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Remembering the Great Guru and thanking Khalsa panth for their indomitable spirit and will.
Sharing an emotional event-
THE SECOND BATTLE OF CHAMKAUR (1704).
Remembering the Great Guru and thanking Khalsa panth for their indomitable spirit and will.
Sharing an emotional event-
THE SECOND BATTLE OF CHAMKAUR (1704).
Guru Gobind Singh ji left from Shri Anandpur Sahib on the night of 5th of December 1704 after receiving an assurance of safe passage to him and his 41 men group, by the Mughals. The group also included his children.
But as cunning the Mughals were they attacked nevertheless.
But as cunning the Mughals were they attacked nevertheless.
It was a battle that lasted three days and inflicted a fear so horrific in the hearts of Mughals they were unable to come out of it for a long long time.
To understand what transpired in this great battle to understand the valor and greatness our Sikh Gurus. Read on.
To understand what transpired in this great battle to understand the valor and greatness our Sikh Gurus. Read on.
The Guru alongwith his two sons, Prince Ajit Singh, and Prince Jujhar Singh and a hundred men who had survived the imperial army attack took the direction of Ropar. Their entourage was attacked by surrounding Pathans, their traditional foe.
The Sikhs fought with valour and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. However, the number of the followers was reduced to forty by the time they were able to make their way to Chamkaur.
The enemy, in hot pursuit of the Guru caught up with the entourage of the Guru and surrounded the mansion from all sides early next morning.
The battle of Chamkaur also known as the second battle of Chamkaur was fought between the Khalsa led by the Guru and the Mughal forces led by Wazir Khan and other Mughal generals
The battle is believed to have taken place on 21 Dec. and 22 Dec. 1704.
The Guru makes a reference to the battle in Zafarnama, a letter written by the Guru to Aurangzeb. He says how an army of ten lacs (Dahlakh) attacked the Sikhs who were only forty in number.
The Guru makes a reference to the battle in Zafarnama, a letter written by the Guru to Aurangzeb. He says how an army of ten lacs (Dahlakh) attacked the Sikhs who were only forty in number.
In spite of their huge numerical strength, the Mughal forces were unable to kill or capture the Guru.
The Guru also talks of cowardice of a Mughal general how he hid behind a wall as he did not have the courage of facing him.
The Guru also talks of cowardice of a Mughal general how he hid behind a wall as he did not have the courage of facing him.
At the fort, next early dawn, the Guru woke up Bhai Sangat Singh, ‘Wake up, Sangat Singh, it’s time for Asa Di War’(prayer).
What a great fighter the Guru was! A mammoth army had besieged the mansion, yet he was blissfully continuing his daily discipline of prayers.
What a great fighter the Guru was! A mammoth army had besieged the mansion, yet he was blissfully continuing his daily discipline of prayers.
Nawab Wazir Khan shouted from outside, ‘Gobind Singh, if you and your Sikhs come out now, you will be spared.’ The Guru responded with a rain of arrows.There was utter silence..
Clouds gathered in the sky. The Guru and his followers prepared for the battle.
Clouds gathered in the sky. The Guru and his followers prepared for the battle.
Before sunrise, a Mughal messenger came to negotiate with the Guru. The Guru however told him to leave or face death. From inside the four walls of the mansion, the Guru declared war on the enemy outside.
The Nawab was surprised what mettle the Sikhs were made of...?
The Nawab was surprised what mettle the Sikhs were made of...?
The Sikhs were made to believe that one Sikh could equal Sava Lakh (1,25,000) number of the enemy. The Sikhs were so brave that one Sikh could fight out
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with 1,25,000 ordinary men.
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with 1,25,000 ordinary men.
With Guru’s blessings, six Sikhs, Kirat Singh, Anand Singh, Lal Singh, Kesar Singh, and Amlok Singh went out to take on the mammoth army. Despite extraordinary odds, the handful of Sikhs inflicted heavy losses on the Mughals but eventually all of them achieved Shahidi.
The Sikhs were fighting like lions an army that comprised Rajputs, Mughals, and neighbouring Pathans. The arrows from the Sikhs rained death and spread terror in enemy ranks.
Each time, the Guru was sending out of the mansion some four to five followers on a suicide mission who would slay hundreds before going down fighting.
But as the number of warriors with the Guru was alarmingly depleting as a result of attaining martyrdom in the battle, the leftover followers beseeched upon the Guru to leave the precincts of the war theatre with his two sons to a safe hideout but the Guru retorted,
‘You are all my sons! We will be victorious and we will be free.’
When the ammunition was depleting, Prince Ajit Singh who was hardly seventeen begged leave of the Guru to go out to fight and die. The Guru granted the request. He hugged his beloved son and gave him a weapon.
