Sikh Confederacy Sikh Misalā
1748–1799
Seal of the Khalsa (1759)
Motto: ਅਕਾਲ ਸਹਾਇ Akāl Sahāi "With God's Grace"
Anthem: ਦੇਗ ਤੇਗ ਫ਼ਤਿਹ Dēg Tēg Fateh "Victory to Charity and Arms"
Map of the Sikh Confederacy (1782)
Status	Confederation
Capital	Amritsar
Language	Punjabi
Religion	Sikhism (official) Islam Hinduism
Government	Aristocraticrepublic[1]
Jathedar
• 1748–1753	Nawab Kapur Singh
• 1753–1783	Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
• 1783–1799	Naina Singh
Legislature	Sarbat Khalsa
History
• Passing ofGurmata to establish the Sikh Confederacy	29 March 1748
• Ranjit Singh unites the Sikh Confederacy into the Sikh Empire	7 July 1799
Currency	Nanakshahi
Preceded by Succeeded by Durrani Empire Mughal Empire Sikh Empire Cis-Sutlej states
Today part of	India Pakistan

TheSikh Confederacy was aconfederation of twelvesovereignSikh states (each known as aMisl, derived from the Arabic word مِثْل meaning 'equal'; sometimes spelt asMisal)^[2][3][4][5] which rose during the 18th century in thePunjab region in the northwestern part of theIndian subcontinent.^[6]

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In order to withstand the persecution ofShah Jahan and otherMughal emperors, several of the laterSikh Gurus establishedmilitaryforces and fought theMughal Empire andSimla Hills' Kings^[7] in theearly andmiddle Mughal-Sikh Wars and theHill States–Sikh wars.Banda Singh Bahadur continued Sikh resistance to theMughal Empire until his defeat at theBattle of Gurdas Nangal.

For several years Sikhs found refuge in the forests and theHimalayan foothills until they organized themselves into guerilla bands known asjathas.

The basis of theDal Khalsa army was established in 1733–1735 during the period of Sikh nawabship under the Mughals, based upon the numerous pre-existingJatha militia groups and had two main formations: the Taruna Dal ("youth brigade") and the Budha Dal ("elder brigade").^[8][9] The Sarbat Khalsa had attempted several times to unite the various, scattered jathas of the Sikhs into more defined institutions or bodies to better-able to defend themselves from Mughal and Afghan attacks.^[9]

On the annual meeting of theSarbat Khalsa in Amritsar in 1748 during either Diwali or Baisakhi, aGurmata was passed where the Jathas were reorganized into a new grouping calledmisls, with eleven misls forming out of the various pre-existing Jathas and a unified army known as theDal Khalsa Ji.^{[note 1][8][9]} However, some of these misls or at-least their names were used prior to this event in 1748.^[9] Some argue that instead of there being eleven misls, there were actually twelve, with the inclusion of the Phulkia Misl.^[9] However, strictly-speaking, the Phulkia Misl was not a misl in the true-sense of the word, as it had been excluded from the Sarbat Khalsa decision of 1748 to create the confederacy.^[9] Ultimate command over the Misls was bestowed toJassa Singh Ahluwalia.^[8]

The misls formed a commonwealth that was described by Swiss adventurerAntoine Polier as a natural "aristocratic republic".^[11] Each misl was a confederacy of Sikh horsemen that was headed by a leader known as asardar, who held the position ofmisldar.^[9] Although the misls were unequal in strength, and each misl attempted to expand its territory and access to resources at the expense of others, they acted in unison in relation to other states.^[6] The misls heldbiannual meetings of their legislature, theSarbat Khalsa inAmritsar.^[6]

According to Hans Herrli, the various misls were not organized along the same lines as one another.^[9] Some were akin to large, family clans whilst others resembled brotherhoods (Nishanwalia Misl), or religious-orders (Shaheedan Misl).^[9] The size, prominence, and strength of each misl also varied considerably based on any particular point of time.^[9] Initially, the most powerful misls were the Ahluwalias, Ramgarhias, and Faizulpurias, but later the Bhangis became hegemonic, especially in the Majha region.^[9] Later, the Sukerchakias under Ranjit Singh would finally gain pre-eminance amongst all of its contemporary misls, leading to all of their annexations by the Sukerchakias and the eventual formation of a Sikh Empire in 1799.^[9] However, the Phulkian Sikhs and their kingdoms escaped this fate and continued to beindependent from the Sukerchakias.^[9] In the 19th century, the former misls had lost their political and martial functions, yet their names became caste-markers for certain communities, such as theThokas adopting theRamgarhia name and theKalals adopting the nameAhluwalia.^[9]

