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The Akāl Sena (
Gurmukhi Gurmukhī ( , Shahmukhi: ) is an abugida developed from the Laṇḍā scripts, standardized and used by the second Sikh guru, Guru Angad (1504–1552). Commonly regarded as a Sikh script, Gurmukhi is used in Punjab, India as the official scrip ...
: ਅਕਾਲ ਸੈਨਾ; meaning 'Army of the
Immortal Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...
', '
God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
's Army', or 'Eternal Army'; alternatively transcribed as Akaal Sena) was the Sikh military force established by the sixth
Sikh Guru The Sikh gurus (Punjabi language, Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ; Hindi: सिख गुरु) are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who established the religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year ...
,
Guru Hargobind Guru Hargobind (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿਗੋਬਿੰਦ, pronunciation: l 19 June 1595 – 28 February 1644) was the sixth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He had become Guru at the young age of eleven, after the execution of his ...
. It was the first standing Sikh army. It was also known as the Akali Dal (Gurmukhi: ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ, 'Immortal Brigade').


Background

During the time period of
Guru Arjan Guru Arjan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ, pronunciation: ; 15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606) was the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of the Sikh scripture called the Adi Granth, which later expande ...
, an enemy of the Sikhs and the brother of Arjan, named
Prithi Chand Prithi Chand (Gurmukhi: ਪ੍ਰਿਥੀ ਚੰਦ; 1558–April 1618), also spelt as Prithia, was the eldest son of Guru Ram Das – the fourth Guru of Sikhism, and the eldest brother of Guru Arjun, Guru Arjan – the fifth Guru.
, instigated a local Mughal official named Sulahi Khan to destroy the Sikhs and the Guru. Sulahi Khan conjured up an excuse that he was collecting tax to justify him leading a small contingent against the Sikhs at Amritsar. Due to the local residents of Amritsar fearing for their personal safety, Guru Arjan left the city to prevent tragedy. Arjan made his way to Wadali and then from there to Raur. After Wadali was ransacked by
bandits Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, kidnapping, and murder, e ...
, Guru Arjan returned and stayed there for two years to provide security for the local residents. Guru Arjan had advised his son, Hargobind, to become martially trained when he was a youth. The Akal Sena came into being at the same time of the consecration of the Akal Bunga on the 15 June 1606. Guru Hargobind believed that the Sikh faith was not limited to spiritual pursuits but martial power and temporal authority was vital as well. There are various views as to why the Sikh community and faith was martialized, with one theory being it was caused by the growing religious fundamentalism of the
Mughal emperors The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty ( House of Babur), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire i ...
. Some scholars, notably Trilochan Singh, argue that the roots for the martial tradition in Sikhism date back further to the guruship of Guru Arjan, pre-dating Guru Hargobind's militarization reforms and enactments.


Purpose

It had been described as an "elite army corps" for the Sikh community to meet the "Mughal challenge". Sikhs were called upon to bring horses and equipment for the army, which they obliged. The warriors of the Akal Sena came to be known as ''Akalis'' (the immortals).


