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Question / Answers

(1) Question:- Before departing for his heavenly abode, Guru Gobind Singh Ji deputed Banda Bahadur to Punjab to fight against the tyrannous rule of the Mughals. Give brief information about his life and achievements?
Answer:- When Guru Ji met Banda Bahadur at Nanded, he was a recluse. He was born at Poonch in Kashmir and was a soft minded person from his very childhood. It is said that once while hunting a deer, when he came to know the death of a doe which the she deer was carrying, he was so upset that he left his home to become an escetic. After learning yogic practices, he settled at the left bank of river Godawari at Nanded. It was at this place that he had an encounter with the Guru on 3rd September 1708. Banda was highly impressed by the Guru's personality and thus, surrendered himself to his command. The Guru gave him the title of Bahadur and his five arrows and other weapons. The Guru imparted to him his spiritual power and directed him to move towards Punjab. The Guru had also given him a Hukamnama, whereby all the Sikhs in Punjab were required to support him and fight under his command. Banda then went on winning victories and seizing territory after territory. A large number of Sikhs joined him in his mission. Punishments were awarded by the Sikh forces to all such tyrants who had committed atrocities on them. Such punished persons included Wazir Khan, the tyrannical Nawab of Sirhind. It was for the first time that a Sikh rule was established covering considerable areas of Punjab. Banda abolished the Zimdaari system and made the tillers and the farmers the owners of their land. This step made him a popular administrator. However, his victories and increasing influence made him Number One enemy of the Mughal empire. The emperors, therefore, made frantic efforts through their armies to capture him. Ultimately, it was during the period of Ferrukh-siyar, the successor of Bahadur Shah that Banda was captured and brought to Delhi. The killing of thousands of Sikhs before him at Delhi also could not shake him from his faith. When he did not agree to become a Muslim and refused to renounce his faith, his four year old son, Ajay Singh, was hacked to pieces before his eyes. The pounding heart of the child was thrust into his mouth. Nothing could move Banda, who was ultimately subjected to sevrest of the tortures leading to his death on 9th June 1716. It may be mentioned here that Ravindra Nath Tagore has written a memorable poem on The Brave Acts of Banda Singh Bahadur. The great martyr was highly successful in his mission as he had aroused a feeling of bravery among the Sikhs and had guided them to establish their empire. The success of the Guru's mission through Banda Bahadur is evident from the fact that within a few years of Banda's death, the Mughal Empire crumbled to pieces. Even the foreign invaders like Ahmad Shah Abdali and Nadir Shah had to acknowledge the bravery of the Sikhs.
(2) Question:- After the success of the mission of Banda Singh Bahadur, the Mughal rulers through their governors of Punjab, became determined to annihilate all the Sikhs. Mention briefly about their policies and also the names of prominent Sikhs, who became martyrs.
Answer:- The first Governor of Punjab who started the policies of repression against the Sikhs was Abdus Samad Khan. He was Governor of Lahore from 1713 to 1726. It was during his period that Banda Singh Bahadur was captured. The Empror Farrukh Siyar had appointed him with the direction the he should crush the Sikhs. His son Zakaria Khan was sent to Jammu as Faujdar to render assistance to his father. Later on Samad Khan was traferred to Multan and his son Zakaria Khan replaced him as the Governor of Punjab in 1726. He adopted very harsh measures against the Sikhs. The Sikhs were arrested in large number and many of them were brought to Lahore for being tortured and beheaded. The place where these tortures were committed was known at that time Nakhas or market place outside the Delhi Gate in Lahore. Later on a memorial Gurudwara was built at this place, which is callad Shaheed Ganj (now in Pakistan). Many such Sikhs who were bold enough to raise a voice against the administrators were conspicuously chosen to be brutally punished.
Tara Singh Vaan
One such Sikh was Tara Singh of village of Vaan, who was very popular because of his boldness and human approach towards his fellow brothers. For this very reason, the Chaudhary of Noshera, Sahib Rai was highly jealous of him and one day when he abused the Sikhs and uttered objectionable words regarding their hair, the Sikhs took away one of his horses by selling which they utilized the money for Langar. When Sahib Rai complained the matter to the Fauzdar of Patti, he sent detachment of 80 soldiers and 25 horses against Tara Singh of Vaan. When the Sikhs defeated them, the matter went to the governor, who, in turn sent 2200 horses, 40 Zamburks, 5 elephants and 4 Rahkals under the command of a cruel Momun Khan. Some people of the village suggested to Tara Singh to run away to jungles for taking shelter, but the Sikhs could not do so. It was their duty to fight against the tyrants. The hymn of Guru Gobind Singh resounded in their ears that when the need arose they were to fight for the laudable and the sublime goal. Tara Singh, thus, led a band of 18 persons and this small group gave such a tough fight for the whole of night and all of them sacrificed their lives after causing a heavy loss to the men and material.
