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Banda Singh Bahadur

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Banda Singh Bahadur
Banda Bahadur the Sikh Warrior ,.JPG
Statue of Baba Banda Bahadur at Chappar Chiri, near Mohali(Punjab)
Birth nameLachman Dev
Other name(s)Madho Das Bairagi, Banda Bairagi
Born27 October 1670 (1670-10-27)
Rajauri, Poonch, present-day Jammu and Kashmir, India[1]
Died9 June 1716 (1716-06-10) (aged 45)
Delhi, Mughal Empire
Allegiance
  • Nishan Sahib.svg Sikh Misl
  • Sikh Akali flag.jpg Khalsa
  • Sikh militia
Years of service1708-1716
Spouse(s)Susheel Kaur
ChildrenAjay Singh
Personal
ReligionSikhism
Religious career
TeacherGuru Gobind Singh
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Night view of Fateh Burj, Chappar Chiri, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Punjab, India.

Banda Singh Bahadur (born Lachman Dev)[2][1][3] (27 October 1670 – 9 June 1716), was a Sikh warrior and a commander of 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 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, Banda Singh Bahadur, after the Baptism Ceremony. He was given five arrows by the Guru as a blessing for the battles ahead. He came to Khanda in Sonipat and assembled a fighting force and led the struggle against the Mughal Empire.

His first major action was the sacking of the Mughal provincial capital, Samana, in November 1709.[1] After establishing his authority and Khalsa rule in Punjab,[4] Banda Singh Bahadur abolished the zamindari system, and granted property rights to the tillers of the land. Banda Singh was captured by the Mughals and tortured to death in 1715–1716.

Early life

Shaheed Baba Banda Singh Bahadur memorial at Chhapar Chiri,near Mohali.

Banda Singh Bahadur was born in a Hindu family to farmer Ram Dev, at Rajouri (now in Jammu and Kashmir). Sources variously describe his father as a Rajput of Bhardwaj gotra[5][6] or a Dogra Rajput.[7][8] Hakim Rai's Ahwāl-i-Lachhmaṇ Dās urf Bandā Sāhib ("Ballad of Banda Bahadur") claims that his family belonged to the Sodhi sub-caste of the Khatris.[1][9] However, this claim appears to have been an attempt to portray him as Guru Gobind's successor, since the preceding Sikh Gurus were Sodhis.[6]

Early conquests

Places related with life of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur

After meeting with Guru Gobind Singh, he marched towards Khanda and fight the Mughals with the help of the Sikh army in Battle of Sonipat.[10][11][12]

In 1709, he defeated Mughals in the Battle of Samana and captured the Mughal city of Samana (30 km southwest of Patiala).[13][14] Samana minted coins. With this treasury, the Sikhs became financially stable. The Sikhs soon siezed Mustafabad (now Saraswati Nagar)[1] and Sadaura (both places in present Yamunanagar district, Northern eastern Haryana).[15] The Sikhs then captured the Cis-Sutlej areas of Punjab, including Malerkotla and Nahan.[citation needed]

On 12 May 1710, in the Battle of Chappar Chiri, the Sikhs killed Wazir Khan, the Governor of Sirhind and Dewan Suchanand, who were responsible for the martyrdom of the two youngest sons of Guru Gobind Singh. Two days later, the Sikhs captured Sirhind. Banda Singh was now in control of territory from the Sutlej to the Yamuna. He ordered that the ownership of the land should be given to the farmers and to let them live in dignity and self-respect.[16]

Military Invasions

Banda Singh Bahadur developed the village of Mukhlisgarh and made it his capital. He then renamed it to Lohgarh (fortress of steel) where he issued his own mint.[17] The coin described Lohgarh: "Struck in the City of Peace, illustrating the beauty of civic life, and the ornament of the blessed throne".[citation needed]

He briefly established a state in Punjab for half a year. Banda Singh sent Sikhs to the Uttar Pradesh and Sikhs took over Saharanpur, Jalalabad, Muzaffarnagar and other nearby areas.

Statue of Veer Banda Bairagi in Birla Mandir Delhi.

