Mirza Shafi's campaign against Sikhs or the Imperial campaign against the Sikhs was a Mughal campaign led by Mirza Muhammad Shafi Khan against Sikh chiefs in the Cis-Satluj region from February to June 1781. It formed part of the Mughal attempt under Mirza Najaf Khan to restore authority, collect tribute, and check Sikh activity in the country around Karnal, Ambala, the Yamuna, and the upper Ganga Doab.
The campaign began after Shafi's earlier operations in the Doab and after fighting in which Sahib Singh Khondah was supposodely killed. Shafi entered Sikh territory on 25 February 1781 and encamped at Radaur, but Sikh forces avoided a single decisive engagement and relied on mobile attacks, pressure on imperial posts, and raids across the Yamuna into the Doab. Although Shafi gained temporary successes at Indri and in a night attack on a Sikh camp, his army suffered from shortage of money, lack of reinforcements, desertion, and the inability of the Delhi government to protect the Doab from Sikh incursions.
By the end of the campaign, Shahabad had been retaken by the Sikhs, Sadhaura and other Mughal posts had been abandoned, and Shafi had fallen back toward Kunjpura. The failure led Najaf Khan to negotiate through Zabita Khan and Gajpat Singh of Jind. In July 1781, Gajpat Singh's tribute was fixed, he was granted the title of Maharaja, and a settlement was reached under which the Sikhs agreed not to raid imperial territory, while their possession of estates north of Panipat and their right to levy rakhi in specified areas were confirmed. Background The Sikh advance into the upper Doab followed the failure of the imperial campaign against Patiala in October 1779. The imperial government was temporarily weakened by political changes at Delhi after Mirza Najaf Khan rose to the regency, but by January 1780 his grand-nephew Mirza Muhammad Shafi was sent to the Doab with 10,000 men and artillery to protect the province and its crops. Shafi first operated from Meerut and attacked local landlords who had used the Sikh incursion to withhold obedience from the Mughal government. On 10 February 1780 he advanced through Barnawa and sacked the village of Sup after fighting there.
By late 1780, the Cis-Satluj Sikh chiefs were divided by local conflicts. Amar Singh of Patiala was fighting Bhai Desu Singh of Kaithal, who was supported by Sahib Singh Khondah, Dulcha Singh, and Bhag Singh were also involved in fighting with Thaneswar. Both sides appealed to Shafi, and Najaf Khan allowed him to choose whichever alliance seemed most useful to the Delhi government. Shafi and Zabita Khan reached Bidauli on 9 November 1780, where Sikh chiefs including Sahib Singh and his allies discussed terms with them.
The Mughal commanders later crossed to the western bank of the Jamuna and halted at Kunjpura. Shafi imprisoned Gajpat Singh and three other Sikh chiefs to extract money from them, a policy that Zabita Khan opposed because of his ties to the Sikhs. Zabita Khan returned to Delhi with his own contingent on 10 December, leaving Shafi with reduced strength. Sikh raiding parties then entered Saharanpur district, and Shafi made a forced march from Kunjpura into the Doab.
The Sikh raiders gathered near Saharanpur but were defeated by Shafi's artillery and trained sepoys. Sahib Singh Khondah was killed, several Sikh chiefs were wounded, and many Sikhs drowned while crossing the Jamuna during the retreat. A different version attributed to Francklin placed the battle at Meerut on 15 August 1781 and gave Sikh losses at about 5,000, but the Hari Ram Gupta and Jadunath Sarkar note that contemporary mid-August records do not mention such an action. Campaign After the earlier fighting, Shafi returned to Sikh territory in the Karnal district. The Sikhs chose guerrilla tactics and continued raids across the Yamuna to show that Shafi's previous success had not stopped them from entering the Doab. On 25 February 1781, Shafi encamped at Radaur, north of Karnal and west of the Yamuna. He was attacked by 150 Sikh horsemen, who later withdrew. On 27 February, while Shafi remained at Radaur, the Sikhs camped four kos away, and Diwan Singh and Baghel Singh sent him a letter stating that his presence was damaging crops and that he would be responsible for the losses.
On 28 February, Shafi left Radaur and was attacked on the march. About seventy men were killed and wounded on both sides, and local inhabitants fled toward the Sirmur hills. On 3 March, following Dalel Khan's advice, Shafi decided to establish a camp at Sikandra. His troops had marched only a short distance when the Sikhs attacked. Zain-ul-Abidin Khan and Bagha Rao Maratha fought in the engagement, the Sikhs withdrew after losing eight horses, while carrying off two camels and six ponies. About twenty men on both sides were killed or wounded. Operations around Nikobat and Buriya On 4 March, Shafi moved to Nikobat, described as the residence of Rae Singh Bhangi and Bhag Singh of Thaneswar. Several skirmishes took place on the march, and the Sikhs later camped about ten kilometres from him. The Sikh inhabitants of Nikobat fled with their families and property to Jamalgarh.
Shafi remained at Nikobat for about a week, during which daily skirmishing continued. On 6 March he received ammunition from Najaf Khan, after which the Sikhs moved their camp farther away. On 7 March it was reported that Diwan Singh's representative told Sher Din Khan that the Sikhs would not raid the Ganga Doab if Shafi immediately returned to his own country. Ghulam Qadir, the son of Zabita Khan, attacked places where cultivators from Sikh territory had taken refuge, collected booty, and later joined Shafi.
On 9 March Sikh troopers attempted to seize cattle from the imperial camp. Four or five men were killed or wounded in the resulting action. Later that day the Sikhs appeared near Shafi's camp, and Shafi marched out with a battalion and three cannon. The Sikhs withdrew after losing twenty-five men, and Shafi pursued them for three kos.
