Sack of Amritsar (1762)

Sack of Amritsar
Part of Afghan–Sikh wars
The Harmandir Sahib, destroyed by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1762
Date 10 April 1762 Location Amritsar, Punjab Result Durrani victory
Belligerents
Durrani Empire	Sikh Confederacy
Commanders and leaders
Ahmad Shah Durrani	Unknown
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Thousands of civilians and defenders killed

The Sack of Amritsar is when Ahmad Shah Durrani sacked Amritsar on the eve of Vaisakhi, destroying the Golden Temple and massacring its defenders,

Background

As Ahmad Shah retired to Afghanistan from his fifth invasion of India, the Sikhs defeated many of his governors, primarily during a decisive battle at Gujranwala which led to the fall of Lahore in November 1761. ^{[1] [2]} Enraged at the defeat of his deputies, Ahmad Shah prepared for his sixth invasion of India, initiating it in February 1762. ^{[3] [4]}

The Sack

At Lahore, he assembled his forces and attacked Amritsar, arriving at the city on 10 April, a day before the Vaisakhi festival. The city was sacked and a massacre ensued where the Golden Temple was razed, blown with gunpowder and the blood of men and cows polluted the lake surrounding it. ^{[5] [6]} At this time, a piece of shrapnel hit Ahmad Shah on the nose, causing an open wound that would plague him for the rest of his life. ^{[2] [7]}

Aftermath

Ahmad Shah then rested at Lahore, intending to settle the affairs of India. He sent an expedition toward Kashmir which had declared its independence under Sukh Jiwan Mal, and Kashmir was re-conquered. ^{[8] [9]} Peace negotiations began with the Marathas, while Ahmad Shah called upon Indian princes to recognize Shah Alam II as the Mughal emperor. ^[10]

References

1. Mehta, Jaswant Lal (2005-01-01). Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 303. ISBN   978-1-932705-54-6.
2. Lee, Jonathan L. (2022-03-08). Afghanistan: A History from 1260 to the Present. Reaktion Books. p. 128. ISBN   978-1-78914-019-4.
3. Noelle-Karimi, Christine (2014). The Pearl in Its Midst: Herat and the Mapping of Khurasan (15th-19th Centuries). Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. p. 112. ISBN   978-3-7001-7202-4.
4. Gupta, Hari Ram (1978). History of the Sikhs: Evolution of Sikh confederacies, 1708-1769. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 187.
5. Gupta, Hari Ram (1978). History of the Sikhs: Evolution of Sikh confederacies, 1708-1769. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 192.
6. Sarkar, Sir Jadunath (1964). Fall of the Mughal Empire. M. C. Sarkar. p. 487.
7. Singh, Ganda (1959). Ahmad shah durrani, father of modern Afghanistan. Asia Publishing House, Bombay. pp. 281–282.
8. Singh, Ganda (1959). Ahmad shah durrani, father of modern Afghanistan. Asia Publishing House, Bombay. pp. 283–284.
9. Gupta, Hari Ram (1978). History of the Sikhs: Evolution of Sikh confederacies, 1708-1769. Munshiram Manoharlal. pp. 193–194.
10. Sarkar, Sir Jadunath (1964). Fall of the Mughal Empire. M. C. Sarkar. pp. 487–489.