Editorial
Guru Tegh Bahadur – A Biographical Study
Birth and Early Years
An event which took place just three hundred years ago like a ripple on the shore, in now rolling and roaring as a strong wave across the seven seas and is echoing throughout the world in hallowed memory of a man, the influence of whose life has never ceased, and who has left a permanent place in the world of religion. The man was Guru Tegh Bahadur, and the event was his martyrdom.
Tegh Bahadur was the youngest and sixth child of the sixth Guru, Hargobind. Gurditta was the eldest son, born in 1613. He was followed by his only daughter named Viro in 1615. Suraj Mal was born in 1617. The remaining three sons were Ani Rai, born in 1619 and Tegh Bahadur on Sunday, April 1, 1621 at Guru Ke Mahal at Amritsar.1 The last three sons were born of Guru Hargobind’s second wife, Nanaki, daughter of Hari Chand Khatri of Bakala, a village situated 40 km east of Amritsar and 4 km north of the modern Beas railway station near the river. The youngest child was named Tyag Mal (The Great Sacrificer), an apt prophecy which came out true.
The child was brought up with great care and attention by his mother. The father made excellent arrangements for his education and training. The best teachers were engaged to give him lessons in reading, writing, arithmetic, religion, music, physical exercises, riding and shooting. Bhai Buddha was given general charge of the child’s upbringing in all directions.
Tegh Bahadur was administered charan pahul2 for baptism at the age of eight. Hargoind’s life routine of hunting, meeting the congregations, visiting free masses, praying at the Hari Mandir and holding court at the Akal Takht deeply influenced the growing mind of the lad. On the death of his brothers he became so sad and serious that he avoided worldly pleasures and turned to meditation and prayers.
In 1632 A.D. Guru Hargobind was staying at Kartarpur, 15 km west of Jullundur. The future Guru was then eleven years old. Lal Chand Khatri of this place offered his daughter Gujari in marriage to the blooming lad. Mother Nanaki approved of the match and the nuptial ceremony was performed with the great splendour and solemnity.3
Hakim Alim-ud-din, generally known as Wazir Khan, a native of Chiniot in the district of Jhang, now in Pakistan, was appointed Governor of Lahore in 1628 by Emperor Shah Jahan. In 1633 he was transferred to Agra, where he died the next year. According to Dr. Trilochan Singh, “Wazir Khan was respected by the Sikh Gurus for his liberal views, deep scholarship and love of truth,” and after Prime Minister Asaf Khan, “he was the most trusted official in Shah Jahan’s regime.”4 Besides, the celebrated Sufi saint, Mian Mir, a resident of Lahore, is stated to have been on the best of terms with the Sikh Gurus. He was highly venerated both by Shah Jahan and the Crown Prince Dara Shikoh. The contemporary author, Mohsin Fani states that Hargobjnd offered his formal allegiance to Shah Jahan and made friends with the local Faujdar, Var Khan.5
Thus, in the circumstances no warfare between the Guru and the Government could have taken place during the years from 1628 to 1633, as is alleged by some writers. Dr. Trilochan Singh observes:
“The Emperor was now at Lahore. It was difficult to influence him as-long as Wazir Khan was the Viceroy, but now that Wazir Khan had been transferred to Agra, it seemed easier to get military aid from Lahore6,,” by officials who were jealous of the Guru. This writer further states:
“Both Wazir Khan and Mian Mir were the silver and golden bonds bridging the gulf between the aggressive and bigoted forces of Mughal Imperialism and the progressive and resurgent forces of Sikh faith.”7
Hence a cleavage between the Guru and the Mughal authorities could take place after the transfer of Wazir Khan and death of Mian Mir, both of which took place in 1633 A. D.8 The battles of Jallo and Sangrana seem to have taken place in 1633; the battle of Amritsar in 1634; the battle of Hargobindpur in 1635, the battles of Lahara and Gurusar in 1637, and the last battle of Kartarpur in 1638. The last expedition was sent from Lahore under the command of Mir Badehra and Paindah Khan. They were joined by the Jullundur troops. The Guru had only 5,000 soldiers with him.9 In a hard-fought battle at Kartarpur, both the enemy commanders were killed.10 In this Battle the future Guru Tegh Bahadur displayed such remarkable skill and spiritedness that his father conferred the title of Tegh Bahadur on him by which name he came to be known in history.
Tegh Bahadur means Lord of the Sword or prizefighter. General Sir John J. H. Gordon says that Tegh Bahadur preferred to be called Deg Bahadur, Lord of Hospitality or the support of the poor and cherisher of the hungry.11 Tegh Bahadur was at this time 17 years old. His remarks led to the following saying:
Jis ki deg; us ki tegh
(One who is charitable commands the sword).
