Battle of Sarsa

Last updated

Battle of Sarsa
Part of Mughal-Sikh Wars and Hill States-Sikh Wars
Pariwar vichhora gurudwara.jpg
Parivar Vichora gurdwara
Date21 December 1704
Location
Near the River Sarsa
Result Mughal victory [a]
Belligerents
Sikh flag.jpg Khalsa (Sikhs)

Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg Mughal Empire

Bilaspur flag.svg Alliance of Hill Rajas, led by Kahlur
Commanders and leaders
Sikh flag.jpg Guru Gobind Singh
Sikh flag.jpg Bhai Jiwan Singh  
Sikh flag.jpg Bhai Udai Singh 
Sikh flag.jpg Bhai Mani Singh
Sikh flag.jpg Ajit Singh
Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg Wazir Khan (Sirhind)
Bilaspur flag.svg Raja Ajmer Chand
Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg General Khawaja Mohammed
Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg General Nahar Khan
Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg Governor Zabardast Khan
Strength
400–500 [2] Unknown
Casualties and losses
  • Bhai Udai Singh was killed.

The Battle of Sarsa was fought in 21 December 1704 [3] between the Khalsa and the Mughal Empire.

Contents

Background and battle

Guru Gobind Singh's family got separated and Mani Singh, along with other Sikhs, took Mata Sundar Kaur and Mata Sahib Kaur to Delhi, whereas Guru Gobind Singh, the Panj Piare, Ajit Singh, Jujhar Singh and a handful of Sikh warriors went to Chamkaur for the last stand.[ citation needed ]

Even as Mughal General Wazir Khan promised Guru Gobind Singh safe passage after the siege of Anandpur, he still pursued the survivors.

  1. "Despite promising Guru Gobind Singh safe passage after the siege of Anandpur, Mughal General Wazir Khan pursued the survivors. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guru Gobind Singh</span> Tenth Sikh guru from 1675 to 1708

Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth and last human Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the Sikhs after his father Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed by Emperor Aurangzeb. His father was the ninth Sikh Guru. His four biological sons died during his lifetime – two in battle and two executed by the Mughal governor Wazir Khan.

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">Anandpur Sahib</span> City in Punjab, India

Anandpur Sahib, also referred simply as Anandpur, is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, in the Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most sacred religious places in Sikhism, being the place where the last two Sikh Gurus, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh, lived. It is also the place where Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa Panth in 1699. The city is home to Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib, the third of the five Takhts in Sikhism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takht Sri Damdama Sahib</span> Sikh religious site in Talwandi Sabo, Punjab, India

The Takht Sri Darbar Sahib Damdama Sahib, is one of the five takhts or Seat of Temporal Authority of Sikhism, located in Talwandi Sabo, near the city of Bathinda in Bathinda district of Punjab, India. At this place Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, prepared the full version of the Sikh scriptures called Sri Guru Granth Sahib in 1705. The other four Takhts are the Akal Takht, Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Takht Sri Patna Sahib and Takht Sri Hazur Sahib.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mata Gujri</span> Sikh martyr

Mata Gujri, also spelt as Mata Gujari, was the wife of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of Sikhism, and the mother of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of Sikhism. She played a central role in the history of Sikhism and is one of the four consorts bestowed with the title of Guru-Mahal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zorawar Singh (Sikhism)</span> Sikh martyr (1696–1704)

Zorawar Singh, alternatively spelt as Jorawar Singh, was a son of Guru Gobind Singh who was executed in the court of Wazir Khan, the Mughal Governor of Sirhind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ajit Singh (Sikhism)</span> Son of Guru Gobind Singh

Ajit Singh, also referred to with honorifics as Sahibzada Ajit Singh or Baba Ajit Singh, was the eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh and the son of Mata Sundari. His younger brothers were Jujhar Singh, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, but they had been born to Mata Jito. He was killed in the Second Battle of Chamkaur along with his brother Jujhar Singh. His other two brothers, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, nine and seven years old, respectively, were bricked alive at Fatehgarh Sahib on order of Wazir Khan, governor of Sirhind-Fategarh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mai Bhago</span> Sikh warrior woman

