Battle of Amritsar (1709)

Last updated
Battle of Amritsar
Part of Mughal-Sikh Wars
Date6 and 12 April 1709
Location
Result Sikh Victory
Belligerents
Sikh flag.jpg Khalsa (Sikhs) Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg Mughal Empire
Commanders and leaders
Sikh flag.jpg Bhai Mani Singh
Sikh flag.jpg Bhai Tara Singh Wan
Sikh flag.jpg Bhai Karan Singh 
Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg Aslam Khan
Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg Diwan Har Sahai 
Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg Chaudary Deva Jatt
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

The Battle of Amritsar was fought on 6 and 12 April 1709 between the Sikh forces led by Bhai Mani Singh and the Mughal forces sent by Aslam Khan, the governor of Lahore. This battle was the first one fought after Guru Gobind Singh's death, even before Banda Singh Bahadur's skirmishes against the Mughals. This battle can also be referred to as The Unsung Battle of Amritsar.

Contents

Background

On 29 March 1709 during Vaisakhi, the Sikhs held a gathering at Amritsar. Chuhar Mall Ohri, a Khatri had a son named Ramu Mall. A dispute between the Sikhs and Ramu Mall arose, on the issue of some mulberry trees. [1] [2] Ramu got so mad that he started cussing on Guru Granth Sahib. This made the Sikhs enraged and they gave Ramu a beating. Upon learning about this Chuhar Mall was infuriated. Bhai Mani Singh tried to pacify him but he was so aggressive that he announced his attention to expel Sikhs from Amritsar. [1] Chuhar asked Aslam Khan who asked Har Sahai, the chief of Patti to attack Amritsar. A few days later a large army set up camps outside the Golden Temple hoisting the Mughal flag. From Lahore, carts full of bullets and gunpowder had arrived. [3]

Battle

Learning about the invasion of Har Sahai, the Sikhs were prepared for a battle. A battle was fought on the 6th of April. Many Sayyids and Brahmins were killed in action. [4] Har Sahai was killed by Bhai Tara Singh Wan. [1] Then Aslam Khan sent Chaudary Deva Jatt with men and munitions of war from Lahore to march against the Sikhs. [4] On April 12, the Sikhs defeated this army. Chaudary Deva Jatt fled the battle. [5] [6]

Aftermath

When Aslam Khan learned about the defeat, he was in tears. Aslam sent a note to the Mughal emperor requesting to attack Amritsar again. Bahadur Shah I wrote a letter to Aslam saying "Have you lost your mind! The House of Nanak is eternal; you have raised your sword against it." [3] The Sikhs were also rich in a lot of ammunition and other valuable items for war. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guru Hargobind</span> Sixth Sikh guru from 1606 to 1644

Guru Hargobind was the sixth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He had become Guru at the young age of eleven, after the execution of his father, Guru Arjan, by the Mughal emperor Jahangir.

The following outline is provides an overview of Sikhism, or Sikhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dal Khalsa (Sikh Army)</span> Sikh military confederation during the 18th century in Punjab

Dal Khalsa was the name of the combined military forces of 11 Sikh misls that operated in the 18th century (1748–1799) in the Punjab region. It was established by Nawab Kapur Singh in late 1740s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhai Mani Singh</span> 18th-century Sikh religious leader and martyr

Bhai Mani Singh was an 18th-century Sikh scholar and martyr. He was a childhood companion of Guru Gobind Singh and took the vows of Sikhism when the Guru inaugurated the Khalsa in March 1699. Soon after that, the Guru sent him to Amritsar to take charge of Harmandir Sahib, which had been without a custodian since 1696. He took control and steered the course of Sikh destiny at a critical stage in Sikh history. He was also a teacher of the Gianian Bunga, later becoming known as the "Amritsari Taksal", currently located in Sato Ki Gali.

Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion in the Punjab region of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the 15th century and opposed many traditional practices like fasting, janeu, idolatry, caste system, ascetism, azan, economic materialism, and gender discrimination.

Baba Amar Singh Nibbar Khemkaran was an important figure in 18th century Bandai Sikhism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bidhi Chand</span> Sikh commander and preacher (1579–1638)

Bidhi ChandChhina was a Sikh religious preacher and military commander, from Chhina Bidhi Chand village, 37 kilometers south of Amritsar and Chhina Bidhi Chand was part of Amritsar District not Lahore. His birth place temple is situated in his own village Chhina Bidhi Chand, which was built by the residents with the help of Baba Daya Singh. Baba Daya Singh laid foundation with his own hands. Every year on his birthday Baba Daya Singh, and now Baba Avtar Singh, would go to village Chhina Bidhi Chand and celebrate it there to date. He was a disciple of Guru Arjan and served Guru Hargobind for most of his life.

<i>Chhota Ghallughara</i> 1746 genocide of Sikhs by the Mughal Empire

Chhota Ghallughara was a massacre of a significant proportion of the Sikh population by the Mughal Empire in 1746. The Mughal Army killed an estimated 7,000 Sikhs in these attacks while an additional 3,000 Sikhs were taken captive. Chhōtā Ghallūghārā is distinguished from the Vaddā Ghallūghārā, the greater massacre of 1762.

