Siege of Gujranwala (1763)

Last updated
Siege of Gurjanwala
Part of Afghan-Sikh Wars
DateNovember 1763
Location
Result Sikh Victory
Belligerents
Sikh Empire flag.jpg Sukerchakia Misl Abdali flag.png Durrani Empire
Commanders and leaders
Sikh Empire flag.jpg Charat Singh Abdali flag.png Jahan Khan
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

The siege of Gujranwala was fought between the Sikh forces led by Charat Singh and the Afghan forces led by Jahan Khan.

Contents

Background

In 1763, Jahan Khan attempted to regain some of his lost territory. [1] After Charat Singh previously occupied Gujranwala in 1761, the route to Kabul was blocked. Jahan Khan, the Nawab of Lahore decided to besiege Gujranwala. This happened in November 1763. [2]

Siege

The Afghan troops of 30,000 encircled the city by all sides and their strength kept increasing. At night, soldiers under Charat Singh attacked the enemy and raged havoc among the enemy lines. Jahan Khan managed to escape horseback. As he was escaping to Lahore, the Sikhs rushed after him in hot pursuit. Plenty of treasure landed in Charat's hands and more Sikhs joined him.[ citation needed ]

Aftermath

Following this victory, the Sikhs sacked Malerkotla and Morinda. [1] Gujranwala was made the Sukerchakia Misl capital after this battle. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gujranwala</span> Metropolis in Punjab

Gujranwala is a city and capital of Gujranwala Division located in Pakistan. It is also known as "City of Wrestlers" and is quite famous for its food. It is the 5th most populous city proper after Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi respectively. Founded in the 18th century, Gujranwala is a relatively modern town compared to the many nearby millennia-old cities of northern Punjab. The city served as the capital of the Sukerchakia Misl state between 1763 and 1799, and is the birthplace of the founder of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukerchakia Misl</span> Sovereign state of the Sikh Confederacy

The Sukerchakia Misl was one of twelve Sikh misls in Punjab during the 18th century, concentrated in Gujranwala and Hafizabad districts in western Punjab and ruled from (1752–1801). The misl was founded by Charat Singh of Sandhawalia, grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The last Sukerchakia Misldar was Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh united all the misls and established an independent Sikh Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikh Empire</span> Empire on the Indian subcontinent, 1799–1849

The Sikh Empire was a regional power based in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. It existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahore, to 1849, when it was defeated and conquered by the British East India Company in the Second Anglo-Sikh War. It was forged on the foundations of the Khalsa from a collection of autonomous misls. At its peak in the 19th century, the empire extended from Gilgit and Tibet in the north to the deserts of Sindh in the south and from the Khyber Pass in the west to the Sutlej in the east as far as Oudh. It was divided into four provinces: Lahore, which became the Sikh capital; Multan; Peshawar; and Kashmir from 1799 to 1849. Religiously diverse, with an estimated population of 4.5 million in 1831, it was the last major region of the Indian subcontinent to be annexed by the British Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jassa Singh Ramgarhia</span> Sikh leader in the period of Sikh Confederacy

Jassa Singh Ramgarhia (1723–1803) was a prominent Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy. He was the founder of the Ramgarhia Misl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zamzama</span> Historical Cannon

The Zamzama Gun also known as Kim’s Gun or Bhangianwali Toap is a large-bore cannon. It was cast in about 1757 in Lahore during the Durrani Empire. It is currently on display in front of the Lahore Museum in Lahore, Pakistan.

<i>Vadda Ghalughara</i> Genocide of Sikhs in 1762

Vadda Ghalughara was the mass murder of unarmed Sikhs by the Afghan forces of the Durrani Empire during the years of Afghan influence in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent owing to the repeated incursions of Ahmad Shah Durrani in February 1762. It is distinguished from the Chhota Ghalughara. Mostly non-combatants were killed in the event, and an estimated that 10,000 to 50,000 Sikhs were killed on 5 February 1762.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charat Singh</span> Sardar

Sardar Charat Singh, also romanised as Charhat Singh, was the founder of Sukerchakia Misl and father of Mahan Singh, and the grandfather of Ranjit Singh. He distinguished himself at an early age in campaigns against Ahmad Shah Abdali and along with 150 horsemen split from the Singhpuria Misl to establish the Sukerchakia Misl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghan–Sikh wars</span> 1748–1837 wars between the Afghan and Sikh empires

The Afghan–Sikh wars spanned from 1748 to 1837 in the Indian subcontinent, and saw multiple phases of fighting between the Durrani Empire and the Sikh Empire, mainly in and around Punjab region. The conflict's origins stemmed from the days of the Dal Khalsa, and continued after the Emirate of Kabul succeeded the Durrani Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adina Beg</span>

Adina Beg Khan was a Punjabi general and administrator who served as the last governor of the Punjab region of the Mughal Empire, including the provinces of Lahore and of Multan. He defeated Afghans after rising to power and was recognised as the Nawab of Punjab by Mughal emperor Alamgir II, who also gave him title of Jang Bahadur.

