List of battles involving the Sikh Empire

The Sikh Empire (1799 – 1849 CE) was established by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Throughout its history, it fought various adversaries including the Durrani Empire of Afghanistan and the British East India Company.

Background

The Sikhs first raised their weapons against the Mughal Empire under Guru Hargobind. Shri Guru Hargobind Ji was son of the 5th Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji who was executed by the Mughal ruler Jahangir. After his father's death, Shri Guru Hargobind Ji added the martial element to Sikhism which was until then a religion mainly focused on Spirituality. But at this point the need for self defence was felt. Hence Shri Guru Hargobind Ji started recruiting an army which he called "Risaldari", after training his men in cavalry and Sikh Martial Arts. He adopted Royal symbols like wearing "kalgidhari turban" and keeping bodyguards. Along with that he asked his followers to gift him horses and weaponry instead of anything else. So the 6th Guru at one point managed to command 700 cavalry and with this might his Risaldari fought several small scale battles in 1620s and 1630s against Shahjahan's forces and some other warlords in Poadh and Majha. The tenth and the last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh organized Sikhs into a military sect called Khalsa (means "pure"), in 1699, against the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Before his death in 1708, he sent Banda Singh Bahadur to lead the Sikhs of Punjab. Banda Singh Bahadur through his outstanding leadership skills weakened the Mughal grasp over India. But he was later captured and beheaded in Delhi in 1716, during the reign of Farrukhsiyar.

Thereafter, Sikhs were divided into Misls. In 1738, Nadir Shah of the Afsharid dynasty attacked India and looted Delhi. The Mughals were never able to recover their power in the Punjab. Later, the Punjab was subject to constant invasions of Ahmad Shah Durrani of Afghanistan.

The Afghans led numerous campaigns to re-capture Lahore but ultimately had to return to Pashtun territories due to internal strife. After Ahmad Shah's final invasion of the Punjab in 1767, he left Lahore which was re-captured by the Sikhs. For more than three decades, Sikhs consolidated their power in areas of the Punjab, though facing repeated invasion attempts from other Afghan emperors such as Timur Shah Durrani, and Zaman Shah Durrani. The decisive moment came in 1790, when Ranjit Singh of Sukerchakia Misl became Misldar. He started uniting Misls and finally took Lahore in 1799. His coronation on 12 April 1801 marked the beginning of the Sikh Empire, which went on to conquer the whole Punjab, Kangra, parts of Kashmir and briefly, the city of Peshawar.

