By Dr. B. S. Bains | Sikh History |
The momentous onwards journey of Guru Gobind Singh on 23rd December 1705 marked a pivotal era in the fulfillment of the divine mission initiated by Guru Nanak under the guidance of the Almighty. The journey began from the Mud Fort of Chamkaur, that stirred up Wazir Khan, headquartered in Sirhind approximately 37 kilometers away via Morinda, Punjab (a town within the ancient civilization of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, which was considered a matured township at around 2600 BC along the Indus River valley in Punjab and Sindh). Wazir Khan had Guru’s two youngest children and their mother, Mata Guzari (the wife of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, the 9th Guru of the Sikhs), captive, still alive, during this stormy sporadic period.
Wazir Khan, failing to captivate Guruji, in frustration, spared no effort in subjecting the two young children to torture, employing various methods to coerce and pressurize them into embracing Islam and renouncing their father’s faith. This ruthless strategy was intended to undermine the Guru’s mission and diminish his influence. Despite the grave threat to their lives, these resilient children steadfastly adhered to their faith.
Regrettably, on December 26, 1705, just two days following Guru Ji’s successful onward journey, they faced a tragic end, as Wazir Khan executed them by having them bricked. Presently, a district and a historical Gurdwara commemorate the memory of these two sons of Guru Ji in Sirhind, known as Fatehgarh Sahib.
PART 1: The Sikh December Blues
PART 2: The Sikh December Blues: The separation of Guru Gobind Singh’s family
PART 3: The Sikh December Blues: The Chamkaur Chapter of the Sikhs (Part III)
PART 4: The Sikh December Blues: Momentous onwards journey from Chamkaur
In Chamkaur Sahib, amongst heavy guards by the Moguls surrounding their hideouts, Bhai Daya Singh, Bhai Dharam Singh and Bhai Man Singh collectively decided to meet to gather with Guru Ji on the outskirts of Machhiwara, 27 kilometers away. Guru Ji accepted their request and set to get out on foot first by midnight. By sunrise, he made a brief stop at Jhar Sahib (ਝਾੜ ਸਾਹਿਬ) 12 kms away, a village dominated by Muslims. In this village, two Gujars (Gurjar are Indo-Aryan agricultural ethnic community, residing mainly in India, Pakistan and Afghanista,), named Ramzu and Kalu recognized the Guru and, disregarding his request for being discreet about his presence, they alerted the neighborhood. Despite Guru Ji offering them some of his leftover gold coins to keep silent, they appeared to be informers for the Mughals and continued their actions. Forced to take decisive measures, Guru Ji dealt with the situation and moved on.
Upon reaching Machhiwara, Guru Ji found a garden on the outskirts of the village. Here he had arrived an hour before sunrise. Weary and completely exhausted, he entered the garden, where he eventually settled in a corner among the bushes, resting his head on a raised mud soil. It is here he is said to have composed a couplet in communication with the Almighty…
Mittar Pyare Nu, Haal Mureedan Da Kehna
ਮਿੱਤਰ ਪਿਆਰੇ ਨੂੰ ਹਾਲ ਮੁਰੀਦਾ ਦਾ ਕਹਿਣਾ ॥
Oh dear beloved Master, please convey and express the situation of This follower to the Almighty.
(ਹੇ ਪਿਆਰੇ, ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਸਰਵ ਸ਼ਕਤੀਮਾਨ ਨੂੰ ਪਹੁੰਚਾ ਦਿਓ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਅਨੁਯਾਈ ਦੀ ਸਥਿਤੀ ਬਿਆਨ ਕਰੋ)
Tud Bin Rog Razayian Da Odan, Naag Niwasaan De Rehna..
ਤੁਧੁ ਬਿਨੁ ਰੋਗੁ ਰਜਾਈਆ ਦਾ ਓਢਣ ਨਾਗ ਨਿਵਾਸਾ ਦੇ ਰਹਿਣਾ ॥
Without You, Oh Lord, rich blankets are like diseases and the comfort of the house is like living with Snakes.
