i) Climate
Divisions and Seasons and their Duration.
The
District is generally dry except during the brief monsoon season. The year may
be divided into four seasons. The cold
season from November to February is followed by the hot season from
March to the end of June. The Period
from July middle of September
constitute the south-west monsoon season. The latter half of September and
October may be termed as the post
monsoon or transition period.
ii)
Temperature and humidity
Temperature: There is an observatory in the district at Patiala
and records of this observatory may be taken as representative of the climate
conditions in the district in general. After February, both the day and night
temperatures increase rapidly till June which is he hottest month. The mean
daily maximum temparature during the
June is 44.4C . The summer is intensely hot and on individual days, the maximum
temperature goes upto about 46C. The
scorching dust laden winds which often blow during the summer make the weather
very trying . Afternoon thunderstroms which oocure on some days bring some
relief although only temporarily. With the onset of the monsoon in the district
by about the beginning of July , there is an appreciable drop in the day
temperatures. Due to increased moisture
in the monsoon air, the weather is
uncomfortable in between the rains. The nights during the monsoon season are
about as warm as during the latter part of the summer . After the withdrawal of
the monsoon by about mid-September there is a drop in the temperatures, the
drop in night temperatures being more rapid. After October , both the day and
night temperatures decrease rapidly and the sharp fall in temperatures after
nightfall is particularly trying .
January is usually the coldest month with the mean daily maximum temperature at
20.2 C and the mean daily minimum at 7.1 C. In winter , cold waves affect the
district in the wake of passing western disturbances and the minimum
temperature drops occasionally to about the freezing point of water.
The highest maximum temperature recorded at Patiala was
46.7 on 27 May 1954. The lowest minimum was 0.9C on 17 January 1962.
Humidity .-Mornings are comparatively more humid than the
afternoons. The humidity is high during the monsoon season. Humidities decrease
thereafter and by summer which is the driest part of the year , the relatives
humidities in the afternoons become less than 30 per cent.
(iii) Rainfall
Records of rainfall in the district are avialable for
three stations for periods ranging from 67 to 73 years. The details of the
rainfall at these stations and for the district as a whole are given in
Tables 1 and 2. Records of rainfall in
the district are also available for 10 more stations for about a decade. The
account of the rainfall in the district
which follows is based on the records of the three stations which extend to a
long period of years. The average annual rainfall in the district is 604.3mm . The rainfall in the district in
general increases from south –west
towards the north-east and varies from 508.2mm at Dhanetha to 674.2mm at
Patiala . About 70 percent of the
annual normal rainfall in the district
is received during the south-west monsoon period, July to September,
July and August being the rainiest months. Some rainfall is also received
during June and October and in the cold
season. The variation in the rainfall from year to year is larger . During the
period 1901 to 1950 , the highest annual rainfall amounting to 189 per cent of
the normal occurred in 1933. The lowest annual rainfall which was 52 per cent
of the normal occurred in 1929. In the same 50 years period, rainfall less than
80 per cent of the normal occurred in 14 years in the district , 3
consecutive years of annual rainfall
less than 80 per cent of the normal occurred
once and 2 consecutive years thrice in the district. Considering the rainfall
at the individual stations, 4 consecutive years of such low rainfall occurred
once at Patiala and Lehlan, 3 consecutive years once at Lehlan and Dhanetha and
2 consecutive years once each at all the three stations. It will be seen from
Table 2 that the annual rainfall in the district was between 400 and 800 mm in
41 years out of 50 .
On a average , there are about 32 rainy days (i.e . days
with rainfall of 2.5 mm or more ) in a year in the district . This number
varies from 27 at Dhanetha to 36 at patiala .
The heaviest
rainfall in 24 hours recorded in the district was 238.0 mm recorded at Patiala
on 14 July 1949.
Cloudiness .--- The skies are generally moderately to
heavily clouded during the monsoon
season and for brief spells of a day or two in association with passing western
disturbances during the cold season. During the rest of the year, skies are
mainly clear or lightly clouded.
(iv)
Atmospheric Pressure and winds
Winds are generally light with some strengthening in force during the period February to June
. In the postmonsoon and cold season , the
winds are predominantly from the north-west. In March and April , easterly to
south-easterly winds also blow on some days , especially in the morning . In the period May to September ,
easterlies and south-easterlies winds predominate, but on many days
north-westerlies also blow in the afternoons.
Special
Weather Phenomena - In the cold season ,
western disturbances affect the district causing occasionsal heavy rain
sometimes associated with thunder. Rain during June and the monsoon season is
often associated with thunder. Dust -storms occur occasionally in the hot
season.
