The entrance to the cave.

Hira (Arabic: حراء‎ Ḥirāʾ) or the Cave of Hira (غار حراء Ġār Ḥirāʾ) is a cave about 2 mi (3.2 km) from Mecca, on the mountain named Jabal Al-Nūr in the Hejaz region of present day Saudi Arabia. The cave itself is about 12 ft (3.7 m) in length and 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) in width.^[1]

It is notable for being the location where Muslims believe Muhammad received his first revelations from God (Allah) through the angel Jibreel, also known as the angel Gabriel to Christians.^[1]

Taking 600 steps to reach, the cave is at a height of 270 m (890 ft)^[2] and the radius is 263.23 m (863.6 ft) During the Hajj around 5,000 Muslims climb up to the Hira cave daily to see the place where Muhammed received the first revelation of the Qu'ran on the Night of Power.^[2]

References[link]

External links[link]

• In pictures: Hajj preparations Pictures #4 and #5 are of Jabal an-Nūr and the Hira cave.

Coordinates: 21°27′27.2″N 039°51′33.9″E / 21.457556°N 39.859417°E / 21.457556; 39.859417

v t e Saudi Arabia topics Index Outline History Ancient Arabia Early Islamic State Rashidun Caliphate Umayyad Caliphate Abbasid Caliphate Ottoman Empire (Caliphate) Emirate of Diriyah Emirate of Nejd Saudi Arabia Geography Regions (Emirates) Governorates Cities Climate Law Basic Law Human rights LGBT rights Women's rights Freedom of religion Mutaween (religious police) Capital punishment Passport Politics King Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prime Minister Cabinet Allegiance Council National Security Council Consultative Assembly Foreign relations Nuclear program Mabahith (secret police) Military Army Navy Air Force Air Defense National Guard General Intelligence Presidency Military ranks Economy Saudi riyal Tadawul (stock exchange) Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency Agriculture Companies Energy Irrigation Oil Oil reserves OPEC Transport Telecommunications Tourism Water supply and sanitation Society Censorship Crime Demographics Education Healthcare Human trafficking Obesity Prostitution Religion Terrorism Culture Art Cinema Cuisine Islam Language Media Music Public holidays Sport Television Universities Symbols Flag National anthem National emblem Shahada (national motto) Category Portal WikiProject

Hira Singh
Born	18 December 1843
Died	24 December 1911 (age 68)

Sir Hira Singh (18 December 1843 – 24 December 1911) was the ruler of Nabha State, one of the Phulkian states in the Punjab.^[1]

Early life[link]

Hira Singh was born at Badrukhan, Jind, on 18 December 1843, the second son of Sardar Sukha Singh (died 1852), from a distant branch of the royal Sikh Phulkian dynasty of Patiala, Jind and Nabha. Little is known about his early life.

The throne of Nabha[link]

In 1871, the line of the Phulkian dynasty which had ruled Nabha, a small 11-gun state, since 1718 became extinct upon the death from tuberculosis of the young Raja, Bhagwan Singh (1842–1871). The remaining two lines of the dynasty-the rulers of Patiala and Jind-in conjunction with the British government fixed upon Hira Singh as the successor to the Nabha gadi. Hira Singh ascended the throne of Nabha on 9 June 1871 and began a long and successful reign that would usher Nabha into the modern era. Great monuments and public buildings were erected, roads, railways, hospitals, schools and palaces were constructed and an efficient modern army was established that saw service during the Second Afghan War and the Tirah Expedition. As well, agriculture flourished with the construction of an irrigation canal at Sirhind, and Nabha soon produced bountiful harvests of wheat, sugar, pulses, millet and cotton, thus enabling the state to increase the value of its land revenue assessments.

As a result of Hira Singh's improvements, in 1877 Nabha was raised to a salute of 13-guns and Hira Singh himself was decorated with the Kaiser-i-Hind gold medal and knighted two years later with the GCSI.

Later years[link]

Photograph of Sir Hira Singh, the Raja of Nabha, taken by an unknown photographer in the 1890s.

In 1894, Hira Singh was granted the title of Raja-i-Rajagan and in 1898 was granted a 15-gun personal salute. He was appointed a GCIE in 1903 and the following year was made a Colonel of the 14th King George's Own Ferozepore Sikhs in the British Indian Army. Only a fortnight before his death, Hira Singh was raised to the rank of Maharaja of Nabha. Hira Singh died at the Hira Mahal on Christmas Eve 1911, aged 68 after a four-decade reign. He was succeeded by his only son, Ripudaman Singh.

Family[link]

Hira Singh married four times and had two children, a son and a daughter

• 1. Her Highness Karangarhwalia Maharani Sahib; married in 1858. No issue.
• 2. Aonanliwali Rani Sahiba; no issue.
• 3. Her Highness Longwalia Maharani Sri Jasmir Kaur Sahiba (d 1921). Married in 1880 and had one son and one daughter:
  • Sri Tikka Sahib Ripaduman Singh, who succeeded to the Nabha throne as Maharaja Ripudaman Singh (1883–1942); r. 1911-1928.
  • Sidh Sri Nabhawala Maharani Ripudaman Devi Sahiba (1881–1911); married Maharaja Ram Singh of Dholpur
• 4. unknown wife; no issue

Titles[link]

• 1843-1871: Sardar Sri Hira Singh
• 1871-1877: His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja Sri Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, Raja of Nabha
• 1877-1879: His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja Sri Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, Raja of Nabha, KIH
• 1879-1894: His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja Sri Sir Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, Raja of Nabha, GCSI, KIH
• 1894-1903: His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja-i-Rajagan, Raja Sri Sir Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, Raja of Nabha, GCSI, KIH
• 1903-1904: His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja-i-Rajagan, Raja Sri Sir Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, Raja of Nabha, GCSI, GCIE, KIH
• 1904-1911: Colonel His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja-i-Rajagan, Raja Sri Sir Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, Raja of Nabha, GCSI, GCIE, KIH
• 1911: Colonel His Highness Farzand-i-Arjumand, Aqidat-Paiwand-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Barar Bans Sarmur, Raja-i-Rajagan, Maharaja Sri Sir Hira Singh Malvendra Bahadur, Maharaja of Nabha, GCSI, GCIE, KIH

Honours[link]

• Prince of Wales gold medal-1876
• Kaiser-i-Hind medal (KIH)-1877
• Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI)-1879
• Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)-1903
• Delhi Durbar gold medal-1903
• Delhi Durbar gold medal-1911

References[link]