Humanity above Hierarchy: Banda Singh Bahadur’s Vision of Egalitarian Society in Early Modern Era

Abstract

The early eighteenth century marked a decisive moment in North Indian history when entrenched structures of caste hierarchy, religious exclusion, and agrarian exploitation came under sustained challenge. This paper examines the egalitarian movement led by Banda Singh Bahadur as a transformative phase in Sikh and Indian history, situating it within the broader crisis of Mughal authority after 1707. Drawing upon contemporary Persian chronicles, Sikh narratives, and modern historiography, the study argues that Banda Singh Bahadur’s leadership represented not merely a political rebellion but a conscious project of social reconstruction. By dismantling caste distinctions, appointing individuals from marginalised communities to positions of authority, and extending equal status to Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims, the Khalsa regime sought to reconfigure the moral foundations of governance. Equally significant were Banda Singh Bahadur’s agrarian reforms, which transferred land rights from absentee zamindars to cultivating peasants and reduced the revenue burden, thereby undermining feudal domination. The movement’s commitment to religious tolerance, evidenced by the protection of Muslim religious practices and participation of Muslims in the Sikh army and administration, challenges colonial and Mughal portrayals of the uprising as sectarian violence. This paper contends that the egalitarian experiment under Banda Singh Bahadur constituted one of the earliest attempts in India to align political power with social justice and popular welfare. Though short-lived, the movement left a lasting imprint on the political imagination of the region by demonstrating the possibility of a humane, inclusive, and people-centred order.