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The Battle of Chamkaur, also known as Battle of Chamkaur Sahib, was fought between the Khalsa led by Gobind Singh and the Mughal forces led by Wazir Khan. Gobind Singh makes a reference to this battle in Zafarnamah. He tells how a large number (metaphorically "a million") of Mughal troops attacked his men
After the Guru left Anandpur on the night of December 5 and 6, 1704,[5] they had crossed the Sarsa river and stopped in Chamkaur. They asked permission of the city chief for shelter to rest for the night in their garhi or haveli. The older brother thought giving him shelter would be dangerous so he refused. But the younger brother gave permission to let them stay there for the night.[6]
Despite giving assurance of safe conduct, the Mughals soldiers were looking for Guru Gobind Singh, to take his head as a trophy. After learning that the party of Sikhs had taken shelter in the haveli, they laid siege upon it.[6] The Mughal forces have been described as numbering over one million.[3] The Guru only commanded 40 men on the eve of the battle. The actual battle is said to have taken place outside the haveli where the Guru was resting.[6] Negotiations broke down and the Sikh soldiers chose to engage the overwhelming Mughal forces, thus allowing their Guru to escape. A gurmatta or consensus amongst the Sikhs compelled Gobind Singh to obey the will of the majority and escape by cover of night. It is alleged that the Sikh warriors were able to engage the Mughal troops in majority due to training in the Sikh martial art of Shastarvidya. All the Sikhs guarding the Guru were killed in the battle.
At first light on December 7, 1704, officers of the Mughal horde, Khwaja Muhammad and Nahar Khan, sent a messenger with terms of treaty demanding submission to Islamic law, which the Guru, his sons and his warriors unanimously declined. Elder Sahibzada Ajit Singh reacted with outrage vehemently demanding the emissary be silent and return to his masters. The Mughal officers ordered their troops to attack the Guru's outnumbered warriors. The Guru and his soldiers responded fiercely but their small store of ammunition quickly expended and by late afternoon hand to hand combat remained their only option than to surrender. Two Mughal officers, Nahar Khan and Ghairat Khan, and many of their soldiers died attempting to breach the compound.
After finding out that the Guru had escaped, the Mughals started searching the woods and the area surrounding Chamkaur.
The Mughals hastily chased after the Guru once they realised he had escaped. Guru Gobind Singh made a last stand against the Mughals at Muktsar,[citation needed] but by then Aurangzeb had started to sue for peace. The Battle of Muktsar was the last battle fought by Guru Gobind Singh.
There he wrote Zafarnamah, ("the epistle of victory"), a letter to Aurangzeb in which he wrote
CHIRAG-E JAHAAN CHUN SHOD-E BURKA POSH
SHAH-E SHAB BAR-AAMAD HAMEH JALWA JOSH[10] ... But still when the lamp of daylight (sun) set and the queen of night (moon) came up, then my protector (God) gave me passage and I escaped safely, not even a hair on my body was harmed.
The Guru emphasised how he was proud that his sons had died fighting in battle, and that he had 'thousands of sons - the Singhs'. He also said that he would never trust Aurengzeb again due to his broken promises and lies