HPAS Notes: The Sikh Gurus and the Himachal Hill States

The Ten Sikh Gurus

Here are the 10 Sikh Gurus:

1. Guru Nanak Dev Ji
2. Guru Angad Dev Ji
3. Guru Amar Das Ji
4. Guru Ram Das Ji
5. Guru Arjan Dev Ji
6. Guru Hargobind Ji
7. Guru Har Rai Ji
8. Guru Har Krishan Ji
9. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji
10. Guru Gobind Singh Ji

Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1st Guru)

• The first Sikh Guru and founder of Sikhism.
• During his 3rd Udasi (journey) in 1514, he travelled to several hill areas.
• He crossed the Dulchi Pass and visited Ladakh, Kangra, Jwalamukhi, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Tibet, Sirmaur, and Garhwal.

Guru Arjan Dev Ji (5th Guru)

• The 5th Sikh Guru (A.D. 1563-1645).
• He is said to have sent Bhai Kaliana to the hill states to collect funds for the Harminder Sahib.

Guru Hargobind Ji (6th Guru)

• The 6th Sikh Guru (A.D. 1595-1645).
• He travelled extensively in the hill states.
• He built the town of Kiratpur on a plot of land gifted by Raja Tara Chand of Kahlur (Bilaspur).
• He helped Raja Tara Chand to defeat the Nawab of Ropar.
• He also helped Dharam Chand of Hindur in a succession war in 1618.

Guru Har Rai Ji (7th Guru)

• He vacated Kiratpur due to fear of a Mughal attack.
• He stayed in the Sirmur state with Raja Karam Prakash for 13 years.

Guru Teg Bahadur Ji (9th Guru)

• The 9th Sikh Guru (A.D. 1664-1675).
• He visited the state of Kahlur (Bilaspur) to express condolences on the demise of the prince.
• He purchased some land there and established himself in the village of ‘Makhowal’.
• This village later developed into the Sikh town of ‘Anandpur Sahib’.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji (10th Guru)

Initial Relations & Paonta Sahib

• The 10th Sikh Guru. He was invited to Sirmur by Raja Medini Prakash and resided there, founding Paonta Sahib.
• His growing following and crusade against the Mughals was misunderstood by the Rajas of Kahlur and Hindur.
• visited KULLU and Mandi during reign of Mandi raja sidh sen.
• A source of bitterness was the fact that the Guru’s army included some rebel Pathan deserters from the Mughal army, who reportedly raided the territory of Bhim Chand of Kahlur.

Battle of Bhangani (A.D. 1686)

• Fought between Guru Gobind Singh and the allied forces of Raja Bhim Chand (Kahlur) and Raja Hari Chand (Hindur).
• The battle was fought at ‘Bhangani’ near Paonta Sahib.
• Guru Gobind Singh emerged victorious.
• In this battle, Hari Chand, the Raja of Hindur, was killed by an arrow from Guru Gobind Singh.

Battle of Nadaun (c. 1691)

• Cause: Emperor Aurangzeb sent Alif Khan to collect annual tribute from the hill Rajas. Raja Bhim Chand of Kahlur refused to pay.
• Alliance: Bhim Chand sought help from Guru Gobind Singh. The allied forces of the Guru and hill chiefs fought the Mughals.
• Opposing Forces: Alif Khan was supported by Raja Dayal Chand and Raja Kirpal Chand.
• Result: The allied forces defeated the Mughal army at ‘Nadaun’. Following the battle, the Guru and Raja Bhim Chand became friendly again.

Post-Nadaun Mughal Expeditions

• The Mughals considered Guru Gobind Singh the reason for their defeat at Nadaun.
• First Expedition: The Subedar of Lahore, Dilawar Khan, sent his son Rustam Khan. He was defeated by the Guru’s forces.
• Second Expedition: Dilawar Khan then sent Ghulam Hussain Khan. Raja Gopal Singh of Guler helped the Guru, and the Mughal force was again defeated.
• A separate Mughal expedition (1696 A.D.) led by Mirza Beg was sent to crush a rebellion by the hill chiefs, plundering the country.

