Banda Singh Bahadur appeared in Sikh history for a relatively short period (1708-1716) but, after the Sikh gurus, influenced it more significantly than any other individual. Banda Singh Bahadur is among the most colourful and fascinating characters in Sikh history. From an ascetic he was transformed into Guru Gobind Singh’s most trusted disciple. So much so that when the seriously injured guru could not lead his Sikh army against the Mughal forces, he appointed Banda Singh Bahadur as his deputy. As proof of this appointment he gave Banda his sword, a mighty bow, arrows from his own quiver, his battle standard and his war drum. Banda rode out from Nanded (where Guru Gobind Singh passed away; now in Maharashtra) at the head of a small band of Sikhs, which, by the time it reached the Punjab, had grown into a formidable army. Over the next few years his exploits against the Mughal rulers, both in pitched battles and in skirmishes, became the stuff of legends. He became the first of many legendary Sikh generals, famous both for their personal heroic courage and their skill in warfare. His many encounters with the Mughal rulers eroded the very foundation of the Mughal empire and ensured its quick demise. As he said when questioned on what he had achieved: ‘I have ensured that never again will the crown sit easily on the Mughal emperor’s head.’ He also prepared the coming generations of Sikhs for future conflicts, which later greatly helped Maharaja Ranjit Singh in creating a Sikh empire. Banda was a true leader who led from the front, not only in the battlefield but also in civil administration. He established a secular government which swept aside 700 years of slavery and the myth of domination by foreign powers, proclaimed freedom of worship, allowed the people to follow professions of their choice and stopped forcible marriages even while recovering abducted women for return to their families. His land revolution abolished zamindari in parts of North India, thereby redistributing land equally amongst the tillers. This book seeks to tell the story of this remarkable and brave man and his equally remarkable ahievements. Perhaps, the finest of Banda Singh Bahadur’s biographies.

Banda Bahadur remains one of the most enigmatic and hence fascinating characters in Sikh history. On the one hand, there is a perception based on contemporary Muslim writers which makes him out to be a bloodthirsty savage. On the other hand is the perception based on grandmothers' tales which idolizes him as a saint. One is left wondering as to who the real Banda Bahadur was. This book seeks to bring him alive as a flesh and blood character.

Inspired by Guru Gobind Singh, Banda Bahadur led the Sikh rebellion against the Mughal Empire. For eight years, he ravaged the whole of North India. The havoc he created in the Indo-Gangetic plain was of such magnitude that the Mughals could never restore their administration. Invasions by the Persian tyrant, Nadir Shah and the Afghan, Ahmed Shah Abdali hastened the decline of the once mighty empire. This helped the Sikhs to emerge as the rulers of Punjab. Banda Bahadur thus paved the way for the foundation of the Sikh Kingdom.

"High on the Imamgarh battlements, Jalal-ud-Din, Mughal Commander of Samana Fort, was hauled by Khalsa soldiers to the massive cannon and lashed to its muzzle. His insolent glare dissolved into dread at the order ‘Fire!’ His eyes dilated – white pupils starkly visible for an instant. Then he was blown to smithereens. This was the first assault against the tyranny of foreign invaders in over five centuries. As the cannons blew the condemned criminals to oblivion, their roar thundered in Wazir Khan’s council chamber and reverberated thoughout Muzzam’s Mughal Empire. Several years earlier, Wazir Khan, the Mughal Governor of Sirhind, had snared and then brutally executed Guru Govind Singh’s two young sons, sending a shock-wave of revulsion that ignited a raging inferno in the Punjab. The Guru had commanded Banda Bahadur to liberate the Punjab from the Mughals’ tyrannical yoke. Banda set out from Nanded with only twenty-five soldiers, but as he entered Punjab, thousands thronged to rally the Nishan Sahib. Banda Bahadur hurled these unstrained Punjabi volunteers against Wazir Khan’s powerful army. Among them was Shamsheer, a Sikh peasant-warrior, who too threw himself whole-heartedly into the fierce struggle for freedom; going on to become a celebrated Cavalry Commander of the Khalsa Army. Amidst the strife and turmoil Shamsheer and a young Muslim nobleman from Sirhind fell deeply, helplessly in love. Would he succeed in winning her hand? Would Banda Bahadur’s raw, ill-equipped sparrows be able to hunt down the mighty Mughal hawk? ‘The Hawk Hunters’ tells their story in this fast-paced, action-packed saga of great courage, nobility and supreme sacrifice. Above all, it is a celebration of the triumph of the human spirit over ruthless brutality and personal tragedy. "

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On Sikh gurus, saints, and warriors; for children.

Biography of Bandā Siṅgha, Bahādara, 1670-1716?, Sikh military and religious leader.

Seeks To Study Banda Singh Bahadur`S Role Objectively-His Life And Achievements. An Account Of His Struggle Against The Mughals. Emphazises That Banda Had The Acumen To Plan And The Ability To Excente. Presents His Role In Raising The Mighty Struggle For The Establishment Of A Sikh State In Punjab. Has Eight Chapters And Is Lavishly Illustrated.

‘We are warriors, Painda. The Khalsa does not think of war as entertainment; death is not a joke, killing men is no festival,’ said Gobind. A boy grows up, suddenly, into adulthood when he is brought the severed head of his father. He is born to rule but never acts like a monarch. Invincible as a warrior, he has the soul of a mystic. Poetry fills his heart. Few men before or after him have used a bow as he does, few men mastered their sword like him. Guru Gobind Singh turned villagers into warriors, sent shivers up the spine of the army of Aurangzeb and set the foundation stone of the great Sikh empire. The Sacred Sword is a historical fiction based on his life and legend.