Battle of Kiratpur
{{Short description|Battle involving Guru Hargobind}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Kiratpur
| partof = Early Mughal-Sikh Wars
| place = Kharkar to Kiratpur Sahib route
| date = 1638
| combatant1 = 30px Akal Sena (Sikhs)
| combatant2 = 30px Mughal Empire
| commander1 = 20pxGuru Hargobind
20pxTegh Bahadur
| commander2 = 20px Ruler of Ropar{{Cite book |last=Dilagīra |first=Harajindara Siṅgha |url=http://archive.org/details/sikhreferenceboo0000dila |title=The Sikh reference book |date=1997 |publisher=Edmonton, Alb., Canada : Sikh Educational Trust for Sikh University Centre, Denmark ; Amritsar : Available from Singh Bros. |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-9695964-2-4 |pages=140}}
| strength1 = 23 (during the siege - later reinforced with larger army)
| strength2 = Unknown (Larger than Sikh army during the siege)
| casualties1 = Unknown
| casualties2 = Unknown, but high
}}
{{Campaignbox Early Mughal-Sikh Wars}}
The Battle of Kiratpur, also known as the Battle of Kiratpur Sahib, took place between the Sikhs, commanded by Guru Hargobind, and the Mughals, commanded by the Ruler and Pathans of Ropar. It was the last skirmish between the Sikhs and the Mughals.{{Cite book |last= |url=http://archive.org/details/HistoryOfTheSikhGurus-AComprehensiveStudy |title=History Of The Sikh Gurus - A Comprehensive Study |pages=319 |language=English}}
Battle
The Mughals, Pathans, Gujjars and other locals at Ropar were jealous of Guru Hargobind's popularity and wanted to avenge an earlier defeat of theirs. The Pathans launched a surprise attack on Guru Hargobind who was only accompanied by 22 Sikhs.{{Cite book |last=www.DiscoverSikhism.com |url=http://archive.org/details/TheEncyclopediaOfSikhism-VolumeIA-d |title=The Encyclopedia Of Sikhism - Volume I A-D |pages=388–389 |language=English}}
Guru Hargobind was forced to take shelter in Brahman Majra where he and the Sikhs held off the Mughal and coalition forces until reinforcements from Kiratpur could arrive.{{Cite book |last=Dilagīra |first=Harajindara Siṅgha |url=http://archive.org/details/sikhreferenceboo0000dila |title=The Sikh reference book |date=1997 |publisher=Edmonton, Alb., Canada : Sikh Educational Trust for Sikh University Centre, Denmark ; Amritsar : Available from Singh Bros. |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-9695964-2-4 |pages=140}}
Legacy
A gurdwara was constructed at the location of the battle by Sant Kartar Singh Bhindranwale in 1975.
References
{{Reflist}}