ALIF KHAN, who is mentioned in Guru Gobind Singh’s Bachitra Natak, was an officer in the Mughal army of Aurangzeb. In 1691, he was dispatched by Mian Khan, the viceroy of Jammu, to Kangra for collecting arrears of tribute from the hill chiefs. Raja Kirpal Chand Katoch of Kangra and Raja Dyal of Bijharval submitted to Alif Khan, but not Raja Bhim Chand of Kahlur. Bhim Chand enlisted the support of several of the chieftains against Alif Khan. He also requested Guru Gobind Singh for help.
The combined force reached Nadaun, on the bank of the River Beas, 32 km southeast of Kangra. Kirpal Chand Katoch and Raja Dyal sided with the Mughal general. The battle in which Guru Gobind Singh himself took part was fought on 20 March 1691. Guru Gobind Singh described the action in his Bachitra Natak in vivid and rousing verse. Alif Khan fled in utter disarray “without being able to fold up his camp.”
References :
1. Bachitra Natak.
2. Kuir Singh, Gurbilas Patshahi 10. Patiala, 1968
3. Gian Singh, Giani, Twarikh Guru Khalsa [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970
4. Macauliffe, Max Arthur, The Sikh Religion, Oxford, 1909
5. Harbans Singh, Guru Gobind Singh. Chandigarh, 1966
The Battle of Nadaun, fought around 1691 near the banks of the Beas River in present-day Himachal Pradesh, stands as a landmark episode in the struggle between the Mughal Empire and the autonomous hill states. Tasked with collecting tributes to help finance Emperor Aurangzeb’s campaigns, the Mughal governor Alif Khan moved to enforce this financial imposition on local rulers. However, when Raja Bhim Chand of Bilaspur—and his coalition of hill chiefs—refused these demands, it galvanized a united front against Mughal authority. Recognizing the broader implications of this resistance, the hill chiefs invited Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, to join their ranks as they sought to safeguard regional autonomy and honor.
Guru Gobind Singh’s involvement in the battle was a pivotal moment in his evolution from a spiritual guide into a warrior-saint. His decision to support Raja Bhim Chand’s alliance was driven by deep-seated convictions against oppressive imperial policies and a commitment to defend local honor. In doing so, he not only provided military acumen and bolstered the morale of the allied forces but also set a precedent for the Sikh community’s active resistance against Mughal domination. Detailed in accounts such as the disputed yet influential Bichitra Natak, his participation at Nadaun underscored the unique blend of spiritual insight and martial resolve that would later be crystallized in the formation of the Khalsa.
The defeat of Alif Khan’s forces at Nadaun was both a tactical and symbolic victory—it demonstrated that regional alliances, when fortified by shared principles and charismatic leadership, could effectively challenge the might of a vast imperial power. This episode not only curtailed Mughal ambitions in the area but also reinforced the emerging legacy of Sikh militancy and self-determination. Guru Gobind Singh’s decisive role in this conflict contributed to a broader narrative of resistance that would shape the future trajectory of Sikh identity, emphasizing that the fight for justice could transcend traditional roles through the fusion of faith and fearless action.