Creation of the Khalsa (A.D. 1699)

• Date: Baisakhi, 13 April 1699.
• Location: Anandpur (in Kahlur).
• Event: Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa, a military order.
• Impact: This created panic among the hill rulers, who viewed the new military force as a “standing menace to their princely order.”

Post-Khalsa Conflicts

• First Battle of Anandpur (c. 1701): The alarmed hill rulers allied with the Mughals. Emperor Aurangzeb sent commanders Adina Beg and Paind Khan. The Hill Rajas helped the Mughals, but they were defeated.
• Battle of Nirmohgarh (c. 1702): Another leader, Azmatullah, joined the Mughal-Hill Raja alliance. After prolonged battles, the Sikhs were defeated and forced to evacuate Nirmoh.
• Following the defeat, the Guru retreated to Basholi, which was in the dominion of Raja Dharampala.

The Great Siege of Anandpur (A.D. 1704)

• The Guru reoccupied Anandpur and began regrouping his army.
• On the specific instructions of Aurangzeb, Mughal forces, with the help of the hill rajas, laid a long siege to Anandpur to starve the Guru and the Khalsa into submission.
• After being assured of safe evacuation by the Mughals (on an oath they later broke), the Guru left Anandpur on 21st December 1704.

Evacuation and Final Battles

• Battle of Chamkaur (A.D. 1704): Immediately after evacuating Anandpur, the Guru’s small band was pursued and cornered at Chamkaur. In this desperate battle, his two elder sons (Sahibzadas), Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh, were martyred in combat.
• Martyrdom at Sirhind (A.D. 1704): The Guru’s two younger sons, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, were captured and executed (bricked alive) at Sirhind by the Mughal Governor Wazir Khan for refusing to convert to Islam.
• Battle of Muktsar (A.D. 1705): The Guru’s final major battle. A group of 40 Sikhs (the Chali Mukte, or “Forty Liberated Ones”) who had previously deserted him, returned to defend him and were all killed. The Guru blessed them, tore up their letter of desertion, and named the place ‘Muktsar’ (the pool of liberation).

Struggle and Death (A.D. 1708)

• His struggle, fortitude, and personal losses (including all four sons) are often compared to those of Maharana Pratap.
• Cause of Death: He was mortally stabbed while asleep by a Pathan who was taking revenge for the murder of his father.
• Date of Death: Thursday, 18th October 1708.
• Location of Death: Nander (in Maharashtra), on the banks of the Godavari river.

HPAS Notes: Banda Bahadur and the Hill States

Bahadur Shah and the Gurus

• Emperor Bahadur Shah (A.D. 1702-1712) was friendly with Guru Gobind Singh, who had provided military assistance in his struggle for the throne.
• The Guru accompanied Bahadur Shah on his Deccan tour.

The Rise of Banda Bahadur

• At Nander (in the Deccan), the Guru met a Bairagi named Madho Das.
• Madho Das became a devotee and was sent North to fight the “enemies of Khalsa.” He came to be known as Banda Bahadur.
• Banda’s forces were highly successful, capturing Sirhind, Amritsar, Kasus, Batala, Pathankot, and looting Lahore.

Mughal and Hill State Response

• To stop Banda’s army, Emperor Bahadur Shah sent Amin Khan.
• Banda was besieged in the fort of Lahagarh but managed to escape on 10th December 1710.
• The first hill state to face the wrath of Banda Bahadur was Kahlur (Bilaspur).
• This attack ax demoralized the other hill chiefs, who then voluntarily submitted to Banda Bahadur, paid ‘Nazrana’ (tribute), and assured their loyalty.

HPAS Notes: Post-Mughal Chaos & Rise of Sikh Misls

Fall of Banda Bahadur (A.D. 1715-1716)

• The Rajas of Chamba and Mandi were the first hill chiefs to surrender to Banda Bahadur.
• Emperor Farrukh Siyar (who had ousted Jahandar Shah) ordered his general, Abdus Samad Khan, to punish Banda.
• Banda, who was in the hills, fought a fierce battle with Mughal forces for eight months during 1715 A.D.
• He was finally captured and executed in June 1716 A.D.

