Battle of Amritsar (1767)

Battle of Amritsar (1767)
Part of Indian campaign of Ahmad Shah Durrani & Afghan-Sikh Wars
Date 17 January 1767 Location Amritsar, Punjab Result Durrani victory
Belligerents
Durrani Empire	Sikh Confederacy
Commanders and leaders
Ahmad Shah Durrani Jahan Khan	Charat Singh
Strength
50,000	20,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of Amritsar was fought on 17 January 1767 between the Durrani Empire and the Sikh Confederacy. After an initial Sikh victory over Jahan Khan, Ahmad Shah Durrani counterattacked, forcing the Sikhs to retreat and subsequently destroying the city of Amritsar.

Background

The Shah reached Lahore on 22 December, finding that the Sikhs had deserted the city. The Afghans occupied the city, while Ahmad Shah dispatched a contingent of 1,500 toward Sirhind. The Sikhs under Charat Singh assembled a force of 20,000 men near Lahore, resulting in Ahmad Shah assembling his own host of 50,000 in response and dispatching Jahan Khan toward Amritsar, forcing the Sikhs to withdraw. This was followed by Ahmad Shah settling at Fatahabad on the 28th, south-east of Amritsar. ^[1]

Depiction of Charat Singh

Battle

The Sikhs then made a raid on the Shah's baggage train at Lahore, before retreating as Ahmad Shah approached on 1 January 1767. Ahmad Shah offered peace to the Sikhs, intending to instead march on Northern India and offering to divide lands for them, lest they fight him in the field. The Sikhs rejected all offers, and defeated Jahan Khan at Amritsar on 17 January. Ahmad Shah quickly came to his aid and attacked the Sikhs, forcing them to flee and destroying Amritsar. The Afghan baggage train was attacked during this, but Nasir Khan routed and pursued the Sikh army. ^{[2] [3]}

Aftermath

After this, Ahmad Shah crossed the Beas River and received many sardars including Najib ud-Daula, as well as the vakils of Mir Qasim, the Jats, and Jaipur. ^[4] Initially, as his invasion began, Ahmad Shah was surprised and infuriated that the chiefs of India who had sworn allegiance to him did not come to do homage to him personally. The British also had the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam and Vizier Shuja ud-Daula refrain from sending aid to the Shah, fearing advances further east of Delhi. The British also urged the Marathas, Rohillas, and Jats to thus form a coalition against Ahmad Shah, assuring British aid. Ahmad Shah, however, was seen as invincible in India following the victory at Panipat, with many chiefs being terrified of him. ^[5]

References

1. Gupta, Hari Ram (1978). History of the Sikhs: Evolution of Sikh confederacies, 1708-1769. Munshiram Manoharlal. pp. 238–239.
2. Gupta, Hari Ram (1978). History of the Sikhs: Evolution of Sikh confederacies, 1708-1769. Munshiram Manoharlal. pp. 239–241.
3. Singh, Ganda (1959). Ahmad shah durrani, father of modern Afghanistan. Asia Publishing House, Bombay. pp. 312–313.
4. Gupta, Hari Ram (1978). History of the Sikhs: Evolution of Sikh confederacies, 1708-1769. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 241.
5. Singh, Ganda (1959). Ahmad shah durrani, father of modern Afghanistan. Asia Publishing House, Bombay. p. 315.