The Rise and Fall of Banda Singh Bahadur: An Analysis of His Support Base and Political Mobilization

During his prolonged struggle against the oppressive Mughals, Hindu and Muslim nobility abandoned Banda Singh Bahadur. Banda Bahadur was one of the most notable people in the history of mediaeval India. From the very beginning, he campaigned against the Mughal empire and the intermediary zamindars. Banda Singh Bahadur and his base of support belonged to several social groupings. His army consisted of Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim fighters. Particularly sympathetic to his cause were peasants, who joined the Khalsa. The analysis of news reports of that time confirms that zamindars outside of Punjab did not collaborate with Banda, despite their own conflicts with the Mughal authorities in their own provinces. Banda Bahadur primarily led the uprising of the Bari doob Jat zamindars. In the sixth decade of the seventeenth century, the Jats displaced the Khatris as leaders of the Sikh religion. As a consequence of economic distress and harsh policies by local officials, the Jats allied with Banda to overthrow the Mughal authority. Jahandar Shah and Farrukh Siyar appointed a number of Khatris, including Suba Chand, Rattan Chand, Mohakam Singh, Bakht Mal, and others, to significant positions in the imperial services. Several other groups also help Banda in his cause like Banjaras (a class of grain merchants), even though they were besieged in a fort, the Banjaras sought to keep Banda Bahadur's troops supplied with food. Several Hindu Faquirs, Yogis, Sanyasis, and Bairagis supported Banda's cause vigorously.