Sikh Confederacy: Map & History
The Sikh Confederacy was a confederation of twelve sovereign Sikh states which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.
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The Sikh Confederacy was a confederation of twelve sovereign Sikh states which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. The misls were sovereign Sikh principalities originally formulated to defend the Darbar Sahib complex of Amritsar.
Modern Countries Once Part of Sikh Confederacy
At its mapped extent, Sikh Confederacy covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Sikh Confederacy's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Sikh Confederacy in Depth
History
In order to withstand the persecution of Shah Jahan and other Mughal emperors, several of the later Sikh Gurus established military forces and fought the Mughal Empire and Pahari Hill rajas in the 17th century and early 18th century. Banda Singh Bahadur continued Sikh resistance to the Mughal Empire until his defeat at the Battle of Gurdas Nangal.
After the death of Banda Singh, the Sikhs were left without a main leader and entered in a period of hardship. The Sikhs managed to gain control of Amritsar and established it as their centre after evicting the Bandai Sikhs from it. Bhai Mani Singh was appointed as the custodian of the Darbar Sahib shrine.
Military
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 whole Sikh community. These orders would normally be related to defense against external threats, such as Afghan military attacks.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Sikh Confederacy (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sikh Confederacy: Key Facts
| Capital | Amritsar |
|---|---|
| Form of government | federal monarchy |
| Founded | 29 March 1748 |
| Dissolved | 7 July 1799 |
Succeeded by
- Kapurthala State
Facts from Wikidata Q2578028 (CC0).
Sikh Confederacy Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Sikh Confederacy appears, with the other states of the time.
Sikh Confederacy Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 63,122 km² in 1785 CE.
Sikh Confederacy: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Sikh Confederacy exist?
Sikh Confederacy is dated to 1762 CE – 1806 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of Sikh Confederacy?
The capital of Sikh Confederacy was Amritsar.
How large was Sikh Confederacy at its peak?
At its peak in 1785 Sikh Confederacy covered about 63,122 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
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Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad