Binod Singh

Baba
Binod Singh
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
1st Jathedar of Buddha Dal
In office
1708–1716
Succeeded byBaba Darbara Singh
Personal details
Died1716 or 1721
Known for
Military service
Commander Khalsa Fauj

Binod Singh, (died 1716 or 1721)[1][2] a Trehan Khatri and a descendant of Guru Angad, was an army man and disciple of Guru Gobind Singh and was among few Sikhs who accompanied him to Nanded in 1706.[3][4][5] In Budha Dal Chronicles, Guru Gobind Singh made Baba Binod Singh the head of the Khalsa.[citation needed]

Early life and family

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Little is known of his early life, not even his year of birth.[5] Binod Singh was a descendant of Guru Angad.[6] Binod Singh had a son named Kahan Singh, whom was also part of the Panj Piare quintet that accompanied Banda northwards.[6] Binod Singh had a grandson named Miri Singh (son of Kahan Singh).[6]

Religious and military career

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Binod Singh had followed Guru Gobind Singh from Delhi to Nanded in the Deccan.[6] After Guru Gobind Singh died, Binod Singh became the principle ustad (teacher) of Shastar Vidya.[7]

Alliance with Banda Singh Bahadur

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Regarding Binod Singh, Kahn Singh Nabha states in Mahankosh:[8]

ਦਸ਼ਮੇਸ਼ ਦਾ ਹਜ਼ੂਰੀ ਤੇਹਣ ਸਾਹਿਬਜ਼ਾਦਾ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਦਸ਼ਮੇਸ਼ ਨੇ ਅਬਿਚਲਨਗਰ ਤੋਂ ਬੰਦੇ ਬਹਾਦੁਰ ਦੀ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਲਈ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਭੇਜਿਆ ਸੀ, ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਧਰਮਵੀਰ ਨੇ ਪੰਥ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਹੋਕੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਜੰਗ ਜਿੱਤੇ.
The Huzoor Sahibzada of Guru Gobind Singh, who was sent to help Banda Bahadur in Punjab and fought many battles for Religion like a Warrior.

He was one of the five companions of Banda Bahadur (1670-1716) sent by the Guru in 1708 from Nanded to the Punjab to punish Wazir Khan, Nawab of Sirhind.[9][5][6] This Panj Piare quintet, in-which Binod Singh was a member of, was instructed to accompany Banda Singh Bahadur northwards from the Deccan on the mission he had been assigned by the Guru.[4][5][10][6] The Panj Piare quintet was reinforced with a group of 20 Sikhs, they would all join Banda Singh on his military expedition.[10] Binod Singh was Banda Singh's ally in the campaign he launched upon arrival in the Punjab.[4]

Binod had fought a pitched battle against Sher Muhammad Khan of Malerkotla State.[6] Sher Muhammad Khan commanded the right-wing of Wazir Khan's army whilst Binod Singh commanded the left-wing of Banda's army.[6] In the midst of fighting, the flank under the control of Binod was about to break but just at that moment Sher Muhammad Khan was killed by a gunshot, leading to the fleeing of his forces.[6] Binod Singh commanded the left wing of Banda's army in the Battle of Chappar Chiri fought in May 1710.[6] After conquest of the province of Sirhind, the frontier district of Karnal, bordering on Delhi territory, was entrusted to Binod Singh.[4][6] Emperor Bahadur Shah sent Firoz Khan Mewati to suppress the Sikh revolt, with Binod Singh fighting four times to check this Mughal force, suffering defeat.[6] Those four battles were fought at Tarori, second at Amin, 25 km north of Karnal, third at Thanesar, 8 km farther north, and the fourth at Shahabad, 22 km north of Thanesar.[6]

Differences with Banda Bahadur

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Baba Binod Singh did not agree to some of the innovations of Banda Singh Bahadur.[3][5] As ordered by a Hukamnama by Mata Sundri, Binod Singh left Banda Bahadur with other Sikhs in October 1714 and declared themselves as Tatt Khalsa and followers of Banda were called Bandai Khalsa.[11][4][5] Binod and 10,000 Sikhs left the ranks of Banda after this.[6] Whilst Binod wished to obey the edict of Mata Sundari, he did not wish to fight against Banda.[6] After Binod Singh and other Sikhs left, Banda Bahadur was captured and prosecuted in Delhi.

Binod Singh came to Goindwal after dispute with Banda Bahadur at Gurdas Nanagal.