After thefall of Sirhind, the territory located south of the Sutlej river between Karnal and Ferozepore was jointly administered by the Shaheedan (and Nihangs), Bhangis, Ahluwalias, Dallewalias, Ramgarhias, and Karosinghias misls.^[9]

Each Misl was made up of members of soldiers, whose loyalty was given to the Misl's leader. A Misl could be composed of a few hundred to tens of thousands of soldiers. Any soldier was free to join whichever Misl he wished, and was free to cancel his membership of the Misl to whom he belonged. He could, if he wanted, cancel his membership of his old Misl and join another. The Barons would allow their armies to combine or coordinate their defences together against a hostile force if ordered by the Misldar Supreme Commander. These orders were only issued in military matters affecting the wholeSikh community. These orders would normally be related to defense against external threats, such as Afghan military attacks. The profits of a fighting action were divided by the misls to individuals based on the service rendered after the conflict using thesardari system.

TheSikh Confederacy is a description of thepolitical structure, of how all the barons' chiefdoms interacted with each otherpolitically together inPunjab. Although misls varied in strength, the use of primarilylight cavalry with a smaller amountheavy cavalry was uniform throughout all of the Sikh misls. Cavalrymen in a misl were required to supply their own horses and equipment.^[36] A standard cavalryman was armed with aspear,matchlock, andscimitar.^[37] How the armies of the Sikh misls received payment varied with the leadership of each misl. The most prevalent system of payment was the 'Fasalandari' system; soldiers would receive payment every six months at the end of aharvest.^[38]

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Fauja Singh considers the Sikh misls to beguerrilla armies, although he notes that the Sikh misls generally had greater numbers and a larger number ofartillery pieces than a guerrilla army would.^[36] The misls were primarily cavalry based armies and employed less artillery thanMughal orMaratha armies. The misls adapted their tactics to their strength in cavalry and weakness in artillery and avoided pitched battles. Misls organized their armies around bodies of horsemen and their units fought battles in a series of skirmishes, a tactic which gave them an advantage over fighting pitched battles. Bodies of cavalry would attack a position, retreat, reload their muskets, and return to attack it again. The tactics used by misl field armies includeflanking an enemy, obstructing river passages, cutting off a unit from its supplies, intercepting messengers, attacking isolated units like foraging parties, employinghit-and-run tactics, overrunning camps, and attackingbaggage trains. To fight large armies the misl would completely evacuate the areas in front of the enemy's marching route but follow in the rear of the opposition and reconquer areas the enemy had just captured, threaten agents of the enemy with retribution, and sweep over the countryside in the wake of the enemy's withdrawal.

TheRunning Skirmish was a tactic unique to the Sikh cavalrymen which was notable for its effectiveness and the high degree of skill required to execute it.George Thomas and George Forster, contemporary writers who witnessed it described its use separately in their accounts of the military of the Sikhs. George Forster noted:

"A party from forty to fifty, advance in a quick pace to a distance of carbine shot from the enemy and then, that the fire may be given with the greatest certainty, the horses are drawn up and their pieces discharged, when speedily, retiring about a 100 paces, they load and repeat the same mode of annoying the enemy. Their horses have been so expertly trained to a performance of this operation that on receiving a stroke of hand, they stop from a full canter."

In 1746, H. T. Prinsep estimated the total strength of the Sikh Confederacy's military (Dal Khalsa Ji) to be 69,500 horsemen (incl. the Phulkians).^[9] Other contemporary estimates are Browne's estimate of 73,000 cavalry and 25,000 infantry orGeorge Thomas' estimate of 60,000 cavalry and 5,000 infantry.^[9]

The remainder was separated into Puttees or parcels for each Surkunda, and these were again subdivided and parcelled out to inferior leaders, according to the number of horse they brought into the field. Each took his portion as a co-sharer, and held it in absolute independence.

