Battle of Anandpur (1700)

This article is about a conflict that took place in the year 1700. For other battles fought at the same location, see Battle of Anandpur.

Battle of Anandpur (1700)
Part of Mughal-Sikh Wars
Date 1700<ref name="sarsa">Jacques, Tony (30 November 2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26.</ref> Location Anandpur Result Sikh victory<ref name="sarsa">Jacques, Tony (30 November 2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26.</ref>
Belligerents
Khalsa (Sikhs)	Mughal Empire<br/> Rajas of the Sivalik Hills
Commanders and leaders
Guru Gobind Singh Panj Pyare Bhai Daya Singh Bhai Dharam Singh Bhai Mohkam Singh Bhai Himmat Singh Bhai Sahib Singh	Din BegTemplate:WIA<br/> Painde Khan †
Strength
7,000<ref>Singh, Dalip (2015). Life of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji (6th ed.). CSJS. p. 175. ISBN 978-81-7601-480-9.</ref>	10,000 Mughals<ref name="sur"/> + unknown number of hill raja troops
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown, General Painde Khan was killed by Guru Gobind Singh.<ref name="sarsa">Jacques, Tony (30 November 2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges. Greenwood Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-313-33536-5. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26.</ref>

The Battle of Anandpur was fought at Anandpur, between the armies of the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh and the Mughal forces aided by the Nawab of Bahawalpur state, Rajas of the Sivalik Hills.<ref name="sur">Gandhi, Surjit Singh (2007). History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606-1708 C.E. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. p. 815. ISBN 9788126908585.</ref>

Cause

The increasing power of Guru Gobind Singh, and his establishment of a military order (Khalsa) alarmed the Rajas of the Sivalik hills. The hill Rajas were concerned about Gobind Singh's rising power and influence in their region and following the defeat of Alim Chand and Balia Chand that unnerved the hill Rajas.<ref name="sur"/><ref name="fen">Fenech, Louis (31 January 2013). The Sikh Zafar-namah of Guru Gobind Singh. OUP USA. p. 161. ISBN 9780199931453.</ref> After some failed attempts to check the Guru's power, the Rajas teamed with the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and his Governor Wazir Khan to help them against the Guru.<ref name="sur"/>

The Mughal viceroy of Delhi sent his generals Din Beg and Painda Khan, each with an army of five thousand men, to subdue the Guru under direct orders from Aurangzeb.<ref>Banerjee, Indubhusan. Evolution of the Khalsa. Calcutta: A. Mukerjee. p. 25. OCLC 5880923.</ref><ref>Gandhi, Surjit Singh. A Historians Approach To Guru Gobind Singh. p. 253.</ref> The Mughal forces were joined by the armies of the hill chiefs at Rupar. The Guru appointed the Panj Piare, his five beloved Sikhs, as the generals of his army.<ref name="sur"/>

Battle

According to the Sikh chronicles, Guru Gobind Singh refused to play the role of an aggressor, as he had vowed never to strike except in self-defence.Template:Source?

In the course of a long action near Anandpur, northeast of Ludhiana, Painda Khan was killed—reputedly in single combat by Guru Gobind Singh. After Painde Khan's death, Din Beg assumed the command of his troops. However, he failed to overpower the Guru's forces. The hill Rajas fled from the battlefield, and Din Beg was forced to retreat after being wounded. He was pursued by the Guru's army as far as Rupar.<ref name="sur"/>

Aftermath

After the Mughal generals failed to drive off the Guru from Anandpur, the Painda Khan lead Mughal army attacked Anandpur, leading to the Battle of Anandpur (1701).<ref>Kaur, Madanjit (2007). Guru Gobind Singh : historical and ideological perspective. Chandigarh, India: Unistar Books. ISBN 9788189899554.</ref>

In popular culture

• The Battle of Anandpur is depicted in the movie Chaar Sahibzaade.