(ਤੇਰੇ ਬਾਝੋਂ ਧਨੀ ਕੰਬਲ ਰੋਗ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਘਰ ਦਾ ਸੁਖ ਸੱਪਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਰਗਾ ਹੈ।)
Sool Suraii Khanzar Pialla, Bing Kasayian Da Sehnna..
ਸੂਲ ਸੁਰਾਹੀ ਖੰਜਰ ਪਿਆਲਾ ਬਿੰਗ ਕਸਾਈਆਂ ਦਾ ਸਹਿਣਾ ॥
Our water pitchers are stakes/spikes, and our cups have edges like daggers.
….Like the suffering of animals at the hands of butchers.
(ਸਾਡੇ ਪਾਣੀ ਦੇ ਘੜੇ ਦਾਅ ਹਨ, ਸਾਡੇ ਪਿਆਲਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਕਿਨਾਰੇ ਖੰਜਰਾਂ ਵਰਗੇ ਹਨ।
….ਜਿਵੇਂ ਕਸਾਈ ਦੇ ਹੱਥੋਂ ਪਸ਼ੂਆਂ ਦਾ ਦੁੱਖ।)
Yaarde Da Saanu Sathar Chenga, Phath Khedyan Da Rehna..
ਯਾਰੜੇ ਦਾ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਸੱਥਰੁ ਚੰਗਾ ਭਠ ਖੇੜਿਆ ਦਾ ਰਹਿਣਾ ॥
Our Beloved Bed of straws is more pleasing to me than living in furnace like costly chambers
(ਸਾਡੇ ਪਿਆਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦਾ ਤੂੜੀ ਵਾਲਾ ਬਿਸਤਰਾ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਮਹਿੰਗੀਆਂ ਭੱਠੀ ਵਰਗੀਆਂ ਕੋਠੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਰਹਿਣ ਨਾਲੋਂ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ ਚੰਗਾ ਲੱਗਦਾ ਹੈ।)
**Guru Ji refers to his situation at this point in time that his abode was resembling furnaces due to the chilly weather in December. He found himself without blankets, clad in torn clothes, having lost his belongings in the River Sarsa. Lacking pitchers of water, cup and saucer, he resorted to eating berries to satisfy his hunger. Being exhausted, mentally, physically and emotionally he slept under the bushes in the garden.
At the break of dawn, his three Sikhs found him in a deep slumber. Gulaba (Gulab Khan) and Nabi Khan, residents of Machhiwara village, generously provided them refuge in their home, where all four sought sanctuary. It was here that Guru Ji had to adopt a disguise as suggested by these Muslim hosts, who shared a close association with Guru Ji and had engaged in significant business dealings with him in the past at Anandpur Sahib. They convinced Guru Ji to wear a blue robe, let his hair down, and bestowed upon him the name “Uch Da Pir,” associating him with a revered saint from the town of Uch, a holy place of Muslims, now located in Pakistan where all the five rivers of Punjab (Ravi, Chenab, Jhelum, Beas and Satluj) meets forming one river called River Panjnad. Guru Ji was made to sit on a cot or a bunk carried by 4 people as was the tradition of how the Muslim saints were carried in a journey with extreme reverence.