Revolutionary

Banda Singh Bahadur is known to have halted the Zamindari and Taluqdari system in the time he was active and gave the farmers proprietorship of their own land.[18] It seems that all classes of government officers were addicted to extortion and corruption and the whole system of regulatory and order was subverted.[19]

Local tradition recalls that the people from the neighborhood of Sadaura came to Banda Singh complaining of the iniquities practices by their landlords. Banda Singh ordered Baj Singh to open fire on them. The people were astonished at the strange reply to their representation and asked him what he meant. He told them that they deserved no better treatment when being thousands in number they still allowed themselves to be cowed down by a handful of Zamindars. He defeated the Sayyids and Shaikhs in the Battle of Sadhaura.[20]

Persecution from the Mughals

The rule of the Sikhs over the entire Punjab east of Lahore obstructed the communication between Delhi and Lahore, the capital of Punjab, and this worried Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah He gave up his plan to subdue rebels in Rajasthan and marched towards Punjab.[21]

The entire Imperial force was organized to defeat and kill Banda Singh Bahadur.[22] All the generals were directed to join the Emperor's army. To ensure that there were no Sikh agents in the army camps, an order was issued on 29 August 1710 to all Hindus to shave off their beards.[23]

Banda Singh was in Uttar Pradesh when the Moghal army under the orders of Munim Khan[24] marched to Sirhind and before the return of Banda Singh, they had already taken Sirhind and the areas around it. The Sikhs therefore moved to Lohgarh for their final battle. The Sikhs defeated the army but reinforcements were called and they laid siege on the fort with 60,000 troops.[25][26] Gulab Singh dressed himself in the garments of Banda Singh and seated himself in his place.[27]

Banda Singh left the fort at night and went to a secret place in the hills and Chamba forests. The failure of the army to kill or catch Banda Singh shocked Emperor, Bahadur Shah and on 10 December 1710 he ordered that wherever a Sikh was found, he should be murdered.[28][29]

Banda Singh Bahadur wrote Hukamnamas to the Sikhs to reorganize and join him at once.[30] In 1712, the Sikhs gathered near Kiratpur Sahib and defeated Raja Ajmer Chand,[31] who was responsible for organizing all the Hill Rajas against Guru Gobind Singh and instigating battles with him. After Bhim Chand's dead the other Hill Rajas accepted their subordinate status and paid revenues to Banda Singh. While Bahadur Shah's four sons were killing themselves for the throne of the Mughal Emperor,[32] Banda Singh Bahadur recaptured Sadhaura and Lohgarh. Farrukh Siyar, the next Mughal Emperor, appointed Abdus Samad Khan as the governor of Lahore and Zakaria Khan, Abdus Samad Khan's son, the Faujdar of Jammu.[33]

In 1713 the Sikhs left Lohgarh and Sadhaura and went to the remote hills of Jammu and where they built Dera Baba Banda Singh.[34] During this time Sikhs were being persecuted especially by Mughals in the Gurdaspur region.[35] Banda Singh came out and captured Kalanaur and Batala(both places in modern Gurdaspur district[36] which rebuked Farrukh Siyar to issue Mughal and Hindu officials and chiefs to proceed with their troops to Lahore to reinforce his army.[37]

Siege in Gurdas Nangal

See also: Battle of Gurdas Nangal

In March 1715, the army under the rule of Abd al-Samad Khan,[38] the Mughal governor of Lahore, drove Banda Bahadur and the Sikh forces into the village of Gurdas Nangal,6 km to the west of city Gurdaspur, Punjab and laid siege to the village.[39] The Sikhs defended the small fort for eight months under conditions of great hardship,[40] but on 7 December 1715 the Mughals broke into the starving garrison and captured Banda Singh and his companions.[1][41]

Execution

Shaheed Baba Banda Singh Bahadur is being executed at Delhi, sculpture at Mehdiana Sahib, near Jagraon in Ludhiana district, India

Banda Singh Bahadur was put into an iron cage and the remaining Sikhs were chained.[42] The Sikhs were brought to Delhi in a procession with the 780 Sikh prisoners, 2,000 Sikh heads hung on spears, and 700 cartloads of heads of slaughtered Sikhs used to terrorise the population.[43][44] They were put in the Delhi fort and pressured to give up their faith and become Muslims.[45]

The prisoners remained unmoved. On their firm refusal these non-converters were ordered to be executed. Every day 100 Sikh soldiers were brought out of the fort and murdered in public.[46] This continued for approximately seven days. [47] He was told to kill his four-year-old son, Ajai Singh, which he refused to do.[48] So, Ajai Singh was murdered, his heart was cut out, and thrust into Banda Bahdur's mouth. However, his resolution did not break under torture, and so he was martyred. After three months of confinement,[49] on 9 June 1716, Banda Singh's eyes were gouged out, his limbs were severed, his skin removed, and then he was killed. [1][50]

Battles fought by Banda Singh

Banda Bairagi Memorial in Khanda, near Sonipat, Haryana
  1. Battle of Sonipat
  2. Battle of Samana
  3. Battle of Chappar Chiri[51]
  4. Battle of Sadhaura
  5. Battle of Lohgarh
  6. Battle of Jammu
  7. Battle of Rahon, (1710)
  8. Battle of Jalalabad (1710)
  9. Battle of Gurdas Nangal or Siege of Gurdaspur
  10. Battle of Sirhind

