Baghel Singh
Encyclopedia
Baghel Singh was an important military general during turbulent times in Punjab
in the 18th century. He was born in the village of Chabal Kalan near the city of Tarn Taran Sahib
in the Taran Taran district. He grew up to become leader of the Karor Singhia Sikh
fighting order or misl
composed of Jat
Sikhs from present day Amritsar district
and Taran Taran district (major villages being Chabal, Naushehra Pannuan, Chabba, Sur Singh, Sirhali, Guruwali, Bhikhiwind, etc.).
owing to Ahmad Shah Durrani
's successive invasions during the latter half of the 18th century, the Sikhs began extending their influence.
Baghel Singh's Karor Singhia Misl fought directly with Ahmad Shah Durrani
(also known as Abdali
), along with other Dal Khalsa
misls near Kup at Malerkotla, where in one day of battle alone 30,000-40,000 women, children, and old Sikhs were killed.
After Durrani's invasion, Sikhs started consolidating the territories between Yamuna and Indus by incorporating into misls, and misls reporting to Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
(Chief of Dal Khalsa) won territory at Akal Takht Amritsar.
When Sukarchakia Misl (of Ranjit Singh) won the territory of Gujranwala, and the areas of Ravi and Chenab Doab and Ramgarhia Misl won the areas of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Bhangi around Lahore, and Kasur, Karor Singhia Misl declared their ownership of territories now including Ambala, Karnal, Hissar, Rohtak, Chandigarh, etc. Baghel Singh took possession of portions of the Jalandhar Doab and established himself at Hariana, near Hoshiarpur. Soon after the Sikh conquest of Sirhind in 1764, he extended his rule beyond Karnal and occupied number of villages including Chhalaudi, which he later made his headquarters.
s of these regions. After establishing his military grip over part of the cis-Sutlej Punjab, Baghel Singh Dhaliwal began to raid parts of trans-Yamuna
territories (such as Meerut, Saharanpur, Shahdra, and Awadh
) at the behest of his Afghan allies (such as Zabita Khan
and Ghulam Qadir).
of rupees ( 1,100,000). In April 1775, Baghel Singh with two other sardars (Rai Singh Bhangi and Tara Singh Ghaiba) crossed the Yamuna to occupy that country, which was then ruled by Zabita Khan, who was the son and successor of Najib ud-Daulah. Zabita Khan in desperation offered Baghel Singh large sums of money and proposed an alliance to jointly plunder the crown lands. Sardar Baghel Singh set up an octroi-post near Sabzi Mandi to collect the tax on the goods imported into the city to finance the search and the construction of the Sikh Temples. (He did not want to use the cash received from the Government Treasury for this purpose, and most of that was handed out to the needy and poor. He often distributed sweetmeats bought out of this government gift to the congregationalists at the place which is now known as the Pul Mithai.) In March 1776, they defeated the imperial forces of Mughal
emperor, Shah Alam II
near Muzaffarnagar
. The whole of the Yamuna Gangetic Doab was now at their mercy.
On 11 March 1783, when the Sikhs entered the Red Fort in Delhi and occupied the Diwani-Am, the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II made a settlement with them agreeing to allow Baghel Singh to raise gurdwaras on Sikh historical sites in the city and receive six annas in a rupee (37.5%) of all the octroi duties in the capital. Baghel Singh stayed in Sabzi Mandi with 4000 troops and took charge of the police station in Chandni Chowk. He located seven sites connected with the lives of the Gurus and had shrines raised thereon within the space of eight months, from April to November 1783. Gurdwara Sis Ganj marked the spot in the main Mughal street of Chandni Chowk
where Guru Tegh Bahadur had been executed under the fiat of the emperor and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib
, near modern day Parliament House, where the body was cremated. Bangla Sahib and Bala Sahib commemorated the Eighth Guru, Guru Har Krishan. Three other gurdwaras were built at Majnu ka Tilla, Moti Bagh
, and Telivara.
