Top Ten Greatest Battles Fought By Sikhs

[sandhubobby]

what would you say they are

[Singh559]

All the battles fought by Dhan Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Dhan Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and Dhan Guru Hargobind Ji

[TheFancyBanana]

In no particular order.

Battle of Chamkaur, Sarangari, Battle of Amritsar (1984), Sabraon,Battle of Green Ridge, Mukatsar, battles in the 1971 India-Pakistan war, Bhai Bota Singh and Bhai Garjha Singh (2 against 100), Battle of Sirhind, Battle of Peshawar.

[13Mirch]

I am doing a series regarding the same thing on my blog. I have a new initiative if you guys want to write one from your perspective and submit it to me I will love it. I have already done Chamkaur and another one which I label, as the "Lost Battle."

Heres the most recent one:

One of the ignored battles of Sikh history, and one which has been repeatedly shrouded by the veils of darkness is the lost battle. Fought between the Akali Nihungs, the British and the remaining vestiges of the 'Phulkian' misl, the battle marked the exile of the Akali Nihungs from their beloved Punjab and the ascendance of the British power over the virgin Punjab. Despite the vocal disparities prevalent between the Akali Nihungs and the Sikh polity, both seamlessly intertwined with each other during times of crisis. By 1845 A.D. such a crisis was heavily prevalent in the atmosphere. After the demise of Maharajah Ranjit Singh in 1839 A.D., his trusted advisors, the Dogras had slowly gained control of the empire's affairs. By setting the late Maharajah's subsequent heirs at each other's throats, they had commenced a chain of events which had weakened the foundations of Khalsa independence. Subsequently, disgusted by their indolent behavior and voracious nature many of the empire's generals and chiefs had resigned from their positions and migrated to other parts of the empire or other nations. As a result, the mother of the Maharajah's potential heir, Maharani Jind Kaur, was made queen in a heavily unstable empire and handed the reins of a complex entity. One which was proving to be mutinous on a numerous different fronts. Seeing the Khalsa's army's spirit and it's tendency to execute traitors and warmongers, the Dogras slowly depleted it's finances until even the most loyal soldier turned himself against the monarchy. This event catalyzed in Lal Singh Dogra and Hira Singh Dogra convincing the queen to break the cis-Sutlej treaty. The treaty had been a perpetual understanding between the late Maharajah and the British, solemnly binding both sides from crossing their respective side of the Sutlej river. An action which could easily be interpreted as a subtle gesture of war. Furthermore it stalled the Maharajah from extending the Khalsa empire's precedents into British India. What the British however failed to acknowledge at the time, was that by stalling Ranjit Singh they had only fueled his ambition and displayed their own Achilles heel to him.

Maharani Jind Kaur slowly traversed herself into the Dogra's ambush and gave the Khalsa army her full blessings to commence preparations for invading British territory. On one hand the Dogras were assisting the army and outlining decisive maneuvers against the British, whilst on the other they were reporting the Khalsa's plans to British envoys. Thus, the battle and it's subsequent outcome was decided upon even before both armies came in sight of each other. Despite inflicting an unheard rate of casualties upon the British, via it's indigenous guerrilla tactics and facsimile achieved via the leadership of European generals, the Khalsa extensively suffered from the outset of the war. Subtle traitors such as Ranjodh Singh Majitha failed to assist the main detachment of troops with utmost clarity and speed, whilst the Dogras betrayed the Khalsa troop's weak spots to their new found masters. Ultimately only one battle remained to be fought, it would decide the concluding outcome of the entire war. The Khalsa decided to base its remaining power at this central spot and planned an elaborate trap for the British. One if successful would ensure the demise of all white soldiers present. It was at this critical conjuncture that Maharani Jind Kaur, after being notified of the Dogra forces ineptness and the bloody casualties inflicted upon the valorous Khalsa troops, summoned the noble Sham Singh Attari from his indigenous residence. Sham Singh had been a great bureaucrat and noble of the Khalsa court in his heyday and on several occasions had acted as general of the Khalsa forces. On receiving his queen's summons he discarded his son's marriage ceremony and joined the Nihungs of Budha-Dal at Akal-Takhat. There he pledged alliance to the Khalsa nation in front of Guru Granth Sahib Ji and presented himself before Akali Baba Hanuman Singh Ji, the commander-in-chief of both the Budha-Dal and Shaheedan misl along with the venerable position of head custodian of Akal-Takhat.

