In this second part of the two series article on the first ruler of the Sikhs -Banda Singh Bahadar, the author narrates the social revolution ushered in by him and the brutal torture meted out to him and his companion warriors.

Banda Singh treated the entire oppressed class as one, regardless of their religion, caste, colour or clan. During his days as a vagabond, he had studied the social and economical condition of the masses. He was deeply moved by this and wanted to do something absolute for them. Now that he was a powerful general of the Khalsa, he diverted his mind towards them.

Actually, in medieval times feudalism had taken deep roots, though the Indian feudal scenario was a little different from the European one. In medieval times, generally all over the Indian sub-continent, the practice of Jagirdari system prevailed. Emperors, Kings and princely states adopted a policy of giving a certain land area as jagirs to their ministers, officers and generals instead of cash payments. This policy facilitated the state to save hard cash in crucial times but ignored the welfare of its subjects. These jagirdars collected revenue from the subjects and deposited it in the government treasury but as the time passed, this policy become an instrument of exploitation of poor peasants and traders by their feudal lords. Jamindars use to collect the revenue on their own will from poor peasants. In the situation of non-payment, their land holdings were forcibly mortgaged and after sometimes confiscated. The poor peasants becomes paupers without land and were forced into bonded labour forever.  

Just after establishing Lohgarh as capital, Banda Singh concentrated on social reforms. First of all he put a ban on production, trade and consumption of all sorts of intoxicants and tobacco in his territory and passed strict orders against them who were forcibly converting the religion of masses. But the most important thing he did was that he abolished the Zamindari system in his territory and declared that “the land belongs to the tiller” He  spoke directly to the feudal lords and convinced them about his socialistic policies, those who opposed were crushed with might. From Punjab to Sonipat, Panipat, Kaithal and till Pilibhit in the far east, Banda Singh wiped out the blemish of the Zamindari system. He could have annexed those conquered regions in Khalsa Raj but being generous he gave the administration of those regions to local people.

In northern India, Banda Singh emerged as an emancipator of the oppressed and downtrodden. Obviously it was difficult for the tyrant rulers and feudal lords to tolerate such a dynamic change. Their leisurely lifestyle was halted. Hence they all united against him but then too couldn’t match his strategical and intellectual might. Banda Singh was feared by the tyrants. Only a call of ‘Banda Aaya’ was enough for the opponents to flee away from the battlefield and this fueled a new life in Khalsa troops. After the defeat of Sirhind they had no other refuge except the centre- Delhi.

From 1710-1712 Bahadur Shah -the contemporary Mughal emperor tried a lot but couldn’t control Banda Singh’s socialistic expeditions. Farakhshiyar succeeded after him on the throne of Delhi and worked with the sole mission of controlling Banda Singh- dead or alive.  He put up all his might against him. Practically the whole of north India (even the Hindu hill-chiefs for whom Guru Tegh Bahadar Sahib had sweetly sought martyrdom) joined hands against Khalsa. Every now and then Banda Singh had to change his headquarters and at last in 1715 with nearly 10,000 devoted Sikhs, Banda Singh took refuge in the so called fortress of Gurdas Nangal but even that was seized by the following Mughal and associate troops.

This seize pulled along for more than eight months. Meanwhile the situation inside the fortress worsened. Apart from arms and ammunitions, even the basic amenities were exhausted. Sikhs were starving and struggling hard for survival. They ate leaves, barks and roots of the trees, when it was up they were forced to eat the soil to survive. Flesh of all sorts of animals was eaten raw as even fuel for cooking was not there. It was the hardest time in Sikh history. According to historians in the beginning of December 2015, 8,000 out of 10,000 Sikhs died due to starvation, the remaining suffered from fatal diseases and physical disorders. Even Banda Singh himself had not eaten for nearly two and a half months. Above all the severe winter made the condition for survival completely impossible.

On 7th December, Baba Banda Singh and the remaining Khalsa decided to come out and fight till their last breath and they did so. The clash was totally unequal.  On one hand was more than 60,000 well trained and healthy combined army on the other hand just 2,000 Sikhs who were starving since last two months and who were not even able to stand properly. But when they fought, what a valiant scene it was! With the cry of Bole-so-Nihal they fell upon the opponent army and slayed more than 5,000 soldiers. An impossible looking ambush lasted several hours and out of 2,000, 1800 Sikhs laid down their lives in that battlefield. Ultimately, the Mughal army captured the fortress. It was the most unfortunate day in Sikh history when Banda Singh- a name of his times was arrested alive along with 200 of his associates. Inhuman atrocities and humiliations were heaped by the the Mughals.

Intoxicated with their victory, the Mughals crossed all limits of humanity. To popularize this impossible and unexpected victory they decided to hurt and humiliate Sikhs in every possible way and displayed the arrested Sikhs publicly. So Sikhs were taken in the form of a procession. They travelled from Gurdaspur to Lahore, from Lahore to Sirhind and finally from Sirhind to Delhi, where Sikhs were publicly humiliated by mobs and brutally tortured by soldiers. Many innocent Sikhs were arrested on the way from surrounding villages to show the number of arrests from the fort was a bigger number. Principal Satbir Singh, a prominent Sikh scholar describes that ‘Mughals entered Delhi in the form of a grand procession displaying Banda Singh Bahadar in a cage,  tied all over with heavy iron chains and other Sikhs tied inhumanly on camels and horses’.

In March 1716 all 740 Sikhs were killed in the batches of 100 each every day. In June 1716 Banda Singh ji was brutally martyred in Delhi by ripping every inch of flesh from his body with hot iron rods and gorging his eyes. Even his son Ajay Singh of just four years was brutally martyred and the kid’s heart was removed and thrust into Banda Singh’s mouth.  

Baba Banda Singh gave his supreme sacrifice but did not refrained the path of truth and Sikhi. His triumphs made him the most popular person of his time in just a span of eight years and his supreme martyrdom made him an unparalleled Hero in Sikh history. A journey in Sikh annals which started from Maharashtra ended in Delhi via Punjab and other northern regions creating an enduring impact on the continent’s history in general and Sikh history in particular. No one can repay his debts but the only tribute we can pay him is to give him his proper recognition.

It’s an humble request that when we are commemorating an historical personality of such an extraordinary persona we should at least give him his authentic recognition. Banda Singh Bahadar is often ignorantly or purposely called as ‘Veer Banda bairagi’ by non-Sikhs. There is no person named Banda Bairagi in entire global history. Until he was bairagi his name was ‘Madhodas’. Once he partook Amrit from Guru Sahib, he gained the name Banda Singh Bahadar. Sometimes even Sikh preachers call him Banda Bahadar. The least we can do is to name him correctly. Recalling his valour, political contribution and social revolutionary work would bring honour to the Sikhs, even today.