History


Guru Hargobind

The army was founded by
Guru Hargobind Guru Hargobind (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿਗੋਬਿੰਦ, pronunciation: l 19 June 1595 – 28 February 1644) was the sixth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He had become Guru at the young age of eleven, after the execution of his ...
. During his time, it consisted of 700-800 horses, 300-500 cavalrymen, 60 musketeers, and 60 artillery men. The Akal Sena fought major battles against the
Mughal empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
and its allies, winning all four of the major battles in-which Hargobind was leader, as well as more minor skirmishes. The first commanders of the Akal Sena were Bidhi Chand Chhina, Baba Jattu, Baba Peda, and Baba Praga, commanding a force around 400 strong. Later a special regiment of
Pathans Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...
led by Painde Khan joined the Akal Sena. Initially, the Akal Sena was a policing force that was an army only nominally. It was only after the release of the sixth Guru from the prison of
Gwalior Fort The Fort of Gwalior or the Gwalior Fort is a 6th century defence hill fort in Gwalior, India. Mughal Emperor Babur called it the "pearl amongst the fortresses of Hind" because of its impregnability and magnificence and it has also been nickna ...
in 1612 that the force began to take on more shape, as 52
Rajput Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...
kings also gained freedom from the prison, who then accompanied the Guru as many of them had lost their polity to conquests and absorptions by the Mughal empire. The Guru established an
Akhara Akhara or Akhada (Hindi: अखाड़ा, romanised: ''Akhāṛā'') is an Indian word for a place of practice with facilities for boarding, lodging and training, both in the context of Indian martial artists or a ''sampradaya'' monastery fo ...
( Indic military training centre or arena) the same year in
Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...
, it was called the Ranjit Akhara (alt. spelt as 'Ranjeet'). Rajput converts to the Sikh faith had given the new institution much strength and information regarding the art of war. Battles The Akal Sena fought many battles under Guru Hargobind. The first was the
Battle of Rohilla The Battle of Rohilla, also known as the Battle of Hargobindpur, was a 1621 campaign by the Mughal Empire against the growing influence of the Sikhs. After the execution of Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Hargobind fully militarized the Sikhs into a pro ...
in 1621 which occurred after Akal Sena soldiers killed Bhagwan Das Ghererh, a relative of Chandu, over his blasphemous remarks. His body was dumped in the nearby river. On hearing the news of the two sons of Chandu, Rattan and Karam Chand appealed to the Mughal governor of
Jalandhar Jalandhar () is a city in the state of Punjab, India, Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population, third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the ...
, Abdul Khan, who then led an army of 15,000. The Akal Sena was smaller in number, but managed to defeat the Mughal army killing Abdul Khan, Rattan Chand, Karam Chand and the other generals along with 14,000 soldiers. Bhai Jatu was killed in this battle. Following this battle the Akal Sena fought in no major battles until the Battle of Amritsar which occurred on April 14 of 1634. It was a two-day battle which began over a hunting dispute between Guru Hargobind and the Mughals. The Mughals attacked the Akal Sena and a minor scuffle occurred. Blows were exchanged and many Mughals died. The Mughals were forced to fall back. This was used as an excuse for Shah Jahan to send an army of 7,000 under the command of general Mukhlis Khan, Shamas Khan, Murtaza Khan, and Mustafa Khan. The Akal Sena was only 700 in number under the lead of Guru Hargobind, Bhatt Kirat, Bhai Bhanno, Bhai Peda Das, Rao Bulla, and Painde Khan.
Wikisource Wikisource is an online wiki-based digital library of free-content source text, textual sources operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikisource is the name of the project as a whole; it is also the name for each instance of that project, one f ...
The Akal Sena was not prepared for a fight as they were busy preparing for the Guru Hargobind's daughter's wedding. It was a two-day battle. On the first day the Mughals took over
Lohgarh Lohgarh is a village in Notified Area Committee of Zirakpur in district Mohali in state of Punjab in India. This is not to be confused with another namesake Lohgarh (Bilaspur) in Haryana which was capital of the First Sikh State under Banda ...
and attacked the home of Guru Hargobind. On the second day the Akal Sena launched a counterattack. Bhai Banno was killed in battle after which Guru Hargobind took command. The battle ended when Guru Hargobind killed Mukhlis Khan in hand-to-hand combat. All the Mughal generals were killed with no Mughal soldier surviving. This battle proved that Guru Hargobind and the Akal Sena were powerful and not a small militia. The victory cemented Guru Hargobind and the Akal Sena's presence and destroyed ideas of Mughal invincibility. In revenge over recent Mughal defeats
Shah Jahan Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...
stole Guru Hargobind's horses and kept them in
Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
. Bhai Bidhi Chand broke into
Lahore Fort The Lahore Fort (; ; ) is a citadel in the walled interior of Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan. The fortress is located at the northern end of the Walled City and spreads over an area greater than . It contains 21 notable monuments, some of which ...
and brought the horses back to Guru Hargobind. Guru Hargobind knew of Mughal retaliation coming and prepares for battle. The Akal Sena number's 3,000 and is aided with Rai Jodh's army of 1,000.Gurbilas Patashahi 6 Chapter 19 The Akal Sena and Rai Jodh's army moves into a jungle near a lake in order to have a better position in battle. Shah Jahan sends to Mughal generals Lala Beg, the governor of
Kabul Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...
, and Qumae Beg his brother with an army of 36,000. A deadly battle ensues in which the Akal Sena uses
guerrilla warfare Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include recruited children, use ambushes, sabotage, terrori ...
tactics to win. Both Mughal generals are killed and 35,000 Mughal soldiers are killed along with 100 surrendering. 1200 soldiers of the Akal Sena also fall in the battle.Suraj Granth Raas 7


