Battle of Chamkaur: Difference between revisions
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|commander1=[[File:Flag of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]][[Wazir Khan]]</br> |
|commander1=[[File:Flag of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]][[Wazir Khan]]</br> |
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|commander2=[[Guru Gobind Singh]] |
|commander2=[[Guru Gobind Singh]] |
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|strength1= Total: |
|strength1= Total: 100,000{{Citation needed|date=November 2011}} |
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</br> |
</br>50,000 infantry</br>36,000 [[Sowar]]s</br>3500 [[Zamburak]]</br>10000 [[Matchlock]]s</br>500 [[cannon]]s</br> |
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|strength2= [[Guru Gobind Singh]]<br/>40 [[Sikhs]]<br>[[Panj Piare]]<br>[[Sahibzada Ajit Singh]]<br>[[Sahibzada Jujhar Singh]]<br>Total: 48 |
|strength2= [[Guru Gobind Singh]]<br/>40 [[Sikhs]]<br>[[Panj Piare]]<br>[[Sahibzada Ajit Singh]]<br>[[Sahibzada Jujhar Singh]]<br>Total: 48 |
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|casualties1= 10,000 killed 200 wounded{{Citation needed|date=November 2011}} |
|casualties1= 10,000 killed 200 wounded{{Citation needed|date=November 2011}} |
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Revision as of 16:54, 9 December 2011
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2011) |
| Battle Of Chamkaur | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mughal-Sikh Wars | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
Template:Country data Mughal Empire | Khalsa forces | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Wazir Khan | Guru Gobind Singh | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
Total: 100,000[citation needed] 50,000 infantry 36,000 Sowars 3500 Zamburak 10000 Matchlocks 500 cannons |
Guru Gobind Singh 40 Sikhs Panj Piare Sahibzada Ajit Singh Sahibzada Jujhar Singh Total: 48 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 10,000 killed 200 wounded[citation needed] | 44 killed | ||||||
The Battle Of Chamkaur or also known as Battle Of Chamkaur Sahib was a battle fought between the Khalsa led by Guru Gobind Singh against the Mughal forces led by Wazir Khan. Guru Gobind Singh makes a reference to this battle in Zafarnamah. He tells how tens of thousands of Mughal troops attacked his men.[1]
The battle
After the Guru left Anandpur on the night of December 6 to December 7, 1705[2], they had crossed the Sarsa river and stopped in Chamkaur. They asked, permission of the city chief for shelter to rest for the night in their garhi or haveli. The older brother thought giving him shelter would be dangerous so he refused. But the younger brother gave permission to let them stay there for the night.[citation needed]
Despite giving assurance of safe conduct, the Mughals soldiers were looking for Guru Gobind Singh, to take his head as a trophy. After learning that the party of Sikhs had taken shelter in the haveli, they laid siege upon it.[citation needed]
Preparing for Battle
The actual battle is said to have taken place outside a mudfort where the Guru was resting. Negotiations broke down and the Sikh soldiers chose to engage the overwhelming Mughal forces, thus allowing their Guru to escape. A "Gurmatta" or consensus had been agreed by the Sikhs that the Guru should escape. Due to the democratic nature of the Sikh polity, the Sikh Guru was compelled to obey the will of his people. By cover of night the Guru was able to escape.
All of the Sikhs guarding the Guru were massacred. It is alleged that the Sikh warriors were able to engage the Mughal troops despite vast numbers due to training in the Sikh/Hindu,martial art of Shastarvidya.
Zafarnama
Zafarnama or "Epistle of Vistory" is a letter that is alleged to have been written by Guru Gobind Singh to the then Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Zafarnama vividly describes what happened at Chamkaur, and also holds Aurangzeb responsible for what occurred and promises he broke:
13: Aurangzeb! I have no trust in your oaths anymore. (You have written that) God is one and that He is witness (between us). 14: I don't have trust equivalent to even a drop (of water) in your generals (who came to me with oaths on Koran that I will be given safe passage out of Anandgarh Fort). They were all telling lies. 15: If anyone trusts (you) on your oath on Koran, that person is bound to be doomed in the end.
After he escaped from Chamkaur. The Guru is said to have been carried by two Pathans (Ghani Khan and Nabi Khan), after being totally exhausted to Jatpur where he was greated by the Muslim chief. He later went to Dina, and stayed at Bhai Desa Singh's house, where he is said to have written Zafarnama. It was written in Persian, in 111 versions.ref>Major Nahar Singh Jawandha (2010). Glimpses of Sikhism. New Delhi, India: Sandun Publishers. p. 48. ISBN 9789380213255.</ref>
The end of the Battle
As day broke, the Mughals launched an all out attack on the fortress overwhelmed the mud fort and all the Sikh warriors were massacred. The Sikhs themselves chose martyrdom over surrender.
Aftermath
After finding out that the Guru had escaped, the Mughals started searching the woods and the area surrounding Chamkaur.
The Mughals hastily chased after the Guru once they realised he had escaped. Guru Gobind Singh made a last stand against the Mughals at Muktsar,[citation needed], however, by then Aurangzeb had started to sue for peace.[citation needed] The battle of Muktsar was the last battle fought by Guru Gobind Singh.
There he wrote Zafarnamah, ("the epistle of victory"), a letter to Aurangzeb in which he wrote
"...But still when the lamp of daylight (sun) set and the queen of night (moon) came up,then my protector (God) gave me passage and I escaped safely, not even a hair on my body was harmed".
The Guru emphasised how he was proud that his sons had died fighting in battle, and that he had 'thousands of sons - the Singhs'. He also said that he would never trust Aurengzeb again due to his broken promises and lies.[citation needed]
References
- ^ ..the word used to describe the number of Mughal soldiers is "Dahlakh". It is a Persian word and historians translate it meaning as "infinite" or "Ten Lakh". Ralhan, O.P (1997). The Great Gurus Of The Sikhs. Anmol Publications PVT LTD. p. 154. ISBN 8174884793.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ H. S Singha ((30 May 2009)). The encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 entries). India: Hemkunt Press. p. 43. ISBN 8170103010.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link)
External links