At Bakala
From Kartarpur the Guru went to Phagwara. There he stayed for some time. Mohsin Fani says as the place was situated on the highway from Delhi to Lahore, 16 km east of Jullundur, it was not safe to reside there for long. Hence Guru Hargobind decided to settle at Kiratpur.12 Nanaki had already lost her two elder sons, Ani Rai and Atal Rai. She did not like to go there with her only son and young daughter-in-law owing to family jealousies. She obtained the Guru’s permission to go to Bakala, her home town, and there she went and settled with her parents Hari Chand and Hardevi. Tegh Bahadur was present at Kiratpur on the occasion of Guru Hargobind’s death in February 1644 together with his mother, wife and brother-in-law Kripal Chand, and after the funeral rites all of them returned to Bakala.
Tegh Bahadur lived at Bakala for nearly 26 years. Some lands of Hargobindpur had been assigned to Tegh Bahadur and the family led a comfortable life on the share received from the cultivators.13 To avoid the burning heat of summer every well-to-do family had a basement dug into the floor where the members of the household retired in the afternoon. Tegh Bahadur got such a cell erected for himself to meditate in solitude and peace of soul. Such a cell was generally called Bhora. His wife Gujari also devoted a good deal of her time to prayer, reflection and contemplation.
Guru Hari Rai, 1644-1661
Of Guru Hargobind’s five sons, two had survived him. The elder was Suraj Mal and the youngest Tegh Bahadur. The Guru could nominate either of them as his successor, but he preferred the second son of his deceased eldest son Gurditta, named Hari Rai. His elder brother was Dhir Mal. Hari Rai was a lad of fourteen years, born at Kiratpur on January 30, 1630. Shah Jahan’s eldest son Dara Shukoh was the crown prince, and Punjab was his fief. He believed in saints, whether Muslim Hindu or Sikh, and he maintained cordial relations with Guru Hari Rai.
Shah Jahan fell ill in September, 1657 and a civil war began among his sons for the throne. Dara was defeated by Aurangzeb in May, .1668. Dara fled towards the Punjab. Guru Hari Rai joined him at Rupar at the head of 2,000 troops. The Prince and the Guru reached Lahore on July 3, 1958. “But Dara was utterly broken down in body and spirit.” Finding the Prince in an indecisive mood and Aurangzeb in hot pursuit of him 14, Guru Hari Rai returned to Kiratpur.15
After firmly establishing himself on the throne, Aurangzeb summoned Guru Hari Rai to his court. The Guru sent his 14 year old eldest son Ram Rai. He was instructed to concentrate on God and reply to the Emperor carefully and resolutely. He was advised to keep in view Guru Arjan’s conduct, when Jahangir ordered him to modify the hymns in the holy Granth. He was warned to avoid flattery and to behave with grace and dignity.
The lad being over-zealous and ambitious, and perhaps out of fear for his life, tried to win over the Emperor and his courtiers. He was asked to explain why the following verse in the holy granth abused the Musalmans:
“Miti Musafman ki perai pai kumiar,
Ghari bhande itan kia jaldi kare pukar.”
(The dusts of Musalman is kneaded by a potter into a dough and he converts it into pots and bricks, which cry out as they burn.)
The hymn expressed Guru Nanak’s vision that cremation and burial differed little. Ram Rai was overawed by the splendour of the court. In order not to offend the Emperor, Ram Rai, just in his early teens, replied that Guru Nanak’s actual word was ‘Beiman’ or an atheist, and not ‘Musalman’ which appeared in the text by the mistake of the scribe. His answer naturally pleased the Emperor, but offended the Sikhs of Delhi who reported the matter to the Guru at Kiratpur.
Guru Hari Rai was deeply distressed at his son’s behaviour in having insulted Guru Nanak and the Granth Sahib. The Guru declared Ram Rai unfit for Guruship and immediately excommunicated and excluded him from succession. Hari Rai observed:
“The Guruship is like a tiger’s milk which can only be contained in a golden cup. Only he who is ready to devote his life there to is worthy of it. Let Ram Rai not look on my face again.”16
His decision was conveyed to Ram Rai as well as to the Sikhs at Delhi. Ram Rai could not come to Kiratpur and stayed at the Mughal Court from September, 1661 to 1666 A.D.17, where he conducted himself as a faithful courtier. Shortly afterwards Guru Hari Rai passed away at Kiratpur on October 6, 1661 at the young age of 31.
