Battle of Bilaspur (1711)

Battle of Bilaspur
Date Early 1711 Location Kahlur Fort Result Sikh Victory [1]
Belligerents
Khalsa	Kahlur Assisted by: 21 Hill States
Commanders and leaders
Banda Singh Bahadur	Raja Ajmer Chand
Strength
5 accompanied voluntary by a large number of Sikhs	1,300 Mian Rajputs 7 war elephants
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Entire Army [2]

The Battle of Bilaspur was fought in 1711 by Sikh forces led by Banda Singh Bahadur and the rulers of the Sivalik Hills led by Raja Ajmer Chand of Princely State of Kahlur (Bilaspur). ^{[3] [4]}

Battle

After escaping from Lohgarh, Banda Singh set his plans in motion by issuing Hukamnamas that called upon people to rise up and free Punjab, instructing them to gather at Kiratpur in the Shivalik Hills. ^{[2] [5]} His campaign began with an assault on Raja Ajmer Chand—a man who had long been a persistent irritant to Guru Govind Singh and had played a major role in the military campaigns led by both the hill chiefs and the imperial forces from Sirhind and Lahore against the Guru, Raja Ajmer Chand, along with other local hill rulers, had taken measures to reinforce the city’s defenses in anticipation of conflict. ^{[6] [5]} Despite these preparations and the determined resistance led by Raja Ajmer Chand and his coalition of allies, the fortified position at Bilaspur could not withstand the forceful advance of the Sikh army. In the ensuing battle, over thirteen hundred Mians—comprising both regular troops and irregular forces—were completely defeated. Their bodies were methodically gathered into groups of one hundred and interred in thirteen long ditches. As a consequence of this decisive victory, Bilaspur fell to the Sikhs, and they seized a substantial amount of treasure from the town. ^{[5] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]}

Aftermath

The crushing defeat not only weakened the Raja of Kahlur and his allies, but also struck fear into the hearts of other Rajput chieftains in the Shiwaliks, who dreaded the harsh retribution that might follow if they opposed the advancing Khalsa. ^[2] As a result, many chose to avoid further bloodshed by surrendering to Banda Singh, joining the Sikh camp, pledging their loyalty, and offering tribute to the Sikh treasury. Both Kulu and Chamba submitted on their own, and Udai Singh of Chamba further solidified his commitment by marrying his daughter, Susheel Kaur, to Banda Singh Bahadur, whose striking beauty—with large eyes, imposing limbs, and delicate grace—evoked the very image of a goddess of love. ^{[5] [6] [12]}

See also

Nihang Martyrdom and Sikhism

References

1. Kapoor, Sukhbir (1988). The Ideal Man: The Concept of Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Prophet of the Sikhs. The University of Virginia: Khalsa College London Press. p. 177.
2. Singh, Ganda (1935). Life of Banda Singh Bahadur: Based on Contemporary and Original Records. Amritsar: The Sikh History Research Department, Khalsa College, Amritsar. p. 55-59.
3. Gurdev Singh Deol (1972). Banda Bahadur. p. 76.
4. Sagoo, Harbans Kaur (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications. p. 190. ISBN   9788176293006.
5. Sagoo, Harbans Kaur (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. New Delhi: Deep & Deep Publications Pvt. Ltd. p. 190. ISBN   81-7629-300-8.
6. Surjit Singh Gandhi (1999). Sikhs In The Eighteenth Century. Singh Bros. p. 46. ISBN   9788172052171.
7. Louis E. Fenech (14 January 2021). The Cherished Five in Sikh History. Oxford University Press. p. 222. ISBN   9780197532867.
8. Sohan Singh Seetal (2 September 2008). Rise of the Sikh Power and Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. p. 94.
9. Harajindara Siṅgha Dilagīra (1997). The Sikh Reference Book. p. 257. ISBN   9780969596424.
10. Raj Pal Singh (1998). Banda Bahadur and His Times. Harman Publishing House. p. 43. ISBN   9788186622254.
11. Harish Dhillon (May 2013). First Raj of the Sikhs. Hay House. ISBN   9789381398395.
12. Gupta, Hari Ram (1978). History Of The Sikhs Vol. II Evolution Of Sikh Confederacies (1707-69). p. 21.