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'{{multiple issues| {{refimprove|date=December 2011}} {{cleanup|date=December 2011}} }} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2015}} {{Infobox military conflict | conflict = Battle of Chamkaur | partof = '''Mughal-Sikh Wars''' | image = | caption = | date = December 6, 1704 | place = Near the village of [[Chamkaur]] | coordinates = | map_type = | latitude = | longitude = | map_size = | map_marksize = | map_caption = | map_label = | territory = | result = Mughal Victory.<ref>Louis E. Fenech, ''The Sikh Zafar-namah of Guru Gobind Singh'', (Oxford University Press, 2013), 66; "''The Ẓafar-nāmah in this light assumes the form of an intriguing tautology: certainly the Guru was routed by Mughal forces at both Anandpur and Chamkaur; put bluntly, he and his Sikh were militarily defeated and left scattered.''</ref><ref name=EOS>{{cite web|title=Chamkaur Sahib|url=http://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/other-historical-places/punjab/chamkaur-sahib|accessdate=September 24, 2013}}</ref> | combatant1 =[[Mughal Empire]] | combatant2 = [[File:Punjab flag.svg|25px]] [[Khalsa]] | commander1 =[[Wazir Khan (Sirhind)|Wazir Khan]] | commander2 = [[File:Punjab flag.svg|25px]] [[Gobind Singh]] | strength1 = <br/>Unknown <small>(Guru Gobind Singh's writings mention "infinite" or 1,000,000). It is a Persian word and historians translate it's meaning as "infinite" or "Ten Lakh".)</small><ref>{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Prof Satbir|title=Purakh Bhagwant (biography of Gobind Singh)|origyear=1973|year=2004|publisher=New Book company|location=Mai Heeran Gate Jalandhar|page=180|quote=ਅਗਲੇ ਦਿਨ ਸਵੇਰੇ 22 ਦਸੰਬਰ 1704 ਨੂੰ ਸੰਸਾਰ ਦਾ ਅਨੋਖਾ ਯੁੱਧ...ਇਕ ਪਾਸੇ ਚਾਲੀ ਲੱਖ ਭੁੱਖੇ ਭਾਣੇ ਤੇ ਦੂਜੇ ਪਾਸੇ ਦੱਸ ਲੱਖ on next day morning 22 december 1704 an unparrelled battlle of world ... on one side forty hungry and other side ten lakh}}</ref> | strength2 = Less than 50<br/><small>([[Gobind Singh]], [[Sahibzada Ajit Singh|Ajit Singh]], [[Sahibzada Jujhar Singh]], [[Panj Piare]], 40 [[Sikhs]])</small> | casualties1 = Unknown | last = Ralhan | first = O.P | title = The Great Gurus Of The Sikhs | publisher=Anmol Publications PVT LTD | year = 1997 | pages = 154 | quote= ... the word used to describe the number of Mughal soldiers is "Dahlakh". It is a Persian word and historians translate it meaning as "infinite" or "Ten Lakh". | url = | id = | casualties2 = 44 killed. [[Bhai Himmat Singh]], [[Bhai Mohkam Singh]], [[Bhai Sahib Singh]] [[Sahibzada Ajit Singh]], [[Sahibzada Jujhar Singh]] were killed. }} {{Campaignbox Mughal-Sikh Wars}} The '''Battle of Chamkaur''', also known as '''Battle of Chamkaur Sahib''', was fought between the [[Khalsa]] led by [[Gobind Singh]] and the Mughal forces led by [[Wazir Khan (Sirhind)|Wazir Khan]]. Gobind Singh makes a reference to this battle in his victory letter [[Zafarnama]]. ==Preamble to the battle== After Gobind Singh left [[Anandpur Sahib|Anandpur]] on the night of December 5 and 6, 1704,<ref name="Singha2000">{{cite book|last=Singha|first=H. S|title=The encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 entries)|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=gqIbJz7vMn0C|accessdate=December 22, 2011|year=2000|publisher=Hemkunt Press|isbn=978-81-7010-301-1|page=43}}</ref> they had crossed the Sarsa river and stopped in Chamkaur. They asked permission of the city chief for shelter to rest for the night in their ''garhi'' or [[haveli]]. The older brother thought giving him shelter would be dangerous so he refused. But the younger brother gave permission to let them stay there for the night.<ref name=eos>{{cite web |url=http://www.learnpunjabi.org/eos/ |title=Chamkaur Sahib |last1=Gurmukh Singh |date= |website=Encyclopaedia of Sikhism |publisher=Punjabi University Patiala |accessdate=11 April 2015}}</ref> Despite giving assurance of safe conduct, the [[Mughals]] soldiers were looking for Guru Gobind Singh, to take his head as a trophy. After learning that the party of [[Sikhs]] had taken shelter in the haveli, they laid siege upon it.<ref name=eos/> The actual battle is said to have taken place outside the haveli where the Guru was resting.