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BABA BANDA BAHADUR (1670 – 1716)

The original name of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was Lachhman Dev. He was born in Kartik 1727 Bikrami Samvat, October-November 1670. He belonged either to Kashmir or Punjab. He was a Rajput cultivator. By the time he was just 20, his astonishing mind was set on its task. He had a reputation of being a great hunter. One day he killed a doe which immediately delivered itself of two cubs which expired in his presence. The sight shocked him. He renounced worldly life and became a bairagi sadhu or a wandering hermit and ultimately settled at Nander on the banks of river Godavari in Maharashtra.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji  during his hermitage to the south met Madhodas. Discovering the potentials of Madhodas the Guru encouraged him to give up his present way of living and resume the duties of a real Rajput. The Guru conferred the title of Banda Bahadur on him and appointed him his military lieutenant to punish the Governor of Sarhind who had killed his two youngest sons, and was mainly responsible for the death of his two elder sons, his mother and thousands of innocent Sikhs and Hindus. The Guru also invested him with full political and military authority as his deputy to carry on the national struggle in the Punjab and to punish Wazir Khan of Sarhind and his supporters. A prescript called Hukumnamah or a letter of authority in the handwriting of the Guru instructing Sikhs to join Banda Bahadur in his national war against Mughal tyranny was provided. As an insignia of his temporal authority invested in him, Guru gave Banda Bahadur his own sword, green bow and Five arrows from his quiver. Three hundred Sikh cavaliers in battle array accompanied Banda to a distance of eight kilometers to give him final send off.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji was severely wounded by a Pathan set on the Guru by Wazir Khan with the connivance of the court nobles. The dispatch of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur to Punjab had infuriated Emperor Bahadur Shah. As a result of his intrigue the Guru passed away on October 7, 1708. Banda had not gone far when he heard the sad news. This did not discourage him. On the contrary it doubled his zeal and set the fire of vengeance ablaze in his heart.

Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was well received by Hindus and Sikhs as a leader of the nationalist movement and deputy of Guru Gobind Singh. With unflinching and inflexible resolve, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was in his crusade against Wazir Khan of Sarhind. Never perhaps in the history of Punjab did the circumstances of the time offered so fair a field to the ambition of a leader, conscious of great talents, and called to the command of a warlike people, only too eager to support him in any enterprise he might undertake. He established his headquarters at Mukhlispur, near Sadhura.

The ultimate aim of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was to punish Wazir Khan and conquer Sarhind. It required time to consolidate his material and territorial gains. He also wanted to study military resources of Sarhind. From his headquarters he struck coins and issued orders under his seal. The name of Mukhlispur was changed to Lohgarh, and it became the capital of first Sikh State. Banda ruled over the region bounded on the north by Shiwalik hills, on the west by river Tangri, on the east by river Jamuna, and in the south by a line passing through Samana, Thanesar, Kaithal and Karnal. He abolished the Zamindari System of land prevailing under the Mughals and declared the actual cultivators as the owners of land. Thus he established the peasant proprietorship, and won approbation and support of the overwhelming majority of the population. Khafi Khan says that Banda "issued orders to imperial officers and agents and big jagirdars to submit and give up their business." So Guru Gobind Singh’s dream of political sovereignty was realized within a year of his death.

Gradually Baba   Banda Singh Bahadur consolidated his position and his name struck terror into the hearts of lawless people. Banda devoted three months in organizing his civil and military administration. Bahadur Shah was still away from Delhi. The Delhi Government had made no attempt to recover their lost territory from him. Wazir Khan of Sarhind was making his own preparations independently to meet the danger from Banda. Banda's troops consisted of two classes of people. The old Sikhs who had fought under Guru Gobind Singh joined him purely to punish Wazir Khan. Another class of Sikhs of about the same number comprised of young men who wanted to punish and plunder the enemies of their faith.

Wazir Khan had proclaimed a jihad or a holy war against Banda. He was joined by the Nawab of Malerkotla, all the other Muslim chiefs and jagirdars as well as Ranghars in large numbers. Banda advanced from Lohgarh and halted at Banur, near Ambala and then went towards Sarhind. A fierce battle was fought at Chhappar Chiri, 20 kms from Sarhind. Banda Singh Bahadur and the Sikh leaders eventually converged on Wazir Khan and he was killed. Wazir Khan's head was stuck up on a spear and lifted high up by a Sikh who took his seat in the deceased's howdah (a seat atop of elephant). The Sikhs with one voice and in wild excitement raised the sky-rending shouts of Sat-Sri-Akal. The Sarhind's troops on beholding the Nawab's head took alarm, and trembling fled helter skelter in dismay and despair. The Sikhs laid siege to the place. They took rest in the night. Wazir Khan's family and many Muslim nobles fled to Delhi at night. By next afternoon Sikhs forced open the gates and fell upon the city. The Government treasury and moveable property worth two crores fell into Banda's hand which was removed to Lohgarh.

Banda Singh's rule, though short-lived, had a far-reaching impact on the history of the Punjab. With it began the decay of Mughal authority and the demolition of the feudal system of society it had created. Baba Banda Singh increasing influence roused the ire of the Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah, who journeyed northwards from Deccan to punish Sikhs.

After many thrashings at the hands of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, eventually the royal army broke through and captured Banda Singh and his valiant Sikhs. Nearly three hundred of them were killed on spot. The rest around 740 Sikhs along with Banda Singh were taken to Lahore, and thence to Delhi.

On June 9th, 1716 Baba Banda Bahadur Singh was given the cruelest and the harshest torments. His eyes were pulled out and his hands and feet chopped off. His flesh was torn with red-hot pincers. The end came, mercifully for him with the executioner's axe falling on his neck. With his end Sikhism did not die on the contrary Sikhism came out strong and the torch of Baba   Banda Singh Bahadur was carried with new Warriors.