Administrator

Kashmir (1820-21)
Greater Hazara (1822-37) Chhachch Hazara, Pothohar plateau, (Rawalpindi), Salt Range (Katas)
Trans-Indus' Viceroy on the Western Frontier' (1822-31) & Governor of Peshawar (1834-37)

Governor of Kashmir(1820-21)
Hari Singh Nalwa was appointed the first Khalsa Governor of Kashmir in 1820. He governed the province for a little over a year when the pull of the Sikh Forward Policy compelled his recall from the province.

Hari Singh Nalwa was remembered in Kashmir for something he least expected. The currency minted while he was the governor had been the subject matter of much speculation (Surinder Singh 2001: 81-8). Following his departure from this subah, all the coins minted under the Sikhs in this province were called the 'Hari Singhee'. Thereafter, no matter who was the governor all coins minted in Kashmir continued to be called the 'Hari Singhee' even following Hari Singh's death (Ganeshi Lal 1846: (4) 23).

Muslim and British historians criticised Hari Singh's tenure as the Governor of Kashmir. Archival records show that their assessment was based on an incomplete understanding of the situation.

Reference
Ganeshi Lal. Siyahat-i-Kashmir (Kashmir Nama or Tarikh-i-Kashmir) by March-June 1846, tr. Vidya Sagar Suri, 1955, Simla: The Punjab Government Record Office Pub. Monograph No 4.

Singh, Surinder, Coinage: Sovereignty to the Guru, in Maharaja Ranjit Singh - Commemoration volume on Bicentenary of his Coronation 1801-2001 eds. Prithpal Singh Kapur and Dharam Singh, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2001.

Jagirdar-Governor Greater Hazara (1822-37)
The possibility of consolidating the North West Frontier of the Indian sub-continent into a province was presented by the relentless efforts of Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa. What he achieved in this region in a span of 15 years with limited resources and in the midst of a most turbulent population, was nothing short of a miracle. Hazara, the crown of the Sindh Sagar Doab, was the most significant of all the territories under his governance. His proceedings in this area present the finest example of his skill as a military commander and as an administrator. The compiler of the Hazara Gazetteer acknowledged that Hari Singh Nalwa left his mark upon this district, which at that time only a strong hand like his could effectively control. "Of unbounded energy and courage, he was ruthless towards those who opposed his path. The town of Haripur fittingly perpetuates his name and the fort of Harkishangarh forms an enduring monument of his power." (Hazara 1907: 130)

Reference
NWFP Gazetteers - Gazetteer of the Hazara District 1907. London: Chatto and Windus, 1908.

'Viceroy on the Western Frontier' (1822-31) & Governor of Peshawar (1834-37)
Hari Singh Nalwa and his Jagirdari Fauj, together with the two battalions of the Fauj-i-Khas raised by him, were largely responsible for guarding the western frontier of the kingdom. In the early years, Ranjit Singh requisitioned all his fighting men when he proposed a conquest. In the later years, apart from the garrison manning the forts, the Kampu-i-mu'alla or the State troops continued to be stationed in Lahore under the Maharaja's command. The Kampu-i-mu'alla was dispatched as reinforcement when requested for by Hari Singh Nalwa. More often than not, however, the fate of the battle had been decided before these could arrive. In case of an invasion from the west, the British saw the Sikhs as their Forward Post. The Sikhs, in turn, saw territory under Hari Singh Nalwa's jurisdiction and command as the farthest extent of the Sikh Kingdom.

The Persian seal reproduced above has been taken from the Panda records (Haridwar) for the Nalwa Family. It reads 'Akal Sahai Hari Singh'

Source: Nalwa, V. 2009. Hari Singh Nalwa ― Champion of the Khalsaji, New Delhi: Manohar.