<ref name=eos/> Negotiations broke down and the Sikh soldiers chose to engage the overwhelming Mughal forces, thus allowing their Guru to escape. A ''gurmatta'' or consensus amongst the Sikhs compelled Gobind Singh to obey the will of the majority and escape by cover of night. It is alleged that the Sikh warriors were able to engage the Mughal troops in majority due to training in the Sikh martial art of ''Shastarvidya''. All the Sikhs guarding the Guru were killed in the battle. ==Zafarnama== Zafarnama or "Epistle of Victory" is a letter that was written by Guru Gobind Singh to the then Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Zafarnama vividly describes what happened at Chamkaur, and also holds Aurangzeb responsible for what occurred and promises he broke: :13: ''Aurangzeb! I have no trust in your oaths anymore. (You have written that) God is one and that He is witness (between us). :14: I don't have trust equivalent to even a drop (of water) in your generals (who came to me with oaths on Quran that I will be given safe passage out of Anandgarh Fort). They were all telling lies. :15: If anyone trusts (you) on your oath on Quran, that person is bound to be doomed in the end. After his escape from Chamkaur, the exhausted Guru is said to have been carried by two Pathans (Ghani Khan and Nabi Khan) to Jatpur where he was received by the local Muslim chieftain. He later went to Dina, and stayed at Bhai Desa Singh's house, where he is said to have written "Zafarnama" in Persian, in 111 versions.<ref>{{cite book | title=Glimpses of Sikhism | publisher=Sandun Publishers | author=Major Nahar Singh Jawandha | year=2010 | location=New Delhi, India | pages=48 | isbn=978-93-8021-325-5}}</ref> ==Aftermath== After finding out that the [[Guru Gobind Singh|Guru]] had escaped, the Mughals started searching the woods and the area surrounding Chamkaur.<ref name="EOS"/> The Mughals hastily chased after the Guru once they realised he had escaped. Guru Gobind Singh made a last stand <ref name=PBS>{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Prof Satbir|title=Purakh Bhagwant (biography of Guru Gobind Singh)|origyear=1973 |year=2004|publisher=New Book Company|location=Mai Heeran Gate Jalandhar India|page=203}}</ref> against the Mughals at [[Muktsar]],{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} but by then Aurangzeb had started to sue for peace.<ref>{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Prof Satbir|title=Purakh Bhagwant(Biography of Guru Gobind Singh)|origyear=1973|year=2004|publisher=New Book Company|location=Mai Heeran Gate Jalandhar, India|page=200|language=Punjabi|chapter=Chamkaur ton Mukatsar|quote=ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਪੱਤਰ ਪੜ੍ਹਨ ਉਪਰੰਤ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਹਾਕਮਾਂ ਪਾਸ ਹਿਦਾਇਤਾਂ ਭੇਜੀਆਂ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਨਾਲ ਸਿਦਕ ਸਫ਼ਾਈ ਨਾਲਪੇਸ਼ ਆਉਣ।}}</ref> The [[Battle of Muktsar]] was the last battle fought by Guru Gobind Singh. There he wrote ''[[Zafarnamah]]'', ("the epistle of victory"), a letter to [[Aurangzeb]] in which he wrote {{quote|CHIRAG-E JAHAAN CHUN SHOD-E BURKA POSH SHAH-E SHAB BAR-AAMAD HAMEH JALWA JOSH<ref name=ZN2>{{cite web|last=Singh|first=Guru Gobind|title=Zafarnamah stanza 42|url=http://www.zafarnama.com/Download/zafarnama.pdf|publisher=Zafarnama.com|accessdate=24 September 2013}}</ref> ... But still when the lamp of daylight (sun) set and the queen of night (moon) came up, then my protector (God) gave me passage and I escaped safely, not even a hair on my body was harmed.<ref name=ZN>{{cite web|last=Singh|first=Guru Gobind|title=Zafarnamah English translation stanza 42|url=http://www.sikhs.org/transl5.htm|publisher=Sikhs.org|accessdate=September 24, 2013}}</ref>}} The Guru emphasised how he was proud that his sons had died fighting in battle, and that he had 'thousands of sons – the Singhs'. He also said that he would never trust [[Aurengzeb]] again due to his broken promises<ref name=ZN3>{{cite web|last=Singh|first=Guru Gobind|title=Zafarnama stanza 45|url=http://www.zafarnama.com/Download/zafarnama.pdf|publisher=zafarnama.com|accessdate=September 24, 2013}}</ref> and lies. ==See also== [[Bhai Jiwan Singh]] ==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==External links== * [http://www.singhsabha.com/battle_of_chamkaur.htm Battle description at singhsabha.com]{{dead link|date=July 2012}} {{coord missing|India}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Chamkaur}} [[Category:Conflicts in 1704]] [[Category:Battles involving the Mughal Empire|Chamkaur]] [[Category:1704 in India]] [[Category:Battles involving the Sikhs|Chamkaur]]'