Notably, Bahadur Shah left Deccan in 1710 AD and marched towards Punjab with all his forces to suppress Sikh forces, or else ‘the whole of Hindustan would have been subdued’ by the Sikhs (Malcolm, Sketch of Sikhs, page 78). In November 1710 AD, the Lohgarh fort, serving as the capital of the Sikh State, garnered significance when emperor Bahadur Shah arrived with an army comprising nearly 200,000 imperial forces alongside his princes and numerous mansabdars (From Muhammad Hadi Kamwar Khan, Tazkiratu’s Salatin Chaghata, Translated by S. Ali Nadeem Rezavi, Sikh History from Persian Sources, Translations of Major Texts, Edited by J.S. Grewal and Irfan Habib, page 144). In the entourage of the elder Prince Jahandar Shah, 31,000 horses were included for transportation. At the same time, each of the other three princes – Prince Rafi-ush-Shan, Prince Azim-ush-Shan and Prince Jhan Shah – were accompanied by 15,000 horses in their respective camps. According to emperor Bahadur Shah’s orders, Jumdatu’l Mulk (also known as Mun’im Khan) had 11,000 horses at his disposal, while Mahabat Khan oversaw a contingent of 7,000 horses (Kamwar Khan, Tazkirat us-Salatin Chaghta, page 103 of translation by Ali Nadeem Rizvi). In the 200 years of Mughal rule, the Lohgarh battles caused a significant threat to the mighty empire and ultimately led to its decline Bahadur Shah also summoned Hindu emperors Chattarsal Bundela, Churaman Jaat, raja Jai Singh Sawai of Jaipur, raja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur and raja Amar Singh of Ajmer to fight against Banda Singh Bahadar at Lohgarh (Pancholi Jagjiwan Das’s letter to the ruler of Jaipur, dated December 26, 1710, Serial No 1, Arzdashat No 195. 9 Rajasthani Documents on Banda Singh Bahadar, edited by Dr. Balwant Singh Dhillon. Banda Singh Bahadur and His Times, 120, Raj Pal Singh).
On 27th November, 1710 AD, the emperor, with Muhammad Amin Khan Chin Bahadur leading the mission to punish the rebellious Sikhs, arrived at Ugala village, located near Shahbad and 50 km from Sadhaura (Ganda Singh, Banda Singh Bahadar, page 188). Amidst the strategic planning, the Mughal army discovered the pre-existing Sikh fort at Ugala village, which had been abandoned after Mughal forces attacked it. The emperor took total security measures while lodging in this fort, from where he formulated plans to target Sadhaura and Lohgarh. The emperor was informed that 3,000 Sikh horsemen and 2,000-foot soldiers were stationed at his side in the advance forts of Lohgarh, with many Sikhs also present in Sirhind.
The Mughal forces numbered over two lakhs, and the Sikhs were about 70,000 at the Lohgarh fort (Tarikh Iradat Khan, Iradat.). The large Sikh forces stationed a significant number of forts in the Lohgarh zone and the adjoining Shivalik hills in regions such as Hindur, Nahan, Bilaspur, Solan, Shimla, Gadwal, Jammu, Kangra, Chamba, Garhwal, and Nurpur (The Sikh forts in the Punjab hills were built with the consent of the Rajas of Bilaspur, Chamba, Garhwal, Nahan, Hindur, and Nurpur.).
In November 1710 AD, the Mughal intelligence received initial reports of a substantial Sikh fortification located between the Yamuna and Markanda Rivers, which was situated in challenging terrain. The fact that the Mughal authorities did not possess a map or information regarding the extensive fortification of the Sikhs in the Lohgarh zone also demonstrates the vast and secretive planning of the Sikhs. As a result, the Mughal army was advised to enlist the help of Baaze Waqfs (land surveyors), who could accurately map the area to facilitate the seizure. On 18th November, 1710 AD, emperor Bahadur Shah had no information about the Sikh fortifications; therefore, he instructed Prince Jahandar Shah to create a detailed map to assist in planning strategies against the Sikh forces (Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 18.11.1710 AD, Amarjit Singh (editor), Revisiting Banda Singh Bahadar and his times, Key Note by J.S. Grewal, page XXXVI. {Kurukshetra university}). On 29th November, 1710 AD, the royal troops, led by Prince Jahandar Shah, ventured into the nearby areas of the Lohgarh fort to assess the situation (Amarjit Singh (editor), Revisiting Banda Singh Bahadar and His Times, keynote by J.S. Grewal, page XXXVI.)