Nawab Majad ud Daula under the banner of the crown prince. In addition to being a brave warrior, Baghel Singh was a sharp strategist and statesman. He was able to out-maneouvre the strong Mughal army in the battle of Ghanaur
, near Patiala city. As a result of the victory, the huge Mughal army surrendered before Baghel Singh's forces.
Despite the treaty with the Marathas, the same Sikhs of Malwa very quickly joined the British in the second Anglo Maratha war of 1803-1805 . Baghel Singh established an octroi post in Chandni Chowk
outside the Red Fort in the Mughal capital Delhi
in March 1783.
Baghel Singh and the Mughal Emperor entered into an agreement that 12.5% of the octroi of Delhi would be regularly sent to him. In return, he would ensure that the Sikhs did not attack the capital again.
Baghel Singh Dhaliwal is credited with establishment of following Gurudwaras or Sikh Temples in Delhi
:
Baghel Singh Dhaliwal died around 1802 at Hariana, near Hoshiarpur
.
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
in the 18th century. He was born in the village of Chabal Kalan near the city of Tarn Taran Sahib
Tarn Taran Sahib
Tarn Taran Sahib a city in the Indian state of Punjab. It is the district headquarters and hosts the municipal council of Taran Taran district.-History:Tarn Taran Sahib was founded by the fifth Sikh Guru Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji...
in the Taran Taran district. He grew up to become leader of the Karor Singhia Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
fighting order or misl
Misl
Misl generally refers to the twelve sovereign states in the Sikh Confederacy. The states formed a commonwealth that was described by Antoine Polier as an "aristocratic republic"...
composed of Jat
Jat people
The Jat people are a community of traditionally non-elite tillers and herders in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and subsequently into the Delhi Territory,...
Sikhs from present day Amritsar district
Amritsar District
Amritsar district is one of 22 districts in the state of Punjab in West India. It has a population of 3,074,207 and covers an area of 5075 km²...
and Taran Taran district (major villages being Chabal, Naushehra Pannuan, Chabba, Sur Singh, Sirhali, Guruwali, Bhikhiwind, etc.).
Early life
Karor Singhia Misl had 12,000 fighting men according to Syed Ahmad Latif, a Muslim historian. As well as being a good soldier, Baghel Singh was a very good political negotiator and was able to win over many adversaries to his side. The Mughals, the Ruhilas, the Marathas, and the British sought his friendship. In the wake of the decay of Mughal authority in the PunjabPunjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
owing to Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani , also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī and born as Ahmad Khān, was the founder of the Durrani Empire in 1747 and is regarded by many to be the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan.Ahmad Khan enlisted as a young soldier in the military of the Afsharid kingdom and quickly rose...
's successive invasions during the latter half of the 18th century, the Sikhs began extending their influence.
Baghel Singh's Karor Singhia Misl fought directly with Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani , also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī and born as Ahmad Khān, was the founder of the Durrani Empire in 1747 and is regarded by many to be the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan.Ahmad Khan enlisted as a young soldier in the military of the Afsharid kingdom and quickly rose...
(also known as Abdali
Abdali
Abdali may refer to:* Abdali Urban Regeneration Project, district in Amman, Jordan* Durrani, one of the two largest Pashtun tribes of Afghanistan and Pakistan* Ahmed Shah Abdali, founder of the Durrani Empire...
), along with other Dal Khalsa
Dal Khalsa
Dal Khalsa is a socio-religio-political organization of the Sikh nation, based in the city of Amritsar . The primary aim of Dal Khalsa is to achieve the independence of the Punjabi-speaking Sikh majority region of North West India through peaceful and democratic means in order to establish a...
misls near Kup at Malerkotla, where in one day of battle alone 30,000-40,000 women, children, and old Sikhs were killed.
After Durrani's invasion, Sikhs started consolidating the territories between Yamuna and Indus by incorporating into misls, and misls reporting to Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
Sultan ul Quam Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was a prominent Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy. He was also Misldar of the Ahluwalia Misl. This period was an interlude, lasting roughly from the time of the death of Banda Bahadur in 1716 to the founding of the Sikh Empire in 1801...