Haidri Flag Fights
Zakaria Khan then aroused the feelings of Muslims by giving a call to launch a Zahad against the Sikhs. The led to fights against the Sikhs under the Haidri Flag, but the Sikhs fought so bravely that the Muslims failed to crush them. The number of Muslim forces went on increasing and the final battle took place at Dilowal. When the Muslims were enjoying themselves with drinks and meat, the Sikhs got an opportunity to attack them in such a manner that they were struck with panic and terror. They started fleeing leaving behind their valuables and weapons. The Khalsa chased them with their swords and slew a large number of them. Says Bhagat Lakshman Singh in 'Sikh Martyrs'. 'Some Turks were cut down while fleeing, some struck against the trees and other impediments and fell; some broke their skulls, some lost their eyes'.
After these battles, the governor realized that reconciliation with the Sikhs for some time will help him in making further policies. He, therefore, offered Nawabi to them for a specific area. However, this was only an effort to make the Sikhs complacent so that further policies of repression could be implemented. That is why, in subsequent years a large number of Sikhs had to scarifies their lives. The prominent martyrs included Bhai Mani Singh, Bhai Taru Singh, Bhai Sukha Singh, Bhai Mehtab Singh, Bhai Subeg Singh, Shahbaz Singh & Bhai Bota Singh.
Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed
Bhai Mani Singh was a prominent devotee Sikh of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He was a fearless fighter, social and religious leader, a learned scholar and a great Sikh martyr. When Guru Gobind Singh Ji started editing Guru Granth Sahib Ji, he performed the duty of a scribe. After the sacrifice of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, when Sikhs got divided into two different groups, Mata Sundri Ji assigned to him the duty of going to Amritsar in order to solve the problem. He was raised to the status of Granthi of Shri Harimandar Sahib. He called upon all the Sikhs to unitedly celebrate Diwali with full zest. In fact he had entered into an amicable settlement with the Mughal rulers in exchange for a specified amount to be paid to the rulers. But, when because of mala fides of rulers the settlement and the understanding arrived at between them failed and Bhai Mani Singh refused to pay to the rulers the required amount of money, he was captured and later martyred by being cut into pieces alive. It is imperative here to mention that it was Bhai Mani Singh who collected the compositions of Guru Gobind Singh in one Granth called Dasam Granth.
Bhai Sukha Singh and Mahtab Singh
The ruthless policy of Zakaria Khan led many a Sikhs to move towards hills of Jammu and Kangra, Lakhi Jungle or the deserts of Bikaner and other places in Rajputana. It appeared as Zakaria's policy had succeeded and there were hardly any Sikhs left, but such an impression was misconceived, as the Sikh's morale remained as strong as ever. This is evidenced by the brave acts on their part that followed and the great sacrifices made by them while treading the righteous path. Two Sikhs Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh, employed in Rajputana, when came to know of the descration of the holy shrine at Amritsar, took a woe to free the holy place from the tyrants and make an example of the miscreant Massa. Massa Rangar, appointed commander of Amritsar by the Governor, had started using the shrine for his immoral acts. They reached the holy temple in the guise of Merchants and were able to get entry into the presence of Massa who was seated on a cot at that time in Harimandir, listening to the music of a dancing girl. When they showed their bags to Massa, the greedy fellow bowed to take out the money. As soon as he bowed down, his head was chopped off. There was confusion all around. Brandishing their swords the bravo went away riding on their horse backs. After some time, both of them had to suffer the death penalty for their brave action, but they were not scared of that, and were happy to do something for saving the honour of their faith.
Bhai Subeg Singh and Shahbaz Singh
