The Second Battle of Anandpur (1704) (''anadapura dī dūjī laṛā'ī sāla satārāṁ sau cāra''), also known as the Siege of Anandpur (''anadapura dī ghērābadī''), was fought at Anandpur, between

Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The ter ...

and the Mughal generals Wazir Khan and Zaberdast Khan aided by the vassal

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 ...

s of the Sivalik Hills in May 1704.

Background

The hill Rajas were concerned about Gobind Singh's rising power and influence in their region along with dislike for the Sikh movement. In addition, the hill Rajas were frustrated by the raids on their villages by the Sikhs from Anandpur who sought to acquire supplies, provisions and cash. Earlier in 1704, the Mughal troops were repulsed in northern Punjab at Basoli and Anandpur. Consequently, the Rajas of several hill states (including

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of 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, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...

Nurpur Nurpur may refer to: * Nurpur, Fenchuganj, a village in Sylhet, Bangladesh * Nurpur, Comilla, village in Comilla Bangladesh * Nurpur, Himachal Pradesh, a city and municipal council in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India * Nurpur, Jalandhar, a v ...

Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely s ...

, Kullu, Guler,

Chamba Chamba may refer to: People *Gilberto Chamba (born 1961), Ecuadorian serial killer *Jessica Chamba (born 1981), European activist Places Ghana * Chamba, a town in the Northern Region India * Chamba (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Himachal Pradesh * ...

Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its ...

, Dadhwal, and Hindur) assembled at Bilaspur to discuss the situation. The son of Bhim Chand, Raja Ajmer Chand of Kahlur, suggested forming an alliance to curb the Gobind Singh's rising power. Accordingly, the Rajas formed an alliance with the Mughals, and marched towards Anandpur. They sent a letter to Gobind Singh, asking him to pay the arrears of rent for Anandpur (which lied in Ajmer Chand's territory), and leave the city to which Gobind Singh insisted that the land was bought by his father, and is therefore, his own property.

Siege

In May 1704, Generals Wazir Khan and Zaberdast Khan, sent by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, joined by the Hill Rajas, besieged Anandpur in an attempt to remove Guru and his followers. The army of the Guru kept the Mughals and hillmen at bay but being surrounded by heavy odds, took refuge in Anandpur fort, where they were besieged for many months, with all supplies and communications cut off. Emperor Aurangzeb sent a written assurance by promising on the

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , ...

, whereas Hill Rajas swore by their gods, with the safety of all Sikhs if the Guru decided to evacuate the fort, and after a long drawn out siege, Gobind Singh and his followers, facing starvation, capitulated in return for safe passage, but the Sikhs were treacherously attacked at the Sarsa, with all assurances and solemn oaths betrayed by the Mughals and Hill Rajas.

Notes

References

Sources

* * {{coord missing, Punjab (India) Anandpur, Second Battle of