(Chief of Dal Khalsa) won territory at Akal Takht Amritsar.
When Sukarchakia Misl (of Ranjit Singh) won the territory of Gujranwala, and the areas of Ravi and Chenab Doab and Ramgarhia Misl won the areas of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Bhangi around Lahore, and Kasur, Karor Singhia Misl declared their ownership of territories now including Ambala, Karnal, Hissar, Rohtak, Chandigarh, etc. Baghel Singh took possession of portions of the Jalandhar Doab and established himself at Hariana, near Hoshiarpur. Soon after the Sikh conquest of Sirhind in 1764, he extended his rule beyond Karnal and occupied number of villages including Chhalaudi, which he later made his headquarters.
Expansion
Then Baghel Singh Dhaliwal turned towards cis Yamuna territories, and Sikhs were soon invading territories beyond Delhi and into areas like Meerut, Awadh, and collecting tribute from the NawabNawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
s of these regions. After establishing his military grip over part of the cis-Sutlej Punjab, Baghel Singh Dhaliwal began to raid parts of trans-Yamuna
Yamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
territories (such as Meerut, Saharanpur, Shahdra, and Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
) at the behest of his Afghan allies (such as Zabita Khan
Zabita Khan
Zabita Khan Rohilla was Rohilla chieftain in the time of the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam . He was the son of the Rohilla Sardar Najib-ud-Daula, who founded the city of Najibabad, Zabita Khan is also known to have fought alongside his father during the Battle of Panipat...
and Ghulam Qadir).
Attack on Delhi
In February 1764, a body of 40,000 Sikhs under the command of Baghel Singh and other leading warriors crossed the Yamuna and captured Saharanpur. They overran the territory of Najib ud-Daulah, the Ruhila chief, acquiring from him a tribute of eleven lakhLakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
of rupees ( 1,100,000). In April 1775, Baghel Singh with two other sardars (Rai Singh Bhangi and Tara Singh Ghaiba) crossed the Yamuna to occupy that country, which was then ruled by Zabita Khan, who was the son and successor of Najib ud-Daulah. Zabita Khan in desperation offered Baghel Singh large sums of money and proposed an alliance to jointly plunder the crown lands. Sardar Baghel Singh set up an octroi-post near Sabzi Mandi to collect the tax on the goods imported into the city to finance the search and the construction of the Sikh Temples. (He did not want to use the cash received from the Government Treasury for this purpose, and most of that was handed out to the needy and poor. He often distributed sweetmeats bought out of this government gift to the congregationalists at the place which is now known as the Pul Mithai.) In March 1776, they defeated the imperial forces of Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
emperor, Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II , also known as Ali Gauhar, was a Mughal emperor of India. A son of Alamgir II, he was exiled to Allahabad in December 1759 by Ghazi-ud-Din, who appointed Shah Jahan III as the emperor. Later, he was nominated as the emperor by Ahmad Shah.Shah Alam II was considered the only and...
near Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar is a major city and a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city was established in Mughal period by a Sayyid Jagirdar, Munawar Lashkar Ali, and so named in honour of his father, Muzaffar Ali Khan. It is the headquarters of the Muzaffarnagar district. It is a...
. The whole of the Yamuna Gangetic Doab was now at their mercy.
On 11 March 1783, when the Sikhs entered the Red Fort in Delhi and occupied the Diwani-Am, the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II made a settlement with them agreeing to allow Baghel Singh to raise gurdwaras on Sikh historical sites in the city and receive six annas in a rupee (37.5%) of all the octroi duties in the capital. Baghel Singh stayed in Sabzi Mandi with 4000 troops and took charge of the police station in Chandni Chowk. He located seven sites connected with the lives of the Gurus and had shrines raised thereon within the space of eight months, from April to November 1783. Gurdwara Sis Ganj marked the spot in the main Mughal street of Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk , originally meaning moonlit square or market, is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, now in central north Delhi, India...
where Guru Tegh Bahadur had been executed under the fiat of the emperor and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib
Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib
The Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib is historic gurdwara near Parliament House in New Delhi. It was built in 1783, after Sikh military leader Baghel Singh captured Delhi, on 11 March 1783, and his brief stay in Delhi, lead to the construction of several Sikh religious shrines within the city...
