List of battles involving the Sikh Empire

The Sikh Empire (1799 - 1849 CE) was established by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Throughout its history, it fought various adversaries including the Durrani Empire of Afghanistan and the British East India Company. The Sikhs very commonly fought battles in which they had much less force than their foes. However, they had a pretty amazing success rate.

Background

The Sikhs first raised their weapons against the oppressive Mughal Empire under Guru Hargobind. The tenth and the last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh organized Sikhs into a military sect called Khalsa (means "pure"), in 1699, against the atrocities of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Before his death in 1708, he sent Banda Bahadur to lead the Sikhs of Punjab. Banda Bahadur through his outstanding leadership skills weakened the Mughal grasp over the eastern Punjab. But he was later captured and beheaded in Delhi in 1716, during the reign of Farrukhsiyar.

Thereafter, Sikhs became leaderless and were divided into Misls. Although their martial skills were enormous, their political disunity made them vulnerable to foreign attacks. In 1738, Nadir Shah of Iran, attacked India , looted Delhi and Mughals were never able to recover their power in Punjab. Later, Punjab was subject to constant invasions of Ahmad Shah Durrani of Afghanistan. During every invasion of Abdali, Sikhs were persecuted ruthlessly. The holy shrine of Harmandir Sahib was also razed to the ground.

Abdali tried many times to recover Lahore but ultimately failed. After his final invasion of Punjab in 1767, he abandoned Lahore to be captured by the Sikhs. For more than three decades, Sikhs consolidated their power in the region. The period was relatively peaceful. But the decisive moment came in 1790, when Ranjit Singh of Sukerchakia misl became misldar. He started uniting misls and finally took Lahore in 1799. His coronation on 12 April 1801 marked the beginning of the Sikh Empire, which went on to conquer the whole Punjab, Kashmir, Kangra and Peshawar.

Battles fought by Sikhs

  1. Battle of Rohilla
  2. Battle of Kartarpur
  3. Battle of Amritsar (1634)
  4. Battle of Lahira
  5. Battle of Bhangani
  6. Battle of Nadaun
  7. Battle of Guler (1696)
  8. Battle of Basoli
  9. Battle of Anandpur (1700)
  10. Battle of Nirmohgarh (1702)
  11. Battle of Anandpur (1701)
  12. First Battle of Chamkaur (1702)
  13. First Battle of Anandpur (1704)
  14. Second Battle of Anandpur
  15. Battle of Sarsa
  16. Second Battle of Chamkaur (1704)
  17. Battle of Muktsar[1][2][3][4][5]
  18. Battle of Sonepat
  19. Battle of Ambala
  20. Battle of Samana
  21. Battle of Chappar Chiri[3]
  22. Battle of Sadhaura
  23. Battle of Rahon (1710)
  24. Battle of Lohgarh
  25. Battle of Jammu
  26. Battle of Kapuri (1709)
  27. Battle of Jalalabad (1710)
  28. Siege of Gurdaspur or Battle of Gurdas Nangal
  29. Siege of Ram Rauni
  30. Battle of Amritsar (1757)
  31. Battle of Lahore (1759)
  32. Battle of Sialkot (1761)
  33. Battle of Gujranwala (1761)
  34. Sikh Occupation of Lahore[6]
  35. Sikh holocaust of 1762 or Battle of Kup
  36. Battle of Harnaulgarh
  37. Skirmish of Amritsar (1762)
  38. Battle of Sialkot (1763)
  39. Battle of Sirhind (1764)
  40. Rescue of Hindu Girls (1769)
  41. Capture of Delhi and Red Fort (1783)[7]
  42. Battle of Amritsar (1797)
  43. Battle of Gujrat (1797)
  44. Battle of Amritsar (1798)
  45. Gurkha-Sikh War
  46. Battle of Attock
  47. Battle of Multan
  48. Battle of Shopian
  49. Battle of Peshawar (1834)
  50. Battle of Jamrud
  51. Sino-Sikh War
  52. Battle of Mudki
  53. Battle of Ferozeshah
  54. Battle of Baddowal
  55. Battle of Aliwal
  56. Battle of Sobraon
  57. Battle of Chillianwala
  58. Battle of Ramnagar
  59. Siege of Multan
  60. Battle of Gujrat
  61. Battle of Saragarhi

