LAL CHAND, a confectioner turned warrior, won praise from Guru Gobind Singh for his feats in the battle of Bhangani (1688). Thus does the Guru eulogize him in his Bachitra Natak, "Wrathful became Lal Chand. His face turned red, he humbled the pride of many a lion (i.e. enemy

MAHARI CHAND, one of the five brave sons of Bibi Viro, daughter of Guru Hargobind, Nanak VI, who, along with his brothers, took part in the battle of Bhangani (18 September 1688). In his poetical work Bachitra Natak, Guru Gobind Singh reserves a verse for Mahari Chand, who, "flying

MIRZA BEG, a Mughal official who, in 1696. accompanied Prince Mu`azzam (later Emperor Bahadur Shah of Delhi), sent by Emperor Aurangzib to settle affairs in the Punjab. The Prince stationed himself in Lahore and sent Mirza Beg towards the Sivalik hills. Mirza Beg brought the hill rajas to submission.

ALIF KHAN, who is mentioned in Guru Gobind Singh\'s Bachitra Natak, was an officer in the Mughal army of Aurangzib. In 1691, he was despatched by Mian Khan, the viceroy of Jammu, to Kangra for collecting arrears of tribute from the hill chiefs. Raja Kirpal Chand Katoch of Kangra

NAJABAT KHAN (d. 1688), a Pathan belonging to Kurijpura, who joined the service of Guru Gobind Singh at Paonta Sahib. He however deserted the Guru on the eve of the battle of Bharigani (1688) and joined hands with the hill rajas. During the battle he came face to face

BACHITRA NATAK (bachitra = marvellous, wondrous + natak = drama, play) is the name given a complex of compositions, commonly attributed to Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Guru or prophet teacher of the Sikh faith, assembled in his book, the Dasam Granth: hence, the name dasam (tenth) granth (book), i.e.

SANDHVAN, a small village 4 km northwest of KotKapura (30° 45`N, 74° 49 E) in Faridkot district of the Punjab. Giani Zail Singh, the first Sikh President of the Republic of India came of this village. He held office from 1982-1987. On the railway station, the village has since

BHALAN, village near the confluence of Soah rivulet with the River Sutlej 14 km south of Nangal in Ropar district of the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Gobind Singh, who arrived here following Khanzada Rustam Khan in the winter of 1693-94. As Guru Gobind Singh himself relates in his Bachitra

SANGRAM SHAH (popular name Sango Shah), the eldest son of Bhai Sadhu and BIbi Viro (the daughter of Guru Hargobind) and one of Guru Gobind Singh`s cousins. Sangram Shah, along with his four brothers, Jit Mall, Gulab Rai, Mahari Chand and Ganga Ram, fought in the battle of Bhangani

BHIKHAN KHAN (d. 1688) was a Pathan who had served in the Mughal army before joining Guru Gobind Singh at Paonta Sahib on the recommendation of Pir Buddhu Shah of Sadhaura. He had one hundred soldiers under his command, but he crossed over to the hill rajas on the eve

SUKHDEV, ruler of Jasrota, a minor chief belonging to one of the hill states situated between the Chenab and the Ravi. He took the part of the hill chieftains and Guru Gobind Singh in the battle of Nadaun fought on 20 March 1691 against the Mughal commander, Alif Khan.

GOPAL, RAJA (Raj Singh according to some sources), of Guler, mentioned in Sikh chronicles as well as in Guru Gobind Singh`s Bachitra Ndtak, was one of the hill chieftains who fought against the Guru in the battle of Bharigam in 1688. After the defeat of the rajas, Gopal seems