By Inderjeet Singh
SikhNet: July 26, 2016
Background
As we commemorate the 300 years of martyrdom of ‘rebel’ Banda Singh Bahadur and 700 Sikhs at Delhi in 1716 by the Mughal authorities, I would like to review the sack of Sirhind by Banda in 1710. Wazir Khan, Subedar (Governor) of Sirhind was killed by the ‘rebels’. Also close aides of the Subedar who were party to the death and martyrdom of two innocent children of Guru Gobind Singh Ji were killed. Needless to say the contemporary historians, who mostly happened to the Muslims, did not have anything nice to say about Banda.
The Dal Khalsa headed by Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia won Sirhind in 1764. The territories of the Sirhind province which were till Yamuna river were divided among the leaders of the Dal Khalsa but no one was willing to take the town of Sirhind where the younger Sahibzades were martyred. According to Sikh Encyclopaedia by Dr Harbans Singh it was given to Buddha Singh, descendant of Bhai Bhagatu, who soon after (2 August 1764) transferred the possession to Sardar Ala Singh, founder of the Patiala ruling family. Later Maharaja Karam Singh of Patiala (1813-45) had Gurdwara Sahibs constructed in Sirhind in memory of the young martyrs and their grandmother.
Allegation
Banda has been accused of sacking the city of Sirhind which they say was next to Lahore in terms of grandeur. It is said that Banda destroyed and desecrated mosques and other Muslims structures in his fury and zeal to take revenge from Wazir Khan (Please see Sikh History from Persian Sources). Based on this, Banda is a hated figure on western side of Punjab. Successive historians and academics have accepted it as a gospel without examining and evaluating the ground realities.
Let us look at the existing Muslims structures in Sirhind which were all built prior to 1710. I am quoting Dr Subhash Parihar who has extensively written on Islamic architecture in Punjab & Haryana regarding the details on Muslim structures in Sirhind. All these structures are in decent condition and have been standing majestically for over 300 years.
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Mosque of Sadhana Kasai (Butcher) |
The mosque of Sadhana Kasai lies near the railway crossing of Fatehgarh Sahib. It was built by Lodhi dynasty (1451-1526) or during early Mughal period in memory of Saint Sadhana
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Ustad Di Mazar (Tomb of Ustad) |