Another pair of martyrs, remembered in the Sikh history and in the daily prayer of the Sikhs was that of the father and the son named as Subeg Singh and Shahbaz Singh. S. Subeg Singh was the same person who had played a role in getting Diwani for the Sikhs. He was no doubt an employee of the Lahore Government, but was a devout Sikh. When he was Kotwal of City of Lahore, he devoted himself to the construction of Gurdwaras. He was always eager to do something for his fellow religionists. This liberal attitude of Subeg Singh prompted a number of Muslims to complain against him by labelling him as a supporter of the rebels. When on one occasion, Shahbaz Singh, his son picked up a quarrel with his Mohammedan teacher, when the teacher made derogatory remarks about Sikhism, the complainants got the opportunity to poison the Quazi to punish him. The Quazi lost no time to tell Shahbaz Singh either to embrace Islam or face death. When the father approached Zakariya Khan for intervening, he was also involved. Both the father and son declined to adopt Islam and were ready to face the death. They were put on the wheels having sharp blades and when the wheels were moved they rubbed each other wherein the blades minced their bodies. They were hung up by their legs and flogged on bare bodies. However, the brave Sikhs did not give in and gave up their mortal existence while uttering Sat Nam, Sat Nam.
Bhai Taru Singh
There were many other brave Sikhs who displayed exemplary courage and determination for the cause of their religion, but their number being so large, it is not possible to mention all of them. However, the name of Bhai Taru Singh deserves special mention as when the capital sentence was given to him, as a part of that, his hair were ordered to be shaved. Bhai Taru Singh was born in 1720 and was only 25 years old when he attained martyrdom. He was a peaceful person engaged in agriculture in his village Paohla (now in Amritsar District) where he lived along with his mother & sister. He used to serve the passers by his village with food & shelter. He also used to arrange the delivery of food to the Sikhs living in hiding. His complainant Harbhagat Niranjnia of village Jandiala Guru, had particularly teased him that he will cut his hair and use in his coat. Bhai Taru Singh was ready to die, but he insisted that instead of shaving his hair, his scalp be removed. The cruel officials used a torturous method of scrapping of his scalp. Taru Singh stood the ordeal bravely, reciting the words of Japji and calling on the names of God. After a few days torture he surrendered his soul on the 1st of July 1745. The same day Zakariya Khan died on account of the attack of the disease that had stopped his urine.
Bhai Bota Singh and Bhai Garja Singh
Like other Sikhs, Bhai Bota Singh was also living in hiding during those hard days. One day when he was noticed by some people and he hid himself, he heard a person remarking that “he could not be a Sikh as the Sikhs would never hide themselves”. This remark hurt Bota Singh, and he accompanied by his companion Garja Singh, made their presence felt as they started collecting tax by stationing themselves on the main road near Sarai Nur-ud-din near Tarn Tarn. A communication was sent to the Provincial Governor in Punjabi that gives an interesting reading and shows the boldness and the frankness with which the Sikhs lived even in such hard times. The letter reads as under:-
ਚਿੱਠੀ ਲਿਖੀ ਸਿੰਘ ਬੋਤਾ
ਹੱਥ ਵਿਚ ਹਈ ਸੋਟਾ,
ਆਣ ਵਿਚ ਗੱਡੇ ਖਲੋਤਾ।
ਆਨਾ ਲਾਇਆ ਗੱਡੇ ਨੂੰ ਤੇ ਪੈਸਾ ਲਾਇਆ ਖੋਤਾ।
ਆਖੋ ਭਾਬੀ ਖਾਨੋ ਨੂੰ ਇਉਂ ਆਖੇ ਸਿੰਘ ਬੋਤਾ।
Chitthi likhi Singh Bota Hath hai sota
Vich raah khalota Anna laaya gadde noon Paisa laaya khota
Aakho Bhabi Khaano noon Iyon aakhe Singh Bota
Bota Singh writes this letter With a big club in hand,
On the road do I stand. I levy an anna on a cart And a pice on a donkey
Tell Bhabi Khano, what Bota says.
The wife of the Mughal governor is burlesqued here using her popular name “Khano”. Bota Singh calls her his Bhabi, i.e. brother’s wife with whom one could take liberties.
The authorities concerned, of course, could not tolerate such an authoritative sovereign action on the part of two Sikhs. Both of them were summoned by the authorities, but when the brave Sikhs refused to come, a contingent of 100 Horses under Jalal Ud Din was sent for their arrest. This contingent had to fight with them and the bravo died a heroic death fighting valiantly against heavy odds.
(3) Question:- Among all the governors of Punjab Meer Mannu is known to be the most cruel towards Sikhs. Describe briefly the position of Sikhs during his period.