Mai Bhago also known as Mata Bhag Kaur, was a Sikh woman who led Sikh soldiers against the Mughals in 1705. She was an exceptionally skilled warrior on the battlefield and is revered as a warrior saint in Sikhism. She was known for rallying the 40 Sikhs who abandoned Guru Gobind Singh at the siege of Anandpur Sahib and bringing them back to fight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Nadaun</span> 1691 battle of the Mughal–Sikh Wars

The Battle of Nadaun, alternatively known as the Hussaini Yudh, was fought at Nadaun, between Raja Bhim Chand of Bilaspur (Kahlur) and the Mughals under Alif Khan. Bhim Chand was supported by Guru Gobind Singh and the Mughals were supported by other hill chieftains, notably Kirpal Chand from Kangra and Dayal Chand from Bijharwal. Bhim Chand and some hill chieftains, after conclusion of Battle of Bhangani had refused to pay tribute to the Mughal emperor which led to the battle at Nadaun. The battle resulted in the victory of Bilaspur State and Sikh alliance.

The Battle of Anandpur was fought at Anandpur, between the armies of the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh and the Mughal forces aided by the Nawab of Bahawalpur state, Rajas of the Sivalik Hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second siege of Anandpur</span> Battle in north-east India

The second siege of Anandpur, also known as the second battle of Anandpur (1704), was a siege at Anandpur, between Sikhs and the Mughal governors, dispatched by Aurangzeb, Wazir Khan, Dilwaar Kahn and Zaberdast Khan, and aided by the vassal Rajas of the Sivalik Hills which lasted from May 1704 to 19 December 1704.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saka Sirhind</span> Martyrdom of Sikh Sahibzade

The Saka Sirhindor the Chhotte Sahibzada Saka refers to the killing and martyrdom (Shaheedi) of the two sons of Guru Gobind Singh, named Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh. The two Sikh children are remembered as the Chhotte Sahibzade. They are believed to have attained martyrdom on 26 December 1704 at the ages of 5(or 6) and 9 respectively. In remembrance of this occasion, the Shaheedi Jor Mela is organised annually at Fatehgarh Sahib Punjab, India, to commemorate the supreme sacrifice at the place of their martyrdom on the 24th to 26 December.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Muktsar</span> 1705 conflict in the Mughal-Sikh Wars

The Battle of Sri Muktsar Sahib(Muktsar) or Battle of Khidrāne Dee Dhāb took place on 29 December 1705, (29 Poh) following the siege of Anandpur Sahib. In 1704, Anandpur Sahib was under an extended siege by the allied forces of the Mughals and the Hill States of Shivalik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhai Jiwan Singh</span> Sikh general

Baba Jiwan Singh was a Sikh general and companion of Guru Gobind Singh.

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

Banda Singh Bahadur; born Lachman Dev;, 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.

The first siege of Anandpur was a thirty-five-day-long siege at Anandpur led by the Rajas of the Sivalik Hills and the Gujar and Ranghar tribesmen against the armies of the Sikh under Guru Gobind Singh.

The Battle of Guler was fought between forces led by Sikh Guru Gobind Singh and Mughal forces, aided by the Rajas of the Sivalik Hills.

The First Battle of Anandpur in 1704 was fought between the Mughal Empire and the Sikhs.

The First battle of Chamkaur was fought in 1702 between the Sikhs and the Mughals. It resulted in a Sikh victory and the Mughal General Sayyad Beg defecting to the Sikhs with some troops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hill States–Sikh wars</span> Sequence of battles (1628–1812)

The Hill States–Sikh wars, also known as the Sikh–Pahari Raja wars, was a set of battles and conflicts fought by the Sikhs and the rajas (kings) of the Hill States located in the Sivalik Hills.

References

  1. Jacques 2007, p. 914.
  2. Suraj Granth Rut 6 Chapter 32
  3. Jaques, Tony (26 June 2015). "Dictionary of Battles and Sieges". friendfeed-media.com. Greenwood Press. p. 914. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2022.

Sources