Samad Khan's expedition against the Sikhs
Samad Khan's Expedition against the Sikhs was an expedition of the Mughal Empire led by Samad Khan against the Sikhs led by Nawab Kapur Singh
| Samad Khan's Expedition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mughal-Sikh Wars | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Dal Khalsa |
 Mughal Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Nawab Kapur Singh |
Samad Khan † | ||||||
Background
editThe Sikhs under Nawab Kapur Singh had become a thorn in the spine of Zakariya Khan. The Sikhs slowly started defeating the Mughals in many battles such as Battle of Sirhind (1736), Battle of Basarke, Battle of Amritsar (1738), and more.[1] The Sikhs sought revenge for the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh.[2] Therefore, Zakariya Khan decided to send a large force under Samad Khan, a senior commander from Delhi.[3][4]
The Expedition
editSamad Khan was responsible for the death of Bhai Mani Singh.[5] This fact encouraged Kapur Singh to defeat Samad Khan and make him pay the price. He divided his army into two sections, one fighting the enemy and one hiding.[6] During the battle, the Sikhs faked their retreat. Samad Khan fell for it and pursued the retreating Sikhs. As soon as the Mughal's formation was weak, the other section of the army came and surrounded the army.[7] Samad Khan was slain and what seemed to be a victory turned into a defeat for the Mughals.[8]
Aftermath
editAfter this victory, Kapur Singh planned to kill Zakariya Khan himself. He along with 2,000 Sikhs dressed up as Muslims entered Lahore and headed for the Shahi mosque where it was told to them that the Khan will pray. Luckily for the Khan, he did not attend the prayer which disappointed Kapur Singh. They removed their disguises and screamed Sat Sri Akal and marched away from the city.[9]
References
edit- ^ Sohan Singh Seetal (1971). Rise of the Sikh Power and Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. Dhanpat Rai. p. 178.
- ^ Sahota, Sohan (1971). The Destiny of the Sikhs. Michigan: Sterling Publishers. p. 14.
- ^ Surinder Singh Johar (2002). The Sikh Sword To Power. p. 54.
- ^ Kharak Singh (1996). Sikh History & Its Concepts. p. 367.
- ^ Harbans Singh (1994). The Heritage Of The Sikhs. Manohar. p. 56. ISBN 9788173040641.
- ^ G.S. Chhabra (1960). Advanced study in History of the Punjab. p. 363.
- ^ Baljit Singh (3 April 2019). The Sikh Generals (PDF). pp. 13–14.
- ^ Surjit Singh Gandhi (1999). Sikhs In The Eighteenth Century. Singh Bros. p. 103. ISBN 9788172052171.
- ^ Patwant Singh (2000). The Sikhs. Knopf. p. 85. ISBN 9780375407284.