Baba Gurbaksh Singh (alternatively spelt as Gurbax) was a

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

warrior from the 18th century who served under the Shaheedan Misl of the

Sikh confederacy The Sikh Confederacy was a confederation of twelve sovereign Sikh states (each known as a Misl, derived from the Arabic word مِثْل meaning 'equal'; sometimes spelt as Misal) which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region in the n ...

. Gurbaksh Singh along with 29 other Sikh warriors led a last stand against the

Afghan Afghan or Afgan may refer to: Related to Afghanistan *Afghans, historically refers to the Pashtun people. It is both an ethnicity and nationality. Ethnicity wise, it refers to the Pashtuns. In modern terms, it means both the citizens of Afghanist ...

and Baloch forces on December 1, 1764, at

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 in this skirmish that Baba Gurbaksh Singh along with 29 other Sikhs were killed.

Early life

Gurbaksh Singh was born in the village of Lil in

Amritsar district Amritsar district is one of the twenty three districts that make up the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab. Located in the Majha region of Punjab, the city of Amritsar is the headquarters of this district. As of 2011, it is the second most ...

on April 10, 1688, and was the son of Dasaundha and Mai Lachchhami Gurbaksh Singh was a contemporary of the 10th Sikh guru,

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 ...

and was initiated into the

Khalsa The term ''Khalsa'' refers to both a community that follows Sikhism as its religion,Khalsa: Sikhism< ...

during the

Vaisakhi Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi or Mesadi, marks the first day of the month of Vaisakh and is traditionally celebrated annually on 13 April or sometimes 14 April. It is seen as a spring harvest celebration primarily in Punjab and Northern In ...

of 1699. He completed his religious education under

Bhai Mani Singh Bhai Mani Singh (7 April 1644 – 14 June 1738) was an 18th-century Sikh scholar and martyr. He was a childhood companion of Guru Gobind Singh and took the vows of Sikhism when the Guru inaugurated the Khalsa in March 1699. Soon after that, t ...

and he would soon join the Shaheedan Misl under

Baba Deep Singh Baba Deep Singh (26 January 1682 – 13 November 1757) is revered among Sikhs as one of the most hallowed martyrs in Sikhism. He is remembered for his sacrifice and devotion to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus. Baba Deep Singh was the fir ...

. Gurbaksh Singh would lead a group of Sikh warriors who were famous for their bravery and gallantry against both

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

and Afghan armies.

Last stand in Amritsar (1764)

Fresco of Baba Gurbaksh Singh Shaheed from Gurdwara Baba Atal in Amritsar

From 1763 to 1764, the

Sikh misls The Sikh Confederacy was a confederation of twelve sovereign Sikh states (each known as a Misl, derived from the Arabic word مِثْل meaning 'equal'; sometimes spelt as Misal) which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region in the n ...

would greatly expand their territory over the region of

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. The Sikhs would successfully occupy

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 ...

and expand their territory into

Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...

and Derajat. This greatly weakened

rule over

which caused

Ahmad Shah Abdali Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (; ; – 4 June 1772), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the first ruler and founder of the Durrani Empire. He is often regarded as the founder of modern Afghanistan. Throughout his reign, Ahmad Shah fought ov ...

to launch a seventh invasion into the Indian Subcontinent.

arrived in Punjab and reached

Eminabad Eminabad (), formerly known as Saidpur, is a town located in the southeast of Gujranwala city, in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is 12 to 15 km away from Gujranwala city. According to the census of 2017 it has a population of 27,460 inhabita ...

.It was at Eminabad that Ahmad Shah was Joined by his Baloch ally Nasir Khan.Ahmad Shah Abdali commanded a force numbering 18,000 while Nasir Khan commanded a force numbering 12,000. The Afghan and Baloch forces marched towards Lahore in which where they got into a Skirmish with the Sikhs under the command of

Charat Singh Sukerchakia Sardar Charat Singh (1721–1770 or 1733–1774), also romanised as Charhat Singh, was the founder of Sukerchakia Misl, father of Mahan Singh, and the grandfather of Ranjit Singh, the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. He distinguished himsel ...

. Ahmad Shah heard news that the Sikhs had retreated towards Amritsar.Ahmad Shah arrived in Amritsar on December 1, 1764; however, the Afghan forces did not come across any large gathering of Sikhs. Baba Gurbaksh Singh, Nihal Singh, Basant Singh, Man Singh along with 26 other Sikhs had stayed in Amritsar to fight a last stand against the Afghan and Baloch forces. The Afghans were soon attacked by 30 Sikhs led by Baba Gurbaksh Singh at Shri Harmandir Sahib.It was in this skirmish that Baba Gurbaksh Singh along with the 29 Sikh defenders were killed.

Legacy

The remains of Baba Gurbaksh Singh along with the other dead sikhs were cremated and a memorial called Shaheedganj was built to commemorate the fallen Sikhs.

References

Sources

Primary Sources * Muhammad, Noor (2020). Singh, Ganda (ed.). Jangnamah (2nd ed.). Khalsa College Amritsar. Secondary Sources * Gandhi, Surjit (1999). ''Sikhs In The Eighteenth Century.'' Singh Bros. ISBN 81-7205-217-0. * Gupta, Hari (2007). '' History of the Sikhs Volume II. Evolution of the Sikh Confederacies (1707-1769)'' Munishiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 81-215-0248-9. * Singh, Ganda (1990). ''Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia.'' Publication Bureau Punjabi University,Patiala. * Singh, Harbans (2011). '' The Encyclopedia of Sikhism Volume II E-L'' (3rd ed.). Punjabi University,Patiala. ISBN 81-7380-204-1.
"SHAHIDGANJ BABA GURBAKSH SINGH , AMRITSAR"
''The Sikh Encyclopedia''. Retrieved 13 January 2023. {{DEFAULTSORT:Baba Gurbaksh Singh Amritsar district 18th century in the Durrani Empire Military history of India 1764 in India Conflicts in 1764 1688 births 1764 deaths Sikh warriors 18th-century Indian people Sikh martyrs

Early life

Last stand in Amritsar (1764)

Legacy

See also

References

Sources