Binod Singh then stayed at Amritsar for a bit but after found employment with the Mughals and accompanied the Mughals when they besieged Banda Singh Bahadur's forces at Gurdas Nangal.[4][5] However, Binod Singh did not wish to fight his co-religionists and tried to leave but the Mughals did not allow this to happen so they tried to eliminate Binod Singh and the retinue of a few thousand of Sikhs that accompanied him.[4][5][6] Thus, after Binod tried to retire from the fighting, him and his 10,000-strong force was attacked on all sides by the Mughals.[6]

Death

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According to Khafi Khan, three to four thousand of his men were killed, filling the plain with blood.[3][6] Binod Singh is believed to have lost his life in this massacre in 1716.[3][4][5][6] The Sikhs under Binod who managed to escape the carnage were either captured by Muslims or roving bands of the Mughal army.[6] Two-thousand decapitated Sikh heads, still bearing their kesh (unshorn hair) that was stuffed with hay, and a thousand chained Sikh prisoners, were sent by Abdus Samad Khan and Zakariya Khan to emperor Farrukhsiyar.[6]

Other sources state Binod Singh was killed in a later clash with Mughal forces in 1721.[2]

Battles fought by Baba Binod Singh

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References

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  1. ^ "ਬਿਨੋਦ ਸਿੰਘ, ਬਾਵਾ - ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਪੀਡੀਆ" [Binod Singh]. punjabipedia.org (in Punjabi). Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  2. ^ a b Nihang, Nidar Singh; Singh, Parmjit (2008). In the Master's Presence: The Sikhs of Hazoor Sahib. Vol. 1. Kashi House. ISBN 9780956016805. Binod Singh died in a skirmish with the Mughal forces in 1721. Akali Darbara Singh Nihang (1645-1735), a veteran warrior who had learnt shastar vidya from Guru Tegh Bahadur, succeeded him as the Buddha Dal's second jathedar.
  3. ^ a b c d Singh, Harbans (2002). The Encyclopedia of Sikhism. Vol. 1: A-D (4th ed.). Patiala: Punjabi University. p. 374. ISBN 81-7380-100-2.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Singha, H.S. (2000). The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (Over 1000 Entries). Hemkunt Press. p. 38. ISBN 9788170103011.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Fenech, Louis E.; McLeod, W.H. (2014). Historical Dictionary of Sikhism. Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements Series (3rd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 70–71. ISBN 9781442236011. BINOD SING (?-1716 trad.) - A disciple of the Tenth Sikh Master. Binod Singh, who accompanied Guru Gobind Singh to the Deccan in 1706, was (like Baj Singh) one of the five Sikhs who returned to the Punjab with Banda. Although he took part in many of Banda's campaigns, he eventually fell out with the Sikh warrior in 1714 because of the schism the so-called innovations of Banda had engendered. He nevertheless remained in Amritsar where apparently he was recruited by the Mughal army. Although he made his way to Gurdas-Nangal, it is claimed that he chose not to fight against Banda, after which he was attacked by the very imperial army of which he was a part. It seems that Bind Singh died in the fighting.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Gupta, Hari Ram (2007). History of the Sikhs: Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of Sikh Misls. History of the Sikhs. Vol. 4. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. pp. 8–9. ISBN 8121501652.
  7. ^ Singh, Kamalroop (2014). "38. Sikh Martial Art (Gatkā)". In Singh, Pashaura; Fenech, Louis E. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford Handbooks Online. Oxford University Press. pp. 459–470. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199699308.013.022.
  8. ^ ਬਿਨੋਦ ਸਿੰਘ, Gur Shabad Ratnakar Mahankosh
  9. ^ Sagoo, Harbans Kaur (2001). Banda Singh Bahadur and Sikh Sovereignty. Deep & Deep Publications. p. 119. ISBN 9788176293006.
  10. ^ a b "ਮਹਾਨ ਸਿੱਖ ਜਰਨੈਲ ਬਾਬਾ ਬੰਦਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਹਾਦਰ" [The great Sikh general Baba Banda Singh Bahadur - A fascinating story of myth and folk recognition]. Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi). 21 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023. English translation: "Following Guru Gobind Singh Ji's permission, when Baba Banda Singh came to Punjab in 1708 AD, he had five arrows, Khanda and Nagara given to him by Guru Ji. Guru Sahib called Panj Pyare Bhai Binod Singh, Bhai Kahan Singh, Bhai Baj Singh, Bhai Daya Singh and Bhai Ran Singh for consultation. Apart from these, 20 Singhs were sent with others. The caravan of these 25 Singhs marched towards Punjab like a storm. While crossing Delhi, orders were sent to the Sikh Sangat. Following the order, the Sangat came forward to welcome Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. The wounds of martyrdom of Guru Sahib's family were still fresh in the Sikh community. Within a short time they gathered under the banner of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, they fixed their slogan 'Raj Karkea Khalsa' in the battlefield."
  11. ^ "sikh-history.com - Regarding differences of Banda Bahadur and Khalsa". Archived from the original on 2014-06-18. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
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