Guru Hari Krishan, 1661-1664
Guru Hari Rai had nominated his younger son Hari Krishan to be his successor. He was born on July 7, 1656. Thus he became Guru at the age of five, and was called the ‘Child Saint’. Ram Rai was living at Delhi. He pressed his claim for Guruship. Aurangzeb was fully occupied in settling state affairs and had no time to turn his attention to a matter which had no urgency. Besides, he wanted the family feud to develop into an unbridgeable gulf. In 1662 he fell seriously ill, and next year went to Kashmir to recoup his health. He returned to Delhi on January 18, 1664. Ram Rai complained against his supersession, and sought the Emperor’s help in getting him the Guruship.18 Aurangzeb was a past master in the art of diplomacy. He wanted to take full advantage of the rift which had grown between the two brothers. He was keen to use Ram Rai for weakening the Sikh movement. He summoned Hari Krishan to Delhi to justify his claim to Guruship. Mirza Raja Jai Singh of Amber (Jaipur) was asked to call the Guru to Delhi. Jai Singh sent his agent Diwan Paras Ram, with suitable presents, requesting the Guru to come to Delhi on the Raja’s surety.19 The Guru’s mother was terribly afraid of the machinations of Ram Rai and the stem character of the Emperor, who had destroyed all his male relatives in the most brutal manner. But nobody could dare disobey Aurangzeb.
Hari Krishan came to Delhi and put up in the house of Mirza Raja Jai Singh at the village of Raesina in the Raja estate called Jaisinghpura in the suburbs of the capital, 6 km distant from the Red Fort. Shortly afterwards, the Guru had an attack of smallpox with high fever, and he became delirious. Owing to this infectious disease, the Guru was shifted to a house in village Bhogal near the present Nizam-ud-din railway station.
The Sikhs who were attending on him realized that the Guru might succumb to the fatal disease. They were anxious to secure from him nomination of a successor according to old tradition. They placed a coco-nut20 and five paise in a golden dish before him and pressed him to name his successor. As a rule a child would never call his ancestors by name out of respect, and would address them as chacha, tau, baba or dada. If they were living away from him, their place of residence would also be mentioned. The child placed his right hand on the dish and the articles, and uttered ‘Baba Bakale’, obviously referring to Tegh Bahadur, his grand-uncle, who had been living at village Bakala for the past 26 years. He closed his eyes, became unconscious, and expired on March 30, 1664, the Baisakhi day, at the age of eight. He was cremated on the bank of the river Jamuna where now stands Gurudwara Bala· Sahib.21 A big Gurudwara was later on constructed at Raesina, called Bangila Sahib, at the site of the bungalow of Mirza Raja Jai Singh in which Guru Hari Krishan had stayed.
Tegh Bahadur Becomes Guru - Guru August, 1664
Guru Hari Krishan was accompanied by about twenty trusted followers.22 They included Diwan Dargaha Mal who was in charge of the Guru’s finances, his nephews Mati Das and Sati Das, Gurditta the high priest, a descendant of Bhai Buddha and Dyal Das of Alipur in Multan district. These five men represented the panchayat and cabinet of the Guru’s court. They discussed the matter and came to the conclusion that the obvious reference of Baba Bakale implied Tegh Bahadur who was the only Baba (grandfather) of Guru Hari Krishan then living and who was at Bakala. All other sons of Guru Hargobind had died. They first escorted Guru Hari Krishan’s mother, Sulakhani, to Kiratpur towards the end of April 1664 A.D. They stayed there for a few months to console the grief stricken lady, and set the Guru’s household in order.
Meanwhile Guru Hari Krishan’s nomination of’Baba Bakale’ had spread among the Sodhis of Kiratpur, Kartarpur and other places. Twenty-two of them set up their posts in village Bakala to claim Guruship. Eleven of them were Sodhis and the remaining eleven were masands or Sikh bishopsY The most rebellious of them was Dhir Mal, the elder son of Gurditta, the eldest son of Guru Hargobind. He had shifted from Kartarpur to Bakala on hearing the news of Guru Hari Krishan’s death. He based his claim on the principle of primogeniture or seniority by birth, although this principle was never accepted by the Sikh Gurus, nor even by the Mughal rulers. Further, he possessed the original copy of the holy Granth prepared by Guru Arjan which had been deposited in the Gurudwara of Kartarpur for safety. He also employed many touts to proclaim his succession as the ninth Guru.
Tegh Bahadur remained undisturbed and unruffled by the uproar of impostors. By the divine light, he knew that the call was for him, and he firmly believed that if he deserved it, it would come to him automatically without any effort on his part. So he did not change his way of living and kept busy in meditation and prayer as usual. His mother and wife also knew from intuition that the great hour in their lives had struck. But the violent activities of Dhir Mal greatly alarmed the ladies. Mother Nanaki invited Dwarka Das, a scion of the house of Guru Amar Das, from Goindwal to come to Bakala for the protection of Tegh Bahadur. He called the five members of the Guru’s Panchayat from Kiratpur to announce their decision and offer the sacred articles of nomination to the new Guru on behalf of the deceased Guru. All of them reached Bakala about the month of August, 1664.
