Sikh Misl ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਰਾਜ Khālsā Rāj
1707–1849
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem Deg o Tegh o Fateh
Capital	Amritsar (1707-1799) Lahore & Amritsar (1802-1849)
Language(s)	Administrative official: Punjabi
Government	Federal monarchy
Jathedar Maharaja
- 1733-1735	Nawab Kapur Singh
- 1762-1783	Sultan ul Quam Baba Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
- 1801-1839	Ranjit Singh Ji
- June 1839-October 1839	Kharak Singh
- October 1839-November 1840	Nau Nihal Singh
- January 1841-September 1843	Sher Singh
- September 1843–March 1849	Dalip Singh
History
- Death of General Baba Banda Singh Bahadur	1707
- Second Anglo-Sikh War	1849
Currency	Nanakshahi

Misl (Punjabi: ਮਿਸਲ from the Persian word "misl" meaning "similar" or "alike")^{[note 1]} generally refers to the twelve sovereign states in the Sikh Confederacy. The states formed a commonwealth that was described by Antoine Polier as an "aristocratic republic".^[3] Although the misls were unequal in strength, and each misl attempted to expand its territory and resources at the expense of others, they acted in unison in relation to other states.^[4] The misls held biannual meetings of their legislature, the Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar.^[4]

History[link]

In order to withstand the persecution of Shah Jahan and other Mughal rulers, several of the later Sikh Gurus established military forces and fought the Mughal Empire and Hindu hill chiefs^[5] in the early and middle Mughal-Sikh Wars. Banda Singh Bahadur continued Sikh resistance to the Mughal Empire until his defeat at the Battle of Gurdas Nagal. For several years Sikhs found refuge in the jungles and the Himalayan foothills until they organized themselves into military bands known as jathas.

List of Misls[link]

Military[link]

Each Misl was made up of members of soldiers, whose loyalty was given to the Misl's leader. A Misl could be composed of a few hundred to tens of thousands soldiers. Every soldier was free to join any Misl he chose and free to cancel his membership of the Misl to whom he belonged. He could, if he wanted, cancel his membership of his old Misl and join another. The Barons would allow their armies to combine or coordinate their defences together against a hostile force if ordered by the Misldar Supreme Commander. These orders were only issued in military matters affecting the whole Sikh community. These orders would normally be related to defense against external threats, such as Afghan military attacks. The profits of a fighting action were divided by the misls to individuals based on the service rendered after the conflict using the sardari system.

The Sikh Confederacy is a description of the political structure, of how all the Barons' Kingdoms interacted with each other politically together in Punjab. Although misls varied in strength, the use of primarily light cavalry with a smaller amount heavy cavalry was uniform throughout all of the Sikh misls. Cavalrymen in a misl were required to supply their own horses and equipment.^[9] A standard cavalryman was armed with a spear, matchlock, and scimitar.^[10] How the armies of the Sikh misls received payment varied with the leadership of each misl. The most prevalent system of payment was the 'Fasalandari' system; soldiers would receive payment every six months at the end of a harvest.^[11]

Cavalry tactics[link]

Fauja Singh considers the Sikh misls to be guerrilla armies, although he notes that the Sikh misls generally had greater numbers and a larger number of artillery pieces than a guerrilla army would.^[9] The misls were primarily cavalry based armies and employed less artillery than Mughal or Maratha armies. The misls adapted their tactics to their strength in cavalry and weakness in artillery and avoided pitched battles. Misls organized their armies around bodies of horsemen and their units fought battles in a series of skirmishes, a tactic which gave them an advantage over fighting pitched battles. Bodies of cavalry would attack a position, retreat, reload their muskets, and return to attack it again. The tactics used by misl field armies include flanking an enemy, obstructing river passages, cutting off a unit from its supplies, intercepting messengers, attacking isolated units like foraging parties, employing hit-and-run tactics, overrunning camps, and attacking baggage trains. To fight large armies the misl would completely evacuate the areas in front of the enemy's marching route but follow in the rear of the opposition and reconquer areas the enemy had just captured, threaten agents of the enemy with retribution, and sweep over the countryside in the wake of the enemy's withdrawal.

The Running Skirmish was a tactic unique to the Sikh cavalrymen which was notable for its effectiveness and the high degree of skill required to execute it. George Thomas and George Forster, contemporary writers who witnessed it described its use separately in their accounts of the military of the Sikhs. George Forster noted:

A party from forty to fifty, advance in a quick pace to a distance of carbine shot from the enemy and then, that the fire may be given with the greatest certainty, the horses are drawn up and their pieces discharged, when speedily, retiring about a 100 paces, they load and repeat the same mode of annoying the enemy. Their horses have been so expertly trained to a performance of this operation that on receiving a stroke of hand, they stop from a full career.