During the night of 11–12 March, the Sikhs attacked Shafi and carried off 3,000 cattle. On 12 March Shafi marched toward Buriya, was attacked on the way, and dispersed the attackers with artillery fire before encamping at Nakri. Patiala's attempted intervention Raja Amar Singh of Patiala offered assistance to Shafi while Shafi was under pressure. On 17 March 1781, Chain Singh, Amar Singh's representative, visited Shafi and received gifts, while a five-piece khilat was sent for Amar Singh. Chain Singh was instructed to bring money and reinforcements.
On 25 March, Chain Singh reported that Amar Singh's troops had left Patiala and were marching toward Ambala. The Sikh chiefs prevented these troops from joining Shafi. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia entered Patiala territory on 28 March, Karam Singh and Tara Singh Ghaiba intercepted Amar Singh's contingent, and other Sikh forces blocked the route at Ambala. Amar Singh recalled the contingent, while Sikh forces continued to plunder in Patiala territory. Amar Singh's representative then offered money, after which the Sikhs withdrew toward Malerkotla and then Khanna, where Amar Singh agreed to meet Jassa Singh to settle terms. Continued advance towards Saudhaura While Shafi was at Buria, the Sikh camp was at Kharvan, north of Buria. On 18 March Shafi marched there, but the Sikhs evacuated the place and moved farther away. Shafi was attacked during the march and drove the attackers away with artillery. On 19 March he moved from Kharvan to Balchhappar on the Chittang stream, where the Sikhs had been halting, but they again withdrew.
According to Gupta, the significant disunity in the Sikh camp probably explains why they opted to harass Shafi rather than directly attack his forces. Diwan Singh and Gurdit Singh left the Sikh camp and moved toward Sikandra because of differences with other Sikh chiefs. On 21 March, Gajpat Singh of Jind promised to pay the balance of his tribute within a week and received gifts together with his Diwan. Disaffection in Shafi's army By late March, Shafi's army faced severe financial strain. No revenue could be collected from Sikh territory because inhabitants had fled, no money had arrived from Delhi, and Sikh attacks were causing continuing losses. Ghulam Qadir was dissatisfied because his troops had not been paid, and Shafi attempted to conciliate him with gifts. Grain and gunpowder arrived from Sadhaura, but Banjaras carrying grain were plundered by Mohar Singh.
On 25 March, Shafi moved from Balchhappar and camped near Mustafabad, which the Sikhs had left after handing the fort to the local Qazi. Shafi appointed Sher Din Khan Mandal officer of Shahabad and sent a letter to the Raja of Nahan asking him not to shelter Sikhs. Najaf Quli warned Shafi that the army was becoming disaffected, and Shafi tried to satisfy him with promises of parganahs and a doshala.
On 30 March, Shafi marched back to Sikandra under pressure from Sikh attacks, raids in the Doab, and unrest in his camp. Two battalions under Gangaram and Bhawani Singh openly revolted over unpaid dues, refused to leave Mustafabad, and stayed behind. Shafi sent Shuja Khan to persuade them to join him and offered to pay one month's salary from Gajpat Singh's tribute.
On 31 March, Shafi ordered local zamindars to pay revenue and threatened to harvest their crops and confiscate grain if they did not comply. Reports also reached him that fighting had broken out at Sadhaura between Ismail Beg and the Sikhs, and he sent 200 horse and foot as reinforcement. On 1 April, the Sikhs attacked the amil of Buria and withdrew before reinforcements arrived and one infantry jamadar was killed. On 2 April, Shafi demolished the forts of Daulat Singh and Diwan Singh and established his own thana at Sikandra. Fighting at Indri On 4 April, Shafi sent Mir Mansur and five other chiefs to Indri from his camp on the Chittang stream. They plundered Husainpur, expelled Baghel Singh's military post from Indri, and stationed troops there with camel artillery, long firelocks, and grain. On 6 April, Mir Mansur fought the Sikhs near Indri. The Sikh force left its horses in nearby jungle and fought on foot.
Mir Mansur was reinforced by 3,000 Afghans from Karnal and Kunjpura, and the battalions of Sayyid Ali and Shaikh Haidar later opened artillery fire on the Sikhs from the rear. Mir Mansur and Shaikh Haidar lost their horses in the fighting. The Sikhs left 150 dead, including Ratan Singh, while the Mughal side lost thirty killed and fifty wounded. The Sikhs withdrew to Radaur, and the Mughal posts at Indri and Husainpur were maintained.
Najaf Khan sent robes and gifts to Shafi, Zain-ul-Abidin Khan, Mir Mansur, and subordinate chiefs after hearing of the success at Indri. It is also noted that Najaf Khan had not been able to supply Shafi with money or stop Sikh activity in the Doab. Night attack on a Sikh camp On the night of 8 April, Shafi and Zain-ul-Abidin Khan attempted to attack a Sikh camp. Villagers warned the Sikhs, who broke camp, but Shafi's forces overtook them. In the action, 150 Sikhs were killed and 50 captured and Shafi's forces also seized 100 horses, 200 ponies, and 150 camels. The village of Biana was plundered and its cattle taken by Mughal troops.
On 9 April, Zain-ul-Abidin Khan arrested inhabitants of villages that had warned the Sikhs about Shafi's night movement and had them blown from a cannon. Ghulam Qadir was also ordered to devastate villages that had not cooperated with Shafi during the attack. Operations at Shahabad and Sadhaura On 14 April, Shafi moved from the Sikandra area to Mustafabad. Mirza Saidu complained that the Sikhs had plundered his village and that local zamindars and villagers were unable to resist them. On 17 April, Shafi moved to Kabutar Khera and sent Mir Mansur and Sher Din Khan to establish posts near Sadhaura.