1760. After eleven days, the Durani Governor, Mir Mohammed Khan surrendered, and paid thirty thousand rupees. After subduing the Duranis, the Sikhs returned to Amritsar.

On his return from Delhi in March 1761, Abdali took with him 2,200 Hindu women. Most of them were young married or marriageable girls. When the Hindus could not get help from any other quarters, they came to Amritsar on the Baisakhi day, April 10, 1761, and appealed the Sikh Sardars for the emancipation of hapless human beings. Khalsa Squads flew into rage, and, before Abdalis could cross river Beas, they, under the command of Jassa Singh, pounced upon the Durani army, got all the girls liberated, and sent them back to their homes respectably.

Numerous Squads of Singhs had gathered at Amritsar to venerate Besakhi on April 10, 1753. A Hindu Brahmin approached them, and called the Khalsa for help; his wife, recently wedded to him, had been abducted by a Muslim Official, Usman Khan, of Kasur. The Sikhs abandoned all their festivities and marched towards Kasur. They punished the guilty and restored the wife to the Brahmin.

And Sardar Jassa Singh became to be known as Bandi Chhor, the Redeemer.

In January 1764 Khalsa Army gave a crushing defeat to the Zain Khan of Sirhand. Keeping just five villages under his sovereignty, he distributed all the captured territory to the other Sardars. Whereas other Sardars kept their share, five lakhs of rupees each, confiscated from the Governor of Sirhand, Jassa Singh sent nine lakhs, all of his share, to Darbar Sahib Amritsar.

On April 16, 1765, Khalsa Army raided Lahore when Kabli Mal was its Governor. They broke down one part of the wall around the Lahore Fort and occupied the Fort and the City. For this feat Jassa Singh was bestowed with the title of Sultan-ul-Qaum, King of the Nation.

To commemorate, and to designate this victory as the endowment of Guru's boon, Sardar Jassa Singh issued a coin.

With the following inscription on the coin, he dedicated the victory to his Guru:

*Victory to Degh (living) and Teg(protection/struggle) are celestial benedictions,

And are ordained by Guru Nanak through Guru Gobind Singh.

*Coin minted in Capital Lahore Samat 1822 (1765 AD).

After apprehending Kapurthala in 1780, he handed over the rein of Khalsa Raj in the hands of the Singh Sardars and retired to the vicinity of Amritsar. Most of his time he spent in the Kar-sewa, Service, at the Darbar Sahib, and in the inhabitation of the City of Amritsar.

In spite of his continued involvement in combats, and his over zealous commitment towards the establishment of Khalsa suzerainty, he never showed any slackness towards the Gurbani. Not only himself, but all the ranks and files were strictly insisted to adhere to the Nitnem, Daily Prayer Routine to its absolute form. He, frequently, participated as one of the Panj Piyare, to baptise the Sikhs into Khalsa folds.

The task of consolidating the Sikhs into organised Military Groups, Missals, had been operational since 1765, and at the approach of the Autumn season in 1783 it had attained the solidarity under one leadership. Rising star of Sukherchakiya, (Maharajah) Ranjit Singh was three years old. The signs of united Khalsa Raj were dawning. With a great perception of optimism, Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia commenced his celestial journey on October 10, 1783.