— Origin of the Sikh power in the Punjab (1834) p. 33 –Henry Thoby Prinsep

The Sikh Misls had four different classes of administrative divisions. The patadari, misaldari, tabadari, and jagirdari were the different systems ofland tenure used by the misls, and land granted by the misl left the responsibility of establishing law and order to the owner of the land. The land under the direct administration of the chief of the misl was known as thesardari and the tabadari and jagirdari systems used land directly given by the chief from the sardari. The patadari and misaldari systems formed the basis of a misl, while tabadari and jagirdari lands would only be created after large acquisitions of land. The type of system that was used in an area depended on the importance of the chiefsardar of the area to the rest of the misl.

ThePatadari system affected newly annexed territories and was the original method used by the misls in administering land.^[39] The patadari system relied on the cooperation of surkundas, the rank of a leader of a small party ofcavalrymen. The chief of the misl would take his/her portion and divide the other parcels among hisSardars proportional to the number ofcavalrymen they had contributed to the misl.^[40] The Sardars would then divide their parcels among their Surkundas, and then the Surkundas subdivided the land they received among their individual cavalrymen. The Surkundas receiving parcels of land with settlements were required to fortify them^{[note 3]} and establish fines and laws for theirzamindars andryots.^[41] Parcels of land in the patadari system could not be sold, but could be given to relatives in aninheritance.^[42] The soldiers who received parcels from the Patadari system held their land in complete freedom.^[6]

TheMisaldari system applied to sardars with a small number of cavalrymen as well as independent bodies of cavalrymen who voluntarily attached themselves to a misl.^[42] They kept the lands they held before joining the misl as an allotment for their cooperation with the misl. The leaders of these groups, called misaldars, could transfer their allegiance and land to another misl without punishment.^[42]

TheTabadari system referred to land under the control of a misl's tabadars. Tabadars served a similar function to retainers in Europe. They were required to serve as cavalrymen to the misl and were subservient to the misl's leader. Although tabadars received their land as a reward, their ownership was subject entirely on the misl's leader.^[43] The tabadari grants were only hereditary on the choice of the chief of the misl.

TheJagirdari system used the grant ofjagirs by the chief of the misl.Jagirs were given by the chief of the misl to relations, dependents, and people who "deserved well".^[43] The owners of jagirs were subservient to the chief of the misl as their ownership was subject to his/her needs. Like the Tabadars, jagirdars were subject to personal service when the chief of the misl requested.^[43] However, because jagirs entailed more land and profit, they were required to use the money generated by their jagirs to equip and mount a quota ofcavalrymen depending on the size of their jagir.^[43] Jagirdari grants were hereditary in practice but a misl's chief could revoke the rights of the heir. Upon the death of the owner of a tabadari or jagadari grant, the land would revert to direct control of the chief (sardari).

TheRakhi system was the payment-for-protection tributary protectorate scheme practiced by theDal Khalsa of the Sikh Confederacy in the 18th century.^[44][45] It was a large source of income to the Sikh Misls.^[44][46]

A map of thePunjab region showing general areas of the Misls

Political map created in 1923 of the Indian subcontinent during the years of 1700–1792

Approximate political map of Punjab from 1764–1803 byJoseph Davey Cunningham

The two main divisions in territory between the misls were between those who were in theMalwa region and those who were in theMajha region. While eleven of the misls were north of theSutlej river, one, thePhulkian Misl was south of the Sutlej.^[47] The Sikhs north of the Sutlej river were known as theMajha Sikhs while the Sikhs that lived south of theSutlej river were known as theMalwa Sikhs.^[26] In the smaller territories were the Dhanigeb Singhs in theSind Sagar Doab, the Gujrat Singhs in theJech Doab, the Dharpi Singhs in theRechna Doab, and the Doaba Singhs in theJalandhar Doab.^[26]

The various constituent misls did not have clearly-defined territories from one another yet some areas had higher concentrations of Sikhs allying themselves with a particular misl.^[9] The particular tract of territory that each misl dominated are as follows:^[9]

