Battle of Kartarpur

2021-10-02T07:55:02Z

122.161.53.247:

{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Kartarpur
| partof = [[Mughal-Sikh Wars]]
| image =
| caption =
| date = 25 April 1635
| place = [[Kartarpur, India|Kartarpur]]
| coordinates =
| map_type =
| latitude =
| longitude =
| map_size =
| map_caption =
| map_label =
| territory =
| result = Sikh victory<ref name="Gandhi2007" />{{Rp|820-821}}
| status =
| combatant1 = [[File:Punjab flag.svg|50px]] [[Sikhs]]
| combatant2 = [[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|50px]] [[Mughal Empire]]
| commander1 = [[File:Punjab flag.svg|25px]] [[Guru Hargobind]] [[File:Punjab flag.svg|25px]][[Baba Gurdita]] [[File:Punjab flag.svg|25px]] [[Bhai Bidhi Chand]] [[File:Punjab flag.svg|25px]][[Guru Tegh Bahadur|Tegh Bahadur]]
| commander2 = [[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]]Kale Khan {{KIA}} [[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]]Kutub Khan{{KIA}} [[File:Flag_of_the_State_of_Amb.svg|25px]] Painda Khan {{KIA}} [[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] Asman Khan{{KIA}}
| units1 =
| units2 =
| units3 =
| strength1 = 1800<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|202}}
| strength2 = 52,000<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|198}}
| strength3 =
| casualties1 = 700<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|212}}
| casualties2 = 3000<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|212}} – 12,000<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|203}}
| casualties3 =
| notes =
}}
{{Campaignbox Early Mughal-Sikh Wars}}

The '''Battle of Kartarpur''' occurred on 25 April 1635.{{when|date=April 2021}}{{efn|According to Macauliffe, "It ended an hour before nightfall on the 24th day of Har, [[Sambat]] 1691 (A.D. 1634)."}} It started when the [[Mughal Empire]] attacked the town of [[Kartarpur, India|Kartarpur]], and was the last major battle of the [[Mughal-Sikh Wars]] of Guru Hargobind's period of Guruship.{{cn|date=April 2021}} The Mughal force was repulsed by the Sikh defenders.<ref name="Jaques 513" />

== Events ==
Painda (or [[Painde Khan|Painde]]) Khan, ex-general of the Sikh troops, convinced [[Wazir Khan (Lahore)|Wazir Khan]], the governor of Lahore, to send a force against Guru Hargobind in Kartarpur. The expedition was commanded by [[Kale Khan]], assisted by Khans Qutub (Qutab or Kutub, the [[faujdar]] of [[Jalandhar]]) and Painda.<ref name="Gandhi2007" />{{Rp|541–542}} Painda was accompanied by his son-in-law, Asman Khan.<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|204}}

Qutub sent Anwar Khan with gifts to [[Guru Hargobind]], which were rejected. Anwar challenged Hargobind to a game of [[chaupar]]. After being defeated, Anwar insulted the Guru's predecessors, and in return was beaten and sent away.<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|200–201}}

Kartarpur was defended by [[Bhai Bidhi Chand]] with [[Guru Hargobind]] and his eldest son [[Baba Gurdita]] supporting him.<ref name="Jaques 513" />

According to historian [[Max Macauliffe]], Hargobind had "eighteen hundred regular fighting men who were supplied by his friends in Kartarpur", whilst "twenty thousand
imperial troops ... advanced" against the city.<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|202, 203}}

The Mughal troops attacked at night and were met with heavy resistance. Anwar Khan was felled by an arrow from Bidhi Chand. In the morning, after serious losses overnight, Painda and Asman entered the field determined to capture the Guru.<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|205–206}} Bhai Lakhu and Qutub Khan exchanged arrows, knocking each other to the ground in turn, after which Qutub took Lakhu's head with his sword.<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|207}}

Guru Hargobind met and slew Painda in combat. He enjoined the dying Painda to recite the ''kalma'' (''[[shahada]]''), and shaded his body from the sun with his shield.<ref name="Gandhi2007" />{{Rp|542}} <ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|209}} Gurdita felled Asman, his childhood friend, with an arrow.<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|210}}

Qutub<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|210–211}} and Kale<ref name="Gandhi2007" />{{Rp|542}} <ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|211–212}} were also killed, supposedly in single combat with Hargobind.<ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|210–212}} After their last leader fell, the remaining Mughal troops fled.<ref name="Gandhi2007" />{{Rp|542}} <ref name="Macauliffe1909" />{{Rp|212}}

Macauliffe relayed "it is said" that the losses were seven hundred Sikhs and several thousand to twelve thousand Mughals.{{efn|"It is said that several thousand Muhammadans but only seven hundred of the Guru's brave and skilful Sikhs perished in this sanguinary battle." (p. 212) "it is said, twelve thousand of Kale Khan's
army slept their final sleep" (p. 203)}}

This was the first and only battle that future Guru [[Guru Tegh Bahadur|Tegh Bahadur]] had fought, and due to his valor and swordsmanship he earned the title 'Tegh' meaning large sword.

== Aftermath ==
After the battle, Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib travelled to Giractpur ([[Kiratpur Sahib|Kirtapur]]) via Bhawarati ([[Phagwara]]). At [[Palahi]] village near Phagwara, he was set upon by royal forces under Ahmad Khan, and suffered considerable losses.<ref name="Gandhi2007" />{{Rp|542–543}} He remained in Kiratpur until his death.<ref name="Gandhi2007" />{{Rp|543}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name=Gandhi2007>{{cite book|title= History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606-1708 C.E|author= Surjit Singh Gandhi|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vZFBp89UInUC&q=hargobind+jahangir&pg=PA541|publisher= Atlantic Publishers & Dist.|year= 2007|isbn= 9788126908585}}</ref>

<ref name="Jaques 513">{{cite book|last=Jaques|first=Tony|title=Dictionary of Battles and Sieges, vol. F-O|year=2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dh6jydKXikoC|accessdate=4 April 2021|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-33536-5|page=513}}</ref>

<ref name="Macauliffe1909">{{cite book |last1=Macauliffe |first1=Max Arthur |title=The Sikh Religion, its gurus, sacred writings and authors, Vol 4 |date=1909 |publisher=Clarendon Press |location=Oxford}} [[s:en:Index:The Sikh Religion, its gurus, sacred writings and authors Vol 4.djvu|Wikisource]]</ref>
}}

{{coord|31|19|32|N|75|34|45|E|display=title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

[[Category:Battles involving the Mughal Empire|Kartarpur]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Sikhs|Kartarpur]]
[[Category:1635 in India]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1635|Kartarpur]]

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Battle of Kartarpur