Answer:- Meer Mannu was the Governor of Punjab from 1748 to 1753. He proved a worse enemy of the Sikhs than even his predecessors Abdul Samad Khan (1713 - 26), Zakariya Khan (1726 - 45), and Yahiya Khan (1745 - 47), and continued the massacre of Sikhs more vigorously. His first act was to storm the fortress of Ram Rauni, in Amritsar, where 500 Sikhs had taken shelter. This drove the Sikhs to seek refuge in the mountains and jungles. Mannu issued orders to the hill chiefs to seize Sikhs and send them in irons to Lahore. Hundreds of Sikhs were thus brought daily to Lahore and executed at Nakhas, the horsemarket, present site of Gurdwara Shahid Ganj, outside of the Delhi Gate, in front of crowds of people who were invited to watch these acts of opression. He did not spare Sikh women in captivity with their young children, who were forced to toile and suffer. According to Giani Gian Singh, “They were put to grind corn in gaol. Many were given merciless lashings....Each one of detenus was given a maund-and-a-quarter grain to grind in a day. Exhausted from thirst and hunger they [Sikh women] plied their stone mills....and they sang their Gurus’ hymns.....As their children, hungry and thirsty, wailed and writhed on the ground for a morsel the helpless prisoners in the clutches of the tyrants could do but little except solace them with their affection. Wearied from crying the children would, at last, go to sleep…” Children were sometimes “hacked to pieces in front of their mothers. The bits of flesh hung on strings were thrown around their necks like garlands. In the Sikh prayer (daily Ardas), the fortitude and heroism of those brave women is recalled with reverence.” Gurdwara Shahid Ganj Singhania (opposite Shahid Ganj Bhai Taru Singh) commemorates the memory of those brave women & children martyrs. Despite all these harsh measures taken by the Punjab Governors, particularly Meer Mannu, the Sikhs remained in high spirits. It becomes evident from the following verse, which was very popular among them in those days.
"Mannu is our sickle
We the fodder for him to mow,
The more he cuts
The more we grow"
(4) Question:- Describe the event when Diwani was offered to them. What was their reaction?
Answer:- When Zakaria Khan was advised by his Diwans to reconcile with the Sikhs by offering them Diwani Rights of some small territories, an offer was sent through S. Darbara Singh. Although, the Sikhs were reluctant to accept Diwani, S. Darbara Singh, who had brought this offer convinced the Sikhs that by accepting it, they will be in a position to get time for making their position strong. The consensus then was reached to make S. Kapur Singh to obtain the title of Nawab with a Jagir consisting of Parganas of Depalpur, Kanganwal and Jhabal yielding annual income of about a 100 thousand rupees. Kapur Singh was also given the robe of honour, which he adorned after putting the same at the feet of the five revered Sikhs Bhai Hari Singh Hazuria, Baba Deep Singh Shaheed, Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, Bhai Karam Singh and Sardar Budh Singh, great grand-father of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The robe of honour included a shawl, a turban, a row of pearls, a brocade garments and a sword. Nawab Kapur Singh accepted everything with utmost humility and with feeling of gratefulness towards God. The Sikhs then decided to form 2 sections known as Taruna Dal & Buddha Dal. The Truna Dal consisting of young persons was to fight battles under the command of their leader Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and the Buddha Dal was to look after the holy places and propagate the tenets of the religion.
Rakhi System
When after Wadha Ghalu Ghara, the Sikhs emerged more powerful, they started capturing various territories and the powerful Sikh chieftains then developed a system called Rakhi. They undertook to defend the people in their respective areas of influence on payment of protection tax called Rakhi. It was a sort of protection fee for protecting the people in their respective areas of influence from the ruthless Mughal Authorities and foreign invaders.
(5) Question:- Explain the concepts of Sarbat Khalsa and Gurmata. Mention some important Sarbat Khalsa gatherings?
Answer:- After the martyrdom of Banda Singh Bahadur, the Sikhs started consolidating their position. One of the steps taken by them was to start Sikh gatherings from time to time. The tenth Guru had already started the tradition of calling the assembly of Sikhs for deliberations. Their gatherings were known as Sarbat Khalsa and decisions taken were known as Gurmattas. Thus, after the martyrdom of Bhai Tara Singh wan, an assembly of Sikhs took a decision to plunder government treasures in transit between local and regional offices and the central treasury to raid government armories for weapons and government stables for horses and carriages, and to eliminate government informers and lackeys.
Another Sarbat Khalsa assembled in 1733 to deliberate upon and accept the government’s offer of a Nawabship and jagir to the Panth. Under a gummata of the Sarbat Khalsa on 14th October (Divali day) 1745, the active fighting force of the Sikhs was reorganized into 25 jathas (bands) of about 100 each.
A further reorganization into 12 misls (divisions) forming the Dal Khalsa was made by the Sarbat Khalsa on Baisakhi, 29 March 1748. Thus, Sarbat Khalsa became the central body of what J.D. Cunningham, in his book, A History of the Sikhs, terms a “theocratic confederate feudalism” established by the misls. Sarbat Khalsa was generally held on Vaisakhi & Diwali or for taking some urgent decisions.
(6) Question:- What were the names of the misls that came into being in 1748. Name their leaders and territories of influence?
Answer:-