Betrayal of Painde Khan

Painde Khan, a
Pathan Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...
general of the Akal Sena, had double-crossed his former master and mentor, Guru Hargobind, and sided with the Mughal forces. Since he served as a general in the Sikh army, he was convinced he could use that as an advantage and persuaded the Mughals to assist him in this affair against a common enemy due to his inner knowledge. He was accompanied by Kale Khan the governor of
Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...
, Kutab Khan the
Faujdar Faujdar under the Mughals was an office that combined the functions of a military commander along with judicial and land revenue functions. The term faujdar contained pre-Mughal origins. During those times, the term referred to a military offic ...
of
Jalandhar Jalandhar () is a city in the state of Punjab, India, Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population, third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the ...
and his son-in-law Anwar Khan. The army was accompanied by plunderers and
mujahedeen ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' (), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' (), an Arabic term that broadly refers to people who engage in ''jihad'' (), interpreted in a jurisprudence of Islam as the fight on behalf of God, religion or the commun ...
who all together numbered from 52,000 - 100,000. Painde Khan and the vast majority of his army were killed in the
Battle of Kartarpur The Battle of Kartarpur occurred on 25 April 1635. It started when the Mughal Empire attacked the town of Kartarpur. The Mughal force was repulsed by the Sikh defenders. The battle occurred in the locality of Kartarpur in present-day Jalandha ...
at the hands of Guru Hargobind during a duel between the two. In his last moments, the Guru showed mercy for the man he had loved and raised as his own and shielded him from the sun's direct rays with his shield as he lay dying and offered a prayer for him.


Guru Har Rai

Guru Har Rai Guru Har Rai (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ, pronunciation: ; 16 January 1630 – 6 October 1661) revered as the ''seventh Nanak'', was the seventh of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion.guruship, avoiding major conflicts for the most part, but he still maintained a large size for the Akal Sena, consisting of 2,200 mounted soldiers. However, this period was not a totally pacifist one for the Akal Sena, as Har Rai had deployed the army against
Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...
's troops in-support of
Dara Shikoh Dara Shikoh (20 March 1615 – 30 August 1659), also transliterated as Dara Shukoh, was the eldest son and heir-apparent of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Dara was designated with the title ''Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba'' () and was favoured ...
. This is recorded in a Sikh source, the ''Mahimā Parkāsh Vārtak'', which states that Har Rai deployed the Akal Sena at Goindwal to prevent Aurangzeb's forces from pursuing the fleeing Dara Shikoh, after the latter had lost the
Battle of Samugarh Battle of Samugarh, also known as Jang-e-Samugarh (29 May 1658), was a decisive battle in the struggle for the throne during the Mughal war of succession (1658–1659) between the sons of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan after the emperor's serious ill ...
. Guru Har Rai did not let the Akal Sena stall during these times of peace but rather he was responsible for further developing it.


Guru Har Krishan

Not much is known about the Akal Sena during the leadership of the
Guru Har Krishan Guru Har Krishan ( Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ, pronunciation: ; 7 July 1656–30 March 1664) also known as Bal Guru (Child Guru),HS Singha (2009), The Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Hemkunt Press, , pp. 96–97 or Hari Krish ...
. Sources on his life are scarce. However, he maintained the army of the Akal Sena and an entourage of armed followers guarding him.


Guru Tegh Bahadur

Originally named Tyag Mal, the ninth Guru was renamed as '
Tegh Bahadur Guru Tegh Bahadur ( Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ਼ ਬਹਾਦਰ ( Gurmukhi); ; 1 April 1621 – 11 November 1675) was the ninth of ten gurus who founded the Sikh religion and was the leader of Sikhs from 1665 until his beheading i ...
' meaning "Brave Swordsman" after the valor he displayed fighting in the
Battle of Kartarpur The Battle of Kartarpur occurred on 25 April 1635. It started when the Mughal Empire attacked the town of Kartarpur. The Mughal force was repulsed by the Sikh defenders. The battle occurred in the locality of Kartarpur in present-day Jalandha ...
, alongside his elder brother Gurditta. The guru is noted as having been skilled in his usage of the ''
kirpan The kirpan (; pronunciation: Help:IPA/Punjabi, ɪɾpaːn is a blade that Khalsa Sikhs are required to wear as part of their religious uniform, as prescribed by the Rehat, Sikh Code of Conduct. Traditionally, the kirpan was a full-sized '' ...
'' sword. During his guruship, he mostly avoided conflict and was occupied by his missionary tours throughout the Indian subcontinent, focused on spreading Sikhism and meeting with local congregations of Sikhs that had been widely spread-out throughout the land. Whilst
Guru Tegh Bahadur Guru Tegh Bahadur ( Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ਼ ਬਹਾਦਰ (Gurmukhi); ; 1 April 1621 – 11 November 1675) was the ninth of ten gurus who founded the Sikh religion and was the leader of Sikhs from 1665 until his beheading in ...
was in
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...
, Raja Ram Singh petitioned that the Akal Sena assist him in his crushing of a rebellion led by King Chakradhwaj Singha of the Ahom Kingdom in Kamrup (located in
Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
) in north-eastern India. The Guru agreed to the request because he had plans to visit that region anyways to rebuild a monument of
Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also known as ('Father Nanak'), was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is t ...
's ''udasi'' (travel tour) to the area. The Guru and his forces reached the region in February 1669. Whilst stationed in
Dhubri Dhubri is a city and the administrative centre of Dhubri district in the Indian state of Assam. It is an old town on the bank of the Brahmaputra River, with historical significance. In 1883, the town was first constituted as a municipal board un ...
, Kamrup near the bank of a river, an encampment of the Akal Sena with Guru Tegh Bahadur had come under attack from the other side of the river by local Assamese forces. The Sikhs were able to defeat the enemy using archery. Afterwards, the Guru made peace with the locals after the latter informed him that they were rebelling to resist the conquests of the Mughal empire and to protect their sovereignty. Later-on, the Ahom king honoured the Guru at the Kamakhya shrine after Guru Tegh Bahadur brokered peace between the imperial Mughal army under the command of Raja Ram Singh and the local Ahom resistance. Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed by beheading on the orders of
Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...
, partly because the Mughal emperor had grown jealous over the growing wealth and success of the Akal Sena army of the Sikhs.