While on the journey at the village of Lal, an imperial troop contingent halted them. The Guru communicated with them in Persian, but they demanded further verification. A Qazi Pir Muhammad from Salon village was summoned and he identified the Guru, vouched for him as a Muslim saint. Guru Ji was released, and they arrived at Alamgir, continuing on to Hehar Village in Ludhiana District. (Side-track: In this village, Prithi Chand, the eldest son of Guru Ramdas Ji (our 4th Guru), purchased a considerable amount of land. He declared himself as the Guru, attempted to kill his brother who later became our 5th Guru, Guru Arjan Dev Ji, and distorted the writings of the previous Gurus. Numerous upper-class Hindus, who opposed the Guru’s concept of caste equality, which was gaining social acceptance then, sided with Prithi Chand, expressing their discontent. Later Prithi moved to Lakhnow, in Uttar Pradesh)
From here, Ghani Khan and Nabi Khan departed from the Guru’s company, leaving him in the care of their close associate, Rae Kalha, a prominent Muslim landlord. Kalha warmly welcomed the Guru and housed him in Jatpura, close to his main residence, to safeguard his identity. Responding to the Guru’s request, Kalha dispatched a messenger to Sarhind, located approximately 70 kilometers away, to gather information about the Guru’s family members.
While in hiding and anxiously awaiting news about his younger sons and mother, Guru Ji, a saint solder supreme, a master of pen and sword found it difficult to remain passive. He composed a letter known as Fatah Nama to Emperor Aurangzeb, outlining the challenging circumstances imposed upon him and expressing the severe hardships he endured. In the letter, Guru Ji depicted the unjust situation where the emperor’s vast and well-equipped army confronted a mere forty Sikhs, resulting in the sacrifice of his two eldest sons in their defense.
Kalha’s messenger returned bearing the somber tale of Guru Ji’s younger son and mother, recounting the involvement of Nawab Sher Muhammad Khan of Malerkotia. The Nawab had previously engaged in battles against the Guru at Sarsa and Chamkaur, leading to the loss of one of his brothers and a nephew in the conflicts. Despite the Nawab’s strong opposition to the Guru, the young age of the children, their fearlessness, and their exceptional moral courage deeply resonated with him. When Wazir Khan instructed Sher Muhammad to take custody of the boys and eliminate them, he refused to comply. This act touched the tender chords of the Guru’s heart. At this location, Guru Ji bestowed his blessings upon the Muslim villagers of Malerkotla, assuring them that they would never face displacement during calamities or contentious wars. Hence this is the only Intact Muslim Village in Punjab (on the India side of the border post-partition) till this date. Guru Ji could no longer live in this hiding and he decided to move towards the south west, heading towards Bhatinda in Punjab and took up his abode at Dina, about 60 Kms from Bhatinda.
At Dina, the Guru composed another letter, Zafar Nama to Aurangzeb in Persian poetry. This letter adopts a more resolute tone and comprises 111 couplets, the Zafar Nama is said to contain 1,400 stanzas. The Zafar Nama is divided into three distinct parts. The initial part, consisting of 12 couplets, serves as an invocation to God, seeking resolution to the Guru’s challenges. The second part encompasses 66 verses, from 13 to 78, where the Guru begins by condemning the Emperor for his shortcomings as a ruler, his communalism, and his breach of faith, including treachery despite swearing on the Quran. In the third part, the Guru commends Aurangzeb for certain positive qualities in his character.
Bhai Daya Singh and Bhai Dharam Singh, two of Guru Ji’s three companions from Chamkaur, were given the task of delivering this letter to Aurangzeb. They cleverly disguised themselves as Muslim travelers and handed it to the Emperor in Ahmadnagar, Deccan, in Gujerat, where he had his palaces since January 20, 1706.
This letter shook-up Emperor Aurangzeb and in utmost humiliation he started longing to seek Guru ji’s audience by inviting Guru Ji to his Deccan headquarters. He began to recognise Guru Ji as Darvesh (Godly Saint), but Guru Ji turned down his request in distrust.