Prince Jahandar Shah started preparing the map of Lohgarh (also known as Dabar )( Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mu’alla, entry of 16.12.1710 AD). As a result of the fortifications spanning miles of land, the Mughals struggled to comprehend the map of the area thoroughly. Consequently, the emperor and his generals were dismayed and demoralized, and the Mughals were unable to gather accurate intelligence regarding Sikh defences. The emperor planned to occupy the area between the Markanda and Yamuna Rivers. Still, the Mughals were perplexed about how to penetrate the intricate network of 52 forts and advance towards Lohgarh (Kafi Khan’s in Muntakhab-al Lubab and William Irwin’s Later Mughals corroborate the 52 advanced forts surrounding Lohgarh, as does Ganda Singh’s book on Banda Singh Bahadar. Professor Balwant Singh also referred to these forts in the May 2011 edition of Gurmat Prakash, published by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandak Committee in Amritsar (page 53). However, none of these sources provided specific information about the location and characteristics of these forts. After extensive research, the author of the text identified the forts’ locations and documented detailed information in the epilogue section.).
The network of advance forts of Lohgarh, located in strategic positions, subjected the Mughal forces to relentless attacks, hindering their advancement. Even the most seasoned Mughal generals could not overcome this obstacle, as the Sikhs’ fortifications had been designed to withstand the best battle tactics. According to Yar Muhammad Khan Qalandar in Dastar-ul-Insha, even after four months, the Mughals were unsuccessful in mapping the Lohgarh fortification. They struggled to overcome the potent Sikh fortifications. Also, the Prince could not create a map of the fort due to its massive size.
On 20th November, 1710 AD, the Mughals and Sikhs clashed in the Battle of Rahon in the Hoshiarpur region (T. Jacques Tony (2007), Dictionary of Battles and Sieges, Greenwood Press, pages 836-837). Despite the attack by Shamas Khan, faujdar of Jalandhar, and Wajid Khan, the faujdar of Jammu, the Sikhs emerged victorious. The simultaneous war between Sikhs and Mughals raged from Attock to Bareilly.
On 30th November, 1710 AD, following Bahadur Shah’s orders, Prince Rafi-u’sh-Shan, Munim Khan, Feroz Khan Mewati, Mahabat Khan, Jumdatu’l Mulk Khan Bahadur, Afzal Bakkshi, Ast Dola Asad Khan (subedar of Delhi), Zulfigar Khan, Rustum-dil-Khan and Islam Khan led the royal forces’ attack on Sadhaura. The Mughal generals encountered heavy resistance from Sikh forts at Abdullagarh, Akalgarh, Jawahargarh, Gokalgarh, Saravan, Maujgarh, Ramgarh, Shergarh, and Sardaheri. These forts were situated on the route leading to Sadhaura. The terrain in the sub-mountainous region was undulating, covered with dense forest, and home to many wild animals, making it difficult for the Mughal forces to locate the Sikh forces and their fortifications.
The Sikhs had settled in the area in the 16th century since Guru Nanak sahib and possessed a deep knowledge of the terrain. The Sikh forces were well-trained in warfare, had the best war horses and arms, and were much superior to the Mughal forces in terms of preparation. The Sikh population in the area comprised Banjara, Noniya, Bhils, and Sikligars. The Mughals had no plan to lay seizer of the Lohgarh fort and could not halt the flow of food supplies and weapons to the Sikhs.
Despite the short distance of only 50 km between Shahabad and Sadhaura, the Mughal army could only make limited progress during daylight, leading to a prolonged journey to reach Sadhaura. During the night, Sikh forces utilized guerrilla warfare tactics in Mughal camps, resulting in significant losses for the Mughal army. So, the Mughal army needed to reach a safe place before nightfall. Despite their intense preparations, the Sikh forces relentlessly attacked the Mughal army every night, leading to significant casualties. This continued for days, but the Mughal troops could not reach Sadhaura and suffered countless casualties. Sikhs established extensive Sikh fortifications at Laharpur, Fatehgarh Tumbi, Jamiatgarh, Nagal Saketi, Manakpur (Sarwan), Butgarh, Thaska, Udamgarh (three forts in three different villages), Garhi Viran, Banda Bahadurpur, Naushera, Rajpur, Bakala, Ramgarh Majra etc.
In the region of Lohgarh, highly skilled Sikh warriors occupied every village, and it was a daunting task for the Mughals to deal with such a large population turning hostile towards their empire. Adding further to their woes was the harsh terrain of the Lohgarh zone, which acted as an additional factor that contributed to their defeat. However, due to the emperor’s pressure, the Mughal forces had to continue their fight, which resulted in countless casualties. Several battles were fought between Sikhs and Mughals every day, and this happened for months together in the region of Lohgarh.
For the next five months, the Sikhs under General Banda Singh Bahadar and Mughals engaged in heavy battles. During this period, the Sikh forces reduced the Mughal army to half, and the Mughals achieved no major successes. On March 23rd , 1711 AD , the emperor decided to withdraw all his forces from the Lohgarh zone and redirect them to Lahore to counter any potential attack by Banda Singh Bahadar in that region.