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Baj Singh
Baj Singh
Baj Singh
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Baba Baj Singh (died 9 June 1716; his first name is alternatively spelt as Baaj), also known as Baj Bahadur, was a Sikh general, governor, scholar and martyr from present-day India. Baj Singh was the cousin of Bhai Mani Singh.[1]

Key Information

Biography

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Binod Singh, Kahan Singh, Baj Singh, Daya Singh, and Ram Singh depicted as a Panj Piare group from a gilded panel from Takht Hazur Sahib, Nanded

Baj Singh's family was native to Mirpur Patti, a village in Amritsar district of the Punjab.[2] He was part of a Panj Piare quintet commanded, by Guru Gobind Singh, to accompany Banda Singh Bahadur and provide him counsel on his northwards conquest of Sirhind.[3]

Execution

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He was executed on 9 June 1716 on the outskirts of Delhi, on the bank of the Yamuna river along with his seven brothers and Banda Singh Bahadur.

Battles fought by Baj Singh

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References

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Baj Singh

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Baba Baj Singh (d. ), also known as Baj Bahadur, was a Sikh general and renowned for his role in the early 18th-century Sikh resistance against Mughal rule in . A devoted follower who received initiation into the , he served as a key commander under , participating in major campaigns including the conquest of Sirhind in 1710.
Appointed governor of Sirhind after its capture, Baj Singh administered the region justly, overseeing the management of surrounding villages, constructing gurdwaras, and establishing order following Mughal oppression. Noted for his physical strength and combat prowess, he defeated numerous adversaries in personal duels and demonstrated unyielding defiance during an extended siege and subsequent imprisonment in , where he killed guards using his shackles before his execution by Emperor .

Early Life

Origins and Family Background

Baj Singh was a native of Mirpur Patti, a village in the of , where he was born into a Sikh during the late . Historical records describe his early life in a rural Punjabi setting marked by devotion to Sikh principles, though specific details on his parents remain sparse in primary accounts. Accounts of his clan background vary: several historians, including Gokul Chand Narang, identify him as a Jat of the , reflecting the martial agrarian communities prevalent in at the time. Others, drawing from traditional Sikh narratives by scholars like Hari Ram Gupta and , portray him as a descendant of , the third Sikh Guru, suggesting a lineage tied to early scriptural traditions rather than strictly Jat heritage. A minority of sources claim origins, potentially indicating familial migrations or alliances common in the region's turbulent history. These discrepancies highlight the challenges in verifying personal details from an era reliant on oral and hagiographic transmissions, with no consensus on exact parentage or siblings beyond occasional mentions of an elder brother named Bhagwant Singh in select genealogies.

Initiation into Sikhism

Bhai Baj Singh received the Sikh initiation rite, known as Amrit Sanchar, directly from , marking his formal entry into the brotherhood. This ceremony, performed before 1708, entailed vows of unwavering commitment to Sikh principles, including equality, martial readiness, and rejection of distinctions, with the initiate adopting the surname . The Amrit Sanchar involves five initiated Sikhs () preparing sacred nectar () by stirring water sweetened with using a khanda (double-edged sword), accompanied by recitations from the and . Baj Singh's personal administration by the Guru underscores his early devotion and proximity to the Sikh leadership during a period of escalating Mughal following the Khalsa's founding in 1699. Post-initiation, Baj Singh demonstrated loyalty by accompanying to the Deccan region in 1708, amid the Guru's southward migration after battles at and Chamkaur. This association positioned him for selection among the five Sikhs—alongside , Kahan Singh, , and Ram Singh—dispatched later that year to support Banda Singh Bahadur's campaign in .

Military Service

Alliance with Banda Singh Bahadur

In 1708, dispatched from in the Deccan to with explicit orders to challenge Mughal authority, particularly avenging the execution of the Guru's younger sons by Wazir Khan, the of Sirhind. To guide Banda in this mission, the Guru selected five as an advisory council: , a descendant of ; his brother Ram Singh; , a descendant of Dev; Kahan Singh; and Fateh Singh. , having accompanied the Guru to the Deccan earlier that year, assumed a prominent role among these companions, providing strategic counsel during Banda's northward campaigns. This alliance, rooted in the Guru's direct commission, integrated Banda—a former ascetic renamed from Madho Das—with battle-hardened warriors like Baj Singh, who brought experience from prior Sikh military efforts. The group reached near in November 1708, where they began mobilizing local and peasants oppressed by Mughal revenue systems, rapidly swelling their forces to thousands. Baj Singh's involvement ensured adherence to discipline, distinguishing their operations from mere and focusing on targeted assaults against Mughal strongholds. The partnership proved effective in initial victories, such as the capture of and Samana in late 1709, where Baj Singh fought alongside Banda, dismantling symbols of Mughal tyranny like execution sites linked to Guru Teg Bahadur's martyrdom. By providing both martial prowess and advisory restraint, Baj Singh helped temper Banda's ascetic zeal with practical governance, laying groundwork for Sikh administrative control in conquered territories. This structured alliance contrasted with later factional tensions within the Sikh ranks, underscoring its foundational role in early 18th-century resistance.

