The Battle of Nadaun, alternatively known as the Hussaini Yudh'','' was fought at Nadaun, between

Raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...

Bhim Chand of Bilaspur (Kahlur) and the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...

under Alif Khan. Bhim Chand was supported by

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the ...

(the tenth

Sikh Guru The Sikh gurus (Punjabi language, Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ; Hindi: सिख गुरु) are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who established the religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year ...

) and the Mughals were supported by other hill chieftains, notably Kirpal Chand from Kangra and Dayal Chand from Bijharwal. Bhim Chand and some hill chieftains, after the conclusion of the Battle of Bhangani, had refused to pay tribute to the Mughal emperor which led to the battle at Nadaun. The battle resulted in the victory of

Bilaspur State Bilaspur State or Kahlur State, sometimes Kahloor Riyasat, was a kingdom (697–1849) and later princely state (1849–1948) in the Punjab Province ruled by a separate branch of Chandravanshi Chandel rajput dynasty. Raja Bir Chand 697–73 ...

and Sikh alliance. '' Bichitra Natak'', considered to be the autobiography of

, is one of the major sources of information about the battle. However, its authorship is disputed by some scholars.

Dating

Different authors give the date of the battle variously as 1687, 1689, 1690, 20 March 1691, and 4 April 1691.

Cause

The Mughal emperor

Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

's Deccan campaigns against Bijapur and Golconda had put considerable strain on the Mughal exchequer. To meet these expenses, Aurangazeb ordered the Governor of

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

, 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 a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...

. 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 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

. 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 Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...

s of the Nanglua and Panglu tribes, and the soldiers of Jaswar and Guler, also participated in the battle. The Mughal forces were led by Hussain Khan. Initially, the forces of Kirpal Chand overpowered Bhim Chand's forces. Then, Bhim Chand recited

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

mantra A mantra ( ; Pali: ''mantra'') or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) belie ...

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.'' Bichitra Natak''
Chapter 9, Chaupai 19
Alif Khan and his warriors fled away.'' Bichitra Natak''
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, 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''
Chapter 9, Chaupai 23
Later, Maharaja Ranjit Singh built a

gurdwara A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and place of worship, worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhism, Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and rel ...

on the spot where the Guru had pitched his tent. The Gurdwara was affiliated to Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee in 1935. It is known as Gurudwara Dasvin Patshahi or Gurdwara Nadaun Sahib.

References

External links

Description of the Battle of Bhangani
in '' Bichitra Natak'' (Chapter 9). {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Nadaun Naduan Battles involving the Rajputs Nadaun, Battle of History of Himachal Pradesh Conflicts in 1691 1691 in India 1687 in India 1690s in the Mughal Empire