• Bhangi Misl: most of western Punjab between Multan and the Hill States, including the settlements of Lahore, Amritsar, Gujrat, and Sialkot^[9]
• Sukerchakias: south of the Bhangis, dominating the tract of land between the Chenab and Ravi rivers, including the settlements of Gujranwala and Wazirabad^[9]
• Nakai Misl: along the Ravi river, between Multan and Kasur, including the settlements of Sharqpur, Chuniau, Gugera, Dipalpur, Satgarha, and Kot Kamalia^[9]
• Kanhaiya Misl: between Amritsar and the Punjab Hills, with Taragarh, Mirthal, Fathepur, and a small territory near Mukerian with Sohian and Hajipur^[9]
• Dallewalia Misl: regions on the right-bank of the upper Sutlej river^[9]
• Ahluwalia Misl: areas on the left-bank of the Sutlej river^[9]
• Ramgarhia Misl: towards the hills between the Ahluwalia and Dallewalia^[9]
• Karorsinghia Misl: small territories held eastward from the Sutlej river and also Chhachhrauli (which later formed intoKalsia State)^[9]
• Faizulpuria Misl: along the right-bank of the Beas river and on both banks of the Sutlej, controlling settlements such as Ludhiana, Jalandar, Nurpur, and northwestern Ambala^[9]
• Nishanwalia Misl: Shahabad, ArnIo, and most of Ambala^[9]
• Shaheedan Misl (and Nihangs): jointly controlled parts of the Punjab Plains southward of the Sutlej river, between Karnal and Ferozepore, alongside other misls^[9]
• Phulkian Misl: controlled territory between Sirhind and Delhi, forming the Sikh kingdoms of Patiala, Nabha, Jind, and Kaithal^[9]

Conflict (Period)	Belligerents	Opponents	Outcome
Siege of Amritsar (1748)	Sikh Confederacy	Mughal Empire	Sikh victory
Siege of Ram Rauni (1748–1749)	Sikh Confederacy	Mughal Empire	Sikh victory
Battle of Multan (1749)	Kaura Mal Sikh Confederacy	Shah Nawaz Khan	Kaura Mal and Sikh victory
Battle of Nadaun (1752)	Sikh Confederacy	Mughal Empire	Sikh victory
Battle of Anandpur (1753)	Sikh Confederacy	Mughal Empire	Sikh victory
Battle of Amritsar (1757)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Durrani victory
Battle of Mahilpur (1757)	Sikh Confederacy Adina Beg	Durrani Empire	Sikh Victory
Siege of Sirhind (1758)	Sikh Confederacy Adina Beg Khan Maratha Empire	Durrani Empire	Alliance Victory
Siege of Lahore (1761)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Sikh Victory
Battle of Sialkot (1761)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Sikh Victory
Battle of Gujranwala (1761)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Sikh Victory
Battle of Kup (1762)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Durrani Victory
Battle of Harnaulgarh (1762)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Sikh Victory
Battle of Sialkot (1763)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Sikh Victory
Battle of Kasur (1763)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Sikh Victory
Battle of Malerkotla (1763)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire Malerkotla State	Sikh Victory
Battle of Morinda (1764)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire Ranghar	Sikh Victory
Battle of Sirhind (1764)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Sikh Victory
Battle of Delhi (1764)	Bharatpur State Sikh Confederacy	Mughal Empire	Bharatpur and Sikh victory
Battle of Qarawal (1764)	Durrani Empire Khanate of Kalat	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Victory
Siege of Darbar Sahib (1764)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Durrani Victory
Battle of Sutlej (1765)	Durrani Empire Khanate of Kalat	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Victory
Battle of Amritsar (1767)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Sikh Victory
Battle of Meerut (1767)	Durrani Empire Mughal Empire	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Victory
Battle of Chunar (1770)	Sikh Confederacy	Bharatpur State  Maratha Confederacy	Sikh-victory
Sack of Panipat (1770	Sikh Confederacy	Kingdom of Rohilkhand Mughal Empire	Indecisive
Siege of Kunjpura (1772)	Sikh Confederacy	Mughal Empire Durrani Empire Maratha Empire	Sikh victory
Siege of Patiala (1779)	Sikh Confederacy	Mughal Empire	Sikh victory
Battle of Rohtas (1779)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Durrani Victory Afghans reconquerRohtas Fort
Battle of Shujabad (1780)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Durrani Victory
Siege of Multan (1780)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Durrani Victory Afghans reconquerMultan
Battle of Delhi (1783)	Sikh Confederacy	Mughal Empire	Sikh victory
Battle of Gujrat (1797)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Sikh Victory
Battle of Amritsar (1798)	Sikh Confederacy	Durrani Empire	Sikh Victory

