The Battle of Nadaun was fought at
Nadaun
Nadaun is a historical town and a nagar panchayat in the Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Previously a part of the princely state of Kangra, Nadaun is presently an independent small town located on NH 3 and NH 303 in the Sivalik ra ...
, between
Raja
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
Bhim Chand Chandel of
Bilaspur (Kahlur) and the
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
under Alif Khan.
Raja
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
Bhim Chand Chandel was supported by
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...
(the tenth
Sikh Guru
The Sikh gurus ( Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ) are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who established this religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year 1469 marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the found ...
) and the Mughals were supported by other hill chieftains, notably Kirpal Chand from
Kangra and Dayal Chand from Bijharwal. Bhim Chand Chandel and some hill chieftains, after conclusion of
Battle of Bhangani
The Battle of Bhangani ( pa, ਭੰਗਾਣੀ ਦਾ ਯੁੱਧ) was fought between Guru Gobind Singh's army and Bhim Chand (Kahlur) of Bilaspur on 18 September 1686, at Bhangani near Paonta Sahib.Rajput Rajas of Shivalik Hills particip ...
had refused to pay tribute to the Mughal emperor which led to the battle at Nadaun. The battle resulted in the victory of
Chandel of Kahlur and Sikh alliance.
Different authors give the date of the battle variously as 1687, 1689, 1690, 20 March 1691,
and 4 April 1691.
''
Bichitra Natak
Bachittar Natak (or Bachitar/Bichittar) (Gurmukhi: ; ''bacitara nāṭaka''; literally 'Resplendent Drama') is from Dasam Granth, ang (page) 94 to ang 175 of the 2326 ang. It is generally attributed to the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
Al ...
'', considered to be the autobiography of Guru Gobind Singh, is one of the major sources of information about the battle. However, its authorship is disputed by some scholars.
Cause
The Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
's
Deccan
The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...
campaigns against
Bijapur
Bijapur, officially known as Vijayapura, is the district headquarters of Bijapur district of the Karnataka state of India. It is also the headquarters for Bijapur Taluk. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural ...
and
Golconda
Fort (Telugu: గోల్కొండ, romanized: ''Gōlkōnḍa'') is a historic fortress and ruined city located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was originally called Mankal. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparu ...
had put considerable strain on the Mughal exchequer. To meet these expenses, Aurangazeb ordered the Governor of
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
, Azim Khan, to recover annual tributes from the rulers of hill states, who had been defaulting on the payment for three consecutive years.
Azim Khan assigned the duty of collecting tributes to Mian Khan, the viceroy of
Jammu
Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi Ri ...
. The duty of collecting tributes from Kangra and adjoining principalities was assigned to Alif Khan (or Alaf Khan).
Alif Khan first approached Raja Kirpal Chand (or Bhim Chand Katoch
) of
Kangra. The Raja told him that Raja Bhim Chand of
Bilaspur (Kahlur) was the most powerful king in the region; if he pays tribute, the others will follow. Raja Dayal of Bijarwal (or Bijharwal) was persuaded by Kirpal to meet Alif Khan's demands. At Raja Kirpal's suggestion, Alif Khan proceeded towards Bhim Chand's capital. He halted at
Nadaun
Nadaun is a historical town and a nagar panchayat in the Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Previously a part of the princely state of Kangra, Nadaun is presently an independent small town located on NH 3 and NH 303 in the Sivalik ra ...
and sent his envoy to Bhim Chand of Bilaspur with his demands. However, Bhim Chand refused to pay the tribute.
Raja Bhim Chand of Bilaspur formed an alliance with the rest of the hill Rajas, and also sought the support of
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...
. The Guru, who was against the idea of paying tributes to the Mughals, decided to support Bhim Chand.
Description in Bichitra Natak
The author of ''Bichitra Natak'' states that Bhim Chand was aided by Raj Singh, Ram Singh, Sukhdev Gaji of Jasrot, and Prithi Chand of Dadhwal, among others. He also states that the
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
s of the Nanglua and Panglu tribes, and the soldiers of Jaswar and Guler, also participated in the battle.
Initially, the forces of Kirpal Chand overpowered Bhim Chand's forces. Then, Bhim Chand recited
Hanuman
Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...
mantra
A mantra (Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ma ...
s, and called all his allies, including the Guru. As the combined forces launched an attack, the enemy forces of Raja Dayal of Bijharwal and Raja Kirpal also advanced. In the ensuing battle, the forces of Mughals and Kirpal Chand were driven out into the river. Alif Khan and his warriors fled away.
['']Bichitra Natak
Bachittar Natak (or Bachitar/Bichittar) (Gurmukhi: ; ''bacitara nāṭaka''; literally 'Resplendent Drama') is from Dasam Granth, ang (page) 94 to ang 175 of the 2326 ang. It is generally attributed to the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
Al ...
''
Chapter 9, Chaupai 22
Aftermath
Soon after the battle, Chand patched up his quarrel with the Mughal faujdar and agreed to pay tribute to them. Guru Gobind Singh reacted to this by
plundering
Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...
a village in his territory.
According to ''Bichitra Natak'', Guru Gobind Singh remained at Nadaun, on the banks of the
River Beas
The Beas River (Sanskrit: ; Hyphasis in Ancient Greek) is a river in north India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab. Its total length is ...
, for eight more days, and visited the places of all the chiefs.
Later, both the parties made an agreement and peace was established.
['']Bichitra Natak
Bachittar Natak (or Bachitar/Bichittar) (Gurmukhi: ; ''bacitara nāṭaka''; literally 'Resplendent Drama') is from Dasam Granth, ang (page) 94 to ang 175 of the 2326 ang. It is generally attributed to the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
Al ...
''
Chapter 9, Chaupai 23
Later,
Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He s ...
built a
gurdwara
A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...
on the spot where the Guru had pitched his tent. The Gurdwara was affiliated to
Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee ( SGPC; "Supreme Gurdwara Management Committee") is an organization in India responsible for the management of Gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and the unio ...
in 1935.
It is known as Gurudwara Dasvin Patshahi or Gurdwara Nadaun Sahib.
References
External links
Description of the Battle of Bhanganiin ''
Bichitra Natak
Bachittar Natak (or Bachitar/Bichittar) (Gurmukhi: ; ''bacitara nāṭaka''; literally 'Resplendent Drama') is from Dasam Granth, ang (page) 94 to ang 175 of the 2326 ang. It is generally attributed to the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
Al ...
'' (Chapter 9).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Nadaun
Naduan
Nadaun, Battle of
History of Himachal Pradesh
17th century in India
17th-century conflicts
1691 in India
1687 in India