Second Battle of Anandpur
Encyclopedia
The Second Battle of Anandpur was fought at Anandpur
, between the armies of the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh
and an allied force of the Raja
s of the Sivalik Hills. The battle occurred in 1704.
generals had failed to subdue the Guru in the First Battle of Anandpur
. Consequently, the Rajas of several hill states (including Jammu
, Nurpur
, Mandi, Kullu
, Guler, Chamba
, Srinagar
, Dadhwal, and Hindur) assembled at Bilaspur
to discuss the situation. The son of Bhim Chand, Raja Ajmer Chand of Kahlur, suggested forming an alliance to curb the Guru's rising power. Accordingly, the Rajas formed an alliance, and marched towards Anandpur.
They sent a letter to the Guru, asking him to pay the arrears
of rent for Anandpur (which lied in Ajmer Chand's territory), and leave the city. The Guru insisted that the land was bought by his father, and is therefore, his own property.
A large number of Ranghars and Gujjar
s, under the command of Jagatullah, joined the hill Rajas. Duni Chand led five hundred men from Majha
region to assist the Guru. Reinforcements from other areas also arrived to help the Guru.
The hill Rajas attacked the Guru's forces, but had to retreat. They held a brief council, and decided to launch a three-sided attack. Raja Kesari Chand of Jaswal launched an attack from the right flank, Jagatullah attacked from the left flank, and Ajmer Chand led his troops to make a front attack on Anandpur.
In the ensuing battle, Jagatullah was killed by Sahib Singh. Raja Ghumand Chand of Kangra rallied his troops but failed to defeat the Guru's forces. The Rajas again held a council, in which Ajmer Chand proposed reconciliation
with the Guru. Many Rajas agreed, but Raja Kesari Chand of Jaswal opposed the proposal, and suggested a more determined fight next day, to oust the Guru from Anandpur.
Next day, the Rajas' forces launched another attack and sieged the city. The Guru's men defended themselves successfully for weeks. Raja Kesari Chand then decided to send an intoxicated elephant
to break the gate of Lohgarh fort. The body of the elephant was encased in steel, and a spear
was projected from its forehead to break the gate. Guru's disciple, Vicihitar Singh (or Bachittar Singh) successfully chased away the elephant with his spear Nagni barchha. Mokham Singh cut its trunk with his sword. The wounded elephant went back in the Rajas' camp, trampling several men under its feet. Meanwhile, Kesari Chand was killed by Ude Singh, and the Raja of Handur was severely wounded in a conflict with Sahib Singh. The Rajas' army had to retreat.
On the following day, the troops of Ghumand Chand of Kangra attacked Anandpur. The battle lasted till evening, and resulted in death of Ghumand Chand.
The Rajas eventually gave up their ambitions to oust the Guru from Anandpur, and retreated back.
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...
, between the armies of the Sikh 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...
and an allied force of the Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
s of the Sivalik Hills. The battle occurred in 1704.
Cause
The hill Rajas were concerned about the Guru's rising power and influence in their region. Even the MughalMughal 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...
generals had failed to subdue the Guru in the First Battle of Anandpur
First Battle of Anandpur
The First Battle of Anandpur was fought at Anandpur, between the armies of the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh and the Mughal forces aided by the Rajas of the Sivalik Hills. The battle is dated 1701 by most authors.-Cause:...
. Consequently, the Rajas of several hill states (including Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
, Nurpur
Nurpur
Nurpur is a city and a municipal council in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It was formerly a Kingdom ruled by the Pathania clan of Rajputs, since the 11th century AD. The capital of the Kingdom was at Pathankot, now in Punjab....
, Mandi, Kullu
Kullu
Kullu, once known as Kul-anti-peetha - "the end of the habitable world", is the capital town of the Kullu District, in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Valley about ten kilometres north of the airport at Bhuntar.Kullu is a broad open...
, Guler, Chamba
Chamba, Himachal Pradesh
Chamba is an ancient town in the Chamba district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, in northern India. According to the 2001 Indian census, Chamba has a population of 20,312 people...
, Srinagar
Srinagar, Uttarakhand
For other uses, see Srinagar .Srinagar is the biggest town in garhwal and a municipal board in Pauri Garhwal District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.-Geography:...
, Dadhwal, and Hindur) assembled at Bilaspur
Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh
Bilaspur is a city and a municipal council in Bilaspur district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.-Geography:Bilaspur is located at . It has an average elevation of 673 metres . It is hot in summer and cold in winters. It rains mostly in July to august .It lies near the reservoir of...
to discuss the situation. The son of Bhim Chand, Raja Ajmer Chand of Kahlur, suggested forming an alliance to curb the Guru's rising power. Accordingly, the Rajas formed an alliance, and marched towards Anandpur.
They sent a letter to the Guru, asking him to pay the arrears
Arrears
Arrears is a legal term for the part of a debt that is overdue after missing one or more required payments. The amount of the arrears is the amount accrued from the date on which the first missed payment was due...
of rent for Anandpur (which lied in Ajmer Chand's territory), and leave the city. The Guru insisted that the land was bought by his father, and is therefore, his own property.
A large number of Ranghars and Gujjar
Gujjar
The Gurjar are an ethnic group in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar, Gurjjara and Gūrjara. The spelling Gurjara or Gurjar is preferable to the rest....
s, under the command of Jagatullah, joined the hill Rajas. Duni Chand led five hundred men from Majha
Majha
Majha is a region of the Punjab comprising the modern districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran in the Indian State of Punjab and the districts of Narowal, Lahore and Kasur in the Pakistani Province of Punjab. The term previously applied to Panjabis living north of the Sutlej...
region to assist the Guru. Reinforcements from other areas also arrived to help the Guru.
The battle
Lohgarh and Fatehgarh were the two main forts under the Guru's control. Sher Singh and Nahar Singh were asked to guard Lohgarh, and Ude Singh was appointed as chief to guard Fatehgarh.The hill Rajas attacked the Guru's forces, but had to retreat. They held a brief council, and decided to launch a three-sided attack. Raja Kesari Chand of Jaswal launched an attack from the right flank, Jagatullah attacked from the left flank, and Ajmer Chand led his troops to make a front attack on Anandpur.
In the ensuing battle, Jagatullah was killed by Sahib Singh. Raja Ghumand Chand of Kangra rallied his troops but failed to defeat the Guru's forces. The Rajas again held a council, in which Ajmer Chand proposed reconciliation
Conflict resolution
Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...
with the Guru. Many Rajas agreed, but Raja Kesari Chand of Jaswal opposed the proposal, and suggested a more determined fight next day, to oust the Guru from Anandpur.
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
to break the gate of Lohgarh fort. The body of the elephant was encased in steel, and a 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...
was projected from its forehead to break the gate. Guru's disciple, Vicihitar Singh (or Bachittar Singh) successfully chased away the elephant with his spear Nagni barchha. Mokham Singh cut its trunk with his sword. The wounded elephant went back in the Rajas' camp, trampling several men under its feet. Meanwhile, Kesari Chand was killed by Ude Singh, and the Raja of Handur was severely wounded in a conflict with Sahib Singh. The Rajas' army had to retreat.
On the following day, the troops of Ghumand Chand of Kangra attacked Anandpur. The battle lasted till evening, and resulted in death of Ghumand Chand.
The Rajas eventually gave up their ambitions to oust the Guru from Anandpur, and retreated back.