Battle of Sirhind
Sirhind was the unfortunate town in Punjab India, which had witnessed the martyrdom of the two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh in 1704. Wazir Khan, the Governor of Sirhind, had vowed to finish the Sikhs root and branch. Two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh, Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh, were bricked alive on his orders when they had refused to embrace Islam in 1704 at Sirhind. The Sikhs were keen to avenge the killings of such young lives by such a tyrant and oppressor of the people of India.
Four years later, a chance meeting took place between Lachman Das, later known as Banda Singh Bahadar and Guru Gobind Singh, on the banks of the Godavari. The Guru sent Banda Bahadur to Punjab to suppress the tyranny of the then rulers and punish Wazir Khan and destroy the Mughal empire, which had let loose repression on all the peace loving peoples of the continent including the Sikhs. In October, 1708, Banda marched towards Punjab along with a band of 25 Sikhs and a hukamnama, which enjoined upon the Sikhs to assemble under his banner. As Banda reached Delhi, thousands gathered under his command.
After subjugating Sonepat, Samana, Shahbad, Mustafabad, Kapuri and Banur, Banda led his troops to take on Wazir Khan, who also came out of Sirhind to confront the Sikhs. Whereas the royal army had cannons and cavalry, the Sikhs had only swords, spears and small arms. The two armies clashed at Chapar Chiri on May 12, 1710. The main battle was fought in the plain of Chappar Chiri which falls in Kharar Tahsil on Banur - Kharar Road.
Sirhind was not an easy target to capture for Banda. It was the seat of the provincial capital. It,s Nawab, Wazir Khan was one of the pillars of the Mughal empire with a huge army under his command. He had been in power for long years and had accumulated considerable wealth and position. Wazir Khan made extensive arrangements to meet the challenge of Sikhs under Banda. He proclaimed a "Jehad" - a religious war against the Sikhs, the accursed infidels or Kafirs. A Large number of Gazis or religious warriors from far and wide responded to his call. He collected his noted faujdars, zamindars and sardars. He had a large number of elephants, mounted gunnery, archers, lanxers and swordsmen. Banda had not artillery, no elephants and not even sufficient supply of good horses. He and his soldiers only possessed long spears, arrows and swords.
The organization and regrouping of troops before they are launched into battle is one of the fundamentals of war, in which Banda Bahadur was not lacking. So he organized his troops into two assaulting groups (Jathas). In the first group were the Malwais put under the command of Fateh Singh, Karam Singh, Dharam Singh and Ali Singh. The Majhel Singhs formed the second group under the command of Baba Binod singh, Bhai Baj Singh, Ram Singh and Sham Singh.
Wazir Khan marched out in person with his large army with elephants in front to check the advance of the Sikhs. Banda ordered his commanders to advance and himself sat on a mound nearby to watch and direct the operation. The moment the battle started, the irregulars comprising robbers took to their heels. It is with regard to these people that Irvine in his book "Later Mughals" remarks, "At the first shook, the Sikhs, after a feeble resistance turned and fled." A sanguinary battle now ensued. The Sikhs shouted the war cry of 'Sat Sri Akal', whereas, the war cry of 'Ali, Ali' , was raised by the Muslims. The entire atmosphere resounded with these war cries.
First, the Muslim artillery caused a heavy destruction of lives. Realizing this disadvantage, the soldiers of Guru Kalgidhar decided to do or die for a noble cause and sallied forth en-masse towards the cannon. Though they suffered heavy casualties, they succeeded in snatching the cannon. They they started a hand-to-hand fight. Even then, the enemy was at an advantage. Then Baj Singh, Second-in-command, rushed to Banda, who had remained aloof so far, with a request to play his role. Banda then rushed forward to the forefront of his army. To quote Sohan Singh. "Then rose he (Banda) like a hungry lion from his cave and sprang upon the army like a bolt from the blue. His appearance very much encourged the Khalsa, whereas it struck a general terror among the enemy. Just as Julius Caesar, all of a sudden and with a single attack had turned the tables of fortunes against the hitherto obviously winnings Gauls, the irresistible Banda, with a single sally changed the whole scene."
Encouraged by the advent of their leader on the battlefield. the Singhs fell in a compact body upon the Muhammadans. The onslaught was so penetrating that it became difficult for the enemy to stand it. Khazan Singh holds that "when the battle was raging, a strong storm set in and with that the Singhs rushed at the enemy with drawn swords and put them to flight. "Money and baggage, horse , elephants, fell" says Khafi Khan, "into the hands of the infidels (Singhs) and not a man of the army of Islam escaped with more than his life and the clothes he stood in. Horsemen and footmen in great numbers fell under the swords of the infidels who pursued them as far as Sirhind. During that confusion, Wazir Khan fell to the sword of Fateh Singh. After a pitched battle fought for two days the Sikhs raised a victory cry and razed Sirhind to the ground. Banda formally took control of Sirhind on May 14, 1710.
This was the first territorial conquest of the Sikhs, which placed them in possession of the entire country south of the Satluj to the neighbourhood of Delhi. And with this conquest, now included in the Patiala District became the first centre of the first independent Sikh Kingdom in the Punjab: and it fired the common people of the country with hopes of greater successes.
Banda Bahadur repaired the old imperial fort of Mukhlispur occupied by him at the time of conquest of Sadhaura, gave it the name of Lohgarh and established his capital.
