In 1709, the Battle of Samana was fought between Banda Singh Bahadur and the Mughal Government of Samana. Following the battle, Banda Singh Bahadur shook the administration of Delhi.
Background
In the town of Samana, there lived three executioners:
- Sayyed Jalal-ud-din,
- Shashal Beg, and
- Bashal Beg.
Sayyed Jalal-ud-din was in charge of executing Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur, while Shashal Beg and Bashal Beg were responsible for the execution of two of Guru Gobind Singh’s children.
The Battle of Samana
Banda Singh led an army of 3,000 horsemen and 5,000 foot soldiers, while the commander of Samana had his town well-defended.
Despite this, Banda’s army advanced quickly and reached the gates of Samana by dawn on November 26th. They were able to breach the town’s defenses after killing the gatekeepers, and once inside, they sought vengeance for the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur and his grandchildren.
The local peasantry joined Banda’s army of 8,000, and together they entered the town from all sides, killing thousands of its inhabitants and razing it to the ground. The attack resulted in the deaths of nearly 10,000 Muslims, and the army obtained a great deal of wealth.
Aftermath
Following the victorious campaign against Samana, Banda Singh Bahadur designated Fateh Singh as the Governor of the region. However, several significant towns along the route to Sirhind were subsequently sacked, particularly since they could have offered military support to Sirhind.
The local villagers were also coerced into providing provisions, and Ambala was looted during the journey. In addition, the Sikhs destroyed the towns of Kunjpura, Ghuram, and Thaska, which were populated by Muslim Ranghars notorious for their brutal treatment of the populace.
