On the night of December 6, 1705, Guru Gobind Singh , his two
elder sons and 40 devoted warriors made camp, on property owned
by Rai Jagat Singh in the Ropar District of Punjab, just outside
of Chamkaur. With more than 700 mounted and 100,000 foot Mughal
soldiers in pursuit, the Guru and his Singhs requested shelter
inside of a walled compound also belonging to Rai Jagat Singh,
his younger brother Rup Chand, and two others, *Bandhu Chand and
Gharilu. Fearing repercussions from local authorities, Rai Jagat
Singh at first refused, however the others welcomed the Guru,
who quickly set about preparing his warriors for battle. Guru
Gobind Singh knew the advantages of the compound having
successfully fought off adversaries there during skirmishes
which had taken place several years earlier during 1702. He
positioned Madan Singh and Kotha Singh at the single north
facing gated entry with eight Singhs placed at vantage points
along each of the four compound walls. The Guru, with his sons,
directed the ensuing battle