Battle of Sonipat

Battle of Sonipat
	Part of Mughal-Sikh Wars
	; Baba Banda Singh Bahadur War Memorial in Khanda, Sonipat
Date	1709
Location	Sonipat, Delhi Subah, Mughal Empire (Present day India)
Result	Sikh victory
Belligerents
Khalsa (Sikhs)	Mughal Empire
Commanders and leaders
Banda Singh Bahadur; Baj Singh; Binod Singh;	Faujdar of Sonipat;
Strength
500	Unknown

The Battle of Sonipat was fought between Sikhs and the Mughal Empire in 1709. It was the first significant battle during Banda Singh Bahadur's conquests.

Prelude

In 1708, Banda Singh Bahadur became the Jathedar of the Khalsa Army and he was sent to Punjab by Guru Gobind Singh to fight against the Mughal Empire.

Battle

Khanda, Sonipat village witnessed the Battle of Sonipat against the Mughals and won the battle under the military leadership of Banda Singh Bahadur.^[3]^[4] He first camped at Khanda village, with an army of 500, and then marched to Sonipat, attacked the town, and threw an open challenge to the Mughal Empire.^[5] The Mughal Faujdar of Sonipat was utterly unprepared and he was routed^[6] in the battle and was defeated.

Pillage of Sonipat

The Sikhs then plundered the Provincial Mughal Treasury and villages at Sonipat.^[7]

Aftermath

After the Sonipat conquest, Banda Singh Bahadur reached Samana, Punjab and attacked the town. Sikhs won battle against Mughals in Samana.^[8]

References

^ History of Islam, p. 506, at Google Books
^ Gupta, Hari (2007). History of the Sikhs Vol II Evolution of the Sikh Confederacies. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 8. ISBN 978-81-215-0248-1.
^ Sagoo, Harbans Kaur (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications. ISBN 978-81-7629-300-6.
^ "Guts and Glory: The Man Who Vowed to Avenge Guru Gobind Singh's Death, Took on Mughals". News18. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
^ Sagoo, Harbans (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications.
^ Frances Pritchett. "XIX. A Century of Political Decline: 1707-1803". Columbia.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-29.
^ Sikhs In The Eighteenth Century. p. 28.
^ Dhillon, Harish (2013-05-01). First Raj of the Sikhs: The Life and Times of Banda Singh Bahadur. Hay House, Inc. ISBN 978-93-81398-39-5.

[1] History of Islam, p. 506, at Google Books

[2] Gupta, Hari (2007). History of the Sikhs Vol II Evolution of the Sikh Confederacies. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 8. ISBN 978-81-215-0248-1.

[3] Sagoo, Harbans Kaur (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications. ISBN 978-81-7629-300-6.

[4] "Guts and Glory: The Man Who Vowed to Avenge Guru Gobind Singh's Death, Took on Mughals". News18. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 2022-10-08.

[5] Sagoo, Harbans (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications.

[6] Frances Pritchett. "XIX. A Century of Political Decline: 1707-1803". Columbia.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-29.

[7] Sikhs In The Eighteenth Century. p. 28.

[8] Dhillon, Harish (2013-05-01). First Raj of the Sikhs: The Life and Times of Banda Singh Bahadur. Hay House, Inc. ISBN 978-93-81398-39-5.

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