Administration[link]

The Sikh Misls had four different classes of administrative divisions. The patadari, misaldari, tabadari, and jagirdari were the different systems of land tenure used by the misls, and land granted by the misl left the responsibility of establishing law and order to the owner of the land. The land under the direct administration of the chief of the misl was known as the sardari and the tabadari and jagirdari systems used land directly given by the chief from the sardari. The patadari and misaldari systems formed the basis of a misl, while tabadari and jagirdari lands would only be created after large acquisitions of land. The type of system that was used in an area depended on the importance of the chief sardar of the area to the rest of the misl.

The Patadari system affected newly annexed territories and was the original method used by the misls in administrating land.^[12] The patadari system relied on the cooperation of surkundas, the rank of a leader of a small party of cavalrymen. The chief of the misl would take his/her portion and divide the other parcels among his Sardars proportional to the number of cavalrymen they had contributed to the misl.^[13] The Sardars would then divide their parcels among their Surkundas, and then the Surkundas subdivided the land they received among their individual cavalrymen. The Surkundas receiving parcels of land with settlements were required to fortify them^{[note 3]} and establish fines and laws for their zamindars and ryots.^[14] Parcels of land in the patadari system could not be sold, but could be given to relatives in an inheritance.^[15] The soldiers who received parcels from the Patadari system held their land in complete freedom.^[4]

The Misaldari system applied to sardars with a small number of cavalrymen as well as independent bodies of cavalrymen who voluntarily attached themselves to a misl.^[15] They kept the lands they held before joining the misl as an allotment for their cooperation with the misl. The leaders of these groups, called misaldars, could transfer their allegiance and land to another misl without punishment.^[15]

The Tabadari system referred to land under the control of a misl's tabadars. Tabadars served a similar function to retainers in Europe. They were required to serve as cavalrymen to the misl and were subservient to the misl's leader. Although tabadars received their land as a reward, their ownership was subject entirely on the misl's leader.^[16] The tabadari grants were only hereditary on the choice of the chief of the misl.

The Jagirdari system used the grant of jagirs by the chief of the misl. Jagirs were given by the chief of the misl to relations, dependents, and people who "deserved well".^[16] The owners of jagirs were subservient to the chief of the misl as their ownership was subject his/her needs. Like the Tabadars, jagirdars were subject to personal service when the chief of the misl requested.^[16] However, because jagirs entailed more land and profit, they were required to use the money generated by their jagirs to equip and mount a quota of cavalrymen depending on the size of their jagir.^[16] Jagirdari grants were hereditary in practice but a misl's chief could revoke the rights of the heir. Upon the death of the owner of a tabadari or jagadari grant, the land would revert back to direct control of the chief (sardari).

Territory[link]

A map of the Punjab region showing the different doabs

The two main divisions in territory between the misls were between those who were in the Malwa region and those who were in the Majha region. While eleven of the misls were north of the Sutlej river, one, the Phulkian Misl was south of the Sutlej.^[17] The Sikhs north of the Sutlej river were known as the Majha Sikh while the Sikhs that lived south of the Sutlej river were known as the Malwa Sikhs.^[8] In the smaller territories were the Dhanigeb Singhs in the Sind Sagar Doab, the Gujrat Singhs in the Jech Doab,the Dharpi Singhs in the Rechna Doab, and the Doaba Singhs in the Jalandhar Doab.^[8]

Sikh women in State Affairs[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

• Mai Fateh Kaur (d.1773) of Patiala Sikh dynasty
• Mai Desan Kaur (d.1778) of Sukerchakia Sikh Misl
• Bibi Rajinder Kaur (1739–1791) of Patiala Sikh dynasty
• Mai Sukkhan Kaur (r.1802) of Bhangi Sikh Misl
• Mai Lachhmi Kaur of Bhangi Sikh Misl
• Rani Sada Kaur (1762–1832) of Kanhaiya Sikh Misl
• Bibi Rattan Kaur of Dallewalia Sikh Misl
• Bibi Sahib Kaur (1771–1801) of Patiala Sikh dynasty
• Rani Raj Kaur (d.1838) of Sikh Empire
• Rani Aus Kaur (1772–1821) of Patiala Sikh dynasty
• Maharani Jind Kaur (1817–1863) of Sikh Empire
• Bibi Daya Kaur (d.1823) of Nishanwalia Sikh Misl
• Rani Desa Kaur Nabha of Nabha Sikh dynasty
• Bibi Khem Kaur of Sikh Empire
• Maharani Chand Kaur (1802–1842) of Sikh Empire

