List of battles involving the Sikh Empire

2021-10-30T15:12:34Z

103.66.72.33:

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]].

==Background==
The [[Sikh]]s first raised their weapons against the [[Mughals|Mughal Empire]] under [[Guru Hargobind]]. Shri Guru Hargobind Ji was son of the 5th Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji who was executed by the Mughal ruler Jahangir. After his father's death, Shri Guru Hargobind Ji added the martial element to Sikhism which was until then a religion mainly focused on Spirituality. But at this point the need for self defence was felt. Hence Shri Guru Hargobind Ji started recruiting an army which he called "Risaldari", after training his men in cavalry and Sikh Martial Arts. He adopted Royal symbols like wearing "kalgidhari turban" and keeping bodyguards. Along with that he asked his followers to gift him horses and weaponry instead of anything else. So the 6th Guru at one point managed to command 700 cavalry and with this might his Risaldari fought several small scale battles in 1620s and 1630s against Shahjahan's forces and some other warlords in Poadh and Majha. The tenth and the last Guru, [[Guru Gobind Singh]] organized Sikhs into a military sect called [[Khalsa]] (means "pure"), in 1699, against the [[Mughal emperor]] [[Aurangzeb]]. Before his death in 1708, he sent [[Banda Singh Bahadur]] to lead the Sikhs of [[Punjab]]. Banda Singh Bahadur through his outstanding leadership skills weakened the Mughal grasp over India. But he was later captured and beheaded in Delhi in 1716, during the reign of [[Farrukhsiyar]].

Thereafter, Sikhs were divided into [[Misl]]s. In 1738, [[Nadir Shah]] of [[Afsharid Dynasty|Iran]], [[Nadir Shah's invasion of India|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 Abdali|Ahmad Shah Durrani]] of [[Durrani Empire|Afghanistan]]. He was defeated every time.

Abdali tried many times to recover Lahore but ultimately had to return to [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] territories. After his final invasion of Punjab in 1767, he left Lahore which was when it was re-captured by the Sikhs. For more than three decades, Sikhs consolidated their power in areas of Punjab. 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, Kangra, parts of Kashmir and briefly, the city of Peshawar.