History
The history of Patiala District is very Fascinating. The district is
comprised of the areas belonging to the erstwhile states of Patiala, Nabha and Kalsia,
and also of the British Territory. However, before the establishment of the
above Sikh States during the latter half of the 18 the century , the area of
Patiala doubt that Sirhind had great importance during Muhammadan period and
even earlier during the rule of Hindusthahis. It is interesting to note that
Sirhind was the most flourishing city druring the medieval period in the whole
of present day Punjab. Accordingly, the medieval history of Patiala District is
mainly the history of Sirhind, Because most of the area of Patiala District is
roundabout Sirhind. An attempt has been made to depict the history of Patiala
District in the foregoing pages.
The area of present Patiala
District is very rich in ancient history. The main source of the history of
this period is archaeology whcih reveals many hidden facts about the past.
Excavations and explorations of the various objects buried in the ground help
the scholars to trace the history of the past. Excavations and explorations of
various sites in the area of patiala District give an ample proof that the
district was a part of the Indus Valley Civilization, whose important centres
were on the bank of the Indus River. The two most important sites of this
civilization are Harappa and Mohenjodaro whcih are in Pakistan. This
civilization was spread over a vast area of India right upto the south of India
. Many seals and other articles belonging to this civilzation have been found by the explorers of the
Archaeological Department of Punjab, through excavation of various sites in the
Patiala District . These excavations, undoubtedly link the area of Patiala
District with the Indus Valley Civilizations which existed before the Aryans.
Various types of pottery, coins , beads and objects of sculpture have been
found at various places. Explorers of Archaeological Department on the basis of
these ancient finds, have derived important conclusions whcih facilitate the
reconstruction of the ancient history of the district. Seals have alos been
found belonging to Indus Valley Civilization . But so far the language of these
seals have not been deciphered inspite of the persistent efforts of the
scholars in this direction. Many more facts regarding the Indus Valley
Civilization will come to light as and when the indus script is read.
The most
striking feature of the indus Valley Civili\tion is their standardization. Some
Scholars are of the opinion that it was the most standardised civilization in
the ancient world. The people of this civilization had built grand cities and
had a highly developed cultural life. Cotton and woollen fabrics were in common
use, ornaments were worn by both men and women, beautiful pottery was produced
and the sculptor's technique was well developed. The carpenter, the mason, the blcksmith,
the goldsmith, the jeweller, the stone cuter and the ivory workers had a
flourishing trade. A large number of terra-cotas represent cattle, normally
hnever represented. Alarge number of seals
and tablets found from various sites have introduced examples of the
pictographic script whcih still constitutes one of the major mysteries of the
Indus Civilization. It has not as yet been deciphered.
After the
Indus Valley Civilization, Rigvedic culture was then a part of Sapt Sindhu. The
founders of this culture were the brave Aryans who might has occupied the area
after defeating the people belonging to Indus Valley Civilization. Vedas are
the important books which reflect the life of ancient Aryans. Rigveda is the
oldest veda and it is believed that most of its hymns were written by Rishis on
the banks of rivers in Panjab, then known as Sapt Sindhu. The Ghaggar River,
which flows through the area of Patiala District, is thouht to be remnant of
the original Sarswati River. The Aryans were proud of this Grand River. The
Vedas were said to have been reveled and preserved on the banks of Saraswati by
clan of Pandits whose descendants are known as 'Saraswat Brahmans' who are now
spread from Kashmir to the south 1.
Rigveda
reflects the fight of the Aryans with the original inhabitants of this area. It
indicates that Aryans were fully established in Punjab by the time of Rigveda.
From the close study of the Rigveda, one draw the inference that dasas or
Dasyus were the pre-Aryans Panijabis who ere the builders of the Indus Valley
Civilization. These people were overpowered by war-like Aryans. Besides, Veda, Ramayana and
Mahabharta are the two important epics which reflect the social, political and
religious life of the ancient Aryans. Bhagwat Gita is also an important
religious book of the ancient Aryans. It clearly illustrates that the ancient
Aryans were fond of war. This book is a powerful advocate of war-philosophy of
the ancient Panjabis.
The present
area of Patiala District has many links with the period of Ramayana and
Mahabharta. It is believed that Lord Rama, the hero of Ramayana had his
maternal uncles at Ghuram. It is said that Kaushaliya, Rama's mother belonged
to this place of Patiala District . Scholars also believe that Bharat, the
brother of Rama, passed through Bassi Pathana in Patiala District while
marching from the home of his maternal grandfather ( now in Pakistan) to
Ayodhya. Even during the period of Mahabharta, Yaudheyas, a war-like tribe of
this area participated in the famous battle of Kurukeshetra on behalf of the
Kauravas. Some coins belonging to these people have been found from Rajpura and
various other sites in Patiala District . It shows that the area of Patiala
District was occupied by Yaudheyas.
About 5 km
north-east of Dera Bassi, ther is a famous place of pilgrimage known as kaimlon
which speaks of antiquity. This place is believed to be belonging to the time
of Pandavs. According to Mahant Rama Nand Puri of this Dera, Pandavas stayed
here for a period of two and a half years . It is also believed that during
their stay, bhim , one of the five Pandavas, Killed a notorious monster, named
Tamrid.