They went to Mother Nanaki’s house and gave a brief account of Guru Hari Krishan’s death and his nomination of Tegh Bahadur as the ninth Guru. A meeting of prominent persons of Bakala was called. Then the high priest Gurditta placed the sacred coconut and five copper coins before Tegh Bahadur, bowed before him and declared him the ninth Guru. Tegh Bahadur accepted the sacred articles in all reverence and humility and declared that he would remain ever loyal to the house of Nanak. It happened in August, 1664.24
The impostors were still holding on, carrying on propaganda in their favour. In October, at the end of the rains Makhan Shah,25 a rich Banjara26 merchant, accompanied by numerous bullocks, horses, hounds and armed retainers, being a follower of the Sikh Gurus, arrived at Bakala, to pay homage to the true Guru. To avert a calamity befalling him on a previous occasion, he had prayed to the Guru to save him, vowing in his heart to make an offering of 500 gold coins, by way of thanksgiving. It was to fulfil this vow that he had gone there. Finding a multitude of Gurus and visiting all the twenty-two of drums somebody suggested that he should visit a recluse named Tegh Bahadur. Makhan Shah had been deeply disgusted and disappointed with all these pretenders to Guruship, as none demanded the full amount of his dedication. He did not mind calling on Tegh Bahadur and laid two coins before him. Tegh Bahadur closed his eyes for a moment and then said that his vow was for 500 and not for two coins. Makhan Shah prostrated himself before the Guru and told the congregation that he was the true Guru.27
Dhir Mal’s men deeply resented Makhan Shah’s intervention. The sixth, seventh and eighth Gurus had lived at Kiratpur. Dhir Mal was living during this period at Kartarpur. As he possessed the original copy of the holy Granth, he had established his influence in the Amritsar and Jullundur areas. He was afraid that Tegh Bahadur from Bakala might oust him from power. He, therefore, decided to kill Tegh Bahadur. About a hundred of his armed followers attacked the house of the Guru at the time when it was unguarded. A shot was fired at the Guru, and the bullet grazed his shoulder. The Guru’s house was plundered of everything of value. Then Makhan Shah appeared on the scene. His men fell upon Dhir Mal’s camp and seized the Guru’s property along with some articles belonging to Dhir Mal, including his copy of the holy Granth.28
When Tegh Bahadur heard about it, he declared:
To exercise forgiveness is a great act,
To exercise forgiveness is to give alms.
Forgiveness is equal to ablutions at all places of pilgrimage.
Forgiveness ensureth man’s salvation.
There is no virtue equal to forgiveness.29
He ordered that everything brought from Dhir Mal’s house, whether it belonged to the Guru or to the culprit, must be restored at once. The order was partially obeyed, as the copy of the holy Granth was retained without the knowledge of the Guru. This too was returned afterwards.
Guru Tegh Bahadur at Amritsar
Guru·Tegh Bahadur left for Amritsar on February 30, 1665 and called at Hari Mandir. He was accompanied by his mother Nanaki, wife Gujari, her brother Kripal Chand, Makhan Shah and a few followers. The priests would not admit him and closed the doors of the holy Temple against him. The Temple was under the control of Prithi Chand’s descendants, who was the eldest brother of Guru Arjan. Prithi Chand had been passed over from succession by Guru Ram Das. Prithi Chand called himself the sixth Guru, his son Meharban dubbed himself the seventh Guru, and his son Harji took the title of the eighth Guru. Guru Hargobind’s houses and property were in his possession. Guru Tegh Bahadur and his party rested under a tree only a few metres to the north of Akal Takht. This place is termed Thara Sahib31 or the holy platform. A Gurudwara marks that site. Makhan Shah was strictly forbidden to take any action against the culprits. A peasant woman, Hariyan, of village Walla,32 7 km from Amritsar, offered her house as shelter for the Guru and his family. Tegh Bahadur retired there in the evening to spend the night. In honour of the Guru!s visit a fair is held at Walla called Kothe da Mela on the full moon day of Magh33 (January-February). In the Guru’s absence Makhan Shah entered the Hari Mandir, and Guru Tegh Bahadur was admitted to the Temple where he worshipped for a while, and then left for Khadur, the place dedicated to Guru Angad and Goindwal, the seat of the third Guru, Amar Das. He then returned to Bakala.
