Uday Singh (Sikh warrior)

Bhai
Uday Singh
Bhai Uday Singh
	Fresco depicting Uday Singh from Gurdwara Baba Atal, circa 19th century
Personal
Died	December 1704 or 1705; Shahi Tibbi
Cause of death	Killed in action
Religion	Sikhism
Parent	Bhai Mani Singh (father);
Relations	Bachittar Singh (brother)
Military service
Allegiance	Khalsa Fauj

Uday Singh (died December 1704 or 1705) was a Sikh warrior during the period of Guru Gobind Singh.[1][note 1]

Early life

He was the third-born son of Bhai Mani Singh and brother of Bachittar Singh.[1] He was born into a Parmar Rajput family of Alipur in the Multan district.[1] He underwent the Pahul on 30 March 1699 during the festival of Vaisakhi.[1]

Military career

By 1698, he had already earned a reputation of being a talented musketeer.[1] He is said to have once killed a tiger during a chase with a musket.[1]

He participated in many battles against the Mughals and Hill Rajas. He was part of a group of 25 Sikhs whom accompanied Guru Gobind Singh to Anandpur shortly after the formalization and officialization of the Khalsa order and participated in many of the following military conflict in the area as a result.[1] One time while the Guru was partaking in hunting in the Anandpur Valley of the Shivalik Hills, two Hill Rajas, named Balia Chand and Alam Chand, attempted to attack the Guru.[1] Uday Singh is said to have fought them off, inflicting a serious wound on Balia Chand in the process.[1]

When faced with a petition by Ajit Singh to allow him to partake in a battle, Guru Gobind Singh instructed Uday Singh to accompany his elder son, alongside 100 warriors.[1] During an operation during the first siege of Anandpur in 1700, he recovered the fort of Taragarh alongside Sahibzada Ajit Singh.[2] He was responsible for the improvement of the Sikh defences that year in Anandpur and commanded the reserves.[1] He was responsible for personally killing Raja Kesri Chand of Jaswan State in battle.[1] He would further participate in the battles of Nimohgarh, Basoli, and Kalmot.[1]

Death

During the evacuation of Anandpur by the retinue of Guru Gobind Singh, he was assigned a group of 50 men to confront and slow-down the pursuing enemy forces.[3][4] He took over the responsibility of the rear-guard from Ajit Singh.[1] He died in battle in December 1704 or 1705 during the Battle of Shahi Tibbi as a result against an enemy which vastly outnumbered his small force.[1][3][note 2]

Legacy

A small gurdwara has since been constructed on the place of his death atop the hill of Shahi Tibbi.[1]

Notes

His personal name is alternatively transliterated as "Udai" or "Ude".
The year the events occurred is disputed as either 1704 or 1705.

References

Singh, Harbans (2004). The Encyclopedia of Sikhism. Vol. 4: S-Z (2nd ed.). Punjabi University, Patiala. p. 380. ISBN 817380530X.
Grewal, J. S. (2019). Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708): Master of the White Hawk. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190990381. But Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Bhai Udai Singh, leading two different bands of the Khalsa, recovered the fort.
Gandhi, Surjit Singh (2007). History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606-1708 C.E. History of Sikh Gurus Retold. Vol. 2. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 966. ISBN 9788126908585.
Sahi, Joginder Singh (1999). An Encyclopaedia of Sikhism and Sikhs Abroad: It Includes Sikh Gurus, Sikh Rehyat Maryada, Life of Guru Gobind Singh, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Etc., Sikh Martyrs, Gurudwaras in India and Abroad and Sikhs Abroad, with Coloured Photographs. Vol. 1. Common World. p. 48. At this critical juncture, the Guru directed Bhai Udai Singh at the need of the band of fifty Sikhs to hold the advance of the enemy.

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[2] His personal name is alternatively transliterated as "Udai" or "Ude".

[6] The year the events occurred is disputed as either 1704 or 1705.

[:0-1] Singh, Harbans (2004). The Encyclopedia of Sikhism. Vol. 4: S-Z (2nd ed.). Punjabi University, Patiala. p. 380. ISBN 817380530X.

[3] Grewal, J. S. (2019). Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708): Master of the White Hawk. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190990381. But Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Bhai Udai Singh, leading two different bands of the Khalsa, recovered the fort.

[:1-4] Gandhi, Surjit Singh (2007). History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606-1708 C.E. History of Sikh Gurus Retold. Vol. 2. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 966. ISBN 9788126908585.

[5] Sahi, Joginder Singh (1999). An Encyclopaedia of Sikhism and Sikhs Abroad: It Includes Sikh Gurus, Sikh Rehyat Maryada, Life of Guru Gobind Singh, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Etc., Sikh Martyrs, Gurudwaras in India and Abroad and Sikhs Abroad, with Coloured Photographs. Vol. 1. Common World. p. 48. At this critical juncture, the Guru directed Bhai Udai Singh at the need of the band of fifty Sikhs to hold the advance of the enemy.