Gurkha-Sikh War

The Gurkha-Sikh War was fought between the forces of the Sikh Empire and the Nepalese Army.[8]

Sikh-Katoch War

Sikh-Katoch War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the Katoch Dynasty[8]

Afghan-Sikh Wars

Afghan-Sikh Wars were fought between the Sikh Empire and the Durrani Empire .

Battle of Attock

The battle took place on 13 July 1813, in which Sikhs utterly dominated the Durranis . It was the first major victory of Sikhs against the Afghan adversary .

Battle of Multan

Battle of Multan started in March, 1818 and ended three months later on 2 June 1818 . Sikhs utterly dominated Durranis and captured Multan. The Afghan governor Muzaffar Khan Sadozai was killed. As a result, the Afghan power collapsed in Punjab and the regions to the east of Indus virtually came under Sikh influence.[9]

Battle of Shopian

The battle took place on 3 July 1819 during the Sikh expedition to Kashmir. The domination that came from the Sikhs led to the end the five centuries old Muslim rule in Kashmir. The Afghan governor Jabbar Khan fled and Kashmir became a province of the Sikh Empire.[10]

Battle of Nowshera

The battle was fought on 14 March 1823 in which the Sikhs utterly dominated the Afghans and occupied the Peshawar valley.

Battle of Peshawar

The battle was fought on 6 May 1834. Under the command of Hari Singh Nalwa, Sikhs finally captured Peshawar ending the eight hundred years of Muslim rule.

Battle of Jamrud

The result of the battle is disputed amongst historians. Some contend the failure of the Afghans to take the fort as a victory for the Sikhs.[11] Whereas, some simply state an Afghan victory,[12], while another source states an Afghan victory due to the killing of Sikh leader Hari Singh Nalwa.[13] James Norris, Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M International University, states neither side could claim victory.[14]

Sino-Sikh War

Sikhs invaded and captured Ladakh in 1834. In 1841, they overran some parts of the western Tibet but were defeated by the Qing Empire of China and in retaliation, the Chinese army besieged Leh. At Leh, the Qing army successfully captured Leh and then successfully captured Ladakh from the Sikhs.[15] A Sino-Sikh treaty in 1842 ensured the status quo ante bellum.[16]

First Anglo-Sikh War

Battle of Mudki

The battle was fought on 18 December 1845 during night. The British won with heavy casualties on the higher ranks.[17]

Battle of Ferozeshah

The battle was fought on 21–22 December 1845, in which the British forces under Sir Hugh Gough won a Pyrrhic victory over the Sikh army under Lal Singh.

Battle of Baddowal

In this battle, a large number of Sikh soldiers crossed Satluj after being defeated at Mudki and Ferozeshah. When General Harry Smith marched to Dharmkot to relieve Ludhiana, their rear was attacked by Sikhs under Ranjodh Singh Majithia. Hence, sikhs gave a defeat to British in the battle of Baddowal.[18][19]

Battle of Aliwal

The battle was fought on 18 January 1846, in which the company troops decisively defeated the Sikh army. It proved as the turning point in the war.

Battle of Sobraon

The decisive Sikh defeat by the East India Company at the battle of Sobraon fought on 10 February 1846 ended the war.

Second Anglo-Sikh War

Battle of Ramnagar

In the battle of Ramnagar fought on 22 November 1848, Sikhs under Sher Singh Attariwalla defeated the company forces under Sir Hugh Gough

Battle of Chillianwala

In the battle on 13 January 1849, the Sikh army under Sher Singh Attariwalla defeated the British army under Sir Hugh Gough.

Siege of Multan

The prolonged siege of Multan by the British army lasted from 19 April 1848 till 22 January 1849, when the fort was breached and Dewan Mulraj surrendered.

