^^
On Banda Singh.
Introduction
Banda Singh Bahadur has been accused for inflicting severe atrocities and killing Muslim population including children and pregnant women during the sack of Sirhind in 1710. Contemporary Muslim historians have painted him as a blood thirsty monster. Based on them, Mohd Latif (1889) in his account has blamed Banda for the destruction of Sirhind and the bloodbath of Muslims. In my previous article
I have uploaded pictures of almost a dozen Islamic structures namely mosques and tombs which were built prior to 1707 and are still standing in decent condition after 300 years in present day Sirhind. Banda and his troops may have destroyed the official residence of the condemned Wazir Khan, Subedar of Sirhind and other official building but to state that Banda destroyed Sirhind is a myth. The town simply lost it royal patronage. When Sardar Ala Singh got the town in 1764 he built Patiala as his capital and Sirhind became just one of towns in his state. Clearly Latif got this bit wrong.
Massacre of Muslims?
Today I am going to discuss the second part of the accusation that Banda indiscriminately killed Muslims men, women and children during the sack of the Sirhind in May 1710. Let us examine the Mughal News-letters, properly called the Akhbar-i-Darbar-i-Mualla. Dr Ganda Singh studies them in 1944-45 and brought them in public forum. Then in 1984 Dr Bhagat Singh translated and edited Akhbar-i-Darbar-i-Mualla which was published by Punjabi University, Patiala.
Banda and Muslims
The Persian accounts contain details of atrocious' deeds of the Sikhs' during the sack of Sirhind in May 1710. Every kind of cruelty has been ascribed to Banda and his troops. They are said to have 'torn open the wombs of pregnant women, dashing every living child upon the ground.'
Such statements were blindly repeated by later writers like Mohd Latif. Thomas Henry Thornton (1846) wrote that "a Mohammedan writer is not to be implicitly trusted upon such a point."
Dr Ganda Singh rightly points out that the Sikhs and their leader Banda had a deep-rooted hatred for Wazir Khan, the Subedar of Sirhind for the murder of the young sons of Guru Gobind Singh. Otherwise, Banda Singh had no hatred for the Muslims as such. Except those killed in the battle of Sirhind, including Wazir Khan and or some of the associates of Wazir Khan, no one else was touched. Banda was well aware of Peer Budhu Shah, his 4 sons and 700 of his followers who fought from Guru Gobind Singh Ji's side in the battle of Bhangani (1688). The Peer and two of his sons were later killed by Usman Khan the chief of Sadhaura for supporting Guru Ji. Banda attacked Sadhaura to chastise the chief.
The very next month after the sack of Sirhind, we have a newsletter on how Banda has captivated the hearts of Hindus and Muslims. It does not say that Muslims were forced to convert. It seems strange that the 'after killing all the Muslim population of Sirhind', Banda was able to captivate the hearts of Muslims within few weeks!
The newsletter in June 1710 reports that "the authority of that deluded sect (of the Sikhs) had reached such extremes that many Hindus and Muhammedans adopted their faith and ritual. Their chief (Banda Singh) captivated the hearts of all towards his inclinations and, whether a Hindu or a Mohammedan, who soever came into contact with him was addressed as a Singh. Accordingly Dindar Khan, a powerful l ruler of the neighbourhood was named Dindar Singh and Mir Nasid-ud-Din, the official reporter of Sirhind, became Mir Nasir Singh. In the same way a large number of Mohammedans abandoned Islam and followed the misguided path (of Sikhism) and took solemn oaths and firm pledges to stand by Banda."
On June 23, 1710, five weeks after the victory and occupation of Sirhind, it is reported that Banda told Jan Muhammad, the Zamindar of Gulab Nagar (the new Sikh name given to the town of Buriya)
"I have forgiven your crime and made you the Zamindar of the whole paragannah. You should proceed with your men and bring in Sardar Khan of Chundla. Then you will accompany me for the chastisement of Jalal Khan Afghan."
Jalal Khan Afghan was harassing Sikhs and Hindus in his region. Banda went there with his Muslim supporters to chastise him.
On 14 April, 1711 it is reported
“The wretched Nanak-worshipper has his camp in the town of Kalanaur up to the 19th instant. During this period he has promised and proclaimed. ‘I do not oppress the Muslims’. Accordingly for any Muslim who approaches him, he fixes a daily allowance and wages, and looks after him. He has permitted them to read khutba and namaz. As such, five thousand Muslims have gathered round him. Having entered into his friendship, they are free to shout their call and say their prayers in the army of the wretched (Sikhs)”
https://archive.org/stream/ThePunjabNewsInTheAkhbarIDarbarIMuallaDr.GandaSingh/The Punjab News in the Akhbar-I-Darbar-I-Mualla - Dr. Ganda Singh_djvu.txt
https://www.sikhnet.com/news/banda-singh-bahadur-his-relations-muslims
Banda killed every muslim (lets ignore for a moment who these muslims were anyway) of Sirhind but also didn't spare some hindus. Yet in same Mughal news paper in persian dated month after he was able to captivate hearts of hindus and muslims of Sirhind and no mention of massacre.