, near modern day Parliament House, where the body was cremated. Bangla Sahib and Bala Sahib commemorated the Eighth Guru, Guru Har Krishan. Three other gurdwaras were built at Majnu ka Tilla, Moti Bagh
Moti bagh
Moti Bagh is a residential locality located in South New Delhi, India. The residential locality is divided into South Moti Bagh and North Moti Bagh, and comprises official residences of predominately Government of India officers /employees...
, and Telivara.
Battle of Ghanaur
In 1778 the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II sent an estimated army of 100,000 soldiers to chastise the Sikhs. The Mughal force was commanded by the wazirVizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
Nawab Majad ud Daula under the banner of the crown prince. In addition to being a brave warrior, Baghel Singh was a sharp strategist and statesman. He was able to out-maneouvre the strong Mughal army in the battle of Ghanaur
Ghanaur
Ghanaur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Patiala district in the state of Punjab, India.-Geography:Ghanaur is located at . It has an average elevation of 255 metres ....
, near Patiala city. As a result of the victory, the huge Mughal army surrendered before Baghel Singh's forces.
Rise of Sikh Power
However, the Sikhs remained a source of trouble for the Mughal Kingdom throughout the late 18th century. Baghel Singh Dhaliwal led the Sikhs all the way to Delhi and in 1783 plundered the imperial capital, a move that alarmed the British as well as the Marhattas. The 1783 plunder of Delhi under the army of Ghulam Qadir (the leader of the Indian Afghans) announced to the world that the Sikhs had arrived.Despite the treaty with the Marathas, the same Sikhs of Malwa very quickly joined the British in the second Anglo Maratha war of 1803-1805 . Baghel Singh established an octroi post in Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk , originally meaning moonlit square or market, is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, now in central north Delhi, India...
outside the Red Fort in the Mughal capital Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
in March 1783.
Baghel Singh and the Mughal Emperor entered into an agreement that 12.5% of the octroi of Delhi would be regularly sent to him. In return, he would ensure that the Sikhs did not attack the capital again.
Baghel Singh Dhaliwal is credited with establishment of following Gurudwaras or Sikh Temples in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
:
- Gurdwara Mata SundriGurdwara Mata SundriGurdwara Mata Sundari is a historic Gurdwara in New Delhi. It is named after Mata Sundari, wife of last Sikh Guru Guru Gobind Singh, a mother figure in Sikh history....
- Gurdwara Bangla SahibGurdwara Bangla SahibGurudwara Bangla Sahib is the most prominent Sikh gurdwara, or Sikh house of worship, in Delhi, known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan, and the pond inside its complex, known as the "Sarovar", whose water is considered holy by Sikhs and is known as "Amrit"...
, Delhi - Gurdwara Bala Sahib, Delhi
- Gurdwara Rakab GanjGurdwara Rakab Ganj SahibThe Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib is historic gurdwara near Parliament House in New Delhi. It was built in 1783, after Sikh military leader Baghel Singh captured Delhi, on 11 March 1783, and his brief stay in Delhi, lead to the construction of several Sikh religious shrines within the city...
, Delhi - Gurdwara Sis GanjGurdwara Sis Ganj SahibGurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, is one of the nine historical gurdwaras in Delhi. First established in 1783 by Baghel Singh to commemorate the martyrdom site the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur...
, Delhi - Gurdwara Moti Bagh, Delhi
- Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi
Baghel Singh Dhaliwal died around 1802 at Hariana, near Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur is a city and a municipal council in Hoshiarpur district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the fourth century. In 1809 it was occupied by the forces of Maharaja Karanvir Singh and was united into the greater state of Punjab....
.