Page 197 - Lohgarh

Chapter 14

Battle of Gurdas Nangal and

Arrest of Banda Singh Bahadur

On 14 March 1715, the Emperor received the news of the fall of Kalanaur
and Batala. This frightened and angered the Emperor. The next day he
sent a large army, under the command of Qamar-ud-Din (son of
Mohammed Amin Khan, and father of Mir Mannu), to attack the Sikhs.
Qamar-ud-Din left Delhi on 15 March. The Emperor also despatched
Afrasiyab Khan Bahadur Khan-i-Dauran, Raja Udip Singh (Raja of Orchha),
Raja Gopal Singh Bhadauria, Pirthi Chand and 300 swar mansabdars
(those who had right to employ soldiers with horses, i.e. cavalry) to
chase the Sikhs; besides, the Emperor ordered twelve thousand five
hundred and fifty horsemen of his personal command to join crusade
against the Sikhs. 1

Siege of Gurdas Nangal
th
On the 19 of March 1715, the Emperor got news that the Banda Singh’s
army was present in Majha area, at a distance of about Forty Koh (about
one hundred and twenty-five km) from Lahore; and, all the government
officials as well as other prominent persons had fled the area for fear of
Banda Singh, and, the Sikhs had appointed their own officials in that
area. When this news reached Abdus Samad Khan, he ordered all his
soldiers to march towards that area which the Sikhs had occupied,
hoping that Banda Singh too might be present there.
At that time, Banda Singh was present at the Fortress of Kot Mirza
Jaan and was fortifying it. Kot Mirza Jaan was a village between Batala
and Kalanaur; Karam Singh Historian believes that “Banda Singh chose
this place from military strategy point of view; he (Banda Singh) knew