The name of the misls, their leaders and territories of influence are mentioned hereunder:-  

Name of the Misls           Name of the Leader                            Territories of Influence

Fazailpuria Misl               Nawab Kapur Singh                            Jalandhar, Noor Mahal, Behrampur & Patti 

Ahluwalia Misl                 S. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia                    Sultanpur, Kapurthala & Hoshiarpur

Bhangia Misl                    S. Hari Singh                                         Amritsar, Lahore, Gujrat & Sialkot (both in Pakistan)

Ramgarhia Misl               S. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia                       Hargobindpur, Kalanaur, Hazipur & Gurdaspur

Ghanaia Misl                    S. Jai Singh Ghanaia                               Mukeria, Pathankot, Hazipur& Gurdaspur

Shukarchakaia Misl            S. Naudh Singh                                    Gujaranwala, Ahmadabad & Wazirabad

Phulkia Misl                        Baba Ala Singh                                    Patiala, Nabha & Jind

Dallewalia Misl                    S. Gulab Singh                                      Jalandhar,Doaba Area

Karorsinghia Misl                S. Karori Singh                                     Nava Shahar, Bhunga etc.

Nakai Misl                             S. Hira Singh                                         Multan & Kasoor

Nishanwalia Misl                  S. Dasondha Singh                              Ambala, Shahbad & Karnal

Shaheed Misl                            Baba Deep Singh                         some parts of Eastern Satluj area

