2405:201:1F:7C71:702D:F95:185:1E26 at 18:59, 29 November 2022

2022-11-29T18:59:02Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Military Conflict
| conflict = Battle of Lohgarh
| partof = Mughal-Sikh Wars
| image =
| caption =
| date = 1710
| place = Lohgarh
| territory =
| result = Mughal victory.<ref name="saggu">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ghlfDwAAQBAJ&dq=battle+of+lohgarh&pg=PT70|title=Battle Tactics And War Manoeuvres of the Sikhs|author= Saggu, DS|year=2018|publisher=Notion Press|isbn=9781642490060}}</ref><ref name="village">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=06k5ygAACAAJ|title=Dictionary of Battles and Sieges|page=595|author= Jacques, Tony|year=2007|publisher=Greenwood Press|isbn=978-0-313-33536-5}}</ref><ref name ="gupta"/>
| combatant1 = [[File:Punjab flag.svg|25px]][[Sikhs]]
| combatant2 = [[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]][[Mughal Empire]]
| commander1 = [[Banda Singh Bahadur]]
| commander2 = [[Bahadur Shah I|Bahadur Shah]]<br>
* [[Rafi-ush-Shan|Rafi-us-Shan]]
* Kanwar Khan
* Mumin Khan
* Udet Singh Bundela
* Mahabat Khan
* Khan Zaman
* Chatarsal Bundela
* Islam Khan Mir Atish
* Hamid-ud-din
* Azim-us-Shan
* Jahan Shah
| strength2 = 60,000<ref name="village"/>
| strength1 = unknown<ref name="baha"/>
}}
{{Campaignbox Mughal-Sikh Wars}}

The [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] emperor [[Bahadur Shah I|Bahadur Shah]]'s army moved towards [[Lohgarh]] where they engaged with the [[Sikhs]] to capture the fort on 16 December 1710.<ref name="saggu"/><ref name="village"/>

==Battle==
Bahadur Shah had planned to advance upon Banda's stronghold at Lohgarh, however reports of Banda's supposed sorcery and supernatural powers had demoralized the imperial soldiers.<ref name ="gupta"/><ref name="baha"/> On 5 December, while a Mughal force under Rustamdil Khan and Firoze Khan Mewati arrived towards Lohgarh to examine the position of Banda's defenses, they were unexpectedly attacked by Banda's forces.<ref name ="gupta"/> The incursion led to heavy imperial losses including Firoz Khan Mewati's nephew killed and son wounded, whereas the Sikhs lost 1,500 men.<ref name ="gupta"/><ref name="baha"/> Unable to stand the surging rush of the Sikh army, Rustamdil Khan's army scattered. Rustamdil subsequently received reinforcements from Prince Rafi-us-Shan and his troops continued to advance to Banda's fort.<ref name ="gupta">{{Cite book |last=Gupta |first=Hari Ram |title=History of the Sikhs: Evolution of Sikh Confederacies (1707-1769) |publisher=Munshiram Motilal Publishers |year=1978 |isbn=978-8121502481 |pages=19-21|orig-date=1937}}</ref><ref name="baha">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Ganda |title=Life of Banda Singh Bahadur |publisher=Publication Bureau, Punjabi University|pages=138-145|date=1990|orig-date=1935}}</ref>

==Pre-Siege maneuvers==
On 10 December, the imperial army under the command of [[Rafi-ush-Shan|Rafi-us-Shan]], numbering about 60,000, surrounded the fort of Lohgarh on all sides where the left flank was commanded by Rafi-us-Shan of the advance guard of the imperial army and by Raja Udet Singh Bundela of the Bakshi-ul-Mumalik's army, and the right flank commanded by Mumin Khan (Jumat-ul-Mulk Khan-i-Khanan), his sons, Mahabat Khan and Khan Zaman along with Raja Chatarsal Bundela and Islam Khan Mir Atish.<ref name="baha"/><ref name ="gupta"/> The centre was commanded by Rustamdil Khan. Mumin Khan's additional support came from troops of Hamid-ud-din and the cortege of Azim-us-Shan and Jahan Shah.<ref name ="gupta"/> The imperial army also included the reinforcement of large number of [[Rohilla]] Afghan, [[Baloch people|Bilochs]] and other plunderers.<ref name="baha"/>

==Siege==
Near the foot of the hill, heavy fighting took place, resulting in a large number of imperial army casualties and the Sikhs being repulsed and retreating up the hill. Later, the imperial troops attacked the fort in great numbers, there was heavy casualties on both sides where among the dead from imperial side was the son of Sucha Nanda.<ref name ="gupta"/><ref name="baha"/> The Sikhs with the disadvantages of being outnumbered and having no source of food; many dying of starvation, decided to take a chance by cutting through the enemy lines.<ref name="baha"/> Gulab Singh, a recent Sikh convert, decided to sacrifice himself by pretending to be Banda Singh Bahadur. The following day, during dawn, in the midst of the confusion resulting from simultaneous firings on both sides, Banda Singh and the surviving Sikhs escaped from the fort.<ref name ="gupta"/><ref name="baha"/>

Following sunrise, the Mughal troops attempted to advance up the hill while the Sikhs were firing at them from their guns within the fort.<ref name ="gupta"/><ref name="baha"/> According to [[Ganda Singh (historian)|Ganda Singh]], Gulab Singh and around 10 or 12 wounded Sikhs were made prisoners.<ref name="baha"/> [[Hari Ram Gupta]] notes that Gulab Singh and 30 of his men were eventually captured and the civilians from the neighboring village taking refuge in the Sikh fort were taken as prisoners.<ref name ="gupta"/> A large amount of booty in the fort was retrieved by the Mughals. On 12 December, the Mughals discovered that they had captured Banda's duplicate much to their dismay.<ref name ="gupta"/><ref name="baha"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Battles involving the Sikhs|Lohgarh]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Mughal Empire|Lohgarh]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1710|Lohgarh]]
[[Category:Sikh warriors|Lohgarh]]
[[Category:1710 in Asia]]

Battle of Lohgarh - Revision history

2405:201:1F:7C71:702D:F95:185:1E26 at 18:59, 29 November 2022