After the famous battle of Mahabharat fought at
Kurukshetra, chaos prevailed in Panjab and taking advantage of this situation,
persians and Greeks occupied Punjab. Credit goes to the Maurysa who freed
Punjab from freign yoke and established a powerful empire in India. It is
beyond doubt that the area of present Patiala District was a part of the famous
Maury Empire and probalby it was included in the Larger province of Gandhara
whose capital was at Takshila ( now in Pakistan) which was a floursishing
centre of education. government and commerce. Ashoka was the provincial
Governor of this region during the times of Bindusar ( in the third century
BC), the son of Chander Gupta Maurya, the first great emperor of ancient India
after the period of Mahabharta.
Patali-putra
(Patna) was the capital of the Maurya Empire. Ashoka who succeeded Bindusar,
was undoubtedly the most illustrious emperor of ancient India. After the famous
Kalinga war, Ashoka embraced Budhism and devoted his whole energy for the
welfare of his people. Thus the ancient people of the area of Patiala District
had the privilege of welfare rule of Ashoka, the Great. Moreover, they came
under the influence of Budhism during his period and his successors . The
impact of Budhism had adverse effect on the martial spirit of the ancient
Panjabis who were again subjugated by the foreigners.
After a few
centuries of foreign rule following the disintegration of Maurya Empire , the
Gupta Dynasty (AD 320-490) established
a very strong empire in India. King Samundra Gupta, the first
outstanding ruler of this dynasty succeeded in wiping out the Scythians and
established very powerful empire. His successor, Chander Gupta II was an ideal
ruler. Undoubtedly, the present area of Patiala District was a part of the
mighty Gupta Empire. The Gupta Age is known as golden period in Indian history
because of all-round development in various fields. There was tremendous
progress in the field of art, literature and science. Kalidas, the greatest of
ancient Sanskrit poets also lived during Gupta period. The celebrated
astronomers, Aryabhata and Varahamitira also belonged to this period. Fahien, a
Chinese pilgrim, who visited India during the Gupta period, has also given a
vivid account of the all- round progress in various fiedls during this period.
It can be concluded from the writings of Fahien that during the period of Gupta
Empire, Hindu civilization achieved its greatest glory. Hindu art and
literature, architecture and science, all flourished during this golden period
of Hindu civilization. Among the surviving Gupta paintings, the frescoes on the
walls and ceilings of the Ajanta caves are world famous for their artistry.
India then was probably the most civilized country in the world.
In the latter
half of the 6th centruy arose the great kindgom of Thanesar under the
Vardhanas. The area of Patiala District seems to be a part of this Kingdom.
Harshvardhana was an important king of this dynasty. During his time, the great
Chinese traveller, hieun Tsang visited India. He speaks well of the social
conditions prevalent during that period. This Chinese traveller also speaks
highly of the ancient town of Sirhind , now in Patiala District. According to
him, the town was the capital of the State of Satadru which was 2000 Li or 333
miles in circuit with a large river forming its western boundary. The
numismatic evidence also supports this view that Sirhind was certainly a
flourishing town in AD 900 and that it was most probably in existence at the
beginning of the Christian era. This evidence clearly proves that almost the
whole area of present Patiala District was a significant part of the Satadru
State and its town Sirhind had the credit of being the capital of this Kingdom
. Subsequently, the independence of Satadru State was lost and it became part
of a vast Kingdom called Trigut, of which Jalandhar was the capital.
During the
invasions of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni (AD 1000-1030) , the area of Patiala
District along- with the adjoining areas was undr the Hindushahi dynasty. The
Hindushahi Raja Jaipal was successful in building up a vast empire extending
from Sirhing to Lamghan with Bathinda its capital. After establishing its firm
sway over Afghanistan, the new Turkish regime entered into armed clashed with
Hindushahi Jaipal of the Punjab. The struggle between the two powers lasted for
several decades. In or about AD 991, jaipal organised a confedracy of hindu
Kings, to ward off the growing Muslim menace, but failed in his endeavour.
However, Trilochan Pal of this dynasty , who ruled from AD 1012 to 1021 ,
restored some of the prestige of the dynasty. He shifted his capital from
Bathinda to Sirhind. Thus Sirhind acquired the honour of being the capital and
first city of the Hindushahis.
But the
Hindushahi rulers could not stand against the incessant invasions of Mahamud Ghazanvi who made as many as
seventeen attacks on India . Ghazanvi's path lay through Punjab and this part
of the country was laid waste by the hordes of plunderes. The hindu Kingdom of
Shahiya which ruled Punjab at that time was completely extinguished.