Baba Banda Singh Bahadur War Memorial

A war memorial was built where Battle of Chappar Chiri was fought, to glorify heroic Sikh soldiers. The 328 feet tall Fateh Burj was dedicated to Banda Singh Bahadur who led the army and defeated the Mughal forces. The Fateh Burj is taller than Qutab Minar and is an octagonal structure. There is a dome at the top of the tower with Khanda made of stainless steel.[52]

In popular culture

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at the commemorative event to mark the 300th anniversary of the martyrdom of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur.
  • Sarbans Dani Guru Gobind Singh, a 1998 Indian Punjabi-language drama film directed by Ram Maheshwari. The film follows the Guru and Banda Singh Bahadur's struggle against the Mughal Empire.[53]
  • Chaar Sahibzaade: Rise of Banda Singh Bahadur, a 2016 Indian computer-animated film by Harry Baweja. A sequel to Chaar Sahibzaade, it follows Banda Singh Bahadur's fight against the Mughals under the guidance of Guru Gobind Singh.
  • Guru Da Banda, a 2018 Indian animated historical drama film by Jassi Chana.

See also

References

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Ganda Singh. "Banda Singh Bahadur". Encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Punjabi University Patiala. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  2. ^ Rajmohan Gandhi (1999), Revenge and Reconciliation, pp. 117–18, ISBN 9780140290455
  3. ^ "Banda Singh Bahadur". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  4. ^ Sagoo, Harbans (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications.
  5. ^ Harbans Kaur Sagoo (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh sovereignty. Deep & Deep. p. 112. His father, Ram Dev, was an ordinary ploughman, Rajput of the Bharadwaj clan
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Rai Jasbir Singh (1997). "Historical analysis of the ballad of Banda Bahadur". Journal of Sikh Studies. Guru Nanak Dev University. 21 (2): 33. The poet wants to assert that Banda was the religious descendant of Guru Gobind Singh and the 11th guru of the Sikhs. For this purpose, he acclaimed that Banda was a Sodhi Khatri. Actually, Banda was Bhardwaj Rajput. The poet knows that only the Sodhi Khatri could be the guru of the Sikhs. He seems, to be aware of the Sikh tradition that the guruship would remain within the limit of the Sodhi's.
  7. ^ Vidya Dhar Mahajan (1965). Muslim Rule in India. S. Chand. p. 231. Banda Bahadur was a Dogra Rajput
  8. ^ H. S. Singha (2005). Sikh Studies. Hemkunt Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-81-7010-258-8. Banda Singh Bahadur was born in 1670 AD at Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir of Dogra Rajput parents.
  9. ^ Ganda Singh (1975). "Banda Singh Bahadur, His Achievements and the Place of His Execution". The Panjab Past and Present. Department of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University. p. 441. According to Hakim Rai's Ahwal Lachhman Das urf Banda Sahib Chela Guru Singh Sahib, he originally belonged to the Sodhi clan of the Khatris, while another account records him as a Panjabi Khatri (Kapur or Khana) of the Sialkot District.
  10. ^ The Sikh Review. Sikh Cultural Centre. 2008.
  11. ^ Sagoo, Harbans Kaur (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications. ISBN 9788176293006.
  12. ^ Haryana, India Director of Census Operations (1994). Census of India, 1991: Haryana. Govt. of Haryana.
  13. ^ Singh, Teja (1999). A Short History of the Sikhs: 1469–1765. Patiala: Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. p. 79. ISBN 9788173800078.
  14. ^ Dātā, Piārā (2006). Banda Singh Bahadur. National Book Shop. p. 37. ISBN 9788171160495.
  15. ^ Sagoo, Harbans (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Pennsylvania State University: Deep & Deep Publications. p. 128.
  16. ^ Singh, Gurbaksh (1927). The Khalsa Generals. Canadian Sikh Study & Teaching Society. p. 8. ISBN 0969409249.
  17. ^ Grewal, J.S. (1998). The Sikhs of the Punjab. Cambridge University Press. p. 83. ISBN 9780521637640.
  18. ^ Jawandha, Nahar (2010). Glimpses of Sikhism. New Delhi: Sanbun Publishers. p. 81. ISBN 9789380213255.
  19. ^ Sagoo, Harbans (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications. p. 158. ISBN 9788176293006.
  20. ^ Singh, Teja (1999). A Short History of the Sikhs: 1469–1765. Patiala: Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. p. 85. ISBN 9788173800078.
