Battle of Delhi 1783 | |||||||
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Part of Mughal-Sikh Wars | |||||||
![]() Baghel Singh, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, and Jassa Singh Ramgharia marching through Delhi next to the Red fort. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
30,000 [7] | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown |
The Battle of Delhi was fought between the Dal Khalsa and the Mughal Empire in 1783. [8]
The Sikhs under Baghel Singh, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia began raiding and plundering the outskirts of Delhi in 1764. In April 1782, Najaf Khan hitherto the highest commander of the Mughal army died, after which a power struggle ensued allowing the Sikhs to capture Delhi. The Sikhs reappeared in Delhi and plundered its environs and laid waste the country up to Khujra. Some of the Sikhs having ravaged the Gangetic Doab contemplated approaching Ruhilkhand, though they were deterred by the arrival of the Nawab of Oudh's forces as well as some English battalions to the area, forcing them to concentrate solely on the Doab. Some of the rajas reigning over areas dominated by the Sikhs agreed to pay tribute to them. The main body of the Sikhs having plundered Aligarh and Buland Shahar proceeded towards Delhi where they further set Malka Ganj and Sabzi Mandi on fire. They managed to capture the Red Fort on 11 March after defeating a defence by Prince Mirza Shikoh. [9] Thereafter, a settlement was agreed upon between the Sikhs and the Delhi court which entailed a cash present of three lakh rupees and Baghel Singh staying behind at the head of 4,000 Sikh troops to oversee the construction of gurdwaras in the city. The main body of Sikhs left Delhi on 12 March 1783 following the settlement. [9]
Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was placed on the throne of Delhi as Badshah Singh of Delhi but Ramgarhia objected that no one can sit on the throne without the approval of Sarbat Khalsa. [8] [2] [10] [11] [12] [13]
Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia captured the Red Fort of Delhi in conjunction with Sardar Baghel Singh. He detached the throne of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (on which he is likely ordered the death of the 9th Sikh guru Guru Tegh Bahadur) and brought it on elephants and kept it at Golden Temple, Amritsar. Even today it is present at the Golden Temple, in the Ramgarhia Bunga minaret. [16] [14] [17]
The Sikh Confederacy was a confederation of twelve sovereign states which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent and is cited as one of the causes of the weakening of the Mughal Empire prior to Nader Shah's invasion of India (1738–1740).
Nawab Kapur Singh was a major Sikh leader who led the community during the early-to-mid 18th century. He was the organizer of the Sikh Confederacy and its military force, the Dal Khalsa. He is held in high regards by Sikhs.
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.
Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was a Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy, being the supreme leader of the Dal Khalsa. He was also Misldar of the Ahluwalia Misl. This period was an interlude, lasting roughly from the time of the death of Banda Bahadur in 1716 to the founding of the Sikh Empire in 1801. He founded the Kapurthala State in 1772.
Sardar Hari Singh Dhillon was an 18th century Sikh warrior and the chief of Bhangi Misl. During the formation of the Dal Khalsa he was acknowledged as leader of Tarna Dal, and he was made chief of Bhangi Misl following the death of Bhuma Singh Dhillion, who he was an adopted son of, in 1748. Hari Singh made the Bhangi Misl the most powerful of all the Misls. He was described as brave, fearless and a great warrior. Under Hari Singh the Bhang Misl expanded to Jammu, Lahore, Chiniot, Buria, Jagadhari, Firozpur, Kushab, Majha, Malwa, Sandal Bar and Jhang.
Baghel Singh was a warrior leader in the Punjab region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. He rose to prominence in the area around Sutlej and Yamuna. He joined the Singh Krora Misl, one of the Misls during Sikh Confederacy. In 1765, Singh became the leader of the Misl.
Khushal Singh Virk was the second chief of Singhpuria Misl from 1753 to 1795, extending its territory on both sides of the Sutlej River. His 'acquired' lands included Jalandhar, Nurpur, Bahrampur, Patti and Bharatgarh. Jalandhar doab and adjoining areas yielded an annual income of three lakh rupees.
Ramgarhia Bunga or Burj is the three-storeyed red stone watchtowers complex located near southeastern edge of the Golden Temple, Amritsar. The two minaret-style Ramgarhia Bunga high towers are visible from the parikrama (circumambulation) walkway around the Harmandir Sahib Sarovar. It is a pre-Ranjit Singh structure built by Sikh warrior and Ramgarhia misl chief Jassa Singh Ramgarhia in late 18th-century, after the 1762 destruction and desecration of the Sikh holy temple and site by the Afghan Muslim forces led by Ahmed Shah Abdali. The Bunga watchtowers-related infrastructure was constructed to station sentinels to watch for any surprise attack, house soldiers to help fortify the area, and to protect the holy complex from desecration.
The Dallewalia misl was founded by Sardar Gulabi singh a Khatri Sikh as a Jatha but later Succeeded by a Jatt Sikh Sardar Tara Singh Ghaiba of Kang Clan Tara Singh made the Jatha into a powerful Misl in the 18th century India. The founder of this Misl was Sardar Gulab Singh resident of the village of Dallewal near Dera Baba Nanak, in Doaba Bist Jalandhar. He took Pahul and became an active member of the Dal Khalsa in 1726 A.D and launched upon a career of chivalry, fighting against the tyrannical government of the Punjab. One day at the head of 150 comrades, he attacked Jalandhar and having obtained a rich booty all of them returned to their camp in the jungle safely.
Sardar Charat Singh, also romanised as Charhat Singh, was the founder of Sukerchakia Misl, father of Mahan Singh, and the grandfather of Ranjit Singh, the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. 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, a separate grouping with its distinct guerilla militia.
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.
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.
Ramgarhia Misl was a sovereign state (misl) in the Sikh Confederacy of Punjab region in present-day India and Pakistan. The misl's name is derived from Qila Ramgarh, a place located in Ramsar, near Amritsar, which was fortified and redesigned by Ramgarhia Misl chief Jassa Singh Ramgarhia. The Ramgarhia Misl was one of the twelve major Sikh misls, and held land near Amritsar.
The Battle of Harnaulgarh was fought between the Durrani Empire and the Sikh Misls of Dal Khalsa in 1762.
Sardar Gulab Singh was the founder of Dallewalia Misl, one of the sovereign states of the Sikh confederacy that rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region. The Dallewalia and Nishanwalia Misl were stationed as a reserve force at Amritsar to protect the holy city and tackle any emergency. The Amritsar and the Punjab region was subject to raids by the Afghans led by Ahmad Shah Abdali therefore the Sikhs had created misls to defend the Punjab region and push back the invaders.
Sikh attacks on Delhi were common in the second half of the 18th century. The Sikhs attacked Delhi 19 times between 1766 and 1788.
Haqiqar Singh Kanhaiya was the cousin of Jai Singh Kanhaiya, founder and leader of the Kanhaiya Misl, a grouping of Sikhs with a distinct guerilla militia. He founded a village named Sangatpur.
The siege of Ram Rauni was a 4 months siege fought between the Sikh forces led by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and the Mughal forces of Adina Beg, Dewan Kaura Mal, Mirza Aziz Khan and Bakhshi Nasir Ali Khan Jalandri.
The siege of Patiala was a 7-day siege fought between the Sikh forces led by Raja Amar Singh and Mughal forces led by Abdul Ahad Khan.
The Battle of Talwara was fought in 1770 by the Sikh forces led by Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and the Kangra forces led by Raja Ghamand Chand.
Baghel Singh, Baghel Singh took the leadership of karorisingha misl.