Nadaun is a town and a nagar panchayat in Hamirpur district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Nadaun is a small town in Himachal Pradesh, located on the foothills of the Shivalik range forming the western end of the district Hamirpur. It is 42 km east of Kangra and is situated on the banks of the Beas. The town has a small gurdwara overlooking the waters of the Beas; the gurdwara was built to commemorate Guru Gobind Singh's victory in the Battle of Nadaun.

History

Battle of Nadaun

The Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb's expeditions in Deccan in 1890s, had put considerable strain on the Mughal exchequer. As a result, Aurangazeb issued orders to recover annual tributes from the rulers of Shivalik hills, who had been defaulting on the payment. Alif Khan was given the responsibility of recovering dues from Kangra and adjoining principalities.

The Raja of Kangra and another chieftain called Raja Dayal yielded to the demands of Alif Khan. However, Raja Bhim Chand of Kahlur (Bilaspur) refused to oblige and formed an alliance with other chieftains opposed to the Mughals. Guru Gobind Singh also decided to support Bhim Chand.

Alif Khan's Mughal army and his aides were defeated at a battle in Nadaun. The date of the battle is given differently by different authors, as 1687, 1689, 1690, 20 March 1691, and 4 April 1891.

After the battle ended, Guru Gobind Singh stayed in Nadaun for eight days, before returning to Anandpur. Later, Maharaja Ranjit Singh built a gurdwara on the spot where the Guru had pitched his tent. The Gurdwara was affiliated to Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee in 1935.

Geography

Nadaun is located at . It has an average elevation of 508 metres (1666 feet). River Beas flows through this small town. Nadaun is midway between Jwalamukhi and Hamirpur

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Nadaun had a population of 4405. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Nadaun has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 78%. In Nadaun, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

References