Aurangzeb encountered similar fierce resistance from the Marathas of Maharashtra, a neighboring state of Gujarat. In this region, along with Hyderabad, many Hindus were forcefully converted by the Mughals. The key distinction between the Marathas and the Sikhs lies in the fact that the former fought a war to defend their kingdom from Mughal invasions, while the Sikh Gurus waged a defensive war to safeguard Hindus from widespread, coerced, and horrifying conversions to Islam by the Mughal powers, without being confined to any specific kingdom or territory. The Gurus were protecting Hindustan from tyranny and mass conversion of the Hindus. It can be asserted that the Sikh Gurus were the true and earliest freedom fighters of Hindustan. Regrettably, Sikh Gurus’ struggle are not acknowledged in Indian history books, though they fought wars with various sufferings and that they were not confined to any specific boundaries across the nation. They fought defensive wars safeguarding humanity, their rights and freedom to live in dignity.
The Guru stayed briefly in Dina, where the people of Punjab were greatly troubled by his losses and the Mughals’ success. Guru Gobind Singh found himself nearly isolated during this time, with only one Sikh, Dalla, accompanying him. It was in Dina that he learned about Wazir Khan of Sarhind actively gathering an army again and sending scouts to locate, wage another war to captivate Guru ji. Upon receiving this news, Dalla also left. Guru Ji, in response, sent Bhai Man Singh, one of Guru Ji’s three companions from Chamkaur, to the nearby villages to call upon the Sikhs to meet and join Guru Ji.
Subsequently, Guru Ji relocated to the dense Lekhi Jungles, covering an area of about 200 square kilometers, seeking refuge from both the Mughals and the Durrani Empire under the Afghanistan Muslim Empire. Both had similar objectives of forced conversion. It is noteworthy that the Muslim population in Bengal, and now in Bangladesh, traces its roots to the invaders from Afghanistan who preceded the Mughals in the invasion of Hindustan with one of the objectives towards Islamization of the region.
Lekhi forest was also reputed for breeding fine horses. Guru Ji acquired many horses as that was the means of travel and warfare. While it is commonly stated that Guru Ji ventured into the jungle for hunting, it’s crucial to note that such an act contradicts the principles and teachings of the Gurus from the past. Guru Gobind Singh would not have engaged in any form of killing. Instead, his visits to the jungle were focused on honing his archery skills and perfecting precision in the safe use of his bow and arrow on the trees of the jungles.
In this Jungle, Guru Ji adopted a disguise by wearing the blue Haji robe, resembling that of a Muslim. He rallied many Sikhs from the Brar clan to join him, preparing them for protection against an anticipated attack planned by Wazir Khan of Sirhind. Guru Ji proceeded towards the arid regions of the jungle adjacent to the Tar Desert, reaching a village named Khidrana. This is the location where another battle (Battle of Khidrana) unfolded with the Mughals, resulting in a resounding defeat for the Mughal forces. Guru Ji and his fellow Sikhs effectively utilized their mastered bow skills to intimidate and repel the enemy.
Also, around this location, at the Dhilwan Village, Guru Ji encountered the descendant of Prithi Chand, Guru Arjan’s eldest brother, who had eagerly awaited the Guru. Witnessing the Guru dressed in the blue attire of a Muslim Haji deeply moved him. In response to his request, Guru Ji changed his clothing to white and tore his blue robe into pieces to burn. One of these pieces happened to fly into the hands of Bhai Man Singh. Showing reverence, he promptly tied the fragment on his head, and in appreciation, Guru Ji referred to him as Nihang Singh. Subsequently, the Nihang Sikhs adopted this practice, marking the inception of the tradition that continues today, where Nihangs often adorn the blue robe with weapon decorations.
It was at Khidrana that Guru Ji encountered Mahi Bhago, often referred to as the iron lady in Sikh history. She wore men’s dress, ever ready to defend. Mahi Bhago, from a village Chubhal near Amritsar, was the wife of one of the 40 Sikhs who deserted Guru Ji in Anandpur Sahib years ago, who returned home out of fear for their lives. Revered as a Saint Soldier, Mahi Bhago played a pivotal role in inspiring these deserters to come to Guru Ji’s aid at Khidrana, where they confronted the Mughals and fought valiantly. Guru Ji later joined them, and after the Mughals retreated, he met with Mahi Bhago, who recounted how she motivated the 40 deserters to defend Guru Ji. Mahi Bhago continued to follow Guru Ji and lived with him until his demise in Nanded.
