Bhai Bachittar Singh often known with the honorific

Honorific

An honorific is a word or expression with connotations conveying esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term is used not quite correctly to refer to an honorary title...

 "Shaheed" (martyr), was a Minhas

Minhas

Minhas or Manhas or Minhas-Dogra is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan from the Punjab region and Jammu & Kashmir in India and Pakistan. It is an off-shoot of Jamwal-Dogra Rajputs, the founders of the city and state of Jammu and its rulers from ancient times to 1948 CE...

 Sikh Rajput hero, a warrior under Guru Gobind Singh

Guru Gobind Singh

Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...

.

Early Life

Bhai Bachittar Singh, born on 6 May 1664 at Padhiana

Padhiana

Padhiana is a village in the tehsil and district of Jalandhar, Punjab, India. It falls in Adampur block of the district.The village has 794 hectares of land. The population of Padhiana was 2885 at the 1991 census.-Geography:...

 was the second son of Bhai Mani Ram, a Minhas

Minhas

Minhas or Manhas or Minhas-Dogra is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan from the Punjab region and Jammu & Kashmir in India and Pakistan. It is an off-shoot of Jamwal-Dogra Rajputs, the founders of the city and state of Jammu and its rulers from ancient times to 1948 CE...

 Rajput

Rajput

A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...

 and devotee of the Sikh Gurus

Sikh Gurus

The Sikh Gurus established Sikhism from over the centuries beginning in the year 1469. Sikhism was founded by the first guru, Guru Nanak, and subsequently, all in order were referred to as "Nanak", and as "Lights", making their teachings in the holy scriptures, equivalent...

. One of the five brothers presented by their father for service to Guru Gobind Singh, he joined the order of the Khalsa on the historic Baisakhi day, 14 April 1699, and shot into prominence during the first battle of Anandpur against the hill chieftains, when, on 1 September 1700, he was selected by Guru Gobind Singh to single-handedly face a drunken elephant brought forth by the enemy to batter down the gate of Lohgarh Fort.

Second Battle of Anandpur

Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji

Guru Gobind Singh

Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...

 and a small number of Sikhs were defending their position in Lohgarh

Lohgarh

Lohgarh is a village in Notified Area Committee of Zirakpur in district Mohali in state of Punjab in India-Colonies in Lohgarh:* Dashmesh Colony Patiala HW* Golden Enclave* Lohgarh village* Panchsheel Enclave.* Badal Colony* Balaji Enclave...

 fort of Anandpur Sahib

Anandpur Sahib

Anandpur Sahib is a city in Rupnagar district in the state of Punjab, India. Known as "the holy City of Bliss," it is a holy city of the Sikhs and is one of their most important sacred places, closely linked with their religious traditions and history...

 during The Second Battle of Anandpur

Second Battle of Anandpur

The Second Battle of Anandpur was fought at Anandpur, between the armies of the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh and an allied force of the Rajas of the Sivalik Hills. The battle occurred in 1704.-Cause:...

, which was under attack by numerically far superior forces under the rule of the 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 Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb

Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...

 and the Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

 rulers of the Hill States

Hill States

The term hill states means states in a hilly area. In particular it is used for two northern border regions of colonial British India.-Raj period Punjab:...

. Despite superior numbers, the besiedging forces were unable to penetrate the heavily-defended fort. They brought forth an armoured, druken elephant to batter in the gates. Bhai Bachittar Singh was tasked with stopping the elephant, armed with a Nagni Barcha, a type of spear

Spear

A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...

. As the elephant approached the gate, Bachittar Singh, sallied forth on horseback and made a powerful thrust with his spear piercing the elephant's armour plate and injuring the animal in the forehead. The wounded elephant ran back creating havoc and great damage in the enemy's ranks. As a result of Bhai sahib's bold action, the Sikhs gained an upper hand in this conflict.

Other Battles

Bachittar Singh also took part in actions at Nirmohgarh and Basali and in the last battle of Anandpur. On the fateful night of 5-6 December 1705, when Anandpur was evacuated, he was one of those who safely crossed the torrential Sirsa rivulet. At the head of a flanking guard watching pursuers from the direction of Ropar

Rupnagar

Rupnagar is a city and a municipal council in Rupnagar district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was formerly known as Ropar. The town of Rupnagar is said to have been founded by a Raja called Rokeshar, who ruled during the 11th century and named it after his son Rup Sen. It is also the site of...

, he had an encounter with a body of irregulars

Irregular military

Irregular military refers to any non-standard military. Being defined by exclusion, there is significant variance in what comes under the term. It can refer to the type of military organization, or to the type of tactics used....

 near Malikpur Ranghran in which he was seriously wounded. He was carried , near death, to Nihang Khan's

Nihang Khan

Nihang Khan was the zamindar ruler of a small principality called Kotla Nihang Khan near Ropar in Punjab, India. He was a friend and follower of the tenth and final Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh...

 house at Kotla Nihang Khan

Kotla Nihang Khan

Kotla Nihang Khan is a town located about 3 kilometers southeast of Ropar city in Punjab, India...

 by Sahibzada Ajit Singh

Sahibzada Ajit Singh

Sahibzada Ajit Singh was the eldest of Guru Gobind Singh's four sons. His younger brothers were Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh. With his three brothers, Sahibzada Ajit Singh carried on a great family tradition: that of attaining the status of one of the...

 and Bhai Madan Singh.

Guru Gobind Singh asked Nihang Khan to look after Bachittar Singh, after which he proceeded with the remaining forty or so Sikhs towards Chamkaur

Chamkaur

Chamkaur Sahib is a Sub Divisional town in the district of Rupnagar in the Indian State of Punjab. It is famous for the Battle of Chamkaur fought between the Mughals and Guru Gobind Singh....

. Guru Gobind Singh, before his departure, bestowed upon Nihang Khan; a sword, a dagger and a shield.

The rumour spread that Nihang Khan was sheltering some Sikhs, the Mughal troops searched his house while the mortally wounded Bachittar Singh lay in a small room attended by Nihang Khan's daughter. Living up to his name, Nihang Khan maintained his cool and succeeded in keeping the search party from entering the room by telling them that his daughter was nursing her very sick husband. Thus the danger was averted.

Death

Bachittar Singh's wounds proved to be fatal. He succumbed to his injuries and breathed his last on 8 December 1705.

Nihang Khan had the cremation

Cremation

Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....

performed secretly the following night.