==Battles fought by Sikhs==
# [[Battle of Rohilla]] (1621)
# [[Battle of Kartarpur]] (1635)
# [[Battle of Amritsar (1634)]]
# [[Battle of Lahira]] (1634)
# [[Battle of Bhangani]] (1688)
# [[Battle of Nadaun]] (1691)
# [[Battle of Guler (1696)]]
# [[Battle of Basoli]] (1702)
# [[Battle of Anandpur (1700)]]
# [[Battle of Nirmohgarh (1702)]]
# [[Battle of Anandpur (1701)]]
# [[First Battle of Chamkaur|First Battle of Chamkaur (1702)]]
# [[First Battle of Anandpur (1704)]]
# [[Second Battle of Anandpur|Second Battle of Anandpur (1704)]]
# [[Battle of Sarsa|Battle of Sarsa (1704)]]
# [[Second Battle of Chamkaur (1704)]]
# [[Battle of Muktsar]]<ref>{{cite book |last=McLeod |first=W. H. |author-link=W. H. McLeod |year=2009 |title=The A to Z of Sikhism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vgixwfeCyDAC&pg=PA134 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |page=134 |isbn=978-0-81086-344-6}}</ref><ref name=dalbirsingh144>{{cite book |last=Dhillon |first=Dr Dalbir Singh |date=1988 |title=Sikhism – Origin and Development |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=osnkLKPMWykC&pg=PA152 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers and Distributors |page=151 }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite book|last=Sagoo|first=Harbans|title=Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty|year=2001|publisher=Deep & Deep Publications|isbn=9788176293006|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MIL4xwcCmxkC}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dh6jydKXikoC&pg=PA695|title=Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O|page=695|author= Jacques, Tony|year=2007|isbn=978-0-313-33536-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xajcAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA65|title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism|page=64|author=Fenech, E. Louis|author2=Mcleod, H. W.|date=11 June 2014|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-4422-3601-1}}</ref>(1705)
# [[Battle of Sonepat]] (1709)
# [[Battle of Ambala]]
#[[Battle of Kapuri (1709)]]
# [[Battle of Samana]] (1709)
# [[Battle of Chappar Chiri]]<ref name="auto"/> (1710)
# [[Battle of Sadhaura]] (1710)
# [[Battle of Rahon (1710)]]
# [[Battle of Lohgarh]] (1710)
#[[Battle of Jalalabad (1710)]]
# [[Battle of Jammu]] (1712)
# [[Siege of Gurdaspur]] or [[Battle of Gurdas Nangal]] (1715)
# [[Attack on Nadir Shah (1739)]]<ref name="google5">{{cite book|title=Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume-1: 1707-1803)|author=Chhabra, G.S.|year=2005|publisher=Lotus Press|isbn=9788189093068|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UkDi6rVbckoC}}</ref>
# Killing [[Massa Ranghar]]
# Killing [[Jaspat Rai]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Grewal|first1=J. S.|title=The Sikhs of the Punjab, Volumes 2-3|date=1998|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521637640|page=[https://archive.org/details/sikhsofpunjab0000grew/page/90 90]|url=https://archive.org/details/sikhsofpunjab0000grew/page/90}}</ref><ref name="Singha2000">{{cite book|last=Singha|first=H. S|title=The encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 entries)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gqIbJz7vMn0C|access-date=December 22, 2011|year=2000|publisher=Hemkunt Press|isbn=978-81-7010-301-1|page=110}}</ref>
# [[Siege of Amritsar (1748)]]
# Killing [[Salabat Khan]]<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fa6B20l9AeQC&q=kasur+arabic+punjab&pg=PA31|title=Sikh Studies|last=Singha|first=Dr H. S.|date=2005|publisher=Hemkunt Press|isbn=9788170102588|language=en}}</ref>
# [[Siege of Ram Rauni]]
# [[Battle of Amritsar (1757)]]
# [[Battle of Lahore (1759)]]
# [[Battle of Sialkot (1761)]]
# [[Battle of Gujranwala (1761)]]
# [[Sikh Occupation of Lahore]]<ref name="Mehta">{{Cite book|title=Advanced study in the history of modern India 1707–1813|last1=Mehta|first1=J. L.|year=2005|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|isbn=978-1-932705-54-6|page=303|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&pg=PA250 |access-date=2010-09-23}}</ref> (1761)
# [[Vadda Ghalughara]] or [[Battle of Kup]]
# [[Battle of Harnaulgarh]] (1762)
# [[Skirmish of Amritsar (1762)]]
# [[Battle of Sialkot (1763)]]
# [[Battle of Sirhind (1764)]]
# [[Capture of Delhi and Red Fort (1783)]]<ref name="Singha2000a">{{cite book|last=Singha|first=H. S|title=The encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 entries)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gqIbJz7vMn0C|access-date=December 22, 2011|year=2000|publisher=Hemkunt Press|isbn=978-81-7010-301-1|page=111}}</ref>
# [[Battle of Amritsar (1797)]]
# [[Battle of Gujrat (1797)]]
# [[Battle of Amritsar (1798)]]
# [[Battle of Kasur]]
#[[Battle of Jammu (1808)]]
# [[Gurkha-Sikh War]](1809)
# [[Battle of Attock]] (1813)
# [[Battle of Multan]] (1818)
# [[Battle of Shopian]] (1819)
#[[Battle of Balakot]] (1831)
# [[Battle of Peshawar (1834)]]
# [[Battle of Jamrud]] (1837)
# [[Sino-Sikh War]] (1841-1842)
# [[Battle of Mudki]] (1845)
# [[Battle of Ferozeshah]] (1845)
# [[Battle of Baddowal]] (1846)
# [[Battle of Aliwal]] (1846)
# [[Battle of Sobraon]] (1846)
# [[Battle of Chillianwala]] (1849)
# [[Battle of Ramnagar]] (1848)
# [[Siege of Multan]] (1848-1849)
# [[Battle of Gujrat]] (1849)