Akali Baba Hanuman Singh was no common soldier himself. In his own right, he was a veritable one man legion. Perpetually encased in his armour and weapons he presented a fearsome spectacle to both friend and foe alike. Born in 1755 A.D. he had served as an Akali under both Akali Baba Naina Singh Ji, and Akali Baba Poohla Singh Ji. Both valued proponents of the Khalsa empire in it's various transformations. After Baba Poohla Singh's demise, Hanuman Singh had ascended to the commander-ship of both the Budha-Dal and the Shaheedan misl at the able age of 68 years. Since then he had never faltered in his duties and was ever-ready for combat. Thus when Sham Singh pointed out to him the large deficiency in the general Khalsa army's numbers, Hanuman Singh chuckled with delight and chastised him by humorously citing the Akal-Nihungs solemn pledge to perpetually defend the Khalsa nation. After enrolling Sham Singh and his sons, in his own force Baba Hanuman Singh set out for Sobroan, where the rest of the Khalsa awaited him. It is said that just before retiring for the night, and rest before the commencement of the battle, the Dogras slipped out of the heavily guarded Khalsa camp and notified the British generals of the Khalsa ambush. In return for such devious intelligence, the British ordered the Dogras to abscond from the battlefield alongst with any sympathizers they possessed. The Dogras extensively tried convincing Sham Singh to re-write his solemn pledge to the Khalsa, and join them in their retreat from the battlefield. But the chivalrous knight refused.

On the 10th of February 1846 A.D. the final battle of the first Anglo-Sikh war was enjoined between the troops of the East India Company, and the Khalsa empire. Despite realizing that their ambush had been betrayed, the Khalsa troops valorously impaled themselves on the British guns, and slaughtered their fair-skinned foes. In the midst of the battle Sham Singh, and Baba Hanuman Singh virtually squeezed the blood from the British as if they were crushing lemons. At 90 years of age the venerable Baba displayed supernatural feats of strength which saw his white foes avoid him as if he were the very Abrahamic devil himself. Meanwhile Sham Singh himself dispatched many a white to the Christ's feet himself whilst being heavily wounded in the chest. Ultimately it was only after the last Khalsa troop had evacuated the field that he allowed himself to fall. On closer examination of his body it was seen that he had been shot a total of eleven times in the course of one-day. It was only on the behest of his legendary resolve, coupled with his warrior's stamina that he continued to fight for the honoring of his pledge. Meanwhile the remaining Akalis regrouped once more under Baba Hanuman Singh. After commencing a head-count and weighing up the situation, the Akalis decided upon a divergent course of action. Rather than plaguing the British in their present condition, they would encamp at Patiala and regroup. Not only would this grant them a temporary reprieve from the battle, it would also assist them upon calculating a new stratagem to encounter the British and if need be open the path to Nanded for them. With this thought in mind Baba Hanuman Singh undertook the journey to Patiala.

The monarch of Patiala, and a venerable stooge of the British, Maharajah Karam Singh on receiving word of a numerous horde of Akalis camping on his doorstep hastily summoned the British. Fearing retribution for his refusal to build a shrine, in consecration of Guru Teghbahadur's visit to Patiala, he devised a murderous attack upon the Akalis with his British counterparts. As a result the Akalis were caught unaware when detachments of British, and the Patiala legions encircled them. Despite such an extensive setback, they prepared their weapons and with the name of the supreme being on their lips commenced a murderous charge upon their foes' artillery. Historically speaking, records estimate the martyrdom of 32,000 Akalis in the course of this battle until only the stubborn Baba Hanuman Singh and his detachment of 5,000 Singhs were left standing. In a Napoleanic fashion they commenced to form a tight-knight cloister which valorously commenced the slaughter of the foe, until it too fell to the enemy's bullets. Thus the last stronghold of the Akali-Nihungs in Punjab was reduced to ashes. Yet hope still lingered in the form of the 21 survivors of the bloody debacle. Lead by Baba Prahlada Singh, who was chosen to succeed Baba Hanuman Singh by the survivors, they commenced a heart-rendering journey towards Nanded. There they hoped to gain a temporary reprieve at Hazoor Sahib, and rebuild their legions under Baba Prahlada Singh's general-ship. Alas it was only a vain ambition. Influenced by revivalist Hindu fundamentalists, a discordant individual named Ala Singh had ousted the vanguard of Khalsa tradition from Hazoor Sahib; and seated himself in it's stead. Adorning the bana, apparel, of an Akali Nihung he marched out with his accomplices, heavily armed to the teeth to confront Baba Prahlada Singh and his wards. Realizing that the Guru was not smiling upon their course of action, and instead found satisfaction in their deaths, Baba Prahlada Singh and his injured companions enjoined the foe in battle one final time and after slaughtering Ala Singh left for their heavenly abodes. Thus the lost battle was concluded.

http://tisarpanth.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/the-lost-battle.html

This has already been discussed before, can anyone locate the thread???

[Jonny101]

Nearly all the battles of Guru Gobind Singh Jee were against forces which were much larger. After Guru Jee's period, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur fought some epic battles that shook the very foundation of the mughal empire and temporarily established the first Khalsa Raaj on earth. Battle of Sirhind was probably the best battle in Baba Jee's time. The Sikhs were being overwhelmed by the better equipped and more experienced Mughal forces, but that is when Baba Banda SIngh Bahadur came down from the hill and just his mere presence in the battle field inspired new Josh/vigour amongst the Singhs who then beat the Mughals and conquer Sirhind. In this battle it is said that thousands of Sikhs and Mughals died.