Page 113 - Lohgarh

Mughal Action Against the Sikhs w 113

and Shahabad the Emperor encamped at villages Okala (now Ugala,
34
Tehsil Barara) on 27 November 1710. The Mughal forces took a month
time to capture these Forts and clearing the route for the Mughal
Emperor to reach near Sadhaura. The reason why the Mughal Emperor
did not adopt the shorter route is very clear that this route was on the
bank of river Yamuna, covered with dense forest near the route.
Moreover, the Sikhs had captured all the Parganas in the route, therefore
coming by this route could have endangered their lives. On the other
hand the route adopted by the Mughal Emperor was on the bank of
dry rivulet Markanda having a plain area, so the advance forces sent by
the Mughals preferred the longer route via Shahabad, ensuring proper
security to the Mughal Emperor. Bahadur Shah never reached Sadhaura
and made this camping ground a few miles from Sadhaura and when
Vanjara Sikhs and Sikhligarh army attacked the camp of Bahadur Shah,
the Emperor, and his accompanying nobles immediately shifted their
camp back to Shahbad 12 kos (about 48 km) From the Sarai of Shahabad,
the Emperor Bahadur Shah monitored the battle of Lohgarh. Banda
Singh Bahadur assaulted the Mughals over a very wide area, extending
from Jalandhar Doab in Punjab to Bareilly in Delhi. 35 The Sikhs had
established themselves in the Fortress spread in present district of
Karnal, Kurukshetra, Yamuana Nagar, Ambala and Pinjaur.

First Battle of Lohgarh 1710 to 1712
Misreported in history, during their regime of 246 years, the battle of
Lohgarh is one of the largest and longest expeditions undertaken by
the Mughals against any opponent (and after the battles of Lohgarh,
the Mughal Empire began declining).
Emperor Bahadur Shah reached Lohgarh with four princes (Prince
Rafi-us-Shah, Prince Azimushan, Prince Jahandar Shah and Prince
Khuzishta), more than fifty high-rank mansabdars (having mansabs of
1000 or above) and more than one hundred low-rank nobility and a
mammoth army of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Besides, the army
of allied Hindu Rajas like Chhatrasal Bundela and Churimani Jat (and
later Raja Jai Singh Swai of Jaipur, Raja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur, Raja Amar