From such
conditions of chaos created by the continuous onslaughts of the Mohammadan
invaders and especially those of Mahmud of Ghazanvi, the Rajputs rose to power
after the fall on the Hindushahis in the Punjab. The Chauhans first ruled in
Ajmer , but it appeared that by A.D. 1164 they had occupied Delhi as well as
the entire tract of territory lying between it and the Satluj. Sirhind and
Bathinda constituted the two most important military stations on the north
western frontier of the Rajput Kingdom. Evidently the present area of Patiala
District remained under the Chauhan Rajputs and the town of Sirhind was of
great political significance . In 1192 , Shihabuddin Muhammad Ghori ( AD
1186--1206) defeated and Killed
Prithviraj Chauhan , the last illustrious king of this dynasty. As a
result of this, not only Sirhind but also the entire territory up to Delhi passed
underthe control of the Turks. With the defeat of prithviraj Chauhan at the
hands of Muhammad Ghori in AD 1192 at Tarain, Punjab entered a new chapter of
history during which the Hindus had to face subjugation, intimidation,
humiliation and hardship . At times, the persecution led to total destruction
of villages.
Punjab under
the sultans (1206-1526) - The Successors
of Muhammad Ghori founded the Sultanate of Delhi and the area of Patiala District
was undoubtedly a part of their empire. During their reign, Sirhind retained
much of its reputation as a political and administrative unit. Indeed, it was
one of the most important Muslim possessions west of Delhi and was always kept
in the hands of trusted and efficient administrators. Almost the shole area of
Patiala District was a part of Sirhind Province. Under Qutubuddin the first
Sultan of Delhi. Aibak was amir (Governor) of the Province of Sirhind.
After
Qutubuddin's death in 1210 Sirhind was captured by Nasiruddin Qubacha, the
Governor of Multan and Sind. The Qubacha's
hold on Sirhind did not go unchallenged for long . Illutmish, the
successor of Qutubuddin, gave a crushing defeat to Qubacha in 1217-18 and annexed Sirhind to his
kingdom and placed it under Malik Ikhtiyaruddin, who also remained the
administrator of Sirhind during the reign of Sultana Razia.
During the
period of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud (1246-1266) Malik Sher Khan, a cousin of
Balban, administered Sirhind very efficiently. However in 1267, Balban
appointed his own son as administrator of Sirhind. During this period , Sirhind
was fortified in order to check frequent invasions of Mongols.
Under the
Khalji Sultans, Samana gained more importance than Sirhind. Sirhind was attached
to the province of Samana. However, in 1360, Firoz Shah Tughlaq again restored
to Sirhind its independent status.
Under the
Tughlaq Sultans, Sirhind gained a far more prominent position in the political
and adminstrtive affairs of the Sultanate, and it continued to increase in
wealth and importance until the time of Akbar when the rival cities of Sunam
and Samana were both made subordinate to it and included in Sirhind Sarkar of the Subah of Delhi. Its prosperity
was further increased by the gradual encroachment of the sandy desert, which at
last forced the Mughal Emperors to abandon the old line of road by Hansi and
Sunam and to seek for a permanent line farther to the north , by Sirhind and
Ambala 2.
Sirhind gained a great boost during the period of Firoz Shah
Tughlaq. It was put under the governorship of Malik Zia -ul - Mulak Shamsuddin Aburija. Firoz Shah Tughlaq was very
famous for construction of cananls. One of the many canals dug out by him
passed through Sirhind. Many steps were
taken for the development of sirhind town. Consequently , Sirhind became the
most flourishing city of medieval Punjab , during the reign of Firoz shah
Tughlaq.
During the
brief period of Abu Bakar (1389-1390) , who was able to establish his authority
at Delhi , after murdering Ghiyas -ud-din Tughlaq on 19 February 1389 , a
serious rebellion broke out at Samana, now in Patiala District. The Amir rose
against the governor, Khurshid, a loyal adherent of Abu Bakar and put him to
death at Samama. Nasir-ud-din Muhammad was invited to capture the throne of
Delhi from Abu Bakar . Consequently, Muhammad immediately arrived at Samana and
crowned himself as the Sultan in April 1389. Some discontented nobles from
Delhi also joined him there. Muhammad started from Samana to Delhi with a big
force, but he was defeated by Abu
Bakar. However , he did not lose courage to make another attempt for the
throne. He sent his son Humayun Khan to Samana to enrol fresh troops. Moreover
, nobles of various provinces also supported Muhammad. Ultimately, Abu Bakar
was imprisoned and Muhammad was made the Sultan of Delhi on 31 August 1390. It
may be stated here that next to Sirhind, Samana was the most strategic place in
the present day Patiala District. Its Nobles
played a significant role in the politics of Delhi.
