Discuss the rise of the Sikhs in Punjab and their relations with the Mughal emperors.
The 18th century India witnessed many remarkable development in the field of provincial autonomy. Along with provincial autonomy there emerged important communities which set-up their kingdom in different parts of India. Among such communities the Sikhs emerged as an important power and began to establish their power and state. However the Mughal rulers were dominant in political field and presented fresh complications for the Sikh community in India.
It is well known fact that Sikh community was brought into power by Guru Nanak who founded Sikhism in the Punjab at the end of 15th century. The relation between the Sikhs and the Mughals have been discussed under the following heads:
1. Guru Govind Singh and Mughals : Though Guru Har Govind Singh transformed the Sikhs into a militant and fighting community but it was Guru Govinda Singh, the tenth and the last Guru, who made them a political and military force. But when he was nine years old his father Guru Teg Bahadur was brutally murdered by the order of Aurangzeb in 1675. However Guru Govind Singh took shelter in the hills and organised and trained the youngmen who fought against the Mughal tyranny. Thus the Sikhs were organised into a military group known as Khalsa.
A) Battle of Anandpur: The Sikh Guru Govind Singh fought against the combined forces of Raja Bhim Chand of Kahlur and Mughal forces under the Viceroys of Lahore and Sirhind in 1701. The combined forces were badly defeated by the brave Khalsa and a truce was made between the parties which lasted for two years.
B) Second Battle of Anandpur: The defeated king of Kahloor and Mughal forces marched under Raja Ajmer Chand who was assisted by special generals, against Guru Govind Singh and seized the fort of Anandpur. At last the Sikh forces surrendered but Guru Govind Singh escaped cleverly. However two sons of the Guru were captured by the Mughal forces and were bricked up in a wall near Sirhind. This battle took place in 1703. Lastly Guru Govind Singh was assassinated by a Pathan in 1708.
C) Banda Bahadur: Before the death Guru Govinda Singh had appointed Banda Bahadur his political successor. He went to Punjab and organised all the Sikh with fresh enthusiasm and started struggle against the Mughal tyranny. Banda Bahadur started his conquests and occupied Kaithal, Samana, Shahabad, Ambala etc and plundered the cities. He defeated Usman Khan, the ruler of Sadaura and killed him. After this Banda proceeded towards Sirhind. He defeated and killed Wazir Khan, the governor of Sirhind. The Sikh afterwards captured the region upto Sutlej and enforced their administration. Gradually, the Sikh, under Banda Bahadur captured Amritsar, Batala and Pathankot. But unfortunately at the campaign of Lohgarh Banda was defeated. Ultimately Banda was captured along with his followers and was brutally murdered at the street of Delhi.
D) The Sikhs Misl: 'Misl' is an Arabic word which means 'equal'. There were many misles and they were divided in their principles and processes. Since every constituent of a Misl enjoyed equality of status, the band acquired the name Misle. There were various Misles like Singhpuria Misl, Ahluwalia Misl, the Bhangi Misl, Ramgarhia Misl, the Kanhaiya Misl, the Phulkian Misl, the Nakkai Misl etc. But all these Misls were brought in one union by the efforts of Ranjit Singh who established Sikh kingdom.
E) Relations with the Mughals : The relations of Sikh and Mughals were not cordial. There were conflicting situations between the Sikhs and the Mughal rulers. Aurangzeb, who was a cruel and conservative emperor of India, adopted bitter relations with the Sikhs. On the otherside, the Sikhs were trying to establish Sikh kingdom. As a result of this a great many battles were fought in between the Sikhs and Mughal forces. The Mughal rulers captured many Sikh Gurus and brutally murdered them. The Sikhs were tortured, humiliated and compelled to embrace Islam. As a result of this the Sikhs also adopted harsh attitude against the Mughals. The conflicting spirit between the Sikhs and the Mughals caused large scale bloodshed and irreparable losses from both the sides. Ultimately the Sikhs were united by the valiant Sikh ruler named Ranjit Singh who established the status of the Sikhs in the history of india.