Notes[link]

See also[link]

• Sikh Empire
• Ranjit Singh
• History of Punjab

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Narang, K. S.; Gupta, H. R. (1969). History of Punjab: 1500 - 1558. http://books.google.com/books?id=q6oGRgAACAAJ. Retrieved 15 July 2010. 
• M'Gregor, William Lewis (1846). The history of the Sikhs: containing the lives of the Gooroos; the history of the independent Sirdars, or Missuls, and the life of the great founder of the Sikh monarchy, Maharajah Runjeet Singh. J. Madden. http://books.google.com/books?id=ymgOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA216. Retrieved 2 July 2010. 
• Singh, Fauja (1964). Military system of the Sikhs: during the period 1799-1849. Motilal Banarsidass. http://books.google.com/books?id=iLk9AAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 1 July 2010. 
• Prinsep, Henry Thoby (1834). Origin of the Sikh power in the Punjab, and political life of Muha-Raja Runjeet Singh: with an account of the present condition, religion, laws and customs of the Sikhs. G.H. Huttmann. http://books.google.com/books?id=-UkBAAAAQAAJ. Retrieved 8 June 2010. 
• Cave-Browne, John (1861). The Punjab and Delhi in 1857: being a narrative of the measures by which the Punjab was saved and Delhi recovered during the Indian Mutiny. William Blackwood and Sons. http://books.google.com/books?id=n4xFAAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 10 June 2010. 
• Brief History of the Sikh Misls. Jalandhar: Sikh Missionary College. http://www.apnaorg.com/books/sikh-misls/book-1.php?fldr=book. 
• Suri, Sohan Lal (1961). Umdat-ut-Tawarikh, DAFTAR III, PARTS (I—V) 1831—1839 A.D.. Delhi: S. Chand & Co. 
• Kakshi, S.R.; Rashmi Pathak, S.R.Bakshi R. Pathak (2007). Punjab Through the Ages. Sarup and Son. ISBN 978-81-7625-738-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=K_FRF3a5y2EC&lpg=PA158&dq=nawab%20kapur%20singh&pg=PA163#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
• Oberoi, Harjot (1994). The Construction of religious boundaries: culture, identity, and diversity in the Sikh tradition. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-61593-6. http://books.google.com/books?id=dKl84EYFkTsC&pg=PA73. Retrieved 14 June 2010. 

• Ahmad Shah Batalia, Appendix to Sohan Lal Suri’s Umdat-ut-Tawarikh. Daftar I, Lahore, 1X85, p. 15; Bute Shahs Tawarikh-i-Punjab, Daftar IV, (1848), (MS., Ganda Singh’s personal collection. Patiala), p. 6; Kanaihya Lal, Tarikh-i-Punjab, Lahore, 1877, p. 88; Ali-ud-Din Mufti, Ibratnama, Vol. I, (1854), Lahore, 1961, p. 244. Muhammad Latif, History of the Punjab (1891), Delhi, 1964, p. 296.
• Ian Heath, The Sikh Army, 1799-1849 (Men-at-arms), Osprey (2005) ISBN 1-84176-777-8
• Harbans Singh, The Heritage of the Sikhs, second rev. ed., Manohar (1994) ISBN 81-7304-064-8
• Hari Ram Gupta, History of the Sikhs: Sikh Domination of the Mughal Empire, 1764–1803, second ed., Munshiram Manoharlal (2000) ISBN 81-215-0213-6
• Hari Ram Gupta, History of the Sikhs: The Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of the Misls, rev. ed., Munshiram Manoharlal (2001) ISBN 81-215-0165-2
• Gian Singh, Tawarikh Guru Khalsa, (ed. 1970), p. 261.

External links[link]

• TheSikhkMisl.com

Baba Deep Singh (Punjabi: ਬਾਬਾ ਦੀਪਸਿੰਘ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ Hindi: बाबा दीप सिंह जी शहीद ) (1682–1757) is revered among Sikhs as one of the most hallowed martyrs in Sikhism and as a highly religious person. He is remembered for his sacrifice and devotion to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus.

He was the first jathedar(Head) of Damdami Taksal^[1] a 300 years old religious school of the Sikhs^[2] which was allegedly founded by last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh^[1][3][4][5](although no research or historical document supports this was founded by Guru Gobind Singh ^[6]).

His name is also found as Deep Singh (without the "Baba" honorific) and Baba Deep Singh Ji.

