Abstract
This paper traces Sikh defiance of Mughal rule from the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev in 1606 through the rise of the Khalsa under Guru Gobind Singh, Banda Singh Bahadur’s agrarian rebellion, and the eighteenth-century Dal Khalsa confederacies. It examines how spiritual authority morphed into military organization, how frontier warfare tactics capitalized on local terrain, and how strategic alliances with non-Sikh groups weakened Mughal control in the Punjab. By integrating military history with agrarian and subaltern perspectives, the study illustrates the multilayered character of Sikh resistance and its lasting impact on the decline of Mughal sovereignty.
Keywords
Sikh resistance, Mughal Empire, Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh, Banda Singh Bahadur, Dal Khalsa, Martyrdom, Agrarian Revolt, Frontier Warfare, Subaltern Agency
Citations
IRE Journals:
Parth Khare
"From Martyrdom to Sovereignty: The Sikh Struggle against Mughal Authority" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 2 2025 Page 584-585
IEEE:
Parth Khare
"From Martyrdom to Sovereignty: The Sikh Struggle against Mughal Authority" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(2)
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