Siege of Lahore (1761)

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Siege of Lahore
Part of Afghan–Sikh Wars
Sultan Ul Quam Jassa Singh Ahluwalia.jpg
Sacking of Lahore by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
Date27 October 1761
Location
Result Sikh victory [1] [2]
Belligerents
Punjab flag.svg Sikh Misls Abdali flag.png Durrani Empire
Commanders and leaders
Strength
Unknown 12,000 [3]

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

Contents

Background

After victory in the Third Battle of Panipat, Ahmad Shah Durrani sent General Nuruddin with 12,000 soldiers to chastise Sikhs. Charat Singh Sukerchakia attacked Nuruddin's army at Sialkot. Nuruddin escaped and the Sikhs won a great victory in the 1761 Battle of Sialkot.

Afghan General Khwaja Obed Khan was also sent to punish Sikhs. Khwaja Obed wanted to attack Charat Singh at Gujranwala but before he could, he was attacked by Sikhs led by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Hari Singh Dhillon, and Jai Singh Kanheya. The Afghan forces were surrounded and Khwaja fled the battlefield. Sikhs once again defeated the Afghans in the 1761 Battle of Gujranwala. [4]

Siege of Lahore

The Sikhs gained enough confidence to capture Lahore after back to back victories. They met at Amritsar on 27 October 1761, the day of Diwali, and decided to capture Lahore. The Sikhs besieged Lahore, Khawaja obed did not oppose the Sikh attack, Sikhs entered the Lahore city, plundered the city, [5] captured the Royal mint and struck coins bearing Sikka Zad dar Jahan Bafazat-i-Akal, mulk-i-Ahmad garift Jassa Kalal, which means 'the coin struck by Grace of God in the country of Ahmad captured by Jassa Kalal.' [6]

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The Battle of Sialkot was fought between Durrani Empire and Sukerchakia Misl of Dal Khalsa in 1761.

The battle of Rohtas took place in summer of 1764 between the Durranis and the Sikh Misls. The battle resulted in Sikh Victory with the capture of the city of Rohtas Fort and its governor Sarbuland Khan.

References

  1. Raj Pal Singh (2004). The Sikhs : Their Journey Of Five Hundred Years. Pentagon Press. p. 115. ISBN   9788186505465.
  2. Mehta, J. L. (2005). Advanced study in the history of modern India 1707–1813. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 303. ISBN   978-1-932705-54-6 . Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  3. Kakshi, S.R.; Pathak, Rashmi; Pathak, S.R.Bakshi R. (2007-01-01). Punjab Through the Ages. Sarup & Sons. p. 15. ISBN   978-81-7625-738-1. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
  4. Kakshi, S.R.; Pathak, Rashmi; Pathak, S.R.Bakshi R. (2007-01-01). Punjab Through the Ages. Sarup & Sons. p. 15. ISBN   978-81-7625-738-1 . Retrieved 12 June 2010.
  5. Grewal, J.S. (1990). The Sikhs of the Punjab. Cambridge University Press. p. 91. ISBN   0-521-63764-3 . Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  6. Raj Pal Singh (2004). The Sikhs: Their Journey Of Five Hundred Years. Pentagon Press. p. 116. ISBN   9788186505465.