Lehal Library

Banda Bahadur 101 of Ma1wa under Banda. An army consisting largely of Afghans from Malerkotla was sent to keep the Majhails on the north side of the river, while strong detachments were posted on the fords and all ferries grounded. Banda proceeded on his triumphant march through the heart ofMalwa. He plundered Ghuram, Shababad, Mustafabad, Kapuri, and Sadhaura and came to Sirhind, detested in the eyes of the Sikhs for the executions of their Guru's sons, and the home of the murderers Wazir Khan and Dewan Sucha Nand. Banda's progress made the Afghans on the Sutlej anxious for the safety of their rear and they deployed a part of their forces to oppose him. The Majhails utilized the opportunity and crossed the river near Ropar. The Afghans fought a delaying action and then retreated before they could be crushed between the jaws of the Majhail-Malwa nutcracker. Banda joined the advancing Majhails halfway from Ropar. The winter months were spent in training and collecting arms. Since Banda promised land to the landless and loot to everyone, there was no dearth of recruits. But he was not able to get guns or many muskets. Nevertheless, by spring he felt strong enough to measure swords with the Mughals, and he led an enormous host against Sirhind. Wazir Khan had not been idle. He convinced the Muslim landowners that if Banda won, they would be ruined. He also persuaded the mullahs to preach a holy war against the infidel.8 Wazir Khan's troops met Banda's peasants ten miles outside the city and immediately ordered his batteries to open fire. The peasants charged the cannons and came to grips with the enemy. 8 There arc many accounts of the baltle of Sirhind. The most reliable of them is that of Mohammed Hashim Khafi Khan in the Munl4/Ylib-utLv.bab. He mentions Wazir Khan's forces as comprising 15,000 men equipped with muskets and cannon. In addition, there were the volunteer i/Jib.is (crusaders) armed with swords, spears, bows and arrows. Banda's forces must have considerably outnumbered Wazir Khan's. But he bad neither cannon nor elephants, only a few horsemen and some musketeers. His army was largely composed of peasants armed with spears, hatchets, and farming implements which could be used as weapons.