Battle of Sirhind | |||||||||
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Part of Indian Campaign of Ahmad Shah Durrani | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Strength | |||||||||
23,000 According to Surjit Singh Gandhi[6] 40,000 According to Joseph Davey Cunningham[7] 50,000 According to Giani Gian Singh[8] | Unknown believed to be smaller[9] | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
Unknown |
10,000 horsemen killed.[10] |
The Battle of Sirhind was fought between Durrani Empire and Sikh Misls on 14 January 1764.[11][12]
Ahmad Shah Durrani returned to Afghanistan after appointing Zain Khan Sirhindi as the governor of Sirhind. Zain Khan Sirhindi, the Durrani governor was attacked by well equipped force of 40,000 Sikhs. In the battle, the Sikhs killed Zain Khan Sirhindi and many other leading officers of the Durrani army. The Sikhs then established their rule between river Satluj to Yamuna.[5] The Sikhs captured Sirhind and later handed over the land to Maharaja Ala Singh of Patiala State.[13][14] The city's inhabitants faced particularly harsh treatment from the Sikh armies who razed much of the city and made a deliberate policy of destroying the city's buildings and mosques.[15][16][17]