Banda and the Sikh depredations in Northern Haryana | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Disorder and Conflict in Haryana After Aurangzeb's Death

• Following the death of Aurangzeb on March 3, 1707, northern India experienced a period of decline, confusion, and disorder. Haryana, which was mainly part of the Delhi Subah and partly of the Agra Subah, was not exempt from these problems. 
• As a region that was politically connected to the imperial capital and had been its seat of power in the past, Haryana was deeply affected by the changing order.
• After a power struggle between the three sons of the deceased emperor - Muazzam, the governor of Kabul, Muhammad Azam of Gujarat, and Kam Bakhsh of Bijapur - Muazzam succeeded in becoming the new emperor in May 1707 under the title of Bahadur Shah (also known as Shah Alam I). 
• On his way back from the Deccan, while approaching Ajmer, Bahadur Shah received news of a Sikh uprising in Punjab and Haryana. This was confirmed when the inhabitants of Sarhind and Thanesar, along with the Pirzadas of Sarhind and Sadhaura, arrived in his camp, complaining about the oppression they suffered at the hands of the Sikhs. The emperor, therefore, decided to march personally to crush the Sikh rebellion.

Banda, the Sikh Leader Who United the Community

• The Sikhs, who had become a formidable military power under the leadership of Guru Govind Singh, supported Muazzam (later known as Bahadur Shah) during the war of succession. After Govind Singh's death, a man known as Banda emerged as the leader of the community. 
• He was originally from either Pandor (in Jullundhar Doab) or Rajauri (in Punchh) and had close ties to the Guru, his family, and followers. The details of Banda's background and origins are still a matter of scholarly debate, but it is known that he was sent from the Deccan to the north.
• In a short amount of time, Banda was able to establish himself as the true leader of the Sikhs who could unite them and bring prosperity in this world and salvation in the next. His leadership brought a new level of cohesion and strength to the Sikh community.
• Banda made his initial appearance in the town of Kharkhoda, located approximately 30 miles to the west of Delhi, in the state of Haryana. He was able to inspire and rally armed men to join his cause, and once their number had reached five hundred, they proceeded to attack Sonepat. The attack was successful, with Banda and his men routing the faujdar and forcing him to flee to Delhi.
• Khafi Khan, a historian of the Mughal era, recorded Banda's initial successes in his writings. According to Khan, within a period of three to four months, Banda was able to gather around him four or five thousand pony riders and seven or eight thousand foot soldiers. 
• His numbers continued to grow, and he was able to acquire much plunder. Eventually, Banda commanded an army of eighteen to nineteen thousand men, and he carried out a ruthless and predatory campaign. In some of the villages he plundered, he appointed his own thanadars and tahsildars to collect revenue on his behalf.
• Banda, fueled by his previous successes, decided to turn his attention to Wazir Khan, the faujdar of Sarhind who was responsible for the murder of Govind Singh's sons. He began his campaign by capturing the town of Sadhaura, located about 26 miles east of Ambala. During this attack, Banda and his followers defiled the tomb of the revered Shah Qamis Qadiri, killed many of the town's inhabitants, and plundered their homes. 
• The violence was indiscriminate, with both Muslims and Hindus being targeted. Banda also sent an expedition to the vicinity of Kaithal, where they were able to plunder the royal treasure on its way to Delhi and distribute it among his followers.
• A significant battle took place between the forces of the Sikhs and Wazir Khan on a plain between Alwan Sarai and the town of Bamir, located about 10 to 12 miles northeast of Sarhind. Despite the odds against them, the Sikhs emerged victorious.
• After Wazir Khan and other Muslim leaders were killed, the town of Sarhind was left to be pillaged and many Muslims, including women and children, were slaughtered. The Sikhs took control of the area and appointed Bar Singh as Subahdar of Sarhind. 
• Banda made Sarhind his base and sent out expeditions in all directions, taking over nearly all of the Sarhind Sarkar region. Many towns and villages, including Samana, Sunam, Mustafabad, Kaithal, and Ludhiana, were now under Sikh control. 
• As the governor of Delhi Subah, Asad Khan, did not do anything to restore order in the area, Sardar Khan, a Muslim Rajput zamindar, took on the responsibility to resist the Sikh advance beyond Thanesar. Without his efforts, the Sikhs could not have been stopped from advancing towards the imperial capital.

Social and Administrative Changes in Sikhs-occupied Parganas

• According to Irvine, the social and administrative changes in the parganas that were taken over by the Sikhs, including a significant portion of Haryana in the Sarhind Sarkar, were drastic and complete. People from the lowest castes, such as scavengers and leather-dressers, could become rulers simply by joining the Guru. 
• When they returned to their birthplace, they were greeted by the well-born and wealthy who would escort them home and await their orders with joined palms. The new rulers could easily confiscate the best and most valuable belongings of the people, which were used for the Guru's treasury or for their own purposes. This reversal of previous customs was striking and brought about a significant change in the social and administrative set up of the parganas.
• According to Irvine, these harsh actions had a tremendous impact on the population, causing people to become extremely fearful and obedient. Even individuals who had previously been brave in battle were intimidated and reluctant to speak out. These oppressive measures were not limited to members of the Sikh sect, but also affected Hindus who had not joined.
• Banda and his army continued their campaign after taking control of Thanesar, Shahbad, and Pundri, expanding their operations into Saharanpur and causing destruction in Karnal and surrounding areas. Banda also appointed Ram Singh as the leader of Thanesar, charging him with the responsibility of defending against the Mughal troops coming from Delhi.
• Modern historians view the Sikh uprising led by Banda as primarily composed of the lower class people and oppressed peasants who rose up against the Mughals. Despite the fact that his agents ruled with an iron fist, Banda was still empathetic to the plight of the peasants and attempted to address their grievances by abolishing the zamindari system and granting ownership of land to the actual cultivators.

