Wada Ghalughara

[S1ngh]

Vadda Ghallughara

The Greater Holocaust

Greater holocaust, 1754 AD. On this day, Ahmed Shah Abdali and Dall Khalsa (all the Sikh Missals - organizations, combined) fought an unequal fight. Out of forty thousands, 25,000 to 30,000 Sikhs lost their lives in a single day, with equally heavy loss of the enemy forces.

In 1761 AD, Ahmed Shah Abdali was going back after defeating Marhattas in the 3rd Battle of Panipat. On his way back home, right from the river Sutlej to the river Indus, the Sikhs kept harassing and attacking the forces of Abdali. On returning to the Central Punjab, the Sikhs annihilated the Afghan force sent by Abdali to punish them.

Akil Das was an informer. Fearing death at the Sikh hands, he immediately contacted Abdali, who had already re-entered India on his next attack. Abdali advanced post-haste. The Sikhs with their families, tried to escape to the wastelands of Malwa. With instructions from Abdali, they were obstructed by the forces from Sirhind and Malerkotla. The Sikhs were camping near Malerkotla when Abdali unexpectedly (earlier than the Sikhs had estimated) attacked them with an unequal force. The defending Sikhs created a four miles long human shield to surround their families and non-combatants, and kept on resisting and retreating.

In the afternoon, the battle reached a pond. The Sikhs and Abdali force fell for water. The battle stopped. The Sikhs escaped towards Barnala. Due to intolerable heat and stiff rsistance, Abdali decided not to follow them.

In a short period of about three months, the Sikhs reorganized and attacked Zain Khan at Sirhind. They devastated the vicinity of Lahore. Although Ahmed Shah Abdali was still in the Punjab, but no action was taken against the Sikh.