During the
period of Khizar Khan, the office of Governorship of Sirhind was held by Bahram
Khan. After his death, Khizar Khan appinted his son, Prince Mubarak Shah, the
Governor of Sirhind and Samana. But the Prince stayed here only for a few years
and after appinting Malik Sadho Nadira, his Deputy, the Governor of Sirhind,
and Zirak khan, the Governor of was Killed in a battle fought with Tughan's
men. under orders from the Sultan of
Delhi, Zirak Khan , the Governor of Samana marched to the rescue of the
besieged and put the enemy to fingh 3.
In 1419, the
Governorship of Sirhind was offered by the Sultan of Delhi to Sultan Shah
Lodhi. He won lead of Mohan Mundahir attached
the Qazi's estate at Sirhind burning and plundering the place and also
killing his son. Upon the Qazi's complaint against this outrage, Babur sent
Ali Quli of Hamadan with 3,000 horses
to avenge the Qazi's wrongs. Early in the morning of 4 March 1530, he reached
Mohan's village situated in the Kaithal Pargana, but was defeated by Mohan's
men.
Babur again
despatched from Sirhind Tarsam Bahadur and Naurang Beg with 6,000 horses and
several elephants. The Mundahir Rajputs had nearly defeated this task force
too, when by a clever ruse, played by the Mughals, the brave Rajputs were put
to rout. One thousnad of them were pierced to death in the battle-field, while
all their women and children were enslaved. A pillar of heads was raised ,
Mohan Mundahir was captured and later on buried to the waist and shot to death
with arrows.
Humayun, the
successor of Babur failed to hol India because of the rising of Sher Shah Suri.
How ever, during the rule of Sikandar Suri, the weak Successor of Sher Shah
Suri , Humayun was able to regain his position in India, through the famous
battle of Sirhind fought on 22 June 1555. A brief Description of this battle is
given below:
The battle
of Sirhind, 1555: When Sikandar Suri was the
emperor of India , Humayun was making hectic preparations to return to India.
In this struggle for polotical supremacy in India, Sirhind once agin played a
very important role. In the first quarter of 1555 the advance quards of humayun
reached Sirhind under the leadership of his general , Bairam Khan. By this
time, Bairam Khan had captured Sirhind and had fortified the town. He inflicted
a crushing defeat on the Afghan troops of sikandar Suri. Sikandar Suri Was
upset bythis defeat , but he entrenched himself before the city. Humayun
himself arrived in Sirhind on 28 May 1555 to encounter the enemy . Now ensued a
serious strugggle for supremacy, which is known in history as the battle of
Sirhind. On 22 june 1555 was fought
this decisive battle of Sirhind . The entire force of Sikandar Suri was
dispersed and he himself was forced to flee for safety to the Shiwalik Hills. The
battle of Sirhind like the other decisive battles of indian history , seriously
altered the political situation in the country . The Afghans were beaten
disastrously and were almost expelled from the Punjab".
After the
death of Humayun, Hemu conquered Delhi from the Mughals. Tardi Beg, the Mughal
general left Delhi without enaging his rival in any fight and returned to
Sirhind . Hearing this news at jalandhar , Akbar alongwith Bairam Khan, his
guardian and commander, marched to Sirhind on 13 October 1556. Akbar expressed
his displeasure at the cowardice of Tardi beg and he was put to death .
Thereafter , Hemu was defeated in the Second Battle of panipat in 1556 and
Sirhind agin came under the Mughals.
Under Akbar,
Sirhind continued to play a prominent role in the social, political and
cultural history of the people . At
that time , Hafiz sultan Rakhana of heart was the Shiqdar of Sirhind. He
was responsible for raising numerous building and gardens at Sirhind. It was
the matchless beauty of its gardens and buildings that Akbar was so deeply
fascinated with Sirhind 5.
The Uzbegs
were creating a serious distraction for the Mughals in Badakhshan. Within a decade of akbar's accession to the throne
, they had risen up in arms against the Mughals. Raja Man singh was deputed to
proceed against them. He came to Sirhind. Nasiri Sirhindi, a contemprorary
historian, has given a graphic account of how Raja Man Singh succeeded in
galvanizing the entire Sud population of Sirhind into action against the
rebellious Mirzas. According to this historian, no less than 5,000 well -built
and sturdy suds of Sirhind assembled round Raja Man Singh with Rajput like
martial pomp and glow and volunteered to fight for the Emperor against his
Pathan enemies . According to Nasiri, the Suds were the most conspicuous
section of the population of Sirhind. According to him , Sirhind at hat time
posssessed building s which had no parallel in the whole of India , and it
enjoyed such commercial importance that the property in Sirhind fetched twice
as much price as the property at delhi fetched at that time 6.
Under Akbar,
Sirhind had achieved great prominence. He made it a mint town for minting
copper coins. It was strongly fortified by an outer wall and strong towers. The
Hindu money- lenders were quite a prosperous class and they owned some
beautiful gardens. A fort built in the centre of the town was linked with the
shahi Bagh through a mine. The Mughal Emperor stayed in the shahi Bagh,
Whenever he visited the town. The town was also famous for producing delicious
mangoes.