Battle of Gujrat

This was the last battle of the war and the Anglo-Sikh battle. Sir Hugh Gough's army decisively defeated the Sikh army, finally. Sher Singh Attariwalla surrendered and soon afterwards, the Sikh Empire was officially ended. The young emperor Duleep Singh was dethroned and Punjab was annexed as a province of the British Indian Empire.


See also

References

  1. ↑ McLeod, W. H. (2009). The A to Z of Sikhism. Scarecrow Press. p. 134. ISBN 978-0-81086-344-6.
  2. ↑ Dhillon, Dr Dalbir Singh (1988). Sikhism – Origin and Development. Atlantic Publishers and Distributors. p. 151.
  3. 1 2 Sagoo, Harbans (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications.
  4. ↑ Jacques, Tony. Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O. p. 695. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5.
  5. ↑ Fenech, E. Louis; Mcleod, H. W. Historical Dictionary of Sikhism. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 64. ISBN 978-1-4422-3601-1.
  6. ↑ Mehta, J. L. (2005). Advanced study in the history of modern India 1707–1813. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 303. ISBN 978-1-932705-54-6. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  7. ↑ Singha, H. S (2000). The encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 entries). Hemkunt Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-81-7010-301-1. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  8. 1 2 Raj Pal Singh (2004). The Sikhs : Their Journey Of Five Hundred Years. Pentagon Press. p. 139 & 140. ISBN 9788186505465.
  9. ↑ Dictionary of Battles and Sieges F-O p.696
  10. ↑ Kashmir:History and people p.145
  11. ↑ Bikrama Jit Hasrat, Life and times of Ranjit Singh, 137;"The doubtful Sikh victory at Jamrud in 1837 had made it clear to Ranjit Singh that policy of hatred and repression in the northwestern frontier so far pursued had failed in its objective."
    Paddy Docherty, The Khyber Pass: A History of Empire and Invasion (Faber and Faber, 2007), 186–187.
    India and the North-West Frontier: The First Afghan War, Edward Ingram, Great Powers and Little Wars: The Limits of Power, ed. A. Hamish Ion and Elizabeth Jane Errington, (Praeger Publishers, 1993), 44; "The second was Peshawar, which controlled the entry to the Khyber Pass and had been seized in 1834 by Ranjit Singh from Dost Mohammed, Who tried in 1837 to get it back but lost his chance at the Battle of Jamrud."
  12. ↑ Jeffery J. Roberts, The Origins of Conflict in Afghanistan, 4;"In 1837 Dost's son, Akbar Khan, led an Afghan army to victory at Jamrud. Akbar, however, did not follow up his success with an advance to Peshawar, and the city remained in Sikh hands."
    Zalmay Ahmad Gulzad, The history of the delimitation of the Durand Line development of the Afghan State (1838-1898), (University of Wisconsin--Madison), 62;"1837 they fought a pitched battle at Jamrud in which the Afghan forces were victorious."
    Frank Clements, Conflict in Afghanistan: A Historical Encyclopedia, (ABC-CLIO, 2003), 74; "He also defeated the Sikhs at the Battle of Jamrud in 1837 and took on himself the title of "Commander of the Faithful."
  13. ↑ Gurbachan Singh Nayyar, The Campaigns of General Hari Singh Nalwa, (Punjabi University, 1995), 57.
  14. ↑ James A. Norris, First Afghan War: 1838-42, (Cambridge University Press), 109;"At the battle of Jamrud neither side could honestly claim a victory, but the Sikhs suffered severely at the hands of the Afghan horsemen, and they lost one of their king's favorite generals, Hari Singh."
  15. ↑ The Troubled Land: Arunachal Dispute, Chinese forces dragged the Sikh army from Ladakh and capturing it alongside Leh
  16. ↑ Indo-Tibet-China Conflict by Dinesh Lal p.19
  17. ↑ Battle of Mudki , 1845 weaponsandwarfare.com
  18. ↑ Jacques, Tony. Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5.
  19. ↑ Jacques, p. 93
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