Guru Gobind Singh

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the ...
changed the
uniform A uniform is a variety of costume worn by members of an organization while usually participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency serv ...
and colours of the Akal Sena to blue after witnessing his youngest son, Fateh Singh, donning such garbs in this colour. Even after the Guru had implemented reforms to the Akal Sena, he believed it was not enough and something different must be done. Therefore, Guru Gobind Singh formalized the
Khalsa The term ''Khalsa'' refers to both a community that follows Sikhism as its religion,Khalsa: Sikhism< ...
order in Anandpur in the year 1699, which absorbed the functionalities and institution of the Akal Sena into the
Khalsa Fauj The Khalsa Fauj () were the military forces of the Khalsa order of the Sikhs, established by the tenth Sikh gurus, guru, Guru Gobind Singh, in 1699. It replaced the Akal Sena that had been established by the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind. History ...
.


Dissolution

The Akal Sena was absorbed into the
Khalsa Fauj The Khalsa Fauj () were the military forces of the Khalsa order of the Sikhs, established by the tenth Sikh gurus, guru, Guru Gobind Singh, in 1699. It replaced the Akal Sena that had been established by the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind. History ...
of the
Khalsa The term ''Khalsa'' refers to both a community that follows Sikhism as its religion,Khalsa: Sikhism< ...
order formalized by
Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the ...
in Anandpur on 13 April 1699, on the day of the Baisakhi festival.


Legacy

The Akali-Nihang tradition ultimately traces itself back to the establishment of the Akal Sena.


Symbols


Flags

The
Nishan Sahib The Nishan Sahib (), also known as the Sikh flag, is used to represent the Sikh people worldwide. In 1936, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee ratified the Rehat, Sikh Rehet Maryada, which states its colour as either basanti (xanthic) ...
was first raised by Guru Hargobind at the consecration of the Akal Bunga in 1606. The flag during this time was known as the ''Akal Dhuja'' ("the immortal flag") or ''Satguru ka Nishan'' (standard of the true Guru). File:Sikh Basanti.svg, Sikh Basanti (yellow)
Nishan Sahib The Nishan Sahib (), also known as the Sikh flag, is used to represent the Sikh people worldwide. In 1936, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee ratified the Rehat, Sikh Rehet Maryada, which states its colour as either basanti (xanthic) ...
(flag) as introduced by Guru Hargobind