Sirhind had
also become a great centre for trade. Because of its proximity to the hills,
Chinese goods were pouring in large quantities for commercial purposes. This
increasing amount of trade had enabled its inhabitants to axquire immense
richeds. under such circumstances, population was bound to increase and
extension took place towards the north-western direction and the boundary wall
towards that side had to be dismantled for facilitating further development 7.
During Akbar's
times, Sirhind was a great centre of education . There were 360 mosques and in
those days a maktab (school) was generally attached to a mosque. After Akbar, Sirhind continued to
develop under Jahangir and Shah Jahan
who visited this place many times being attracted by its magnificent gardens.
Shah Jahan laid the foundations of a few more buildings . The Emperor had
another important interest in Sirhind. This place abounded in birds which could
be utilised for the purposes of hunting. That is why Shah Jahan sent one Shah
Nawaz Qash Begi in the month of Ramzan in the same year to collect such hunting
birds from this place.
Todar Mal, a
native and a businessman of Sirhind was appointed by Shah Jahan as the Faujdar
of Sirhind He was entrusted with the duties of Amin, Diwan and the Faujdar .
Todar Mal had, perhaps earned this distinction by virtue of his rich and varied
experience in different administrative spheres. This celebrated official
discharged his functions so efficiently that the imperial favours continued to
pour in on him in quick and rapid succession. When Shah Jahan visited Sirhind
in the fourth year of his succession, he became the recipient of a distinction
whcih added considerably to the martial as well as official prestige of this
tried official. The Faujdar of the Lakhi Jungle was also added to his existing
charge. Soon after, Todar Mal was rewarded with a Killat (robe of honour) , a
horse and a caprisoned elephant. under this able and versatile administrator,
Sirhind made such a spectacular progress that in 1634 when Shah Jahan again
visited the place, Todar Mal was elevated to the Mansab 9 of a very high rank.
In 1648, the title of Raja was conferred upon him.
There is thus
no doubt that under the patronage of Akbar , Jahangir and Shah Jahan, Sirhind
continued to march on the road to peace and prosperity, and it became one of
the most flourishing towns of the mughal Empire . However , the policy of
religious persecution lauched by Aurangzeb reversed the all development of
Sirhind. Under Aurangzeb, Wazir Khan was the Faujdar of Sirhind. The practice
of continuing to vest all the three powers in the same hands , just as it was
done in the case of Todar Mal, was continued and Wazir khan was Faujdar Amin as
well as the Diwan for the Sarkar of Sirhind 10.
Wazir Khan,
taking cue from the policy of religious fanaticism unleashed by Aurangzeb,
started persecuting non-muslim population of Sirhind. In 1704 , he bricked
alive two younger sons of Guru Gobind singh. This single incident led to the destruction of Sirhind time and
again by the devoted followers of the Guru , who considered Sirhind as an
instrument of the sufferings of Guru Gobind Singh.
In this
context, it may be stated that people of Patiala District , were much influnced by the teachings of the Sikhs
Gurus. Phul , the ancestor of maharaja Ala Singh of Patiala had the blessings
of Guru Hargobind. Guru Teg Bahadur had also much impact on the minds of people
of Patiala District as he made extensive touring in this area. It is stated
that when Guru Teg Bahadur was on his way to Delhi to offfer the supreme
sacrifice , he took a long route to Delhi so that he might be able to preach at
many places on his way. He stayed for some time near Bahadurgarh. people began
to come from far and near to listen to the teachings of their Guru. He also
stayed for some timeat the site of the Gurudwara Dukhniwarn at Patiala which
was then known as lehal village.
Patiala
District is also sanctified by the holy visits of Guru Gobind Singh, who is
said to have spent a few days of his childhood at village Rani Majra in Dera
Bassi Sub -Tehsil while going to Anandpur Sahib from Patna where he was born. Again during his youth, while
returning from Paonta Sahib after winning the Battle of Bhangani, the Guru
Stayed for some time at a few villages near about Zirakpur in Rajpura Tahsil
before his onward march to Anandpur Sahib. A magnificent Gurudwara, known as
Gurudwara Baoli Sahib has been built at
village Dhakoli near Zirakpur in the sacred memory of Guru Gobind Singh who
stayed here for some time.
Later on when
Guru Gobind Singh came in clash with Mughal forces, he issued hukamnameas (
religious orders) to his followers to give him liberal help. There are proofs
that such hukamnamas were issued to Taloka and Rama, the ancestors of Maharaj
Ala Singh of patiala and to the people of Banur. Subsequently, martyrdom of
Guru's younger sons at Sirhind inspired the sikhs to crush the tyrannical
Mughal power under the leadership of Banda Bahadur. The people of Patiala
District also gave their significant contribution by joining the forces of
Banda Bahadur to punish Wazir Khan, the Governor of Sirhind.