== Gurkha-Sikh War ==
{{Main|Gurkha-Sikh War}}
The Gurkha-Sikh War was fought between the forces of the Sikh Empire and the [[Nepalese Army]].<ref name="auto1">{{cite book|title= The Sikhs : Their Journey Of Five Hundred Years|author= Raj Pal Singh|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ra19YSPDliQC&q=hargobind+jahangir&pg=PA140|publisher= Pentagon Press|year= 2004|isbn= 9788186505465|page=139 & 140}}</ref>

== Katoch-Sikh War ==
Sikh-Katoch War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the [[Katoch Dynasty]]<ref name="auto1"/>

== Afghan-Sikh Wars ==
{{Main|Afghan-Sikh Wars}}
Afghan-Sikh Wars were fought between the Sikh Empire and the Durrani Empire.

=== Battle of Attock ===
{{Main|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 ===
{{Main|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.<ref>Dictionary of Battles and Sieges F-O p.696</ref>

=== Battle of Shopian ===
{{Main|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.<ref>Kashmir:History and people p.145</ref>

=== Battle of Nowshera ===
{{Main|Battle of Nowshera}}
The battle was fought on 14 March 1823 in which the Sikhs captured the city of Peshawar.

=== Battle of Peshawar ===
{{Main|Battle of Peshawar (1834)}}
The battle was fought on 6 May 1834. Under the command of [[Hari Singh Nalwa]], Sikhs finally captured the city of [[Peshawar]].

=== Battle of Jamrud ===
{{Main|Battle of Jamrud}}

==Sino-Sikh War==
{{Main|Sino-Sikh War}}
Sikhs invaded and captured Ladakh in 1834. In 1841. At Leh, the Qing army successfully captured Leh and then successfully captured Ladakh from the Sikhs.<ref>{{citation|quote=''Chinese forces dragged the Sikh army from Ladakh and capturing it alongside Leh''|url=http://www.asiatimes.com.au/the-troubled-land-arunachal-dispute/|title=The Troubled Land: Arunachal Dispute}}</ref> But was re captured by the Sikhs.

== First Anglo-Sikh War ==
{{Main|First Anglo-Sikh War}}

=== Battle of Mudki ===
{{Main|Battle of Mudki}}
The battle was fought on 18 December 1845 during night. The British won with heavy casualties on the higher ranks.

=== Battle of Ferozeshah ===
{{Main|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 ===
{{Main|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.<ref name="sarsa">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=06k5ygAACAAJ|title=Dictionary of Battles and Sieges|page=92|author= Jacques, Tony|year=2007|publisher=Greenwood Press|isbn=978-0-313-33536-5}}</ref><ref name="jacques">Jacques, p. 93</ref>

=== Battle of Aliwal ===
{{Main|Battle of Aliwal}}
The battle was fought on 28 January 1846, in which the company troops decisively defeated the Sikh army. It proved as the turning point in the war.

=== Battle of Sobraon ===
{{Main|Battle of Sobraon}}
The decisive Sikh Victory by the East India Company at the battle of Sobraon fought on 10 February 1846 ended the war.

== Second Anglo-Sikh War ==
{{Main|Second Anglo-Sikh War}}

=== Battle of Ramnagar ===
{{Main|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 ===
{{Main|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 ===
{{Main|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 ===
{{Main|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 forces. The [[Sikh Empire]] officially ended as the young emperor, ([[Maharaja Duleep Singh]]) was kidnapped and taken to England. Punjab was annexed as a province of the [[British Indian Empire]].

==See also==
* [[Guru Govind Singh]]
* [[Banda Singh Bahadur]]
* [[Baghel Singh]]
* [[Massa Ranghar]]

==References==
{{Citation style|date=January 2017}}
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Battles involving the Sikh Empire}}
[[Category:Lists of battles]]
[[Category:Military history of India]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Sikhs]]

IndianPedia - User contributions [en]

List of battles involving the Sikh Empire