Dal Khalsa (Sikh Army)

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Dal Khalsa
Active1748–1799
Disbanded1799
Country
Panjgarhia Misl
Nishanwalia Misl
Sukerchakia Misl
Dallewalia Misl
Nakai Misl
Shaheedan Misl
AllegianceKhalsa
Branch
RoleCavalry, infantry[1]
Part ofMisldari system
HeadquartersAkal Takht, Amritsar
Motto(s)Deg Tegh Fateh
ColorsDark blue, basant (xanthic)
EquipmentMatchlock, sabres[1]
Wars
  • Mughal-Sikh Wars
  • Afghan-Sikh Wars
Commanders
Commanders
Guerilla warfare[1]
Predecessor Khalsa Fauj
Successor Sikh Khalsa Army
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Dal Khalsa was the name of the combined military forces of 11 Sikh

Punjab region. It was established by Nawab Kapur Singh in late 1740s.[2]

History

Mughal rule of Punjab

Painting of Guru Gobind Singh on horseback while marching with his army of Sikhs
Further information: Khalsa Fauj

The religion of

Sirhind. After this incident his wounds were stitched and he began to recover. A few days after, some Sikhs brought a very stiff bow to present to Guru Gobind Singh. As they were discussing whether anybody would ever be able to put a string on the bow, Guru Gobind Singh accepted the challenge. Though the bow was stringed, due to the force he applied on the bow the wounds which were still fresh started bleeding profusely. Guru Gobind Singh then declared that he would be leaving for heavenly abode
and asked his Sikhs to prepare for the cremation.

Banda Singh Bahadur

"It is singular that these people not only behaved firmly during the execution, but they would dispute and wrangle with each other who should suffer first; and they made interest with the executioner to obtain the preference."
-Seir Mutakherin by Seid Gholam Hossein Khan
Painting from an illustrated folio of a Mughal manuscript depicting the Battle of Sirhind (1710), also known as the Battle of Chappar Chiri. From the ‘Tawarikh-i Jahandar Shah’, Awadh or Lucknow, ca.1770. The Sikh Khalsa forces are dressed in blue whilst the Mughals are wearing white

Sirhind. During the rebellion, Banda Singh Bahadur made a point of destroying the cities in which Mughals had been cruel to Sikhs, including executing Wazir Khan in revenge for the deaths of Guru Gobind Singh's sons after the Sikh victory at Sirhind.[9] He ruled the territory between the Sutlej river and the Yamuna river, established a capital in the Himalayas at Lohgarh, and struck coinage with the faces of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh.[8] In 1716, his army was defeated by the Mughals after he attempted to defend his fort at Gurdas Nangal. He was captured along with 700 of his men and sent to Delhi
where he was tortured and executed after refusing to convert to Islam.

Sivalik hills

The Ganges cutting through the Sivalik Hills

After 1716, the

guerrilla war against the Mughal Empire in the area around the Sivalik Hills.[12] Historian Josepeh Cunningham writes of the period: "The Sikhs were scarcely again heard of in history for the period of a generation".[13]

Dal Khalsa

In 1733,

Hari ke Pattan, where the Sutlej river and Beas River meet; the Taruna Dal would control the area east of Hari ke Pattan while the Budha Dal would control the area west of it.[16] The purpose of the Budda Dal, the veteran group, was to protect Gurdwaras and train the Taruna Dal, while the Taruna Dal would act as combat troops. However, in 1735, the agreement between Zakariya Khan and Nawab Kapur Singh broke down and the Dal Khalsa retreated to the Sivalik Hills
to regroup. Later the command of Dal Khalsa was taken by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia who was an able and powerful administrator.

Categorization of the Dal Khalsa

See also: Nihang § Divisions

After 1733, the Dal Khalsa was fundamentally divided into two groups, the Buddha Dal (meaning 'the old army') and the Taruna Dal (meaning 'the young army'). Each was assigned with component

misls as follows, which in-turn were divided between the Buddha and Taruna Dals:[18]

Note - the Phulkian misl was not part of either the Buddha nor Taruna Dal, as they were not a member of the Dal Khalsa having been excommunicated from the formation.[19]

The leaders of the Dal Khalsa would meet twice a year at Amritsar for the Sarbat Khalsa legislature.[20]

Invasion of Nader Shah

In 1738,

Mughal Emperor but took away his royal treasury, including the Peacock Throne. When Nadir Shah began his retreat, the Sikhs who had been seeking refuge in the Sivalik Hills came down from the mountains and mercilessly plundered the treasure of the Persian Army. Afterwards the Dal Khalsa established a fort at Dallewal near the Ravi river and began levying taxes in the area around Lahore.[12]
During this period, the Muslim historian Nur Mohammed, though full of contempt for Sikhs, was constrained to pay tribute to them of their character, in the following words:

"In no case they would slay a coward, nor would they put an obstacle in the way of a fugitive. They do not plunder the wealth and ornaments of a woman, be she a well to do lady or a maid servant. There is no adultery among these dogs, nor are they mischievous people given to thieving. Whether a woman is young or old, they call her 'buriya' and asked her to get out of the way. The word 'buriya' in Indian language means 'an old lady'. There is no thief at all among these dogs, nor is there any house breaker born among these miscreants. They do not make friends with adulterers and house breakers, though their behaviors on the whole is not commendable."