Banda
Bahadur
Banda Bahadur was the first
great commander of the sikhs who led them to great vicotries over the Mughals in
Punjab. The role of Banda Bahadur in the context of patiala District is very
significant, as the conquest of Sirhind, now falling in Patiala District was
the greatest achievement of Banda Bahadur
The conquests of Samana, Ghuram and Chhat -Banur were also great
achievements of this brave man. Banda Bahadur was the great Sikh general who
shook the very foundation of the mighty Mughal Empire in Punjab , more
particularly in the area of Patiala District, as most of his glorious victories
were achieved in this area. If it is observed minutely , it will be apparent
that weakening of the Mughal Empire by banda Bahadur became a potent factor in
helping the phukian families to establish themselves in this area.
After having
come into contact with Guru Gobind Singh at Nander ( in maharashrtra ) in 1708,
Banda Bahadur marched to the Punjab and waged a series of fights against the
Mughal rulers. His fight was neither a religious campaign nor a war against
Islam; nor was it a vindictive mission as is commonly believed. In fact, it was
war against tyranny and injustice of the alien rulers. In doing so, he tried to
chastise the evil-doers for their sins and excesses perpetrated on innocent
people, including the sons of the Guru. So it can be said that Banda was an ardent
advocate of the cause of the common people and a fighter for the liberation of
India.
Before his
departure to the heavenly abode, Guru Gobind Singh had deputed Banda Bahadur to
wage a relentless war against the tyrannical rulers of Punjab. After receiving
the Guru's commandements, instructions and blessings, Banda left for punjab
with 25 sikhs sometimes in October 1708. He was briefed by Guru Gobind Singh
about the route to be followed , the tasks to be accomlished , the source of
his reinforcements and the sequence of action. At the same time in the Punjab
to join Banda in his Adventure.
The news of
the Guru's assassination set the punjab Sikhs literally on fire. The
cold-blooded murder of his two young sons at Sirhind only a few years ago was
still rankling in their minds and hearts. Therefore. When they heard of Banda's
coming, they gathered round him from all sides, irrespective of the
difficulties put in their way by the local adminstrations. Of course, they knew
what formidable force were fighting against.
A brief
description of the conquests of Banda Bahadur in the area of Patiala District
is given Below:
Conquest of
Samana, 1709 - Before falling upon Sirhind,
Banda thought it militarily prudent that first ofall , the places surrounding
Sirhind should be attacked so that enemy could not get reinforcement from these
places. In 1709 , Banda attacked Samana , the native village of Jalal-ud-ding,
the executioner of Guru Teg Bahadur the father of Banda's master.
As Samana was
an ancient and wealthy town in those times, it was expected to yield a good
booty. The town was inhabited by highly placed Sayyids and Mughals. Banda and
his followers advanced upon Samana . Its Faujdar and the Mughals had a low
estimate of the invaders. The Sikhs fell upon Samana and ravaged it, "
with a thorough massaxre of the Muslim population, without any regard to sex or
age. " The families of Sayyid jala-ud-din and those leaders and grandees ,
who had deceived Guru Gobind Singh by treacherously including him to evacuate
the fort of Anandpur were put to death and the town was plundered !!
Commenting on
the Samana fight, the author of Banda Bahadur, writes: " In a twinkling
was the Sikh sword seen working a terrible havoc upon the enemy, who were cut
to pieces as carrots and radish are cut with a knofe , their corpses swelling
into heaps, through which flowed rivulets of blood. Each Sikh fought to his
heart's content vying with one another in their work of slaughter , some with a
view to wreaking vengeance, others with the object of punishing the tyrants in
obedience to their Guru's order. The battle being over, they entered the town
like famished lions, and gratified themselves with a futher slaughter and
plunder . Only the Hindus escaped."
Thus in a few
hours," a beautiful town, furnished with palatial buildings and beautified
by metalled streets and macadmised bazaars, was converted into a large heap of
ruins". The number of people put to death was estimated at 10,000 .The
majority of them were Mughals . Bhai Fateh Singh Displayed commendable spirit
and bravery in the Samana battle . Impressed by his gallantry , Banda appointed
him the Faujdar of this place .
It is held
that every member of banda's army made sufficient money from this plunder to
live upon for many days to come, whereas this exploit also added to the
resouces of Banda for his further expeditions . Banda himself stayed here for
about a week and then marched towards Sirhind .
Conquest of
Ghuram.---- The next village falling a prey to Banda was Ghuram, east of Samana
. Its inhabitants were Pathans. They could not stand against the Singhs of the
Guru and had to flee. According to Ganda Singh, " The town was laid waste
and plundered and was annexed to the territories of Bhai Fateh Singh."