Manawala is a city in Sheikhupura District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is situated on the Lahore-Sheikhupura-Faisalabad road.

The Battle of Sialkot took place on 12 November 1763, between the Durrani Empire, led by Jahan Khan, and the Sukerchakia Misl, led by Charat Singh, as part of the Afghan-Sikh wars which concluded with Sikh victory.

The Battle of Gujranwala was fought between the Durrani Empire and the Sikh Confederacy in September 1761.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian campaign of Ahmad Shah Durrani</span> Overview of 18th-century Afghan military conquests in India under Ahmad Shah Durrani

Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the Durrani Empire, invaded Indian subcontinent for eight times between 1748 and 1767, following the collapse of Mughal Empire in the mid-18th century. His objectives were met through the raids and deepened the political crisis in India.

Ahmad Shah Durrani raided India for the fifth time in 1759, initiating a series of conflicts with the Marathas and Sikhs. The Pashtuns, preparing for armed struggle, quickly advanced into Punjab, capturing a Maratha garrison at Peshawar and later overrunning Attock. General Jahan Khan played a key role in the advance but was met with resistance from the Marathas and their Sikh allies, led by Sabaji Shinde and the armies of the Sukerchakia and Ahluwalia Misls. In a fierce battle, the combined forces of the Marathas and Sikhs defeated the Afghans, killing 2,000 and wounding Jahan Khan. Despite being outnumbered, Sabaji managed to defend Lahore and inflicted a severe defeat on Jahan Khan, who retreated to Peshawar. This defeat angered Ahmad Shah Durrani and prompted him to take action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Lahore (1761)</span> Sikh capture of Lahore, Punjab from the Durrani Empire

The siege of Lahore took place in 1761 when the Sikhs besieged Lahore and captured it after facing no opposition from Durrani forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Amritsar (1757)</span> Battle between the Durrani and Sikh Empires

The Battle of Amritsar, also known as the Battle of Gohalwar, was fought between the Durrani Empire and Shaheedan Misl of the Dal Khalsa on 11 November 1757. Following the fourth invasion of Ahmad Shah Durrani, his army was attacked by Sikh bands under the command of Ala Singh and Baba Deep Singh. Following the attacks, Ahmad Shah desecrated the Sikh holy site known as the Shri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. The news of the desecration reached Baba Deep Singh who vowed to liberate the holy site from the Afghans. This resulted in a pitched battle being fought in the village of Gohalwar, near Amritsar. The battle resulted in Baba Deep Singh being killed and an Afghan victory.

The Battle of Mahilpur was fought between the Sikh Misls and Adina Beg Khan against the Durrani Empire in December 1757.Following the 4th invasion of Ahmad Shah Durrani, he would appoint Timur Shah as the viceroy of Punjab with Jahan Khan as his deputy.The Afghans would appoint Adina Beg Khan as the faujdar of the Jalandhar Doaba and exempted him from attending court at lahore, on the condition that Adina Beg pay revenue to the Afghan government.Soon a dispute regarding the payment of revenue occurred between Adina Beg and the Afghans.This dispute soon escalated which resulted in Jahan Khan sending an Afghan force to arrest Adina Beg.Adina Beg formed a military alliance with the Sikhs under the command of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Vadbhag Singh Sodhi.Adina Beg also gained the support of Sadiq Beg Khan, Khwaja Mirza Khan, and Raja Bhup Singh.Adina Beg along with the Sikh forces fought the Afghans at Mahilpur.The battle resulted in a victory for Adina Beg and the Sikhs and resulted in the entire Jalandhar Doaba being occupied and sacked by the Sikh forces.

The Battle of Qarawal was fought between the Sikhs under the command of Charat Singh against the Afghan forces led by Ahmad Shah Abdali and his Kalat ally Mir Nasir Khan I.The battle resulted in a victory for the Afghan forces and forced the Sikhs to withdraw to Amritsar.

The Battle of Kalanaur was fought in February 1748 by the Sikh forces led by Sukha Singh and the Afghan forces led by Ahmad Shah Abdali. This was the first major battle fought in the Afghan-Sikh Wars.

The Second Battle of Lahore was fought in November 1759 by the Sikh forces led by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and the Afghan forces led by Jahan Khan.

References

  1. 1 2 Lee, Jonathan L. (2022). Afghanistan A History from 1260 to the Present. p. 129. ISBN   9781789140194.
  2. Dilagīra, Harajindara Siṅgha (1997). The Sikh Reference Book. p. 336.
  3. Minhas, Salman (2004). "Gujranwala - its people and tradition of light industry". The South Asian. Retrieved 22 December 2017.

See also