Dissolution

The Dal Khalsa was dissolved after the Sikh Confederacy came to an end with the conquests of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who effectively absorbed the rest of the Misls.[1] However, aspects of the military force lingered on and influenced the Sikh Khalsa Army of the later Sikh Empire.[1]

Battles fought by Sikhs

  1. Battle of Rohilla
  2. Battle of Kartarpur
  3. Battle of Amritsar (1634)
  4. Battle of Lahira
  5. Battle of Kiratpur
  6. Battle of Bhangani
  7. Battle of Nadaun
  8. Battle of Guler (1696)
  9. Battle of Basoli
  10. Battle of Anandpur (1700)
  11. First siege of Anandpur
  12. Battle of Nirmohgarh (1702)
  13. First Battle of Anandpur (1704)
  14. Second Battle of Anandpur
  15. First Battle of Chamkaur (1702).[21]
  16. Battle of Sarsa
  17. Second Battle of Chamkaur (1704).[22]
  18. Battle of Muktsar
  19. Battle of Sonepat
  20. Battle of Ambala
  21. Battle of Samana
  22. Battle of Chappar Chiri
  23. Battle of Sadhaura
  24. Battle of Rahon (1710)
  25. Battle of Lohgarh
  26. Battle of Jammu
  27. Kapuri expedition
  28. Battle of Jalalabad (1710)
  29. Siege of Gurdaspur or Battle of Gurdas Nangal
  30. Battle of Wan (1726)
  31. Battle of Manupur
  32. Siege of Ram Rauni
  33. Battle of Amritsar (1757)
  34. Battle of Lahore (1759)
  35. Battle of Sialkot (1761)
  36. Battle of Gujranwala (1761)
  37. Sikh Occupation of Lahore[23]
  38. Vadda Ghalughara or Battle of Kup
  39. Battle of Harnaulgarh
  40. Skirmish of Amritsar (1762)
  41. Battle of Sialkot (1763)
  42. Battle of Sirhind (1764)
  43. Battle of Chenab
  44. Siege of Darbar Sahib (1764)
  45. Battle of Kunjpura (1772)
  46. Sikh raids on Delhi
  47. Rescue of captured Girls (1769)
  48. Battle of Ghanaur
  49. Battle of Rohtas (1779)
  50. Capture of Delhi and Red Fort (1783)
  51. Battle of Amritsar (1797)
  52. Battle of Amritsar (1798)
  53. Battle of Lahore (1799)
  54. Gurkha-Sikh War
  55. Battle of Attock
  56. Battle of Multan
  57. Battle of Shopian
  58. Battle of Balakot
  59. Battle of Peshawar (1834)
  60. Battle of Jamrud
  61. Sino-Sikh War
  62. Battle of Mudki
  63. Battle of Ferozeshah
  64. Battle of Baddowal[24][25]
  65. Battle of Aliwal
  66. Battle of Sobraon
  67. Battle of Chillianwala
  68. Battle of Ramnagar
  69. Siege of Multan
  70. Battle of Gujrat
  71. Battle of Saragarhi

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 9788189899547
    .
  2. OCLC 44966032
    .
  3. ^ Kalsi 2005, pp. 106–107
  4. ^ Markovits 2004, p. 98
  5. ^ a b Jestice 2004, pp. 345–346
  6. ^ Johar 1975, pp. 192–210
  7. ^ Jestice 2004, pp. 312–313
  8. ^ a b Singh 2008, pp. 25–26
  9. ^ Nesbitt 2005, p. 61
  10. ISBN 978-0-385-50206-1
    .
  11. ISBN 978-0-385-50206-1
    .
  12. ^ a b c Browne, James (1788). India tracts: containing a description of the Jungle Terry districts, their revenues, trade, and government: with a plan for the improvement of them. Also an history of the origin and progress of the Sicks. Logographic Press. p. 13.
  13. ^ a b c Cunningham, Joseph Davey (1918). A history of the Sikhs, from the origin of the nation to the battles of the Sutlej. Oxford University Press. p. 89. history of the sikhs cunningham.
  14. ISBN 8170102588
    .
  15. ^ Narang, K. S.; Gupta, H. R. (1969). History of Punjab: 1500 - 1558. p. 216. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  16. ISBN 978-81-7010-301-1
    . Retrieved 16 July 2010.
  17. ^ Singh, Sukhdial (2010). Rise, Growth and Fall of Bhangi Misal (PDF). Punjabi University Patiala. pp. 19–20. Acting in accordance with the circumstances the Sikhs assembled at Amritsar on 14 October 1745 on the occasion of Diwali and passed a Gurmata for merging all the small Jathas into twenty five strong Jathas." // "Around 1748, the number of these Jathas rose up to the strength of sixty five.
  18. ^ Herrli, Hans (1993). The Coins of the Sikhs. p. 11.
  19. ISBN 8173801002
    .
  20. OCLC 428923087
    .
  21. ISBN 9788126908585
    .
  22. ISBN 9788126908585
    .
  23. ISBN 978-1-932705-54-6
    . Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  24. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5
    .
  25. ^ Jacques, p. 93

Bibliography

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