Q. Compare the strategies employed by different Sikh leaders in resisting the Mughal and Afghan control over Punjab throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries:
Sikh Leader/GroupPrimary Strategy in Resistance
1. Banda BahadurCentralized territorial conquest and direct confrontation, challenging Mughal authority in pitched battles.
2. Dal Khalsa (Misl Period)Decentralized, highly mobile guerrilla warfare targeting vulnerable supply lines (Dhar-pat).
3. Ranjit SinghMilitary modernization using European-trained forces and pragmatic diplomacy (Treaty of Amritsar) to secure one frontier (British) while expanding on another (Afghan).
How many of the above rows correctly reflect the primary strategy adopted by the leader/group?
Answer: C
Notes:
Explanation:
- Row 1: Correct. Banda Bahadur created a temporary but centralized state and focused on direct, open battles to establish territorial control, leading to an eventual clash with the full might of the later Mughal forces.
- Row 2: Correct. The Dal Khalsa post-Banda Bahadur (1716 CE) was forced to adopt a strategy of survival through highly mobile, elusive warfare (guerrilla tactics) against both the Mughals and the Afghans (Abdali).
- Row 3: Correct. Ranjit Singh’s strategy was unique. He modernized his army drastically, and politically, he secured his southern border by signing the Treaty of Amritsar (1809) with the British, allowing him to focus his energy on expansion towards the west (Multan, Peshawar) and north (Kashmir).
