The Dal Khalsa was founded in 1748 A.D. at Amritsar on the day of Baisakhi. It was a united Sikh army organisation created to bring together scattered Sikh groups (called Jathas) into one disciplined force. Before this, Sikhs were divided and weak because of Mughal and Afghan persecution. The Dal Khalsa gave them unity, strength, and confidence, helping them fight bravely against oppression.
Every Sikh who believed in the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji was considered a member. It was expected that members knew horse‑riding and weapon skills, because the Dal Khalsa mainly fought with cavalry and used guerilla tactics. Decisions were taken collectively in the Sarbat Khalsa meetings, and all Sikhs obeyed these decisions (Gurmatas).
Causes of the Rise of Dal Khalsa
Persecution of the Sikhs
After the death of Banda Singh Bahadur in 1716 A.D., the Sikhs lost strong leadership and became scattered. This made them vulnerable to the Mughal governors of Punjab, Abdus Samad Khan and Zakariya Khan, who persecuted them harshly:
- Rewards were announced for killing Sikhs, and many were executed daily at Lahore.
- Sikhs were forced to hide in forests and hills, suffering hunger and hardships.
- The Mughal army chased them constantly, killing them whenever found in small numbers.
- With no stable source of food, Sikhs often had to plunder to survive.
In these desperate conditions, Sikhs realised the need for unity and organisation. They began to form small fighting groups called Jathas, which later became the foundation of the Dal Khalsa.
Organisation of Buddha Dal and Taruna Dal
In 1733 A.D., when Mughal governor Zakariya Khan realised that persecution could not crush Sikh power, he made a compromise with them. This gave the Sikhs a chance to reorganise.
In 1734 A.D., Nawab Kapoor Singh united the scattered Sikh groups (Jathas) into two main divisions:
- Buddha Dal → Included Sikhs above 40 years of age.
- Duty: To look after religious places and spread Sikh teachings.
- Taruna Dal → Included younger Sikhs below 40 years.
- Duty: To defend the community and fight enemies.
- Further divided into five Jathas, each with 1300–2000 men, a flag, and a drum.
- Each Jatha was led by an experienced Jathedar.
Although Kapoor Singh was formally the leader of Buddha Dal, he acted as a common link between both Dals, ensuring unity. This organisation gave Sikhs more strength and allowed them to intensify their resistance against the Mughal government.
Reorganisation of the Dals
After the death of Zakariya Khan in July 1745 A.D., his two sons Yahiya Khan and Shah Nawaz Khan fought for succession. This created lawlessness in Punjab.
Taking advantage of the situation, the Sikhs held a Gurmata (religious resolution) at Amritsar on Diwali, 14 October 1745 A.D.. In this meeting, they decided:
- To form 25 Jathas, each with 100 Sikhs.
- Leaders were chosen based on bravery and ability.
- These Jathas adopted guerilla warfare to fight the government.
- They punished Chaudharis and Muqaddams who supported the Mughals.
- They plundered towns like Batala, Jalandhar, Bajwara, Phagwara.
- Gradually, the number of Jathas increased from 25 to 65, making the Sikhs stronger and more organised.
Organisation of the Dal Khalsa
On 29 March 1748 A.D. (Baisakhi day), the Sikhs gathered at Amritsar. At this meeting, Nawab Kapoor Singh stressed the need for unity and strength of the Sikh Panth. As a result, the Dal Khalsa was formally organised.
- 65 Jathas merged into 12 Jathas for better discipline and coordination.
- Each Jatha had its own leader and flag.
- Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was appointed the Supreme Commander.
- Membership was open to all Sikhs who followed the principles of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
- Every Sikh was expected to be skilled in horse‑riding and weapon use.
- Members could freely join or leave any Jatha.
- In times of war, one of the 12 Sardars was chosen as Chief, and the others obeyed his orders.
Sarbat Khalsa System
- Annual meetings of the Sarbat Khalsa (whole Sikh community) were held at Amritsar on Baisakhi and Diwali.
- In these meetings, important decisions called Gurmatas were passed in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
- All Sikhs obeyed these Gurmatas, which ensured discipline and unity in the Dal Khalsa.
Features of the Military System of Dal Khalsa
Cavalry
The cavalry was the most important part of the Dal Khalsa army. Every Sikh who wanted to join had to be a skilled horse‑rider.
- Fighting without horses was considered a dishonour by the Sikhs.
- In the 18th century, victory in battles was almost impossible without cavalry.
- Sikh horses were well‑trained and could travel 50–100 miles in a single day, making the army swift and mobile.
Thus, cavalry gave the Dal Khalsa its speed, strength, and effectiveness in warfare.
Infantry
In the Dal Khalsa army, the infantry (foot soldiers) was not very important.
- Its main duty was only to keep watch and guard positions.
- The Sikhs did not prefer joining infantry because they valued cavalry (horse‑riders) much more for fighting.
- As a result, infantry played only a minor role in battles.
Arms
The Dal Khalsa army did not have artillery (big cannons or heavy guns). Instead, they relied on traditional weapons:
- Swords, spears, and khanda (double‑edged sword) were commonly used.
- Bows and arrows were also important in battles.
- Guns were used occasionally, but due to shortage of ammunition, they were not very effective.
- Dhals (shields) were widely used for protection.
Thus, the Dal Khalsa fought mainly with simple but effective weapons, showing courage and skill despite limited resources.
Recruitment and Discipline
In the Dal Khalsa, there were no fixed rules for recruitment.
- Every Sikh was free to join any Jatha of his choice.
- He could also leave one Jatha and join another whenever he wanted.
- No written records of names or salaries were kept.
- There was no formal training system for soldiers.
Despite these shortcomings, the Dal Khalsa maintained strong discipline:
- All important decisions were taken through Gurmatas (religious resolutions).
- Obeying these Gurmatas was considered the highest duty of every Sikh.
- Sikhs fought with religious devotion and unity, which kept the army organised.
Salary
The soldiers of the Dal Khalsa did not receive regular pay.
- Instead, they were given a share of the booty (war spoils) after battles.
- Later, they also received a part of the land under Sikh control.
- If a soldier was wounded in battle, he was given compensation.
This system showed that the Dal Khalsa was not a professional paid army, but a community force fighting with devotion and sacrifice.
Mode of Fighting
The most important feature of the Dal Khalsa army was its guerilla warfare tactics.
- Reason for adoption:
- In the Battle of Gurdas Nangal, Banda Singh Bahadur and hundreds of Sikhs were captured and killed. This taught Sikhs that open battles against the Mughal army were dangerous.
- The Sikhs had limited resources compared to powerful Mughal governors like Abdus Samad Khan, Yahiya Khan, and Mir Mannu.
- Method of fighting:
- Sikhs would attack suddenly, inflict heavy losses, and then disappear quickly into forests and hills.
- Their actions were swift and unpredictable, keeping the enemy constantly insecure.
- Result:
- Guerilla warfare proved very effective.
- It allowed Sikhs to challenge both Mughals and Afghans, despite being weaker in numbers and resources.
Significance of the Dal Khalsa
The establishment of the Dal Khalsa in 1748 A.D. was a turning point in Sikh history.
- After the death of Banda Singh Bahadur, the Sikhs had become scattered and weak. Dal Khalsa united their power.
- It taught Sikhs to live with discipline, sacrifice, and devotion to their religion.
- It gave the Sikh community new confidence and courage.
- Under Dal Khalsa’s leadership, Sikhs strongly resisted the Mughals and Afghans.
- As a result, Sikhs were able to establish independent Misls in Punjab.
- All major achievements of the Sikhs in this period are credited to the Dal Khalsa.