Major Battles and Campaigns

Bhai Baj Singh emerged as a prominent commander in Banda Singh Bahadur's army following the latter's arrival in in late 1708, participating in the early raids and battles aimed at establishing Sikh sovereignty against Mughal authority. He fought in the in November 1709, the first major engagement where Sikh forces, led by Banda with Baj Singh and as key subordinates, overwhelmed a Mughal detachment, marking an initial victory that boosted Sikh morale and recruitment. This success was followed by the later that month, where Baj Singh contributed to the decisive Sikh assault on the fortified town, resulting in heavy Mughal casualties and the destruction of a center associated with the execution of Tegh Bahadur's sons in 1675. Baj Singh's most notable role came in the on May 12, 1710, approximately 20 kilometers from Sirhind, where he commanded the right wing of Banda's army against the Mughal forces under Wazir Khan, the responsible for the martyrdom of Gobind Singh's younger sons. Despite being outnumbered, the employed aggressive tactics, with Baj Singh's flank holding firm and pressing the enemy, leading to the death of Wazir Khan and the rout of his army of around 20,000 troops by Banda's 15,000-25,000 fighters. This triumph enabled the immediate occupation of Sirhind and avenged longstanding grievances, solidifying Baj Singh's reputation as Baj Bahadur for his fearlessness in combat. Throughout Banda's campaigns from 1709 to 1715, Baj Singh took part in numerous engagements, including assaults on towns like Thanesar, Kaithal, and Sadhaura, where Sikh forces targeted Mughal administrative centers and tax collectors to dismantle imperial control in Punjab and Haryana. His consistent involvement in these operations, characterized by rapid strikes and fortified defenses, helped expand Sikh influence, though later retreats to strongholds like Lohgarh foreshadowed the Mughals' counteroffensives.

Role as Governor of Sirhind

Following the Sikh victory at the on May 12, 1710, which resulted in the capture of Sirhind from Mughal forces under Wazir Khan, appointed Baj Singh as governor of the territory on May 14, 1710, with Ali Singh serving as his deputy. Their primary mandate was to secure the region against potential Mughal counterattacks from and to establish administrative control in the newly liberated area. Under Baj Singh's oversight, a new administrative framework was implemented in Sirhind, including the appointment of local officials to replace Mughal-era structures and the abolition of , with feudal lands redistributed directly to tillers to promote agrarian equity. Coins were also struck during this period bearing the names of and , inscribed with symbols of degh (, representing communal welfare) and tegh (sword, signifying martial defense), marking an assertion of Sikh sovereignty in the province. In November 1710, Sirhind faced an assault by Sham Khan, the Faujdar of Jallandar Doab, supported by allied forces outnumbering the Sikh defenders; Baj Singh led the response in a fierce engagement but ordered a tactical withdrawal to the fortified Lohgarh to avoid encirclement and preserve forces for future operations. This maneuver underscored Baj Singh's strategic acumen in governance, balancing immediate defense with long-term resistance against Mughal resurgence.

Capture and Martyrdom

Siege of Gurdas Nangal

In early 1715, following defeats in previous engagements, and his Sikh forces, including key commanders such as Baj Singh, retreated toward the village of Gurdas Nangal in , approximately 6 km west of . Pursued by a large Mughal army under the command of , the Governor of , the fortified a makeshift enclosure there, constructing mud walls and a to defend against encirclement. Baj Singh, serving as a prominent general and former governor under Banda's leadership, played a central role in organizing the defenses alongside other commanders like . The siege commenced around April 1, 1715, with Mughal forces—numbering up to 100,000 troops divided into contingents led by , Zakariya Khan, and Qamar-ud-din—surrounding the position and severing all supply lines. The Sikh contingent, estimated at 750 to 4,000 fighters including women and children, resorted to guerrilla raids for provisions but faced severe shortages, subsisting on tree bark, animal hides, and eventually resorting to in extreme cases during the eight-month ordeal. Mughal assaults were repelled repeatedly through determined close-quarters combat, but the prolonged blockade eroded the defenders' strength, with no significant reinforcements arriving. By December 1715, starvation had critically weakened the garrison; on December 7, Mughal troops breached the enclosure, capturing , his family, Baj Singh, and approximately two dozen other principal commanders alive, while hundreds of were killed in the final assault. Baj Singh, refusing surrender until the end, was among the high-ranking captives shackled and transported to for trial, marking the collapse of Banda's short-lived Sikh republic. The site, now reduced to ruins known as Bande-wali-Thehri, symbolizes the ' protracted resistance against overwhelming odds.