The Guru’s Rambles
The Guru lived at Bakala again up to the end of the rainy season, October 1665. “Here too he was not allowed to abide in peace, for the old jealousy and enmity of the Sodhis had revived.”34 He later visited Kiratpur. “There again he was plagued with the jealousy of the Sodhis.”35 Guru Tegh Bahadur made up his mind to go on a pilgrimage to the east. The reasons were plain. He did not find the atmosphere in the Punjab congenial for his work. He wished to follow the example of Guru Nanak by visiting holy places. He was desirous of meeting the Sikhs living outside the Punjab at many places in northern India. He was keen to propagate the new religion to give consolation to suffering humanity. He left Punjab in November,36 1665, accompanied by his mother, wife, her brother Kripal Chand, Dyal Das, Mati Das, Sati Das and a few other devoted followers. He had his own tents, horses, carriages, bullocks, camels and necessary equipment to meet his requirements on the journey. He usually halted outside a village or town in a garden or on the bank of a river.37
Visiting Pehowa and Kurukshetra, Guru Tegh Bahadur reached Delhi. Ram Rai got him arrested, as he still claimed Guruship for himself. George Forster who wrote his book about one hundred years later, says that Guru remained in goal for two years.38 It seems that he was there only for two months. Mirza Raja Jai Singh was at this time in the Deccan carrying on a campaign against Shivaji. His son Raja Ram Singh represented him at the Mughal Court, and pleaded the Guru’s innocence. He said that the Guru was on his way to visit the sacred places of pilgrimage and he stood surety for his conduct.39 From Delhi the Guru went to Mathura, Brindaban, Agra, Etawah, Kanpur and reached Allahabad about February 1666. At the last place he stayed for six months. Guru Gobind Singh says in the Bachitar Natak:
Mur pit purab,kiyas payana
Bhant bhant ke tirath nana
Jab eh Jat tribaini bhaye
Pun dan din karat bitaye.40
(My father went to the east,
He visited all sorts of places of pilgrimage;
When he reached Tribaini (Prayag),
He spent his time in alms-giving)
It was at this sacred place in the divine atmosphere and celestial environment when Guru Tegh Bahadur was busy in giving away his spiritual and material wealth that Mata Gujari conceived for the first time in thirty-four years of her married life. Passing Mirzapur, Benares and Sasaram Guru reached Gaya where he stayed a little longer. There he was joined by Raja Ram Singh41 of Amber. He arrived at Patna in November, 1666.
The Guru Accompanies Ram Singh to Dacca and Assam
Shortly after the Guru’s departure from Delhi, Raja Ram Singh was involved in a serious trouble. On the solemn pledge given by Mirza Raja Jai Singh as a Rajput for his safety and honour, Shivaji with his elder son called on Aurangzeb at Agra on May 12, 1666. He was placed under the custody of Raja Ram Singh. Finding their lives in danger, Shivaji and his son Shambhuji escaped from Agra by a stratagem on August 19, 1666. Sir Jadunath Sarkar writes: “The Emperor suspected that Shivaji had fled with the connivance of Ram Singh. The Rajput prince was punished first by being forbidden the court then by being deprived of his rank and pay.”42 Aurangzeb then ordered the prince to lead an expedition for the conquest of Assam. In reality he was sent there either to die of malaria, which was rampant in those parts and of which Aurangzeb’s great general Mir Jumla, had died on March 31, 1663 or to be killed in fighting. In the event of Ram Singh’s death, his state of Amber (Jaipur) was to be confiscated.43 The base of Ram Singh’s operations was to be Dacca which was the capital of Bengal, and Shaista Khan, the Emperor’s maternal uncle was its governor. A Mughal army formerly under·Mir Jumila was already there. Ram Singh was required to take charge of this force along with his own troops. To begin with, he was to make a preliminary survey of the situation, while the formal order of his appointment accompanied by a khilat was issued later.
Ram Singh did not wish to stay at the court in an atmosphere of disgrace, humiliation and suspicion. He wanted to study the situation, and then call his armed force to join him. The young prince thought of one remedy to secure his safety in the unhealthy climate and hostile jungles, hills, wild elephants, and a determined foe aided as reputed, by sorcery. This was to keep Guru Tegh Bahadur with him. He set out in pursuit of Tegh Bahadur and met him at Gaya. He implored the Guru to keep him company during the operations. He said : “It was certain death to command the invading army, and it would be equally fatal for me to disobey the Emperor’s orders. Hence I have come from distant Rajputana to seek the protection of thy holy feet. “44 The Raja did not like to stay at Patna, a stronghold of the Mughals in the east and he wanted to be at his post without any delay. The Guru would not disappoint a true devotee. He could not take his family with him owing to the approaching confinement of his wife. So he left the family at Patna without making suitable arrangements for their residence. He exhorted the local Sikhs to help Kripal Chand and Dyal Das in looking after his family, and himself with Mati Das and Sati Das followed the prince to Dacca. From Monghyr, the Guru wrote a letter to the Sikhs of Patna:
“We are accompanying Raja Ji and have our family at Patna. It is time for the congregation to serve the Guru.”45 He added:
“Bhai Dyal Das kahe
Sangal Guru ka hukam kar mannana.”46
(Whatever Bhai Dyal Das says, the Sangat should accept it as Guru’s command.)