Timeline of the Akal Sena

* 30 May 1606 – Martyrdom of
Guru Arjan Guru Arjan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ, pronunciation: ; 15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606) was the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of the Sikh scripture called the Adi Granth, which later expande ...
* 15 June 1606 – Akal Sena established * 1612 – Ranjit Akhara established in Amritsar * 1621 –
Battle of Rohilla The Battle of Rohilla, also known as the Battle of Hargobindpur, was a 1621 campaign by the Mughal Empire against the growing influence of the Sikhs. After the execution of Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Hargobind fully militarized the Sikhs into a pro ...
* 1628 or 14 April 1634 – Battle of Amritsar * 1628 or 1630 – Battle of Gobindpur (near Hargobindpur) * 1631 – Battle of Mehraj * 15 October 1634 –
Battle of Lahira The Battle of Lahira, also known as the Battle of Gurusar or the Battle of Mehraj, was fought between the Mughal Empire and Sikhs assisted by the Kangra State in 1631 or 1634. Background One of Guru Hargobind devoted Sikhs, Sadh (also called Sa ...
* December 1634 – Battles of Lara and Gurusar * 1634 or 25 April 1635 –
Battle of Kartarpur The Battle of Kartarpur occurred on 25 April 1635. It started when the Mughal Empire attacked the town of Kartarpur. The Mughal force was repulsed by the Sikh defenders. The battle occurred in the locality of Kartarpur in present-day Jalandha ...
* April 1634 –
Battle of Phagwara The Battle of Phagwara was fought between the Akal Sena forces led by Guru Hargobind and the Mughal forces led by Ahmad Khan. Background After winning the Battle of Kartarpur, Guru Hargobind Ji left with a few devotees for Kiratpur Sahib which wa ...
* 1 July 1635 - Battle of Nangal Gujjran * 1657–1661 – Mughal war of succession and protection of Dara Shikoh from Aurangzeb's wrath * February 1669 – Akal Sena reaches
Dhubri Dhubri is a city and the administrative centre of Dhubri district in the Indian state of Assam. It is an old town on the bank of the Brahmaputra River, with historical significance. In 1883, the town was first constituted as a municipal board un ...
in Kamrupa, to assist with putting down a rebellion by a local ruler against Mughal imperialism but instead broker a peace after their encampment is attacked and they meet with local forces * 1682 – Battle Of Anandpur (1682) * 1685 – Battle Of Anandpur (1685) * 18 September 1686 –
Battle of Bhangani The Battle of Bhangani was fought between Guru Gobind Singh's army and Bhim Chand (Kahlur) of Bilaspur on 18 September 1686 or 1688, at Bhangani near Paonta Sahib. An alliance of Rajput Rajas of the Shivalik Hills participated in the engage ...
* 4 April 1691 –
Battle of Nadaun The Battle of Nadaun, alternatively known as the Hussaini Yudh'','' was fought at Nadaun, between Raja Bhim Chand of Bilaspur (Kahlur) and the Mughals under Alif Khan. Bhim Chand was supported by Guru Gobind Singh (the tenth Sikh Guru) and t ...
* 1695 – Battle of Anandpur (1695) * 1696 – Battle of Guler * 13 April 1699 – Founding of the
Khalsa Panth The term ''Khalsa'' refers to both a community that follows Sikhism as its religion,Khalsa: Sikhism< ...
and dissolution of the Akal Sena


See also

*
Sant Sipahi A () is a Sikh that aims to become both spiritually and martially skilled, as per the teachings of the sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind. Guru Hargobind is credited with the initial militarization of the Sikhs, and the term represents an ideolog ...
* Miri piri *
Shastar Vidya Shastar Vidya (, meaning "science of weapons" or "art of weapons"), also known as Sanatan Shastar Vidya (), is a Sikh martial art form dating back to the 17th century. Whilst its origins are obscure, the Sikhs became the chief custodians of th ...
*
Gatka Gatka (; ; ; ) is a form of martial art associated primarily with the Sikhs of the Punjab and other related ethnic groups, such as Hindkowans and Pahari-Pothwari. It is a style of stick-fighting, with wooden sticks intended to simulate sw ...
* Sikh chola *
Katar (dagger) The katar is a type of push dagger from the Indian subcontinent. The weapon is characterized by its H-shaped horizontal hand grip which results in the blade sitting above the user's knuckles. Unique to the Indian subcontinent, it is the most fam ...
*
Akal Ustat Akal Ustat (, , lit. ‘the praise of the Timeless One’) is the name given to the second Bani (sacred composition) present in the second holy scriptures of the Sikhs called the Dasam Granth. It is composed of 271 verses, and is largely devot ...
*
Sikh Khalsa Army The Sikh Khalsa Army (), also known as Khalsaji or simply Sikh Army, was the military force of the Sikh Empire. With its roots in the Khalsa founded by Guru Gobind Singh, the army was later modernised on Franco-British principles by Maharaja Ranji ...
* Degh Tegh Fateh * Dharamyudh


References


Works cited

* *


Further reading

* * {{Cite book , last=Singh , first=Ishwar , title=The Brief History of Budha Dal: From the Establishment of Akal Sena to the Creation of Budha Dal , date=19 September 2022 , publisher=Notion Press , isbn=979-8888153772 Sikh military Military units and formations of the Sikhs Military units and formations disestablished in 1699