All these group combined formed a part of bigger confederation called Dal Khalsa of which earlier Nawab Kapur Singh and later on Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was the supreme Commander. Among the most powerful Misls were the Bhangies, who were in possession of Lahore, Amritsar and most of the Western Punjab.
(7) Question:- The Sikhs had not only to face the atrocities committed by Mughal Rulers, but also the foreign invaders like Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali. Give description of the encounters of Sikhs with those invaders.
Answer:- Nadir Shah was the Persian invader, who plundered Delhi on March 11, 1739 and massacred most of the people. Zakaria Khan, the Governor of Punjab entered into a treaty with him and started representing him for his areas of possession. In other words, Zakaria Khan now had two masters, one the Delhi empire and the other the Persian kingdom. Such a situation gave strength to Sikhs to spread their influence over various territories in Majha and between Ravi and Beas. The Sikhs had made their presence felt even by Naddir Shah, who while passing through Punjab on his return from Delhi was deprived of considerable booty, which he was carrying from India. It is recorded that when Naddir Shah asked Zakaria Khan about them, the governor replied that these people lived on the saddles of their horses and visited Amritsar on certain occasions for the spiritual bath and obeisance. Naddir is stated to have warned Zakaria that if not crushed, these people may rule over these territories one day. Ahmad Shah Abdali also known as Ahmad Shah Durrani was also an Afgan Ruler. He had succeeded Nadir Shah after his assassination. He raided India 8 times between 1748 & 1767. His victory over the Marathas at the third battle of panipat in 1761 was a part of these invasions. He made all efforts to suppress the Sikhs, but, he failed to do so. Every time, when he came he plundered the wealth of this country, but, the Sikhs attacked him time and again and recovered much of it. Even when Chotta Ghalu Ghara and Vada Ghalu Ghara took place in which a large number of Sikhs were killed and Sri Harmandir Sahib & Sarovar were damaged, the Sikhs did not let him live in peace.
(8) Question:- Narrate the great event of rescuing Indian women from the clutches of Abdali by the Sikhs.
Answer:- When Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas at Panipat in 1761, the Afghan Army started killing all the Marathas soldiers and civilians. Even the children were beheaded before their own mothers and sisters. Women and children who survived were driven off as slaves. While returning Abdali carried with him considerable wealth and 22000 Hindu women to be sold into slavery in the streets of Kabul. This was in intorable for the Sikhs. They were approached by certain people for the safety of the women and they decided to take immediate action. All the Khalsa Misls got together and passed a resolution that Abdali is taking Indian women as slaves to his country after plundering the city of Panipat and they will free all the slaves.
Organizing themselves in small bands, the Sikhs decided to attack the rear of Abdali's army carrying the Indian women as captives. Jassa Singh led the a volunteer force and caught up with the Afghans at the River Sutlej at Goindwal. The Afghans were dismayed at the swiftness and ferocity of Sikh attack. Before they could gather themselves to counter the attack, the Sikhs rescued the Maratha women and carried away much of Abdali's booty.
Most attacks were conducted at midnight when the Afghan troops were sleeping or drunk after late night celebrations. They were caught unprepared and began to dread the midnight as they passed through the plains of Punjab. This started the tales of 12 O'clock which went on to become a joke on the Afghans. Unfortunately, Indian masses have forgotten the significance of 12 O'clock in rescuing captive women from Afghan invaders. Instead it has become a tool to ridicule the brave Sikhs.
(9) Question:- Describe Chotta Ghalu Ghara & Vada Ghalu Ghara.
Answer:- When Yahiya Khan (successor of Zakaria Khan) became the Governor of Punjab, he was instigated by Dewan Lakhpat Rai to attack the Sikhs and kill them in good numbers. He was aggrieved with the Sikhs, because they had killed his brother Jaspat Rai in one of the encounters. So provoked by him, the Governor sent huge enforcement to launch a Jehad against the Sikhs. All the Sikh residents of Lahore were rounded up and ordered to be executed. This execution took place on 10 March 1746. Lakhpat Rai then set out at the head of a large force, mostly cavalry supported by cannon, in search of Sikhs who were reported to have concentrated in the swampy forest of Kahnuvan, 15 Km south of the present town of Gurdaspur. He surrounded the forest and started a systematic search for his prey. Sometimes, the Sikhs tried to hit back but again they had to escape to the hills considering the very large number of the enemy forces. In this process, when they crossed the Ravi river and reached the heights of Basohli in the present Kathua District of Jammu and Kashmir, they were not treated well by the Hindu population of that place because of the declarations made by the authorities that nobody should help the Sikhs. Thus, caught between the Hindu Hillmen in front and the Muslims hordes following close upon their heels, the Sikhs found themselves helpless., particularly, as they had no weapons. Many of them were killed in the encounter and those who again retried to cross River Ravi were swept away in the torrent. It is said that 7000 Sikhs were killed and 3000 captures by Lakhpat Rai forces. The captives were beheaded in batches in the Nakhas or site of the horse market outside Delhi Gate at Lahore. This holocaust is known in Sikh history as Chhota Ghallu Ghara.