List Name of conflict (date)Part ofBelligerents Opponents Outcome DetailsKatoch–Sikh War(1801)Sikh Empire Kangra StateSikh victoryBattle of Kasur(1807)Sikh Empire Durrani EmpireSikh victoryBattle of Jammu(1808)Sikh EmpireDogra RajputSikh victoryGurkha-Sikh War (1809)Sikh Empire Kingdom of NepalSikh victorySiege of Multan(1810)Sikh Empire Durrani EmpireSikh victoryBattle of Bhimber (1812)Sikh Empire ChibhalChibhal victoryBattle of Anandpur (1812)Sikh Empire KahlurSikh victoryAfghan-Sikh Capture of Kashmir (1812–1813)Sikh EmpireDurrani EmpireKashmir under Ata Muhammad KhanSikh-Afghan victoryBattle of Hasan Abdal (1813)Sikh EmpirePashtuns led by Wazir Fateh Khan BarakzaiAfghan victoryBattle of Attock (1813)Sikh Empire Durrani EmpireSikh victoryBattle of Kashmir (1814)Sikh EmpirePashtuns led by Wazir Fateh Khan BarakzaiAfghan victoryBattle of Multan (1818)Sikh Empire Durrani EmpireSikh victoryBattle of Shopian (1819)Sikh Empire Durrani EmpireSikh victory Kashmir is conquered by the Sikhs.Battle of Gandgarh (1820)Sikh EmpireYousufzai ZamindarsYousufzai Afghan victoryBattle of Mangal (1821)Sikh Empire Jaduns and Tanaolis TribesSikh victorySiege of Mankera (1821–1822)Sikh Empire Kingdom of MankeraSikh victoryBattle of Taragarh (1822)Sikh Empire Afghan tribesmenSikh victoryBattle of Nowshera (1823)Sikh Empire Coalition of Azim KhanSikh victoryBattle of Akora Khattak (1826)Sikh Empire MujahideenMujahideen victoryBattle of Saidu (1827)Sikh Empire MujahideenSikh victoryBattle of Haidru (1828)Sikh Empire MujahideenSikh victoryBattle of Balakot (1831)Sikh Empire MujahideenSikh victoryBattle of Bannu (1832)Sikh EmpireLocal PashtunsAfghan victoryExpedition of Shuja ul-Mulk (1833-1834)Shah Shuja Durrani British Empire East India Company Sikh EmpireEmirate of Kabul Principality of QandaharBarakzai Afghan victoryShah Shuja's expedition fails.Battle of Peshawar (1834)Sikh EmpirePeshawar SardarsSikh victoryPeshawar Sardars deposed from power.Ladakh War (1834–1835)Sikh EmpireNamgyal DynastySikh victoryEntirety of Ladakh annexed in Sino-Sikh WarBattle of Ramkani (1835)Sikh Empire Barakzai DynastyInconclusiveStandoff at the Khyber Pass (1835) Sikh Empire Emirate of KabulInconclusiveWithdrawal of Dost Mohammad Khan, no battle fought.Battle of Panjtar (1836)Sikh Empire Panjtar PashtunsSikh victoryBattle of Jamrud (1837)Sikh EmpireEmirate of AfghanistanDisputed1837 Poonch RevoltSikh EmpireSudhans of PoonchSikh victoryRebellion suppressedBaltistan Expedition (1840)Sikh EmpireMaqpon DynastySikh victoryBaltistan and Skardu annexed to the Sikh EmpireFirst Anglo-Afghan War1 October 1838 – October 1842 East India Company Sikh Empire Shah Shuja Sadozai loyalists Maimana KhanateEmirate of Kabul Principality of Qandahar Barakzai loyalistsBritish coalition defeat Shah Shuja initially restored to the throne successfully, however is deposed and killed in 1842. Battle of Mudki18 December 1845 First Anglo-Sikh War British Empire Sikh Empire British victory Night battle. The British won with heavy casualties amongst the higher ranks. Battle of Ferozeshah21–22 December 1845 First Anglo-Sikh War British Empire Sikh Empire British victory British forces under Sir Hugh Gough won a Pyrrhic victory over the Sikh army under Lal Singh. Battle of SohanaJanuary (?) 1846 First Anglo-Sikh War British Empire Sikh Empire British victory Battle of Baddowal21 January 1846 First Anglo-Sikh War Sikh Empire British Empire Sikh victory Many Sikh soldiers crossed Satluj after being defeated at Mudki and Ferozeshah. When Harry Smith marched to Dharmkot to relieve Ludhiana, their rear was attacked by Sikhs under Ranjodh Singh Majithia.Jacques, p. 93 Battle of Aliwal28 January 1846 First Anglo-Sikh War British Empire Sikh Empire British victory Company troops decisively defeated the Sikh army; turning point in the war. Battle of Sobraon10 February 1846 First Anglo-Sikh War British Empire Sikh Empire British victory End of the war. Battle of Ramnagar (1848)22 November 1848 Second Anglo-Sikh War Sikh Empire British East Indian Company Sikh victory Battle of Chillianwala (1849)13 January 1849 Second Anglo-Sikh War Sikh Empire British East Indian Company Sikh victory Siege of Multan (1848–1849) 19 April 1848 – 22 January 1849 Second Anglo-Sikh War Sikh Empire British East Indian Company British victory Fort was breached and Dewan Mulraj surrendered. Battle of Gujrat (1849) Second Anglo-Sikh War Sikh Empire British East Indian Company British victory Decisive defeat of the Sikh Empire. Young emperor Maharaja Dalip Singh was abducted and taken to England; Punjab was annexed as a province of the British Raj.

See also Guru Gobind Singh Banda Singh Bahadur Baghel Singh Massa Ranghar

References