They reached Dacca in the beginning of 1667. There Tegh Bahadur got the happy news of the birth of his son, Gobind Rai,47 on December 22, 1666. Ram Singh spent two years in making preparations for the war, conducting negotiations at the same time for the submission of Ahoms of Assam without fighting, if possible. The Mughal troops were already there. His Rajput forces joined him long after his arrival at Dacca. The prince was accompanied on this journey only by a suitable contingent as bodyguard. Guru Tegh Bahadur also stayed here with the Prince, and visited many places in the neighbourhood to meet his followers.
Ram Singh and Guru Tegh Bahadur left Dacca in December, 1668 and reached Dhubri in Assam, about 306 km distant, in February 1669. Ram Singh’s expeditionary force consisted of 4,000 Rajputs, 18,000 Mughals, all horsemen, 30,000 infantry and 15,000 local archers.48
The Guru remained busy in meditation and prayers, giving his blessings to the Rajputs and other visitors. His fame spread far and wide. A prince of some state in Assam, named Raja Ram, heard about the Guru. He had no son, and earnestly desired to have a successor. He came with his two wives to pay homage to the Guru and requested for the boon of a son. The Guru blessed him.49
Guru Tegh Bahadur Returns to Punjab
Guru Tegh Bahadur stayed with Raja Ram Singh in Assam for about two years and a half. Meanwhile reports of Aurangzeb’s fanaticism and determination to convert the Hindu population to Islam, and to make Hindu India a purely Muslim state began to pour into Ram Singh’s camp. Muhammad Said Mustid Khan in Maasir-e-Alamgiri says that in April, 1669, “the Director of the Faith issued orders to all the Governors of provinces to destroy with a willing hand the schools and temples of the infidels; and they were strictly enjoined upon to put an entire stop to the teaching and practising of idolatrous forms of worship.”50 Leaving aside what was happening to the Hindu, we refer only to the Emperor’s doings with regard to the Sikhs. The contemporary historian, Khafi Khan, writes:
“There is a sect of infidels called Guru, more commonly known as Sikhs. Their chief, who dresses as a fakir, has fixed residence near Lahore. From old times he has built temples in all the towns and populous places and has appointed one of his followers to preside in each temple as his deputy. When anyone of the sect brought presents or offerings for the Guru to the temple, the deputy had to collect them, and after deducting sufficient for his own food and expenses, his duty was to send the balance faithfully to the Guru. This sect consists principally of Jats and Khatris of the Panjab and of the other tribes of infidels. When Aurangzeb got knowledge of these matters, he ordered these deputy Gurus to be removed and temples to be pulled down.”51
Kalimiit-e-Tayyibiit says, its Sikh temple in a village in the Sarhind Division was turned into a mosque.52 Mirza Inayatullah Khan in his book Ahkam-e-Alamgiri. on pages 12-13, states that under Aurangzeb’s orders a gurudwara of the Sikhs (Butkhana-e-Nanak parastan) in the town of Buriya, Parganah Khizarabad, Sarkar Sarhind, was pulled down by the Qazi and a mosque was built in its place. Sayyid zafer Darvesh was appointed to be in charge of that mosque to guide prayers and benedictions. Some Sikhs attacked the mosque and killed the Darvesh. The Emperor suspended the Qazi and the Superintendent of Police (Mohtaib). Alimullah was appointed Qazi and his father head of the Police. Such incidents had become common.
When Guru Tegh Bahadur heard of these things, he decided to return to the Punjab immediately. He took leave of Raja Ram Singh in October 1671 and came to Patna where he stayed for a while. He showed his determination to proceed to the Punjab without delay. His Sikhs and supporters suggested that the Guru should leave his family at Patna for the present and recall them if he found the situation favourable in the Punjab. The Guru agreed. Having travelled for a few days, he changed his mind. He did not like to leave the family a thousand miles away from Kiratpur. He stopped and sent his trusted men to escort th~ family. In a fortnight they left Patna and joined Guru Tegh Bahadur at the place of his halting. Stopping on the way at prominent places like Kashi, Ayodhya, Lucknow, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Moradabad, Hardwar, Saharanpur, the party arrived at Lakhnaur, 15 km from Ambala City, about February, 1672. The Guru left his family there under the protection of Bhikhan Shah, an influential Muslim chief of Ghuram, situated nearby and the Nawab of Saifabad; a town 6 km east of Patiala now called Bahadurgarh.53 He himself went to Kiratpur to study the attitude of his relatives.
