Lohgarh as Mukhlisgarh: Concocted Story
Historians incorrectly believe that Banda Singh Bahadur captured Mukhlisgarh Fort and named it Lohgarh Fort. Similarly, their propaganda that the construction of Mukhlisgarh was later commenced by Sher Shah Suri, which he left incomplete and was completed by General Mukhlis Khan, is a false narrative. There is no village named Mukhlisgarh in Lohgarh or its vicinity (. Ganda Singh, Life of Banda Singh Bahadar, pages 55-56, Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, Great Sikh General Banda Singh Bahadar, page 57, JS Grewal, The Sikhs of the Punjab, page 83, Khushwant Singh, A History of the Sikhs, page 103, Hari Ram Gupta, History of the Sikhs, page 11).
Persian sources on Banda Singh Bahadur have also stated that Lohgarh and Mukhlisgarh were the same. British geographer and historian Major James Renal (1742-1830 AD), considered the ‘Father of Geography’, in his memoir, Map of Hindustan (1782 AD), has not mentioned any Mukhlisgarh or Lohgarh. In 1792 AD, he published Memoirs: Maps of Countries between Delhi and Candahar. This book refers to Moklespore (Mukhlisgarh) as, ‘A place seven or eight kos from Sadhaura, near the northern hills and on the edge of a small hill, difficult of access, on which Islam Khan, son of Sher Khan Sur, in his day of brief authority, began to build a strong fortress, under the name of Pawagarh. It was left unfinished at his death and fell into ruins, part of which remains. Banda Singh restored and extended these ruins.’
According to the revenue records of Himachal Pradesh, Lohgarh’s revenue estate spans over 3,000 acres, with not a single inch of land registered under Mukhlisgarh. Mukhlisgarh Fort, the royal family’s retreat, is situated 35 kilometers away from Lohgarh, across the Yamuna River in the former Pargana of Faizabad. Irfan Habib’s atlas of the Mughal empire pinpoints the exact location of Mukhlisgarh. In their book “Sikh History From Persian Sources,” Irfan Habib and JS Grewal present a detailed map illustrating the positions of Lohgarh and Mukhlisgarh on page 53. In 1640 AD, Ali Mardan Khan designed and constructed Mukhlisgarh. He was an engineer and a high-ranked mansabdar of Shah Jahan with a deep knowledge of hydraulics. He intended the Delhi-Yamuna canal near the pleasure house (Rang Mahal) of the Mughal rulers, particularly Shah Jahan, who used this place for hunting. This palace-like building has many traces, making it evident that it was not a fort and, unlike a royal palace, it was not equipped with luxurious facilities. This area is known as Badshahi Bagh, and the building is called Rang Mahal (Uttar Pradesh District Gazetteers: Saharanpur , page 47, Yamonā; Wescoat and Wolschke-Bulmahn, page 172). This building lies on the banks of the Yamuna near Hathni Kund Barrage. This Badshahi Bagh (royal garden) extends over 45 acres. The palace has been constructed on 1.5 acres.
In February 1711 AD, the princes of Bahadur Shah stayed in Mukhlisgarh and hunted in the nearby forest. This event was documented in a letter written by Pancholi Jagjivan Das to raja Jai Singh Sawai on 4th February, 1711 AD. Baldev Singh Dhillon, in Rajasthani documents on Banda Singh Bahadar(pages 88-194), in an English translation, mentions the writer’s name as diwan Bhikhan Das. The first Battle of the Lohgarh fort took place in December 1710 AD. The emperor, Bahadur Shah, had grown weary of the conflict as he could not capture Banda Singh Bahadar. Consequently, he stayed in Mukhlisgarh to maintain his mental equilibrium.
In 2017, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) spent two crore rupees on its repairs. The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee has purchased land in the foothills of Lohgarh, 35 kilometers away from Mukhlisgarh, and the false propaganda stating that Lohgarh and Mukhlisgarh were one has been banished.