Banda Singh Bahadur: The Sword of the Khalsa
In the tumultuous landscape of early 18th-century India, as the mighty Mughal Empire began to show signs of decay, a new power rose from the fertile plains of Punjab. It was a power forged in faith, tempered by persecution, and wielded by a man who transformed from a quiet ascetic into one of history's most formidable military commanders. This is the story of Banda Singh Bahadur, the warrior-saint who avenged the oppressed, established the first sovereign Sikh state, and laid the foundations for a future empire, leaving behind a legacy of unparalleled courage and sacrifice.
Early Life & Transformation
Born in 1670 as Lachman Dev in the forested hills of Rajouri, in present-day Jammu and Kashmir, his early life was far removed from the battlefields where he would later make his name. Belonging to a Rajput family, he was trained in the martial arts of his people, becoming a skilled hunter and horseman. However, a single incident during his youth profoundly altered the course of his life. While on a hunt, he shot a pregnant doe. As he watched the animal and her unborn fawns die before him, he was overwhelmed with remorse. The event became a spiritual catalyst, prompting him to renounce his worldly life and seek enlightenment.
Lachman Dev embarked on a journey as a wandering ascetic. He adopted the name Madho Das and traveled across Northern India, immersing himself in the study of yoga and various esoteric traditions. His quest for spiritual knowledge eventually led him to the banks of the Godavari River in Nanded, in the Deccan plateau. There, he established a monastery, and his reputation as a Bairagi ascetic with occult powers grew, attracting a number of followers.
The Meeting that Forged a Warrior
In 1708, a momentous meeting took place at Madho Das's hermitage. His visitor was Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. The Guru had traveled to the Deccan after suffering immense personal tragedy—the martyrdom of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, his mother, and all four of his sons at the hands of the Mughal empire, particularly at the behest of Wazir Khan, the Governor of Sirhind.
According to Sikh tradition, Madho Das, confident in his spiritual powers, attempted to use his abilities to overawe the Guru. When all his efforts failed, he realized he was in the presence of a truly divine figure. Humbled, he fell at the Guru's feet and proclaimed, “I am your Banda” (your slave). This moment of submission marked the end of Madho Das the ascetic and the birth of Banda Singh the warrior.
Guru Gobind Singh saw in him the fire and leadership needed to rally the Sikhs in Punjab. He initiated him into the Khalsa, baptizing him with the name Banda Singh and bestowing upon him the title ‘Bahadur’ (the brave). The Guru commissioned him with a historic mission: to march to Punjab, organize the Sikhs, and deliver justice to the Mughal officials who had persecuted them, especially Wazir Khan. To legitimize his authority, the Guru presented Banda Singh with five arrows from his own quiver, a Nishan Sahib (the Sikh standard), and a Nagara (a war drum). He was accompanied by a council of five revered Sikhs and armed with hukamnamas, or letters of command, urging all Sikhs to join his banner.
The Punjab Campaign: A Storm of Conquest
Banda Singh Bahadur arrived in Punjab in 1709, and his presence was like a spark in a tinderbox. The peasantry and the Sikh community, long suffering under oppressive Mughal rule, saw him as a saviour sent by their Guru. Thousands flocked to his cause, transforming his small band of followers into a formidable people's army.
His campaign began with a series of swift, decisive victories against Mughal strongholds. He first punished the officials in Sonepat and Kaithal. Then, in November 1709, he turned his attention to Samana, a city of particular significance. It was the hometown of Sayyid Jalal-ud-din, the executioner of Guru Tegh Bahadur, and Shashal Beg and Bashal Beg, the executioners of Guru Gobind Singh’s two youngest sons. The city fell in a day, a powerful act of retribution that sent shockwaves through the Mughal administration.
This was followed by the conquest of Ghuram, Kapuri, and Sadhaura, where the local ruler, Usman Khan, had tortured and killed the Muslim saint Sayyid Budhu Shah for aiding Guru Gobind Singh. Banda Singh's army was not just a military force; it was an instrument of justice for people of all faiths who had been wronged by the tyrannical local rulers.
The Battle of Chappar Chiri (May 1710)
The climax of Banda Singh's initial campaign came at the Battle of Chappar Chiri, a small village near the city of Sirhind. Here, he faced his primary target: Wazir Khan. The Governor of Sirhind, commanding a vast, well-equipped imperial army with artillery and war elephants, marched out to crush the Sikh rebellion.
Banda Singh's forces, though numerically large, were a motley crew of trained Khalsa soldiers and poorly armed peasants fired by religious zeal. The battle that ensued on May 12, 1710, was ferocious. Initially, the sheer force of the Mughal charge, with its artillery and elephants, caused a section of Banda's army to falter. Seeing the tide turning, Banda Singh Bahadur charged into the heart of the battle himself, his personal bravery rallying his troops. The Sikhs fought with a fury born of decades of oppression. In the brutal melee, Wazir Khan was killed, and the Mughal army, deprived of its leader, was completely routed.