In a gesture of magnanimity, Guru Ji pardoned the 40 Sikhs who had laid down their lives in the battle of Khidrana, which marked Guru Ji’s final encounter with the Mughals. To this day, the bravery of these 40 Sikhs, known as Chali Mukhte, is acknowledged in the Sikh daily supplication (Ardas). A Gurdwara stands at this spot called Tutti Ganddi in a town bearing the name given to these Chali Mukhte known as Mukhatsar near Firozpur.
Guru Ji resided at Khidrana until October 1705. Seeking proximity to Sarhind for timely information about any impending expeditions against him from Wazir Khan, and yet desiring to be in a sandy region for a convenient escape, he traveled to Bhatinda, 145 kilometers east. From there, he ventured another 45 kilometers to the east, reaching Talwandi Sabo in early January 1706, where numerous Sikhs joined him. At this location, the Guru constructed a residence with a spacious compound enclosed by a robust wall, naming it Damdama, signifying a fortified mound. Consequently, the village also became known as Damdama Sahib.
In the earlier years, Guru Gobind Singh had the Adi Granth transcribed at Bhaura Sahib in Anandpur. Unfortunately, this particular copy was lost in the war while crossing the Sarsa River . Bhai Mani Singh, akin to Bhai Gurdas in scholarly pursuits, was chosen for his erudition. Given that Guru Gobind Singh had memorized the Adi Granth, he dictated it to Bhai Mani Singh. In the process, Guru Gobind Singh incorporated several hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur and just one verse of his own. These additions are well organized in the Adi Granth based on their respective tunes and meters. Subsequently, three additional copies of the holy Granth were produced at Damdama Sahib, with one each residing at Akal Bunga in Amritsar, Patna sahib, Anandpur sahib, and Damdama Sahib itself. The original Adi Granth traveled with Guru ji till Nanded.
Residing at Damdama Sahib for nearly 10 months, Guru Ji and his fellow Sikhs made the decision to journey towards Delhi. En route, at Baghaur in Rajasthan, Bhai Daya Singh and Bhai Dharam Singh, who were dispatched to deliver the ZafarNama to Emperor Aurangzeb, met the Guru. The news of the emperor’s keenness to meet Guru Ji was communicated. However, shortly thereafter, Aurangzeb passed away on February 20, 1707, in Ahmadnagar at the age of
TO BE CONTINUED: Guru Ji’s Journey to Delhi and to Nanded…
REFERNCES
1. https://www.worldhistory.org/Indus_Valley_Civilization/
3. Excerpts from book “Gur Itihas Patshahi 2-9” by Prof Sahib Singh (https://www.amazon.in/Gur-Itihas-Patshahi-2-9/dp/8172051727)
Note: Aurangzeb was determined to establish an exclusively Islamic state in Hindustan, seeking to eradicate Hinduism entirely from the land of Hindustan. At that time, Guru Tegh Bahadur was in Assam. Upon learning of this development, he promptly headed to Punjab. To uplift the spirits of Hindus and his followers, he embarked on a series of tours in East Punjab, encouraging them to remain resilient.
Guru Gobind Singh asserted that any emperor attempting to control the minds of the people was a tyrant, and those who submitted meekly were merely slaves. In 1699, the Guru founded the Khalsa, an unpaid national army comprising his dedicated followers. This event marked the initiation of a new cadre of freedom fighters. Guided by the Guru, the Khalsa adopted the profession of arms, yielding remarkable results. The once-oppressed individuals, considered the lowest of the low, transformed into courageous warriors unafraid of peril.
Dr Balwant Singh Bains is a Malaysia-based kirtan enthusiast and a practicing physiotherapist with a chain of physiotherapy clinics.
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