The Rise of the Misls

• After the death of Banda Bahadur, the Sikhs organized themselves into 12 groups (commandants) known as Misls.
• During this period of Mughal dissolution, Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded Punjab ten times between 1748-1768.
• The last Mughal Qiladar (Fort Commander) of Kangra was Nawab Saif Ali Khan, appointed in A.D. 1740.
• A.D. 1752: The Mughal emperor ceded Punjab and the hill states to Ahmad Shah Durrani.

Ghamand Chand and the Sikh Misls

• Raja Ghamand Chand of Kangra took advantage of the chaos to recover all ancestral territory, *except* for the Kangra fort.
• A.D. 1759: Ahmad Shah Durrani appointed Ghamand Chand as the Governor of the Jalandhara Doab.
• This gave him supremacy over the hill states between the Sutlej and Ravi.
• Ghamand Chand was successful in expelling Sikh intruders from the hills.
• He defeated Jassa Singh Ramgarhia in a pitched battle.
• When Jassa Singh attacked a second time, in collaboration with Jai Singh Kanheya, Ghamand Chand repulsed them again.

Sikh Misl Supremacy in the Hills

• Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was the first Sikh chieftain to successfully invade the Kangra hills, making Kangra, Nurpur, and Chamba his tributaries.
• A.D. 1775: Jassa Singh was defeated on the plains by Jai Singh Kanheya.
• Jai Singh Kanheya then seized control of the “Kangra group of states,” including Datarphur, Siba, and Nurpur.

Sansar Chand II and the Capture of Kangra Fort (1781-1787)

• Despite the rise of the Misls, the Kangra fort was still held by the dying Mughal Governor, Saif Ali Khan.
• 1781-82: Sansar Chand II called for aid from Jai Singh Kanheya to lay siege to the fort.
• A.D. 1783: On the death of Saif Ali Khan, the fort was surrendered, but by a “stratagem,” Jai Singh Kanheya seized it for himself.
• Jai Singh held the fort for four years.
• A.D. 1787: Sansar Chand, with the help of other Sikh leaders, finally forced a reluctant Jai Singh to surrender the fort.
• With the fort in his possession, Sansar Chand began his “ambitious designs,” marking a glorious chapter for Kangra (1786-1805) by subduing Guler, Siba, Jaswan, Kahlur, and Mandi.

HPAS Notes: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Hill States

Early Life of Ranjit Singh (A.D. 1780 – 1798)

Birth and Early Years

• Born: November 13, 1780, at Gujranwala.
• Father: Mahan Singh, chief of the Sukerchakia Misl.
• First Taste of Battle (Age 10): Accompanied his father in the siege of Sodhran against Sahib Singh Bhangi of Gujarat.
• Proclaimed Chief (Age 10): While his father was on his deathbed, Mahan Singh invested Ranjit Singh as the new chief of the Sukerchakia Misl.
• First Victory (Age 10): Routed the Bhangi Sardars who had come to rescue Sahib Singh at Sodhran. This was the last news Mahan Singh heard before his death.

Regency and Internal Strife (A.D. 1792)

• Mahan Singh died in 1792, when Ranjit Singh was 12.
• His mother, Raj Kaur, became his natural guardian, assisted by Diwan Lakhpat Rai.
• A rival faction emerged, led by his mother-in-law, Sada Kaur, and his uncle, Dal Singh.
• This led to “intrigues and counter intrigues” between two clear groups: (1) Raj Kaur and the Diwan, and (2) Sada Kaur and Dal Singh.

Personal Life and Matrimonial Alliances

• Ranjit Singh grew up illiterate but was fond of military activities.
• Marriage 1 (Age 16: 1796): Married Mehtab Kaur, daughter of SADA kaur, uniting his Sukerchakia Misl with the powerful Kanhaiya Misl.
• Marriage 2 (A.D. 1798): Married the daughter of Khazan Singh Nakai, further adding to his strength. This second marriage annoyed Sada Kaur and Mehtab Kaur.