Makhowal, Nanaki Chak and Anandpur
Guru Tegh Bahadur did not like to stay at Kiratpur which was still rife with conspiracies and intrigues. But he was fascinated with the panoramic landscape of the region lying in the outer parts of the Shivalik Hills. At a distance of 8 km to the north below the hill of Naina Devi situated 13 km distant, close to the village of Makhowal, on the left bank of the Satluj, the Guru purchased a piece fallow land from the Raja of Bilaspur for a sum of Rs. 500/- in March, 1672.54 The site acquired was named Chak Nanaki55 after his mother. The Guru had been supplied by Raja Ram Singh and his Rajputs with a sum of seven lakhs of rupees56 on the occasion of his departure from Assam, mostly in the form of Darshni Hundis (bearer cheques) issued by Jagat Seths on the bankers of important town and cities. Their credit existed not only in India, but also all over Asia, especially in Central and Western Asia which were closely connected by trade with India. With this money the Guru started construction of buildings at Nanaki Chak, and called his family from Lakhnaur after seven months on the sacred day of Dusehra, October, 1672.57
The Guru felt extremely happy at having a place of his own to reside, like the previous Gurus. Guru Nanak had lived at Kartarpur on the Ravi, Guru Angad at Khadur, Guru Amar Oas at Goindwal, Guru Ram Das and Guru Arjan at Amritsar, Guru Hargobind, Guru Hari Rai and Guru Hari Krishan at Kiratpur. The sight of the Dhaula Dhar Range covered with snow in December, the hill of Naina Devi in front and the river Satluj flowing nearby, fascinated him. The joy of having a loving mother, a happy wife and a gifted son inspired him. He took strolls on the open high ground now marked by a cluster of buildings lying around the Gurudwara Sis Ganj. He named that area Anandpur or the Abode of Bliss. Sir George Campbell who served as deputy commissioner around here in 1844, calls this place “Anandpore-Makhowal.”58
Aurangzeb Camps in the Punjab
About this time the sky began to darken. In 1672 the Afridis of the Khyber Pass revolted and inflicted terrible losses on the Mughals. “Ten thousand men fell under the enemy’s sword in the field and above two crores of Rupees in cash and kind was looted by the enemy. They captured twenty thousand men and women and sent them to Central Asia for sale.”59 The Afridis were then joined by the Khataks. Their chieftain Khushal Khan, a great poet and warrior, inspired the tribesmen in their defiance of the Mughals both by pen and poniard. The situation grew so serious that Aurangzeb had to take the direction of operations in his own hands. He remained at Hasan Abdal near Rawalpindi, also called Panja Sahib, from June, 1674 to December, 1675.
The Guru Visits His Sikhs
During Aurangzeb’s stay in the Punjab, local officials persecuted the Hindu population and converted them to Islam in large numbers in order to win the appreciation of the Emperor, in whose mind the spread of Islam was uppermost. Syed Muhammad Latif writes: “The emperor had in those days thrown hundreds of Brahmans in the hope that if they first embraced the religion of the Prophet, the rest of the Hindus would readily follow their example”60 In Kashmir, thousands of Pandits were forced to embrace Islam. The Hindus were terror-stricken. Guru Tegh Bahadur realized the imperative necessity to encourage the Hindus and Sikhs to face the situation calmly and boldly and not to yield to despair and despondency. He decided to tour from village to village first in Malwa, the land lying between the rivers Ghaggar and Satluj.61
In this region the influence of the Gurus had been firmly established since the time of Guru Hargobind. Next he was to travel in the Jullundur and Upper Bari Doabs. He left Anandpur after the Diwali festival, in November, 1674. The main theme of his sermons was:
(i) Bhay Kahun ko det nah Nahin bhay manat an
(Neither to terrorize others nor to fear anyone.)
(ii) Gun Gobind gaiyo nahin Janam akarath kin
Kah Nanak Har” bhaj mana
Jeh bidhal ko min
(You did not sing the praise of God,
And wasted your life in vain;
Nanak says, remember God,
As a fish remembers water.)
(iii) Dhan dara, sampat sagal
Jin apni kari man
In men kachnu sangi nahin
Nanak sachi jan.
(Wealth, family, property, all of which
you consider your own;
None of these shall abide with you,
Says Nanak, this is the truth).
(iv) Sab sukh data Ram hai
Dusar nahin koi.
Keh Nanak, sun re mana
Teh simrat gat hoi.
(God is the giver of all happiness, none else.
Says Nanak, hark my mind,
You will succeed by meditating on His name).
As the Guru was meeting his disciples after eight or nine years, many men followed him during Tegh Bahadur’s tours to listen to his sermons and to get his benediction. To serve the congregation, the residents of the villages voluntarily collected foodstuffs, milk and clarified butter for the Guru’s langar. The area was backward. Rain was scarce. It was almost a desert in the absence of any irrigation facilities. The poor and ignorant but hardy and tough people, were cowed down by Muslim officials, particularly at this time when the Emperor was present in Punjab.
The Guru tried to ameliorate the condition of the inhabitants with the money he had brought from Assam. He sunk wells at places where there was scarcity of drinking water. Tanks were constructed to store rain water which was not to be allowed to go waste. He purchased cows and gave them free to poverty-stricken families. He got trees planted at suitable places. He spent ten months in this tour, and visited numerous places. Attar Singh, chief of Bhadaur, in his book entitled. “The Travels of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh” in 137 pages, mentions some of the important places visited by the Guru.