Bahadur Shah's Campaign against the Sikhs

• On June 27, 1710, Bahadur Shah left Ajmer and led his forces towards the Sikhs, taking the route via Rupnagar, Sambhar, Rasulpur, Pragpura, and Narnaul. In addition, he ordered several other Subahdars and Faujdars to join the campaign against the Sikhs, including Khan Dauran (Subahdar of Oudh), Muhammad Amin Khan Chin (Faujdar of Muradabad), Khan Jahan (Subahdar of Allahabad), and Sayyid Abdullah Khan Barha. An advance force led by Firuz Khan Mewati was also sent from Pragpura on August 7, 1710.
• The imperial forces met several of their lieutenants from across the Jamuna at Patodhi on September 10, 1710, and near Delhi, Churaman Jat and his contingent joined them. At Sonipat on October 22, 1710, they received news of Shams-ud-din Khan's victory over the Sikhs on October 12, 1710, in the JuUundhar Doab.
• The emperor received news of Firuz Khan Mewati's victory over the rebels between Indri and Karnal, and the presentation of three hundred rebel heads to him upon his arrival at Sarai Kunwar. As a reward for his service, Firuz Khan was appointed Faujdar of Sarhind and given six robes of honour for himself and his companions. 
• The march continued to Sarai Sambhalka, Panipat, Kharonda, Karnal, Azimabad’Talaori (Alamgirpur), and Thanesar, where the imperial forces received news of the defeat of the Sikhs by Firuz Khan's troops. The prisoners were hanged from the roadside trees with their long hair twisted to serve as ropes. The Sikhs were also driven away from Panipat by a force led by Bayazid Khan, the Faujdar of Jammu at that time. Ultimately, the Sikhs were defeated and scattered in the direction of Sarhind.
• On December 4th, the emperor proceeded to Sadhaura after passing through Shahabad and Aukala. The Sikhs had already moved southwards from Sadhaura a few days before, with a force consisting of 3,000 horsemen and 10,000 infantry. They took refuge in the fortified Lohgarh (Iron-gate), which was previously known as the fort of Mukhlispur. 
• This fort was located on a steep hill and was surrounded by deep ravines. It was also the same fort where Guru Govind had sought refuge after the death of his father. Banda established his headquarters at Lohgarh, where he introduced an official seal and issued his own coinage. The year on his coins began from the date of his victory at Sarhind.
• The imperial forces faced many challenges during their campaign, but they were able to capture Lohgarh in the end. However, despite suffering a significant loss, the Guru managed to evade capture and fled to Bari Doab, specifically to the areas of Raipur and Bahrampur in Gurdaspur.

Banda's Revolt and Mughal Empire: Bahadur Shah's Death and Amin Khan's Actions

• When Bahadur Shah died on February 28, 1712, Muhammad Amin Khan left Punjab, and this helped Banda in recapturing the town of Sadhaura and the fort of Lohgarh. Later, when Jahandar Shah came to power, Amin Khan was sent again to resume the campaign, but the investment of Sadhaura did not yield any result.
• Zain-ud-din Ahmad Khan, who was a well-known military leader during Alamgir's reign and had recently been appointed as Faujdar of Sarhind, continued to lead the campaign against the Sikhs. Despite the Mughals' best efforts to lay siege to the Sikh stronghold at Sadhaura, Banda Singh Bahadur was able to hold his position. 
• He launched attacks on Batala and Jammu, and recaptured Sarhind in 1712. After Farrukhsiyar became emperor, Abdus-samad Khan, the new governor of Lahore, and his son Zakariya Khan, the Faujdar of Jammu, were ordered to either expel Banda from Sadhaura or to completely destroy him if possible. They assembled a force of 20,000 troops, along with 5000 from Sarhind, and launched an attack on the Sikhs. Although the Sikhs resisted for a while, they eventually had to give up due to lack of supplies and fled to Lohgarh.
• On October 9, 1713, news of the capture of Sadhaura and the flight of the rebel forces reached Delhi. After sacking Rupar, Kalanaur, and Batala, Banda finally found refuge in the earthen fort at Gurdaspur. The Mughal forces besieged Gurdaspur, cutting off its supplies of food and fodder, ultimately forcing Banda and his followers to surrender on December 17, 1715. 
• Banda was taken to Delhi, paraded with his disciples, and then tortured to death on June 19, 1716. After a brief period of peace, during which Sarhind Sarkar returned to Mughal control, Nadir Shah's invasion disrupted the peace once again.