Imprisonment and Execution in Delhi

Following the prolonged at , which concluded with the surrender of Sikh forces on December 7, 1715, Baj Singh was captured alongside and approximately 740 other Sikh warriors and leaders by Mughal troops commanded by Abdus Samad Khan. The captives, including Baj Singh, were shackled in iron chains and marched over 500 kilometers to , with confined in a specially constructed atop an ; this procession served as a public spectacle of Mughal dominance, during which the prisoners endured starvation, beatings, and exposure to harsh winter conditions. In , the prisoners were imprisoned under the orders of Mughal Emperor and subjected to systematic torture aimed at forcing conversions to or confessions of loyalty to the empire; methods included floggings, mutilations, and denial of food and water, with many lower-ranking executed in batches prior to the leaders. Baj Singh, as a prominent and former of Sirhind, faced interrogation before qazis but refused to recant his Sikh faith, consistent with accounts of unyielding resistance among Banda's inner circle. On June 9, 1716, Baj Singh was brought to the execution grounds on the outskirts of along the banks of the River, where he was decapitated publicly alongside , his seven brothers, and remaining key companions; this followed the gruesome execution of Banda's four-year-old son in his presence and the mass killing of hundreds of other over preceding days. Traditional Sikh accounts report that, as his leg irons were removed moments before beheading, Baj Singh seized a nearby sword and slew seven Mughal executioners in a final before being subdued and killed.

Legacy and Historical Significance

Depictions in Sikh Historiography

![Gilded panel from Takht Hazur Sahib depicting Baj Singh among Sikh companions as a Panj Pyare group][center] In Sikh historiographical texts, Bhai Baj Singh is depicted as a key military commander and administrator during Banda Singh Bahadur's campaigns against Mughal authority in the early 18th century. Traditional accounts, such as Rattan Singh Bhangu's Prachin Panth Prakash (completed around 1841), portray him as a rallying figure for Sikh forces from regions like Majha and Malwa, emphasizing his leadership in mobilizing warriors for the Khalsa's armed resistance. These narratives highlight his Bal Jat origins and reputation for unmatched bravery, positioning him as an exemplar of Sikh martial ethos amid persecution. Baj Singh's role in major engagements, including commanding the right flank of the Sikh army at the on 12 May 1710, is consistently lauded in historical compilations like History of the Sikhs. There, he is credited with directly confronting and contributing to the defeat of Nawab Wazir Khan, the Mughal governor of Sirhind responsible for the martyrdom of Gobind Singh's young sons, symbolizing retribution and the establishment of Sikh temporal authority. Following the victory, sources describe his appointment as governor of Sirhind, where he implemented reforms such as abolishing oppressive taxes and distributing land to the tillers, reflecting an idealized vision of governance rooted in egalitarian principles. During the siege of Gurdas Nangal in late 1715 and subsequent captivity, Sikh chronicles depict Baj Singh as resolute and unyielding, refusing overtures to renounce his faith despite torture. Executed in Delhi on 9 June 1716 alongside Banda Singh Bahadur and other companions, he is remembered in these texts for his stoic endurance, often martyred in brutal fashion to underscore the sacrificial spirit of early Sikh leaders. Such portrayals in 19th- and 20th-century Sikh histories serve to inspire devotion and resilience, though they draw from oral traditions and Persian chronicles with varying degrees of hagiographic embellishment.

Symbolic Role in Sikh Resistance

Bhai Baj Singh stands as a symbol of martial prowess and unyielding resistance in Sikh tradition, embodying the Khalsa's ethos of confronting tyranny through disciplined warfare. As one of five Sikhs dispatched by Guru Gobind Singh from the Deccan in 1708 to bolster Banda Singh Bahadur's campaign in Punjab, Baj Singh commanded the Majha Sikh forces and contributed to the establishment of Sikh authority in northern India. His leadership in battles such as Sadhaura and Lohgarh underscored the transition from defensive skirmishes to offensive sovereignty, marking a pivotal phase in Sikh militarization against Mughal dominance. A defining moment in Baj Singh's legacy occurred during the on May 12, 1710, where he personally slew Wazir Khan, the of Sirhind and the perpetrator of the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh's younger sons in December 1705. This act of direct retribution transformed Baj Singh into an icon of within Sikh narratives, signifying the Khalsa's resolve to punish oppressors and reclaim dignity lost to Mughal atrocities. The subsequent capture of Sirhind on May 14, 1710, and Baj Singh's appointment as deputy governor highlighted his role in implementing land reforms that abolished zamindari rights, redistributing estates to peasants and symbolizing economic emancipation as a of resistance. Baj Singh's capture alongside during the Mughal siege of Gurdas Nangal in November 1715, followed by his transportation to and execution on or around June 9, 1716, after rejecting conversion demands amid torturous conditions, reinforced his archetype of the steadfast . In refusing to betray Sikh principles despite promises of reprieve, he exemplified sacrificial fidelity, inspiring subsequent generations of to view armed defiance as inseparable from spiritual integrity. His commemoration in Sikh lore, through oral traditions and hagiographies, perpetuates him as a paragon of the sant-sipahi (saint-soldier) ideal, where personal valor sustains communal survival against existential threats.
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