Banda Singh Bahadur's kingdom (First Sikh Kingdom): Difference between revisions

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==Lohgarh==
==Lohgarh==


The ultimate aim of Banda was to punish Wazir Khan and conquer Sirhind. It required time to consolidate his material and territorial gains. He also wanted to study the military resources of Sirhind. He was anxious to see what steps the government would take against him. He therefore established his headquarters, in the beginning of February 1710, at Mukhlisgarh situated in the lower Siwalik Hills south of Nahan, about twenty kilometres from Sadhaura. His fort stood atop a hill top. Two kuhls or water channels flowed at its base and supplied water to it. This fort was repaired and put in a state of defence. All the money, gold and costly material acquired in the expeditions were deposited here. He minted coins and issued orders under his seal. The name of Mukhlisgarh was changed to Lohgarh (the Fort of Steel), and it became the capital of the first Sikh state.
The ultimate aim of Banda was to punish Wazir Khan and conquer Sirhind. It required time to consolidate his material and territorial gains. He also wanted to study the military resources of Sirhind. He was anxious to see what steps the government would take against him. He therefore established his headquarters, in the beginning of February 1710, at Mukhlisgarh situated in the lower Siwalik Hills south of Nahan, about twenty kilometres from Sadhaura.This was a fort built in Amuwal village near Nahan in Himachal.The Fort was surrounded by riverelets Pammuwali and Daskawali.The place is about 25 Km from Paonta Sahib ,from Kapal Mochan in Haryana it is 20 Km.There is 18 Km pucca road from Kapal Mochan to village Bhagwanpura then about 2 Km Beyond it is a Kucha road,further one has to walk down upto the place by river path.Beyond river then Himachal shivalik range of hills start.Lohgarh fort was inside the hills.According to Virinder Singh Bhatia of Punjabi University during 2010 when he visited the place at that moment the place has only a heap of stones.At 2 furlong distance from the place a Gurdwara exists in memory of Banda Singh Bahadur.  His fort stood atop a hill top. Two kuhls or water channels flowed at its base and supplied water to it. This fort was repaired and put in a state of defence. All the money, gold and costly material acquired in the expeditions were deposited here. He minted coins and issued orders under his seal. The name of Mukhlisgarh was changed to Lohgarh (the Fort of Steel), and it became the capital of the first Sikh state.But the place needs to be revisited a memorial nees to be built in memory of capital of the first Khalsa Raaj established by Banda Singh Bahadur.


=Banda's kingdom=
=Banda's kingdom=

Revision as of 00:35, 14 July 2010

This article mainly deals with the short-span kingdom of Banda Singh Bahadur. Basically what this article is about is when Guru Gobind Singh ji made Madho Das a Sikh, Banda Singh Bahadur alias Gurbaksh Singh and sent him to Punjab to bring the evil Nawab of Sirhind to justice. On his way to Sirhind, Banda plundered many cities of anti-Sikhs (jallad who beheaded 9th guru, etc) and conquered much of the present day Haryana.

Banda Bahadur converts to Sikhism and goes direction Punjab

Guru Gobind Singh hoped that Emperor Bahadur Shah would fulfill his promise and punish the Governor of Sirhind, and his accomplices for persecuting the people of Punjab, and for murdering the Guru's mother, Mata Gujri and his two younger children, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh. The promise was made by Bahadur Shah to the Guru earlier, when Shah had asked the Guru for Sikh assistance in winning out in his bid to rule over India, following the death of his father, Emperor Aurangzeb. Guru Gobind had rendered help to Bahadur Shah in the war of sucession after the death of Auranzeb, in which Bahadur Shah emerged as a victor. Bahadur Shah was reluctant to carry out his promise, or may have been unable to do so during his delicate rule. The Guru had no ill-will towards the new Emperor, and decided to part ways with the him.

In a few days, the Guru held a durbar,and administered Pahul (ceremonial initiation into the Khalsa) to Madho Das and named him Gurbaksh Singh. He appointed him as his military lieutenant and invested him with full political and military authority as his deputy to lead the campaign in the Punjab against the Mughal administration and to punish Nawab Wazir Khan and his supporters.

The Guru gave Banda five arrows from his quiver as a symbol of temporal authority. He was given an advisory council of five devoted Sikhs (Hazuri Singhs), who on their arrival in the Punjab were to assure the Sikhs that Banda was the Guru's nominee and deputy and to organize them in order to lead an expedition against Sirhind.

These Hazuri Singhs were:

  • Baj Singh, a descendant of the third Sikh Guru, Guru Amar Das.
  • Baj Singh's brother Ram Singh.
  • Binod singh, a descendant of the second Sikh Guru, Guru Angad Dev.
  • Binod Singh's son Kahan singh
  • Fateh Singh.

Additionally twenty five soldiers were to accompany Banda from Nanded to Punjab. A Hukumnamah (edict) by the Guru, instructing Sikhs to join Banda Bahadur in his struggle against Wazir Khan (Mughal Governor of Punjab) was provided. As additional insignia of his temporal authority the Guru also gave Banda Bahadur his own sword, green bow, nagara (war drum) and a Nishan Sahib. Three hundred Sikh horsemen in battle array accompanied Banda for about eight kilometres giving him a final send off.


Banda in present-day Haryana

A city by city account

Narnaul

Here, Banda witnesses first-hand, the complete destruction of the Satnami sect which had risen in revolt against the Mughals. Men, women and children, one and all had been wiped out of existence. It was here that Banda suppressed some dacoits and robbers.