  21. ^ Singha, H.S. (2005). Sikh Studies, Book 6. Hemkunt Press. p. 14. ISBN 9788170102588.
  22. ^ Singh, Harbans (1995). The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism: A-D. Punjabi University. p. 27. ISBN 9788173801006.
  23. ^ Bakshi, S. R. (2005). Early Aryans to Swaraj. Sarup & Sons. p. 25. ISBN 9788176255370.
  24. ^ Sharma, S.R. (1999). Mughal Empire in India: A Systematic Study Including Source Material, Volume 2. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. p. 627. ISBN 9788171568185.
  25. ^ Jaques, Tony (2007). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 595. ISBN 9780313335389.
  26. ^ Gupta, Hari (1978). History of the Sikhs: Evolution of Sikh confederacies, 1708-1769 (3rd rev. ed.). the University of Virginia: Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 19.
  27. ^ Ralhan, O. P. (1997). The Great Gurus of the Sikhs: Banda Singh Bahadur, Asht Ratnas etc. Anmol Publications Pvt Ltd. p. 17. ISBN 9788174884794.
  28. ^ Singh, Gurbaksh (1927). The Khalsa Generals. Canadian Sikh Study & Teaching Society. p. 10. ISBN 0969409249.
  29. ^ Johar, Surinder (2002). The Sikh Sword to Power. The University of Michigan: Arsee Publishers. p. 27.
  30. ^ Singh, Teja (1999). A Short History of the Sikhs: 1469–1765. Patiala: Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. p. 91. ISBN 9788173800078.
  31. ^ Kapoor, Sukhbir (1988). The Ideal Man: The Concept of Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Prophet of the Sikhs. The University of Virginia: Khalsa College London Press. p. 177.
  32. ^ General Knowledge Digest 2010. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. 2010. p. 2.134. ISBN 9780070699397.
  33. ^ Singh, Teja (1999). A Short History of the Sikhs: 1469–1765. Patiala: Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. p. 93. ISBN 9788173800078.
  34. ^ Singh, Patwant (2007). The Sikhs. Random House Digital, Inc. ISBN 9780307429339.
  35. ^ Sastri, Kallidaikurichi (1978). A Comprehensive History of India: 1712–1772. the University of Michigan: Orient Longmans. p. 243.
  36. ^ Gill, Pritam (1978). History of Sikh nation: foundation, assassination, resurrection. The University of Michigan: New Academic Pub. Co. p. 279.
  37. ^ Singh, Teja (1999). A Short History of the Sikhs: 1469–1765. Patiala: Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. p. 94. ISBN 9788173800078.
  38. ^ Jawandha, Nahar (2010). Glimpses of Sikhism. New Delhi: Sanbun Publishers. p. 82. ISBN 9789380213255.
  39. ^ Pletcher, Kenneth (2010). The History of India. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 200. ISBN 9781615302017.
  40. ^ Hoiberg, Dale (2000). Students' Britannica India, Volumes 1-5. New Delhi: Popular Prakashan. p. 157. ISBN 9780852297605.
  41. ^ "Banda Singh Bahadar – Bandai or Tatt Khalsa?". Singh Sabha Canada. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  42. ^ Duggal, Kartar (2001). Maharaja Ranjit Singh: The Last to Lay Arms. Abhinav Publications. p. 41. ISBN 9788170174103.
  43. ^ Johar, Surinder (1987). Guru Gobind Singh. The University of Michigan: Enkay Publishers. p. 208. ISBN 9788185148045.
  44. ^ Sastri, Kallidaikurichi (1978). A Comprehensive History of India: 1712–1772. The University of Michigan: Orient Longmans. p. 245.
  45. ^ Singh, Gurbaksh (1927). The Khalsa Generals. Canadian Sikh Study & Teaching Society. p. 12. ISBN 0969409249.
  46. ^ Jawandha, Nahar (2010). Glimpses of Sikhism. Sanbun Publishers. p. 89. ISBN 9789380213255.
  47. ^ Singh, Teja (1999). A Short History of the Sikhs: 1469–1765. Patiala: Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. p. 97. ISBN 9788173800078.
  48. ^ Social Studies history and civics, class 10. PSEB. p. 72.
  49. ^ Singh, Ganda (1935). Life of Banda Singh Bahadur: Based on Contemporary and Original Records. Sikh History Research Department. p. 229.
  50. ^ Singh, Kulwant (2006). Sri Gur Panth Prakash: Episodes 1 to 81. Institute of Sikh Studies. p. 415. ISBN 9788185815282.
  51. ^ William Irvine (1904). Later Mughals. Atlantic Publishers & Distri.
  52. ^ "Baba Banda Singh Bahadur War Memorial, Fateh Burj in Ajitgarh". Ajitgarhonline.in. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  53. ^ Pashaura Singh; Louis E. Fenech (March 2014). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. OUP Oxford. p. 478. ISBN 978-0-19-969930-8.
  54. ^ William Irvine (1904). Later Mughals. Atlantic Publishers & Distri.
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