The Battle of Amritsar was fought during Mukhlis Khan's campaign against Guru Hargobind and the Sikhs on 14 April 1634. The battle took place over two days and was a result of increasing tensions between the Mughal government and Guru Hargobind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikh period in Lahore</span>

The Sikh Rule in Lahore initiated from the conquest and rule of the Sikh Misls and extended till the Sikh Empire of Ranjit Singh which ended in 1849. The Sikhs began gaining power following the decline of the Mughal Empire in Punjab and consisted of a collection of autonomous Punjabi Misls, which were governed by Misldars, mainly in the Punjab region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chabhal Kalan</span> Town in Punjab, India

Chabhal Kalan is a town in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab, India and is located 13 miles (21 km) away from Amritsar city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tara Singh Wan</span>

Bhai Tara Singh Wan was an eighteenth-century Sikh martyr. He was from the village of Wan, also known as Wan Tara Singh and Dall-Wan now in Tarn Taran district tehsil Bhikhiwind of the Eastern Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banda Singh Bahadur</span> Sikh warrior and general

Banda Singh Bahadur, was a Sikh warrior and a general of the Khalsa Army. At age 15, he left home to become an ascetic, and was given the name Madho Das Bairagi. He established a monastery at Nānded, on the bank of the river Godāvarī. In 1707, Guru Gobind Singh accepted an invitation to meet Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I in southern India, he visited Banda Singh Bahadur in 1708. Banda became disciple of Guru Gobind Singh and was given a new name, Gurbaksh Singh(as written in Mahan Kosh), after the baptism ceremony. He is popularly known as Banda Singh Bahadur. He was given five arrows by the Guru as a blessing for the battles ahead. He came to Khanda, Sonipat and assembled a fighting force and led the struggle against the Mughal Empire.

Lohgarh is a historic town in Bilaspur tehsil of Yamunanagar district of Haryana in India. It was the capital of First Sikh State under Baba Banda Singh Bahadur from 1710 to 1716.

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

Binod Singh, a Trehan Khatri and a descendant of Guru Angad, was an army man and disciple of Guru Gobind Singh and was among few Sikhs who accompanied him to Nanded in 1706. In Budha Dal Chronicles, Guru Gobind Singh made Baba Binod Singh the head of the Khalsa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baba Darbara Singh</span>

Baba Darbara Singh, also known as Diwan Darbara Singh, was second Jathedar of Budha Dal and third leader of the Akal Takht. He should not be confused with other Darbara Singh of Sirhind who fought in the Battle of Anandpur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mina (Sikhism)</span> Heretic Sikh sect

The Mīnās were a heretical sect of Sikhs that followed Prithi Chand, the eldest son of Guru Ram Das, after his younger brother Guru Arjan was selected by the Guru to succeed him. Prithi Chand would vigorously contest this, attracting a portion of Sikhs to his side who followers of Guru Arjan referred to as ਮੀਣੇ mīṇe, meaning "charlatans," "dissemblers," or "scoundrels." They sustained their opposition to the orthodox line of Gurus through the seventeenth century, and upon Guru Gobind Singh's founding of the Khalsa in 1699, they were declared by him, as well as by Khalsa rahitnamas, as one of the Panj Mel, or five reprobate groups, that a Sikh must avoid. They are occasionally referred to in the more neutral terms Sikhān dā chhotā mel or as the Miharvān sampraday in scholarship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fateh Singh (Sikh warrior)</span> Sikh warrior (died 1716)

Fateh Singh was a warrior in Sikh history. He is known for beheading Wazir Khan who was the Mughal Governor of Sirhind, administering a territory of the Mughal Empire between the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers. Wazir Khan was infamous for ordering the execution of the two young sons of Guru Gobind Singh, Sahibzada Fateh Singh and Sahibzada Zorawar Singh in 1704.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akal Sena</span> First standing Sikh army created by Guru Hargobind (1606 – 1699)

The Akal Sena was the Sikh military force established by the sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind. It was the first standing Sikh army. It was also known as the Akali Dal.

The siege of Amritsar was a siege that took place in March 1748. The Battle was fought between the Sikhs led by Nawab Kapur Singh against the Mughal Forces led by Salabat Khan. The Sikhs successfully defeated and killed Salabat Khan and conquered the city of Amritsar from the Mughals.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Harajindara Siṅgha Dilagīra (1997). The Sikh reference book. pp. 341 and 632. ISBN   9780969596424.
  2. Ranjit Singh (2013). Golden Crystals. p. 217. ISBN   9789351130482.
  3. 1 2 Baghat, Darsha (1709) Var Amritsar Ki
  4. 1 2 Mohibbul Hasan (1968). Historians Of Medieval India. pp. 213–214.
  5. Surjit Singh Gandhi (1999). Sikhs In The Eighteenth Century. Singh Bros. p. 87. ISBN   9788172052171.
  6. Teja Singh and Ganda Singh (1950). A Short History Of The Sikhs - Volume 1. Orient Longmans. pp. 112–113.

See also