SSC
After the death of Guru Gobind Singh, the Sikhs revolted against the Mughals under the leadership of:
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Answer: Option B — Banda Singh Bahadur
Detailed Solution
Banda Singh Bahadur (1670-1716), originally named Lachhman Dev, was born in Rajouri (in present-day Jammu and Kashmir). In his youth, he became an ascetic called Madho Das and lived at Nanded on the banks of the Godavari. In 1708, he met Guru Gobind Singh at Nanded, became his disciple and was given the name "Banda Singh" (the slave of the Guru). The Guru sent him to Punjab to fight against Mughal oppression and to punish those responsible for the deaths of his sons.
Banda Singh Bahadur gathered a large army of Sikh peasants and led a powerful revolt against the Mughals:
In 1710, he defeated and killed Wazir Khan, the Mughal governor (faujdar) of Sirhind, who had ordered the execution of the Guru's two youngest sons, at the Battle of Chappar Chiri, and captured Sirhind.
He established the first Sikh state, with its capital at Lohgarh (Mukhlisgarh), in the foothills of the Shivaliks, near present-day Yamunanagar in Haryana.
He issued coins and seals in the name of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh.
He abolished the zamindari system in the areas he controlled and gave land rights to the peasants who tilled the land, which made him very popular.
The Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar sent large forces against him. In 1715, after a long siege at Gurdas Nangal (near Gurdaspur), Banda Singh Bahadur and his followers were captured after their food ran out. They were taken to Delhi, and in June 1716, Banda Singh was tortured and executed, along with many of his companions.
After his death, the Sikhs organised themselves into bands called "jathas" and later into 12 "misls" (confederacies). In the late 18th century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) of the Sukerchakia misl united the misls and established a powerful Sikh kingdom, with Lahore as its capital (1799).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Maharaja Ranjit Singh founded the Sikh empire much later, in 1799-1801.
- ✗Jassa Singh Ahluwalia led the Dal Khalsa in the 18th century.
- ✗Guru Har Rai was the seventh Sikh Guru.
Quick tip
Remember: Banda Singh Bahadur = disciple of Guru Gobind Singh, defeated Wazir Khan at Sirhind (1710), capital Lohgarh, abolished zamindari, executed in Delhi (1716); Ranjit Singh = Lahore (1799).
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Sikh Gurus & Maratha Empire — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Sikh Gurus & Maratha Empire, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the ten Sikh Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh, and their contributions, the rise of the Sikh state under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the Maratha Empire from Shivaji to the Peshwas, including Maratha administration and the Anglo-Maratha wars. Questions often ask which Guru compiled the Adi Granth (Guru Arjan Dev), founded the Khalsa (Guru Gobind Singh, 1699) or introduced the Gurmukhi script (Guru Angad Dev). On the Marathas, expect questions on Shivaji's Ashtapradhan council, his coronation at Raigad in 1674, the Peshwas, and the Third Battle of Panipat (1761). Practise the Sikh Gurus and Maratha Empire questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.