• Dal Khalsa, the military forces of the Sikh Confederacy
• History of Punjab
• Jat Mahasabha
• Khap

• Nalwa, Vanit (2009),Hari Singh Nalwa – Champion of the Khalsaji, New Delhi: Manohar,ISBN 978-81-7304-785-5
• Narang, K. S.; Gupta, H. R. (1969).History of Punjab: 1500–1558. Retrieved15 July 2010.
• M'Gregor, William Lewis (1846).The history of the Sikhs: containing the lives of the Gooroos; the history of the independent Sirdars, or Missuls, and the life of the great founder of the Sikh monarchy, Maharajah Runjeet Singh. J. Madden. p. 216. Retrieved2 July 2010.
• Singh, Fauja (1964).Military system of the Sikhs: during the period 1799–1849. Motilal Banarsidass. Retrieved1 July 2010.
• Prinsep, Henry Thoby (1834).Origin of the Sikh power in the Punjab, and political life of Muha-Raja Runjeet Singh: with an account of the present condition, religion, laws and customs of the Sikhs. G.H. Huttmann. Retrieved8 June 2010.
• Cave-Browne, John (1861).The Punjab and Delhi in 1857: being a narrative of the measures by which the Punjab was saved and Delhi recovered during the Indian Mutiny. William Blackwood and Sons. Retrieved10 June 2010.
• Brief History of the Sikh Misls. Jalandhar: Sikh Missionary College.
• Suri, Sohan Lal (1961).Umdat-ut-Tawarikh, DAFTAR III, PARTS (I—V) 1831–1839 A.D. Delhi: S. Chand & Co.
• Kakshi, S.R.; Pathak, Rashmi; Bakshi, S.R.; Pathak, R. (2007).Punjab Through the Ages. Sarup and Son.ISBN 978-81-7625-738-1.
• Oberoi, Harjot (1994).The Construction of religious boundaries: culture, identity, and diversity in the Sikh tradition. University of Chicago Press.ISBN 978-0-226-61593-6. Retrieved14 June 2010.
• Ahmad Shah Batalia, Appendix to Sohan Lal Suri's Umdat-ut-Tawarikh. Daftar I, Lahore, 1X85, p. 15; Bute Shahs Tawarikh-i-Punjab, Daftar IV, (1848), (MS., Ganda Singh's personal collection. Patiala), p. 6; Kanaihya Lal, Tarikh-i-Punjab, Lahore, 1877, p. 88; Ali-ud-Din Mufti, Ibratnama, Vol. I, (1854), Lahore, 1961, p. 244. Muhammad Latif, History of the Punjab (1891), Delhi, 1964, p. 296.
• Ian Heath,The Sikh Army, 1799–1849 (Men-at-arms), Osprey (2005)ISBN 1-84176-777-8
• Harbans Singh,The Heritage of the Sikhs, second rev. ed., Manohar (1994)ISBN 81-7304-064-8
• Hari Ram Gupta,History of the Sikhs: Sikh Domination of the Mughal Empire, 1764–1803, second ed., Munshiram Manoharlal (2000)ISBN 81-215-0213-6
• Hari Ram Gupta,History of the Sikhs: The Sikh Commonwealth or Rise and Fall of the Misls, rev. ed., Munshiram Manoharlal (2001)ISBN 81-215-0165-2
• Gian Singh, Tawarikh Guru Khalsa, (ed. 1970), p. 261.

• Misls
• Former countries in Indian history
• Former confederations

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