Siege of Sirhind (1758)

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Siege of Sirhind (1758)
Part of Afghan–Maratha War
Date8–21 March 1758
Location
Result Combined Maratha-Sikh victory [1]
Belligerents
Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg Maratha Confederacy
Kattar Dhal Talwar.jpg Sikh Misls
Durrani Empire
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg Raghunath Rao
Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg Adina Beg
Kattar Dhal Talwar.jpg Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
Abdus Samad Khan (POW)
Jangbaz Khan (POW) [1]
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

During the Maratha invasion of the Punjab in 1758, the Mughal-ki-Sarai near Ambala, Rajpura, and Sarai Banjara were all significant locations that witnessed the passage of the Maratha army. The siege of Sarhind, however, was a pivotal moment in this campaign. [1] [2]

Battle

The Governor of Sarhind, Abdus Samad Khan, found himself outnumbered and outgunned by the Marathas and Adina Beg Khan's Sikh forces. With no other option left, he barricaded himself inside the fort. The Marathas and Sikhs laid siege to the fort, engaging in a fierce battle that lasted for several days. As the battle raged on, the Marathas and Sikhs showed no mercy to the inhabitants of Sarhind. They plundered everything in sight, [3] leaving no one unscathed. Men and women alike were stripped bare, and houses were pulled down for their timber. The looting was so thorough that not a single person was left with a single piece of clothing. Eventually, Abdus Samad Khan and Jangbaz Khan fled from the fort in fear. The Marathas overtook them and imprisoned them. [4] The Marathas and Sikhs continued their rampage through Sarhind, leaving behind a trail of destruction in their wake. The siege of Sarhind was a brutal and devastating episode in the Afghan-Maratha conflict. It serves as a stark reminder of the violence and chaos that can ensue during times of war and conflict. [5] [6]

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References

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  2. Roy, Kaushik (2011-03-30). War, Culture and Society in Early Modern South Asia, 1740-1849. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   978-1-136-79087-4.
  3. Savarkar, Veer (2020-01-01). Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History: Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History: Veer Savarkar's Historical Masterpiece. Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN   978-93-5322-097-6.
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  5. Gupta, Hari Ram (1952). A History of the Sikhs: Evolution of the Sikh confederation, 1739-1766. Minerva Book Shop.
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