Two days later, Banda Singh's forces entered Sirhind. The city, which the Sikhs considered accursed for its role in the martyrdom of the Guru's young sons, was sacked. This victory was not merely military; it was a profound psychological blow to the Mughal Empire, shattering its aura of invincibility in the region.
Establishing the First Sikh State
Following the conquest of Sirhind, Banda Singh Bahadur did not merely continue as a rebel leader; he became an administrator and a sovereign ruler. He established the first independent Sikh state, with its capital at Lohgarh ('Fort of Steel'), a fortress in the Himalayan foothills. This act marked the first time the Sikh community had transitioned from a spiritual brotherhood to a political power with its own territory.
His most revolutionary act was a radical socio-economic reform. In a single stroke, he abolished the oppressive Zamindari system, which had kept the peasantry in a state of serfdom for centuries. He declared that the land belonged to those who tilled it, granting proprietary rights to the farmers. This "land to the tiller" policy earned him the unwavering loyalty of the common people and fundamentally altered the power structure of Punjabi society.
To signify Sikh sovereignty, he introduced new coins struck in the names of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. The inscription on the coins read: “Sikka zad bar har do alam tegh-i-Nanak wahib ast, Fateh Gobind Singh shah-i-shahan fazal-i-sachha sahib ast” (Coin struck for the two worlds by the sword of Nanak is the grant of Guru Gobind Singh, victory to the king of kings by the grace of the True Master). His official seal also attributed all his success to the Gurus. By refusing to put his own name on the currency or seal, he made it clear that he was ruling not as a king, but as a servant of the Gurus and the Khalsa Panth.
The Mughal Counter-Offensive and Final Stand
The rise of a sovereign Sikh state on the doorstep of Delhi was an intolerable challenge to the Mughal Empire. Emperor Bahadur Shah I himself marched from the Deccan with a massive imperial army to extinguish the rebellion. In late 1710, the Mughals laid siege to Banda Singh's capital at Lohgarh.
Outnumbered and outgunned, the Sikhs fought a desperate defense. In a move that would become legendary, Banda Singh executed a daring escape, slipping through the Mughal lines under the cover of darkness, leaving the Emperor stunned and furious. For the next five years, he waged a relentless guerrilla war from the hills, swooping down to attack Mughal forces and then disappearing back into the mountains. He recaptured Lohgarh and continued to be a thorn in the side of the empire.
However, the full might of the Mughal state, now under Emperor Farrukhsiyar, was focused on his capture. The campaign was led by Abdus Samad Khan, the new governor of Lahore. In 1715, Banda Singh and his dwindling band of followers were finally cornered in a weak mud-brick fortress at the village of Gurdas Nangal.
The siege that followed lasted eight long months. It was a testament to the incredible endurance and devotion of the Sikhs. Completely blockaded, they ran out of food and supplies. Accounts from the time describe how they survived on boiled leaves, grass, and the bark of trees. Yet, they refused to surrender. Finally, in December 1715, the starving and emaciated defenders were overwhelmed. Banda Singh Bahadur and several hundred of his most loyal followers were captured.
Martyrdom and Enduring Legacy
The captured Sikhs were subjected to a brutal and humiliating procession to Delhi. Banda Singh was put in an iron cage on an elephant, while his followers were chained and marched alongside carts laden with the heads of their slain comrades. The display was meant to be a terrifying spectacle of imperial power.
In Delhi, the executions began. For over a week, around one hundred Sikhs were publicly executed each day. Contemporary Mughal chroniclers recorded with astonishment that not a single Sikh accepted the offer of a pardon in exchange for converting to Islam. They faced death with defiant courage, competing with one another for the "privilege" of martyrdom.
Banda Singh Bahadur’s own execution, on June 9, 1716, was designed to be exceptionally cruel. He was offered a final chance to save himself by converting, which he steadfastly refused. As a form of psychological torture, his five-year-old son, Ajai Singh, was placed in his lap. Banda was ordered to kill him. When he refused, the executioner murdered the boy, carved out his still-quivering heart, and, according to some accounts, thrust it into Banda Singh's mouth. Even through this unimaginable horror, Banda remained firm in his faith. He was then systematically tortured to death—his flesh torn with red-hot pincers, his limbs severed one by one, until he finally succumbed.
Though his life ended in brutal fashion, Banda Singh Bahadur's legacy was immortal. He was the first leader to establish a sovereign Sikh political entity, however brief. He shattered the myth of Mughal invincibility in Punjab and lit a fire of independence that could not be extinguished. His radical land reforms empowered the common man and created a social revolution. He translated the spiritual vision of the Sikh Gurus into political reality, proving that the Khalsa was a force capable of fighting for justice and establishing a righteous kingdom.
Banda Singh Bahadur is remembered today not just as a military genius but as a revolutionary and a martyr. He is a national hero whose life story—of transformation, righteous rebellion, and ultimate sacrifice—continues to inspire millions. The Fateh Burj at Chappar Chiri, the tallest victory tower in India, stands today as a monument to his historic victory, a symbol of the indomitable spirit of a man who became the sword of the Khalsa and the first founder of the Sikh state.