Early life[link]

Baba Deep Singh was born in 1682 to a Sikh couple, Bhagata(father) and Jioni(mother).^[7] He lived in the village of Pohuwind in the district of Amritsar.^[8]

He went to Anandpur on the day of Vaisakhi in 1699, where he was baptized as Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh. Deep Singh took Khande di Pahul or Amrit Sanchar (ceremonial initiation into Khalsa). As a youth, he spent considerable time in close companionship of Guru Gobind Singh. He started learning weaponry, riding and other martial skills. From Bhai Mani Singh, he began learning, reading and writing Gurmukhi and the interpretation of the Gurus' words. After spending two years at Anandpur, he returned to his village in 1702 and married and settled down. He was summoned by Guru Gobind Singh at Talwandi Sabo in 1705, where he helped Bhai Mani Singh in making copies of the Guru Granth Sahib. Before departing for Deccan, Guru Gobind Singh installed him as the caretaker of Gurdwara Damdama Sahib^{[citation needed]}.

Warrior[link]

Misldar[link]

In 1709, Baba Deep Singh joined Banda Bahadur during the assaults on the towns of Sadhaura and Sirhind. In 1733, Nawab Kapur Singh appointed him a leader of an armed squad(jatha). On the Vaisakhi of 1748, at the meeting of the Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar, the 65 jathas of the Dal Khalsa were reorganized into twelve Misls. Baba Deep Singh was entrusted with the Leadership of the Shaheedan Misl.

The Demolition of the Harimandir Sahib[link]

In April 1757, Ahmad Shah Durrani raided Northern India for the fourth time. While he was on his way back to Kabul from Delhi with precious booty and young men and women as captives, the Sikhs made a plan to relieve him of the valuables and free the captives. The squad of baba Deep Singh was deployed near Kurukshetra. His squad freed a large number of prisoners and raided Durrani's considerable treasury. On his arrival in Lahore, Durrani, embittered by his loss, ordered the demolition of the Harimandir Sahib. The shrine was blown up and the sacred pool filled with the entrails of slaughtered cows. Durrani assigned the Punjab region to his son, Prince Timur Shah, and left him a force of ten thousand men under General Jahan Khan.

Baba Deep Singh, aged 75-years old, felt that it was up to him to atone for the sin of having let the Afghans desecrate the shrine. He emerged from scholastic retirement (he had been making copies of the Guru Granth Sahib), and declared to a congregation at Damdama Sahib that he intended to rebuild the temple. Five hundred men came forward to go with him. Deep Singh offered prayers before starting for Amritsar: "May my head fall at the Darbar Sahib." As he went from hamlet to hamlet, many villagers joined him. By the time baba Deep Singh reached Tarn Taran Sahib, ten miles from Amritsar, over five thousand peasants armed with hatchets, swords, and spears accompanied him.

Martyrdom - Two Versions[link]

According to the Sikh legend, Baba Deep Singh had vowed to avenge the desecration of the Golden Temple by the Afghan army. In 1757, he led an army to defend the Golden Temple. The Sikhs and the Afghans clashed, in the battle of Amritsar, at the village of Gohalwar on November 11, 1757,^[9] and in the ensuing conflict Baba Deep Singh was decapitated.^[10]

Version One[link]

The first version has it that Deep Singh continued to fight after having been decapitated, slaying his enemies with his head in one hand and his sword in the other.^[10] In this version, only upon reaching the sacred city of Amritsar did he stop and finally die.^[11] This tale recalls the words of the first Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji:

Shouldst thou wish to play the game of love,
come unto my Path with thy head on thy palm.
And, once you step unto this path,
You may well give up thy head, rather than the cause.^[12]

Version Two[link]

In the other version it is said "Fighting bravely Singhs pushed the army back and reached village Chabba where General Attal Khan came forward and inflicted a blow on Baba Deep Singh ji which made his neck lean to one side. A Sikh reminded him, "You had resolved to reach the periphery of the pool." On hearing the talk of the Sikh, he supported his head with his left hand and removing the enemies from his way with the strokes of his double-edged sword with his right hand, reached the periphery of Harmindar Sahib where he breathed his last. The Singhs celebrated the Bandhi-Sor Divas of 1757 A.D. in Harminder Sahib".^[13]

The Sikhs recovered their prestige by defeating the Afghan army and the latter were forced to flee.^[14]

The spot where the legend Baba Deep Singh's head fell is marked in the Golden Temple complex, and Sikhs from around the world pay their respects there. Baba Deep Singh's 30 kg^{[citation needed]}Khanda (double-edged sword), which he used in his final battle, is still preserved at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, one of the five centers of temporal Sikh authority.

See also[link]

• Nawab Kapur Singh
• Misl

References[link]

External links[link]

• Baba Deep Singh
• Shaheed Baba Deep Singh