Banda Bahadur

Definition

Epithet given to an ascetic yogi who was born with the name Lachhman Dev in October 1670 in Kashmir. Upon becoming an ascetic Lachhman took the name Madho Das. A meeting with the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh in 1708 led Madho Das to joining the Khalsa. Thereafter, he was known as Banda Singh – commonly thought to refer to the fact that he had become the man, or banda of Guru Gobind Singh. He led an insurrection against the Mughal governors of Lahore which was eventually suppressed and led to waves of violence against Sikhs throughout Mughal territories.

Banda Bahadur: Insurrection of the Khalsa

The man who is remembered historically by the name Banda Bahadur was born Lachhman Dev (1670–1716) in the Punchh district of Kashmir. He was the son of a plowman named Ram Dev who hailed from the Sodhi subcaste, although there is some disagreement as to whether he hailed from a Brahman or Rajput family. At the age of 15, Lacchman Dev would leave home in order to become an ascetic. He...