The Beginnings of Sikh Raj in Punjab: 1708/9.

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The first location where the Nishan Sahib was planted by Banda Singh Bahadur was a village on the frontiers of Rajputana and Hariana, west of Delhi, from where he moved east of Delhi to Kharkhauda, before cutting north to Punjab. https://twitter.com/sialmirzagoraya/status/1313516615808552960

At Kharkhauda, Banda Singh issued a Call to Arms to the Sikhs of Punjab - by invoking the authority of Hukamnaamé (Royal Decree) assigned to him by Guru Gobind Singh, who had passed the previous winter in Nanded.

These were the Sardars who had accompanied Banda from Nanded:

At Kharkhauda, the Khalsa began to gather. Banda’s companions too began to write letters to Sardars of all the lands.

Banjara Sikhs came laden with bullock carts, Sikhs who are descendants of old families, such as the sons of Bhai Rup Chand, and Sikhs from the Bagar drylands :

From Kharkhauda, Khalsa forces marched northwest, conquering Sonipat, the provincial treasury of Kaithal and the garrison town of Samana.

Sikhs were joined by the local peasantry who turned their wrath on their ‘lords and masters’ :

Banda’s relentless march continued - as he defeated local Pathan governors, conquering Shahbad, Ghuram and Thaska, moving on to the fort of Mustafabad, where there was a siege and a vicious battle.

Interestingly, native revolutionaries often attached themselves to the Khalsa:

Hindus from nearby regions began to appeal to the Sikh army for help - the local governor of Kapuri, a pervert and rapist, was first dispatched; then Banda marched to Sadhaura to avenge the death of the noble Sufi Saint Sayyad Buddhu Shah, and to free the Hindus of the city:

As Banda was marching north, another Sikh Army was marching south from the northern reaches of Punjab. They were intercepted by the Nawab of Malerkotla, along with reinforcements from the provincial capital of Sirhind.

In a battle that lasted for two days, Sikhs were victorious

This battle is known as the Battle of Rupar.

The two armies rendezvosed and were now ready to march towards the chief target of the Sikh expeditions - the city of Sirhind.

The governor of the city Wazir Khan had employed an assassin to kill Guru Gobind Singh - and before, he had committed an even viler crime of brutally torturing & murdering two young sons of the Guru, Shb. Zorawar Singh, aged 9, and Fateh Singh, aged 5.

The sack of Sirhind: TBC.

Extracts from Life of Banda Singh by Dr. Ganda Singh.