Sikh Occupation of Delhi and Red Fort

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The Sikh Misls were fighting against the Mughal Empire and the foreign invaders since the time of the Nader Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire and the Indian Campaign of Ahmad Shah Durrani. Sikhs Misls waged several wars against the invaders and the Mughal Empire which includes the following battles:

After the conquest of Sirhind and killing of Mughal Governor Zain Khan Sirhindi, the Sikh Misls started raiding trans-Yamuna areas bordering Delhi and forced the Rohillas to pay tributes to them. By 1764, Sikhs Misls formed their grip over almost entire Punjab. The continuous raids to Delhi, later, resulted in the victory of Sikhs over Delhi. On 11 March 1783, Sikhs defeated the Mughals and conquered Delhi.[9] They entered the Red Fort hoisted the Sikh flag (Nishan Sahib) and occupied Diwan-i-Am.[10][11]

Background

After the invasions and the defeat of Ahmad Shah Durrani, the Sikhs got much military skills and they started raiding the areas near Yamuna such as Delhi, Meerut and Awadh. In 1764, Sikhs overran the territory of Najib-ud-daula (the Rohilla chief) and forced him to pay a tribute of 11 lakh rupees. The story of plunder was again repeated in April 1775, Baghel Singh with the help of two other Sikh sardars, Rai Singh Bhangi and Tara Singh Ghaiba, crossed Yamuna again and subdued the Rohillas, but negotiated not only large sum of money as tribute. However, they also hammered an alliance with Rohillas. The combined forces of Sikh army and Ruhillas, in 1776, attacked the outskirts of Delhi from the south side and encircled Delhi.[12] In the same year, the allies defeated the imperial Mughal army near Muzaffarnagar.[13][14] Baghel Singh established a Sikh military post in this region. At this time the northern part of Delhi was in the hands of Sikhs.[15] The Mughals, the Rohillas, the English and the Marathas all sought Baghel Singh's friendship.

Attack on Delhi

In April 1781, Mirza Shafi, a close relative of Mughal Prime Minister, captured the Sikh military post at Indri, India. Baghel Singh retaliated and attacked Shahabad, thus covering his flank. Then, he marched with his 300 horses, 800 soldiers and two cannons all the way to Delhi. On 11 March, Sikhs defeated the Mughals and conquered Delhi and Red Fort.[16][17][18]

Aftermath

After capturing Delhi, he undertake the construction of all the historical Sikh Gurudwas in Delhi. These Gurudwaras are permanent monuments and are irrefutable evidence of Sikh rule over Delhi. Baghel Singh administered the city government so well that the Sikh rule was just loved by the citizens of Delhi. He installed a very fair tax and revenue structure and all the citizens of Delhi irrespective of their religion. In Novocember, he expressed his desire to go to Amritsar to pay homage to Darbar Sahib, the citizens were in panic that if he left Delhi they will again go under the yoke of tyrannous Mughals. Therefore, a delegation of citizens came to him with this petition. Baghel Singh assured them of law and order. He left a contingent of 30,000 Sikh soldiers and the army camp was called Tees Hazari.[19]

The conditions of their retreat included the construction and protection of seven historical Gurudwaras in Delhi associated with ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur.[20] Hence, the Sikhs proved that their desire to serve Gurus was greater than their desire to rule Delhi.[21]

Why Sikhs vacated Delhi

There were many reasons why Sikhs vacated Delhi and Red Fort. The reasons were as follows:

  • Sardar Baghel Singh had a small army (about 4,000) which could not control the civil population of Delhi.
  • Baghel Singh was an expert fighter, but he had no administrative experience.
  • When his Misl invaded Delhi, his territories in Gurdaspur and Jalandhar were being attacked by other Sikhs Misls.[22]
  • Baghel Singh and Shah Alam II entered in an agreement that 37.5% of the tax of Delhi would be regularly sent to Baghel Singh and in return, he must ensure that the Sikhs would not attack Delhi again.[23]
  • Baghel Singh's ultimate aim was to construct Gurudwaras for the Sikh Gurus (in Delhi) than ruling Delhi.[21][23]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20060510140741/http://www.sikhpoint.com/religion/sikhhistory/MainEvents/vaddaGhalluchara.htm
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ https://books.google.co.in/books?id=AytuAAAAMAAJ&q=baghel+singh+Delhi+references+book&dq=baghel+singh+Delhi+references+book&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CBcQ6AEwA2oVChMIr6_1r_WOyAIVxBmOCh24kQUY
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ https://books.google.co.in/books?id=6sg_9N_AHbMC&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=Delhi+baghel+Singh&source=bl&ots=UXYslriYSa&sig=6o9dZrr8QTv4gkPIYfg5LYXFr74&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB0Q6AEwBjgoahUKEwi71LLD6MPHAhUHyRQKHRoqD60
  17. ↑ Hari Ram Gupta, History of the Sikhs: Sikh Domination of the Mughal Empire, 1764–1803, second ed., Munshiram Manoharlal (2000) ISBN 978-8121502139
  18. ↑ Ram Gupta, History of the Sikhs: The Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of the Misls, rev. ed., Munshiram Manoharlal (2001) ISBN 978-8121501651
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 https://books.google.co.in/books?id=r13hjYfoI6MC&pg=PA152&lpg=PA151&dq=baghel+singh+sikh+history&source=bl&ots=iA2widPHTp&sig=70W0VftZ6xQxrcw0vfBI1w907ag&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CBcQ6AEwBTgUahUKEwjv7PaZh8THAhULao4KHVuuDPI
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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