When the ammunition was depleting, Prince Ajit Singh who was hardly seventeen begged leave of the Guru to go out to fight and die. The Guru granted the request. He hugged his beloved son and gave him a weapon.
How young was the Prince was when he decided to achieve Shahidi..?
A father cherishes the wedding of his son. But this was an occasion of marrying death as death was lying in wait. After all, it was time to fight the enemy to defend the path of righteousness.
A father cherishes the wedding of his son. But this was an occasion of marrying death as death was lying in wait. After all, it was time to fight the enemy to defend the path of righteousness.
The sun was about to rise.The Guru realised that the enemy wanted to seize the fort.
The Prince ventured out of the mansion accompanied by Bhai Mohkam Singh(one of the original Panj Pyare),Ishwar Singh,Lal Singh,Nand Singh,Kesra Singh,Mohan Singh, and half a dozen more Sikhs.
The Prince ventured out of the mansion accompanied by Bhai Mohkam Singh(one of the original Panj Pyare),Ishwar Singh,Lal Singh,Nand Singh,Kesra Singh,Mohan Singh, and half a dozen more Sikhs.
The Guru watched the raging battle from atop the fort. The Sikhs roared like lions. The Sikhs accompanying the prince felt proud that they were fighting for truth and righteousness under the leadership of the young Prince Baba Ajit Singh.
The Prince pierced into the enemy ranks displaying great courage, bravery, and fighting skills. Many Mughals and hillmen were done to death.
Such was the fury of the Sikhs and the air cover from the fort provided by the Guru with an umbrella of arrows that hundreds of brave enemy soldiers were liquidated.
The protective fire from the fort by the Guru to those battling on the ground is a reminder of the modern-day cover provided by the air force to their army fighting in the battlefield.
The enemy in one section was completely paralysed as a result of the swift action by the Khalsa unit. However after having killed hundreds, the number of the Sikhs was gradually depleting as they finally fell one by one.
Finally, the enemy began to surround the Prince from all four sides. The Prince challenged them, ‘Come near if you dare.’ The soldiers ran away in fright.
What a WARRIOR!
The skill and bravery with which he fought drew admiration even from the rival camp.
What a WARRIOR!
The skill and bravery with which he fought drew admiration even from the rival camp.
Wazir Khan, the Mughal governor of Sarhind and Zabardast Khan who were witnessing the fight called upon their men to engage the prince in a hand-to-hand fight but none dared advance toward him.
Then the enemy came back in large numbers.
Then the enemy came back in large numbers.
In the fight that ensued, the sword of the Prince broke. He then began to fight with a spear.
However, after he had killed one chief, a Mughal chief injured his horse. Now the Prince fought with his sword from the ground.
However, after he had killed one chief, a Mughal chief injured his horse. Now the Prince fought with his sword from the ground.
With each blow he would split the enemy into two and as he struck him again, the enemy would be cut into four pieces.
As the imperial army was surrounding the Prince, the Guru watched from his fort how bravely his son was moving towards death inch by inch.
As the imperial army was surrounding the Prince, the Guru watched from his fort how bravely his son was moving towards death inch by inch.
Finally, as the Prince attained martyrdom, the Guru roared, ‘Sat Sri Akal’ (a salutation to the Almighty for having been blessed with such a brave son).
The prince achieved a glorious Shahidi, immortalising his name for all times.
The prince achieved a glorious Shahidi, immortalising his name for all times.
Having watched the elder brother achieve Shahidi so gloriously, the younger prince Jujhar Singh who was not yet fourteen approached his father for permission to die fighting likewise.
‘Permit me, dear Father to go where Brother has gone. Don’t say that I am too young. I’m your son. I’m a Singh, a Lion. I shall prove worthy of you. I want to die fighting like my brother.’
The Guru embraced him and said, ‘Go, my son and wed the life-giving bride, Death. May the Almighty be with you always!’
The Guru blessed his son like a father blesses his daughter when she leaves her father’s home to go as a bride.
The Guru blessed his son like a father blesses his daughter when she leaves her father’s home to go as a bride.
The Guru said, ‘I asked my father to give his life for dharma. What I had told my father, I tell you, my son.’
The Guru sent the younger prince into the battlefield with Himmat Singh and Sahib Singh (the two of the original Pyare) and half a dozen more disciples.
The Guru sent the younger prince into the battlefield with Himmat Singh and Sahib Singh (the two of the original Pyare) and half a dozen more disciples.
The Mughals were shocked at the sight. To them it looked as if Prince Ajit had returned to fight.
Dead bodies lay scattered all around the battlefield. The prince at once plunged himself into the thick of the fight.
Dead bodies lay scattered all around the battlefield. The prince at once plunged himself into the thick of the fight.
