First Battle of Anandpur
Encyclopedia
The First Battle of Anandpur was fought at Anandpur
Anandpur Sahib
Anandpur Sahib is a city in Rupnagar district in the state of Punjab, India. Known as "the holy City of Bliss," it is a holy city of the Sikhs and is one of their most important sacred places, closely linked with their religious traditions and history...

, between the armies of the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...

 and the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire ,‎ or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...

 forces aided by the Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...

s of the Sivalik Hills. The battle is dated 1701 by most authors.

Cause

The increasing power of Guru Gobind Singh, and his establishment of a military order (Khalsa
Khalsa
+YouWebImagesVideosMapsNewsMailMoreTranslateFrom: ArabicTo: EnglishEnglishHindiEnglishAllow phonetic typingHindiEnglishArabicAssumptionGoogle Translate for Business:Translator ToolkitWebsite TranslatorGlobal Market Finder...

) had alarmed the Rajas of the Sivalik hills. After some failed attempts to check the Guru's power, the Rajas pleaded the Mughals
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire ,‎ or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...

 to help them against the Guru.

The Mughal viceroy of Delhi sent his generals Din Beg and Painda Khan, each with an army of five thousand men, to subdue the Guru. The Mughal forces were joined by the armies of the hill chiefs at Rupar. The Guru appointed the Panj Piare
Panj Piare
The Panj Piare , name given to the five Sikhs, Bhai Daya Singh, Bhai Dharam Singh, Bhai Himmat Singh, Bhai Mohkam Singh and Bhai Sahib Singh, who were so designated by Guru Gobind Singh at the historic divan at Anandpur Sahib on 30 March 1699 and who formed the nucleus of the Khalsa as the first...

, his five beloved Sikhs, as the generals of his army.

The battle

According to the Sikh chronicles, Guru Gobind Singh refused to play the role of an aggressor, as he had vowed never to strike except in self-defence.

After Painde Khan's death, Din Beg assumed the command of his troops. However, he failed to overpower the Guru's forces. The hill Rajas fled from the battlefield, and Din Beg was forced to retreat after being wounded. He was pursued by the Guru's army as far as Rupar.

Aftermath

After the Mughal generals failed to evacuate the Guru from Anandpur, the hill Rajas formed an alliance and attacked Anandpur, leading to the Second Battle of Anandpur
Second Battle of Anandpur
The Second Battle of Anandpur was fought at Anandpur, between the armies of the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh and an allied force of the Rajas of the Sivalik Hills. The battle occurred in 1704.-Cause:...

.
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