Hissar

He was well received by local Hindus and Sikhs as a leader and a deputy of Guru Gobind Singh. Liberal offerings were made to him, which he distributed among the poor and the needy.


Tohana

Here, Banda issued letters to the Sikhs of Malwa, to join him in his crusade against Wazir Khan of Sirhind.

Banda made proper arrangements to escort Mata Sahib Kaur to Delhi. From Kharkhauda about fifty kilometres north-west of Delhi, Mata Sahib Kaur was sent to Delhi under armed escort, to join Mata Sndari, who was acting as the head of the Khalsa after the death of her husband, Guru Gobind Singh.

Sonepat

At Sonepat, fifty kilometres north of Delhi, early in November 1709 Banda commanded about five hundred followers. He attacked the government treasury, plundered it and distributed it among his retinue. This was his second success against the government and it considerably raised his prestige. Marching slowly, he advanced towards Sirhind.

Kaithal

Near Kaithal, about a hundred kilometres further north, Banda seized a government treasury, which was being sent from the northern districts to Delhi. He kept nothing out of it for himself and gave it away to his rank and file.

Samana

Fifty kilometres farther north, Samana was the native place of Jalal-ud-din Jallad, the professional executioner, who had beheaded Guru Teg Bahadur, while is son had beheaded the two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh. Ali Hussain, who by making false promises had lured Guru Gobind Singh to evacuate the fort of Anandpur also belonged to Samana. It was an accursed place in the eyes of the Sikhs. The entire peasantry of the neighbourhood was now up in arms, and Banda's following had risen to several thousands. Banda fell upon the town on November 26, 1709. The inhabitants were massacred in cold blood and the town razed. Samana was the district town and had nine Parganas attached to it. It was placed under the charge of Fateh Singh. Samana was the first territorial conquest and the first administrative unit of Banda.

Then, Kunjpura, Ghuram, and Thaska inhabited by Muslim Ranghars were destroyed. Damla was the village of the people, who had deserted Guru Gobind Singh in the Battle of Bhangani, It was ravaged. Shahabad Markanda also fell to Banda.

Sadhaura

Usman Khan, the chief of Sadhaura, about twenty-five kilometres away, had persecuted Sayyid Budhu Shah for helping Guru Gobind Singh in the Battle of Bhangani. On the approach of Banda , the leading Muslims of the town gathered in a big and strongly built mansion. They were all massacred. This building came to be known as Qatal Garhi (The Fort of Murder). Banda attacked the town and destroyed it.

A contemporary historian, Khafi Khan wrote: "In two or three months time four to five thousands pony-riders, and seven to eight thousand warlike footmen joined him. Day by day their number increased, and abundant money and material by pillage fell into their hands. Numerous villages were laid waste and he appointed his own police officers (thanedars) and collectors of revenue (Tahsil-dar-e-mal)"

Lohgarh

The ultimate aim of Banda was to punish Wazir Khan and conquer Sirhind. It required time to consolidate his material and territorial gains. He also wanted to study the military resources of Sirhind. He was anxious to see what steps the government would take against him. He therefore established his headquarters, in the beginning of February 1710, at Mukhlisgarh situated in the lower Siwalik Hills south of Nahan, about twenty kilometres from Sadhaura.This was a fort built in Amuwal village near Nahan in Himachal.The Fort was surrounded by riverelets Pammuwali and Daskawali.The place is about 25 Km from Paonta Sahib ,from Kapal Mochan in Haryana it is 20 Km.There is 18 Km pucca road from Kapal Mochan to village Bhagwanpura then about 2 Km Beyond it is a Kucha road,further one has to walk down upto the place by river path.Beyond river then Himachal shivalik range of hills start.Lohgarh fort was inside the hills.According to Virinder Singh Bhatia of Punjabi University during 2010 when he visited the place at that moment the place has only a heap of stones.At 2 furlong distance from the place a Gurdwara exists in memory of Banda Singh Bahadur. His fort stood atop a hill top. Two kuhls or water channels flowed at its base and supplied water to it. This fort was repaired and put in a state of defence. All the money, gold and costly material acquired in the expeditions were deposited here. He minted coins and issued orders under his seal. The name of Mukhlisgarh was changed to Lohgarh (the Fort of Steel), and it became the capital of the first Sikh state.But the place needs to be revisited a memorial nees to be built in memory of capital of the first Khalsa Raaj established by Banda Singh Bahadur.

Banda's kingdom

Banda ruled over the region bounded on the north by the Shivalik hills, on the west by the river Tangri, on the east by the river Jamuna, and in the south by a line passing through Samana, Thanesar, Kaithal and Karnal. He abolished the Zamindari System of land prevailing under the Mughals and declared the actual cultivators as the owners of land. Thus he established peasant proprietorship, and won the approbation and support of the overwhelming majority of the population. Khafi Khan says that Banda "issued orders to imperial officers and agents and big jagirdars to submit and give up their business." His capital was the city of Lohgarh.

The invasion of Sirhind

Banda's Troops

Banda Singh Bahadur devoted three months in organizing his civil and military administration. Bahadur Shah was still away from Delhi. The Delhi Government had made no attempt to recover their lost territory from Banda. Wazir Khan of Sirhind was making his own preparations independently to meet the danger from Banda.

Banda's troops were mostly untrained, raw levies and not fully armed. Banda possessed no elephants, no good horses and no guns. His followers had matchlocks, spears, swords, bows and arrows. According to Khafi Khan, the number of Banda's troops rose from thirty to forty thousand.