The Vada Ghalu Ghara took place during an invasion of Ahmad Shah Abdali which he had made with the specific purpose of teaching a lesson to the Sikhs. This happened on 15th February 1762 when one day battle was fought between Dal Khalsa and the forces of Abdali at a place called Kup- Rahira, 12 km. the north of Maler Kotla. The Sikhs had noted that Aquil Das of Jandiala, head of Niranjania sect being an inveterate enemy of the Sikhs was required to be taught a lesson. They, therefore, besiezed Jandiala Guru, but when Aquil Das called Abdali for his help, the Sikhs lifted the siege and started moving towards Malwa. They wanted to confront Ahmad Shah at a place near Malwa as the atmosphere there was not hostile to them. However, it was on their way to Malwa that they were made to face Abdali’s forces at Kup Rahira at the dawn on the 5th Feb.. They were taken by surprise as a number of persons supporting Abdali had surrounded from outside. Since there were women and children also with the Sikhs, they could not resort to the Guerilla tactics and were constrained to fight a battle. Their leaders at that time promptly decided that they should form a circle having their ladies and children inside and should continue advancing while fighting the enemy forces. Thus, they kept on moving and while moving the fighting went on. On many occasions, Abdali’s troops broke the cordon and killed the women and children inside the circle. When both sides were exhausted and the Sikhs reached near Barnala, Ahmad Shah’s forces did not pursue further. In this brave fight given by the Sikhs, their loss was tremendous. The figures as put by the historians vary from 25000 to 50000 and it is because of this large number that the event became a Big Ghallu Ghara. It may be mentioned again that the spirit of the Sikhs did not fall and remained as high as it ever was. Such was the state of their morale that to quote the Prachin Panth Prakash again, as the Sikhs gathered in the evening that day, a Nihang stood up and proclaimed aloud “the fake has been shed. The true Khalsa remains intact.”. The Sikhs rose again within three months to attack Zain Khan of Sirhind, who bought peace by paying them Rs.50,000 in May and they were ravaging the neighborhood of Lahore during July-August, 1762. Ahmad Shah, who was still in Punjab watched helplessly the devastation of the Jalandhar Doab at their hands.
(10) Question:- How was Ranjeet Singh of Sukarchakkia Misl able to consolidate a strong empire in Punjab? What were the main features of his rule?
Answer:- Ranjeet Singh, the son, and grandson of Brave Mahan Singh and Charhat Singh came into limelight when he defeated the powerful Bhangies and captured their guns and canons. He was very young when this happened and soon after his father died and he was made his successor ruler of his territories. He thought of a mission of making Punjab a strong state and he started working on this mission after some time. In the meantime, the Afghans were again thinking of taking advantage of disunity among the Sikh states, and as such Ahmad Shah Abdali’s grandson Shah Zaman, who was on the throne at that time, thought of invading India for re-establishing the Afghan empire there. His first invasion took place in 1793 in which he came as far as Hassan Abdal. In his next attempt in 1795, he not only re-took Hassan Abdal but also captured Rohtas which was under the rule of Sukkarchakkias. Nizamuddin of Kasoor was helping Shah Zaman. In 1796, Shah Zaman occupied the city of Lahore, but as he had to rush back to his country, he appointed his general Ahamed Shah Shahanchibashi as his deputy and gave him 12,000 soldiers to deal with the Sikhs. However, when deputy Khan tried to deal with the Sikhs, he was killed in a battle near Ramnagar and his force was completely routed. This made Ranjit Singh, the Hero of Punjab. Then Maharaja Ranjit Singh consolidated his Empire in Punjab after merging smaller states in it. He gave the best of Administration in all respects. He modernized his army and established a secular system in which all people belonging to different religions could follow their religion without any hindrance. Whereas Maharaja Ranjit Singh is known to have rendered the service of Gold plating, Sri Harmandir Sahib, also gave ample grants for the maintenance of Hindu and Muslim shrines. For that purpose, he even sent grants for the shrines outside the boundaries of his empire. It was he, who sent tons of gold for gold plating of domes of Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. While making a treaty with the Afghans, he had demanded the precious doors of Somnath temple back from them for their restoration to the shrine. He had also expressed his desire to donate certain valuables for the temple at Jagannath Puri. Some of the unique features of his rule are mentioned below
• He established a modern empire of toleration, which extended even beyond the Indian frontiers.
• He ruled by exercising power with a positive impact on humanity for exploring their achievements and legacy.
• There is no other Indian Ruler in whose rule Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and even Foreigners like French and Spanish lived in perfect peace and harmony and enjoyed equality of opportunity and freedom of following their own religion.
• There is no other Indian Ruler who received so many gifts from other rulers but was generous enough to distribute either for the benefit of people or for constructions and repairs of religious places of different religion like Gurdwaras, Temples and Mosques.
• He rendered the justice in a fair and impartial manner and in his rule not a single person was awarded capital punishment.
• He was one of the few Indian rulers who possessed the costliest diamond Kohinoor, which was taken away from India by foreign invaders, but he brought it back by defeating the Afghans.
• He had the most modernized and trained army with peerless generals like Hari Singh Nalwa and others with many hailing from a diversity of Nations and Religions like Allard and Ventura.
• There is no other Indian Ruler with whom the Britishers were compelled to enter into a friendly treaty and they never dared to think of attacking him.