Battle of Bilaspur (1711)
The Battle of Bilaspur was fought in 1711 by Sikh forces led by Banda Singh Bahadur and the Rajas of Sivalik Hills led by Raja Ajmer Chand of Princely State of Kahlur (Bilaspur).
| Battle of Bilaspur | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Banda Singh Bahadur's invasion of the Hill States | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Khalsa (Sikhs) |
 KahlurAssisted by 21 Other Rajas of Sivalik Hills | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Banda Singh Bahadur Baghar Singh Ranjor Singh Bajar Singh Kehar Singh Ranjit Singh |
Raja Ajmer Chand  | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 5 accompanied voluntary by a large number of Sikhs |
1,300 7 War Elephants | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Entire Army[2] | ||||||
Background
After fighting for Punjab against the Mughal Empire and suffering defeat in the Battle of Lohgarh, Banda Singh Bahadur launched an attack towards the Hill States.[3] He established his headquarters at Kiratpur Sahib and positioned his troops at Anandpur Sahib.[4] He warned Kahlur to prepare for battle, feeling frustrated that this state always helped Mughals against Guru Gobind Singh.[5][6]
After hearing this, the Raja of Kahlur positioned around 1,300 Mian caste Rajputs and seven war elephants.[2][7]
Battle
Banda Singh first sent only five Sikh warriors towards the fort who were accompanied voluntarily by a large number of Sikhs.[3] These five Sikhs were Baghar Singh, Ranjor Singh, Bajar Singh, Kehar Singh and Ranjit Singh.[8][9] Kehar, Ranjor and Ranjit Singh managed to slay all the war elephants. Bajar Singh broke down the fort's door and started to kill the enemy along with Baghar Singh. Then a large number of Sikhs arrived and assaulted the fort.[3] At last, Kahlur was defeated with a heavy cost of 1,300 lives.[10][11]
Aftermath
After this crushing defeat, the Sikhs ruthlessly looted Bilaspur.[12] Mandi was the next target of the Khalsa. Raja Sudh Sain declared himself as a follower of Guru Nanak and turned himself to Banda Singh.[13]
References
- Kapoor, Sukhbir (1988). The Ideal Man: The Concept of Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Prophet of the Sikhs. The University of Virginia: Khalsa College London Press. p. 177.
- D.S Saggu VSM (2018). Battle Tactics And War Manoeuvres of the Sikhs. Notion Press. ISBN 9781642490060.
- Bhangu, Rattan Singh (1914). Panth Prakash Vol.2 English Translation. pp. 265–287.
- Gupta, Hari Ram (1978). History Of The Sikhs Vol. II Evolution Of Sikh Confederacies (1707-69). p. 21.
- Singh, Ganda (1935). Life Of Banda Singh Bahadur Based On Contemporary And Original Records. Sikh Digital Library. Sikh Digital Library. pp. 154–155.
- Gurdev Singh Deol (1972). Banda Bahadur. p. 76.
- Sagoo, Harbans Kaur (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications. p. 190. ISBN 9788176293006.
- Louis E. Fenech (14 January 2021). The Cherished Five in Sikh History. Oxford University Press. p. 222. ISBN 9780197532867.
- Sohan Singh Seetal (2 September 2008). Rise of the Sikh Power and Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. p. 94.
- Harajindara Siṅgha Dilagīra (1997). The Sikh reference book. p. 257. ISBN 9780969596424.
- Raj Pal Singh (1998). Banda Bahadur and His Times. Harman Publishing House. p. 43. ISBN 9788186622254.
- Harish Dhillon (May 2013). First Raj of the Sikhs. Hay House. ISBN 9789381398395.
- Surjit Singh Gandhi (1999). Sikhs In The Eighteenth Century. Singh Bros. p. 46. ISBN 9788172052171.