Conquest
of Chhat and Banur.------ After
the conquest of Samana and Ghuram, Banda Bahadur conquered Shahbad, Sadhaura
and many other places now falling in Ambala District of Haryana. After
increaisng his strength by these victories, Banda thought it now appropirate to
turn towards Sirhind. Chhat and Banur were on his way to Sirhind. Banda wanted
to punish the Mushlims of those places
because of their bigotry and slaughtering of cows. Banda was able to
occupy both these places without much opposition. After the conquer. However,
small these vicotories may be , they certainly encouraged the floolowers of
Banda, boosted their morale and attracted others to come under his banner.
These victories also served as a stepping stone to a bigger one to follow ,
i.e. the victory of Sirhind.
The battle
of chappar Chiri ( Sirhind)
Sirhind was
the main target of Banda, as two sons of Guru Gobind Singh were bricked alive
at this place by Wazir Khan, Governor of Sirhind. It is believed that his most
famous battle of Banda with Wazir Khan was fought in the plain of Chappar Chiri
which falls in Kharar Tahsil on Banur - Kharar Road.
But, Sirhind
was not an easy target to capture It was the seat of the provincial capital .
Its Nawab Wazir Khan was one of the
pillarsof the Mughal empire with a huge army under his command. he had been in
power for long years and had
accumulated considerable wealth and position.
Wazir Khan made
extensive arrangements to meet the challenge of Sikhs under Banda. He
proclaimed a Jehad-a religious war against Sikhs, the accursed infidels or
Kafirs. A Large number of Gazis or religious warriors from far and wide
responto his call. He collected his noted faujdars, zamindars and sardars. He
had a large number of elephants, mounted
gunnery, archers, lanxers and swordsmen. Banda had not artillery, no
elephants and not even sufficient supply of good horses. He and his soldiers
only possessed long spears, arrows and swords.
The
organization and regrouping of troops before they are launched into battle is
one of the fundamentals of war, in which Banda bahadur was not lacking . So he
organized his troops into two assaulting groups (Jathas). In the first group
were the Malwais put under the command of Fateh Singh , Karam Singh, Dharam
Singh and Ali Singh . The Majhel Singhs formed the second group under the
command of Baba Binod singh , Bhais Baj
Singh , Ram Singh and Sham Singh.
Now Faujdar Wazir
Khan marched out in person with his large army with elephants in front to check
the advance of the Sikhs. Banda ordered his commanders to advance and himself
sat on a mound nearby to watch and direct the operation. The moment the battle
started, the irregulars comprising robbers took to their heels. It is with
regard to these people that Irvine in his Later Mughals remarks, " At the
first shook , the Sikhs , after a feeble resistance turned and fled." A
sanguinary battle now ensued. The Sikhs shouted the war cry of 'Sat Sri Akal,'
whereas, the war cry of 'Ali, Ali' , was raised by the Muslims. The entire
atmosphere resounded with these war cries. First , the Muslim artillery caused
a heavy destruction of lives . Realizing this disadvantage , the soldiers of
Guru Kalgidhar decided to do or die for anoble cause and sallied forth enmasse
towards the cannon. Though they suffered heavy casualties, they succeeded in
snatching the cannon. They they started a hand-to-hand fight. Even then, the
enemy was at an advantage. Then Baj Singh, Second -in - command, rushed to
Banda , who had remained aloof so far , with a request to play his role . Banda
then rushed forward to the forefront of his army. To quote Sohan Singh.
"Then rose he ( Banda) like a hungry lion from his cave and sprang upon
the army like a bolt from the blue. His appearance very much encourged the
Khalsa, whereas it struck a general terror among the enemy. Just as Julius
Caesar , all of a sudden and with a single attack had turned the tables of
fortunes against the hitherto obviously winnings Gauls, the irresistible Banda , with a single sally changed the
whole scene."
Encouraged by
the advent of their leader on the battlefield. the Singhs fell in a compact
body upon the Muhammadans. The onslaught was so penetrating that it became
difficult for the enemy to stand it. Khazan Singh holds that "when the
battle was raging, a strong storm set in and with that the Singhs rushed at the
enemy with drawn swords and put them to flight. " Money and baggage, horse
, elephants, fell" says Khafi Khan , "into the hands of the infidels
( Singhs) and not a man of the army of Islam escaped with more than his life and
the clothes he stood in. Horsemen and footmen in great numbers fell under the
swords of the infidels who pursued them as far as Sirhind." During that
confusion, Wazir Khan fell from his horse and was captured alive, as stated by
Khazan Singh. However , thereafter he was put to death.
This was the first
territorial conquest of the Sikhs, which placed them in possession of the
entire country south of the satluj to the neighbourhood of Delhi. And with this
th ilaqa, now included in the Patiala District became the first centre of the
first independent Sikh Kingdom in the Punjab: and it fired the people of
the country with hopes of greater
successes.
Banda Bahadur
repaired the old imperial fort of Mukhlispur occupied by him at the time of
conquest of Sadhaura, gave it the name of Lohgarh and established his capital.