Last reviewed 1 Oct 2026 · Facts as of 1 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
Scope. This note covers the period between Guru Gobind Singh's death (1708) and the rise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (c. 1799). Questions often ask about Banda Singh's actions, the names of misls and their founders, and the Ghallugharas.
1. Banda Singh Bahadur (1670–1716)
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Lachman Dev (also known as Madho Das); born at Rajouri (Jammu region), 1670 |
| Early life | Became an ascetic (bairagi) and settled at Nanded (Maharashtra) |
| Meeting with the Guru | Met Guru Gobind Singh at Nanded in 1708; initiated and renamed Banda Singh; sent to Punjab with the Guru's hukamnamas |
| Aim | To punish the killers of the Guru's sons and the oppression of the Mughal officials |
Key events
- Battle of Samana (1709) — he sacked Samana, the town of the executioners of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
- Battle of Chappar Chiri (May 1710) — defeated and killed Wazir Khan, governor of Sirhind; Sirhind was captured soon after.
- Established the first Sikh rule, with Lohgarh (near Sadhaura/Mukhlispur) as capital.
- Coins and seal struck in the names of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh (by tradition); the seal carried the legend about Degh, Tegh, Fateh ("kitchen, sword, victory").
- Introduced reforms favouring cultivators: effectively abolished the oppressive zamindari system and gave land rights to tillers.
- Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah I marched against him (1710–11); Banda escaped to the hills.
- After Bahadur Shah's death (1712), Banda returned; defeated by Abdus Samad Khan after a months-long siege at Gurdas Nangal (Gurdaspur) — captured in December 1715.
- Taken to Delhi and executed in June 1716 under Emperor Farrukhsiyar.
2. Mughal persecution after Banda (1716–1747)
- The governors of Lahore — Abdus Samad Khan and his son Zakariya Khan (Khan Bahadur) — hunted Sikhs.
- Sikhs took refuge in forests, hills and the Malwa/Majha deserts.
- The offer of the title "Nawab" to Kapur Singh (1733) was accepted: he became Nawab Kapur Singh (a Sikh leader of Faizullapuria/Singhpuria misl). The Sikhs received a jagir at Amritsar for a time.
- Mani Singh, the head granthi of Harmandir Sahib, was executed in 1737.
- Bhai Taru Singh was executed in 1745.
3. Nadir Shah and Abdali
| Event | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nadir Shah's invasion | 1738–39 | Sacked Delhi; Sikhs raided his baggage trains on his return |
| Chhota Ghallughara ("smaller holocaust") | 1746 | Near Kahnuwan (Gurdaspur); around 7,000 Sikhs killed under governor Yahiya Khan and Lakhpat Rai |
| Dal Khalsa formed | 1748 | Created at Amritsar on Baisakhi by Nawab Kapur Singh; the army was divided into Buddha Dal and Taruna Dal |
| Ahmad Shah Abdali's invasions | 1747–1769 | Repeated invasions (8–9, depending on the count); Abdali was the founder of Durrani rule in Afghanistan |
| Third Battle of Panipat | 1761 | Abdali defeated the Marathas; Punjab was left in turmoil |
| Wada Ghallughara ("greater holocaust") | February 1762 | Near Kup (Malerkotla); thousands of Sikh families killed by Abdali's forces; Harmandir Sahib was desecrated in 1762 |
| Battle of Sirhind | January 1764 | Dal Khalsa under Jassa Singh Ahluwalia defeated and killed Zain Khan, the Afghan governor of Sirhind |
| Coins at Lahore | 1765 | Sikh chiefs struck coins in the name of the Guru after capturing Lahore |