Mogul-Sikh Wars
The Mogul-Sikh Wars were a series of conflicts between the Sikh community and the Mughal Empire, primarily during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The tensions began with the growing popularity of Sikhism, founded by Guru Nanak in the Punjab, and escalated with the persecution of Sikh leaders, particularly under Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Key figures, such as Guru Hargobind and Guru Gobind Singh, played pivotal roles in militarizing the Sikh community in response to Mughal oppression, leading to the formation of the Khalsa, a collective of Sikh warriors devoted to defending their faith.
The conflicts intensified with the rise of Emperor Aurangzeb, who targeted the Sikhs due to their increasing power and influence. Following significant battles, including the siege of Anandpur, the Sikhs faced heavy losses, but their resolve only strengthened, leading to notable victories against Mughal forces. The eventual execution of Sikh leader Bandā Bahādur and subsequent massacres highlighted the brutal nature of these confrontations. Ultimately, the resistance of the Sikhs contributed to the decline of the Mughal Empire, as they established a robust martial tradition and expanded their influence throughout the Punjab region, fostering a sense of unity and resilience within the Sikh community.
On this Page
Mogul-Sikh Wars
At issue: Preservation of the Sikh religion and culture
Date: 1675–1716
Location: Punjab, northwest India
Combatants: Moguls vs. Sikhs
Principal commanders:Mogul, Emperor Jahāngīr (1569–1627), Shāh Jahān (1592–1658), Aurangzeb (1618–1707), Farrukh Siyar (d. 1719); Sikh, Arjan (1563–1606), Hargobind (1596–1644), Bandā Bahādur (d. 1716)
Principal battles: Amritsar, Lahira, Khidrana, Mukhlisgarh, Siege of Gurdespur
Result: Sikhs established their religion and culture and helped destroy the Mogul empire
Background
The Sikh religion originated with Nānak (1469–1539) in the Punjab. Because of its saintly tradition, its egalitarian ideas, and especially its highly popular economic policies whereby land was distributed to the poor, the Sikh religion attracted large numbers of followers.
Jahāngīr, the Mogul emperor, resented the growing popularity of Arjan and the assistance he had given his son, Khusrau, in his rebellion against Jahāngīr. Arjan was arrested and tortured, and on May 20, 1606, he died. His successor, Hargobind, began the Sikh martial tradition by welcoming offerings of arms and horses instead of money. He trained an army and built fortresses. Arrested, he spent about a year in prison.
Action
With the accession of Shāh Jahān, the Sikhs’ problems really began. In Amritsar, in 1628, Hargobind was ordered arrested. After a clash, he fled, and in 1630, the Moguls were badly mauled at Lahira. In 1634, realizing he could not face the Moguls on the plains, Hargobind moved to Kiratpur in the Himalayan foothills. The succeeding Gurus (Har Rai and Hari Kishen) led peaceful lives, but Mogul Aurangzeb ordered Teg Bahadur arrested and murdered.
The guru’s successor, Gobind Singh, the last of the ten gurus, introduced the concept of dharma yudh (battle for the sake of righteousness), which made it a duty to resist an avowed enemy with all the means at one’s disposal. He also welcomed volunteers for the Khalsa, the army he created in 1699. Hindu regional rulers resented his growing power and asked Aurangzeb to destroy the Khalsa. Gobind was besieged at Nirmoh, Basali, and Anandpur before breaking out to Chamkaur, where he lost his two elder sons. He was smuggled out, but his two remaining sons, aged nine and seven, were murdered. Thousands of people joined him because of their deaths, and Gobind defeated the Moguls at Khidrana (1708). Gobind was stabbed by an assassin and died a few days later on October 7, 1708, but the Khalsa now composed a hard core of nearly 100,000 men with an even larger number of supporters.
With the new Mogul emperor, Bahādur Shāh I, fighting in the south, Gobind’s successor, Bandā Bahādur, commander of the army, attempted to destroy Mogul power in the north using the famous Sikh tactic of hit, run, turn back, and hit again. By 1710, only Lahore and Kasur in the Punjab remained under Mogul control. Bahādur Shāh hurried back to the north and called for a general mobilization and a jihad (holy war) against the Sikhs. In 1712, his successor, Jahandar Shāh, besieged Bandā at Mukhlisgarh. Under Farrukh Siyar, Bandā was besieged at Gurdespur for eight months (1715–1716) and captured; hundreds were massacred. Bandā was taken to Delhi along with carts filled with several hundred prisoners, and in March, 1716, the prisoners were killed. On June 19, 1716, Bandā, his four-year-old son, and a final batch of Sikhs were executed.
Aftermath
The Sikh rebellions helped destroy the Mogul Empire. The Mogul policy of repression toward the Sikhs had the effect of strengthening the Sikh religion and community as the Sikhs developed a martial tradition to defend their way of life. As the Sikhs became militarily powerful, they were able to acquire great tracts of land in the Punjab which, in turn, attracted more followers. The Sikh success encouraged the Rohillas, the Rājputs, the Jats, and others to rebel.
Bibliography
Hintze, Andrea. The Mughal Empire and Its Decline. Brookfield, Vt.: Ashgate, 1997.
Richards, John F. The Mughal Empire. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
Singh, Khushwant. A History of the Sikhs: 1469–1839. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1963.