The local officials were upset at the Guru’s activities, and they submitted alarming reports to the Emperor. They accused him of having a large following, exacting money forcibly, and instigating people in revolt. Sayyid Ghulam Husain who compiled his history of India under the title of Siyar-ul-Mutakhirin one hundred years later, baselessly charged the Guru with plundering people. George Forster who met Ghulam Husain in Calcutta, and who journeyed in the Punjab, about the same time writes:
“No document for the elucidation of this passage appearing in any of the memoirs of Hindostan that have reached my knowledge, I am prevented from discovering the quality of the crime which subjected Tegh Bahadur to capital punishment.”62
Malcolm and Cunninghan followed Ghulam Husain. Thus writes Cunningham:
“And the ordinary Sikh accounts represent him, a pious and innocent instructor of men, as once Lahore arraigned at Delhi in the character of a criminal; but the truth seems to be that Tegh Bahadur followed the example of his father with unequal footsteps, and that, choosing for his haunts that wastes between Hansi and the Sutlej he subsisted himself and his disciples by plunder, in a way, indeed that rendered him not unpopular with the peasantry.”63
Syed Muhammad Latif, a Muslim, goes a step further in his condemnation of the Guru, he writes:
“Tegh Bahadur resolved upon the extirpation of the Sodhis, by whom he was looked upon as a usurper; but Makhan Shah persuaded him to put his sword in the sheath. He lived with splendour and kept in his employ one thousand armed horsemen. With the immense offerings of his disciples he commenced building a strong fort at Kartarpur, where he established his ecclesiastical court.”64
The exaggerated reports by Government officials alarmed the Emperor who had already gone through a-bitter experience of a revolt on the frontier. He was not prepared to find the border province of Panjab in a disturbed condition, and he decided to punish Guru Tegh Bahadur.
The Guru Brought to Delhi
The Guru had hardly settled down again at Anandpur when another catastrophe took place. Some of the Kashmiri Brahmins who were not prepared to embrace Islam under persecution called on Guru Tegh Bahadur to seek his guidance. They had heard about Guru Hargobind’s visit to Kashmir in company with the Emperor Jahangir, and had knowledge of his warlike activities. The Guru’s heart melted at their tale of woe. He became uneasy and restless at the sad plight of innocent people. At this time the child Gobind, not even nine yet, appeared there. He innocently asked about the cause of sadness of the Guru and the visitors. The Guru replied that the nation required a holy man to sacrifice his life. The child remarked that there could be no holier person than the Guru himself. This was enough. The Guru took the child’s observation as God’s own oracle. His resolve was made. He informed the Brahmins that they should tell the rulers to convert Tegh Bahadur first and then they would follow his example.
The Pandits went back and told this to the Governor, who conveyed it to Aurangzeb at Hasan Abdal, situated close to the borders of Kashmir. The Emperor’s mind was already prejudiced against Guru Tegh Bahadur. He hated the word Sachcha Patishah used by the Sikhs for the Guru. It implied that the Guru was a true king while the ruler of India was a false king. He also detested the word Bahadur in the Guru’s name, as this was reserved for the nobility of the Mughal court only. He ordered his deputies to summon him to the capital and force him to accept Islam or to lose his life.
The Guru realized that his end had come. He composed four stanzas marked as Dohiras Nos. 53, 54, 55, 56. In Nos 53 and 55 he describes his difficulties and trials, and in Nos. 54 and 56 he expresses hope and faith in God’s succour.
Dohira No. 53
Bal Chhutyo bandhan pare Kachu na hot upae.
Kah Nanak ab ot Hari Gaj Jiyon hot sahae
(My strength is exhausted, I am in bondage,
I have no resource :
Saith Nanak., God is now my refuge;
May he succour me as He did the Elephant).
Guru Tegh Bahadur then gave the reply himself:
Dohira No 54
Bal hoa bandhan chhute
Sab kichh hoi upae
Nanak sab kichh tumre hiith main
Tum hi hot sahiae”55
(Strength has come, the bondage is broken,
All the resources are there;
Saith Nanak, Lord! everything is in your power,
You are my refuge).
“The Emperor divided his residence between Delhi and Agra, but Delhi was the chief capital, where most of the state ceremonies took place.”66 Tegh Bahadur was accompanied by five Sikhs. His life-long companions Bhai Mati Das, a Mohyal Brahmin of Kariala in Jehlam District, 10 km from Chakwal on the road leading to Katas Raj and his brother Sati Das were among them. Gurditta, a lineal descendant of Bhai Buddha was also there. Dyal Das, the eldest brother of Bhai Mani Singh Shahid, was the fourth. Jaita of the sweeper caste who attended to the menial work of the Guru and his companions, completed the group.67
They were first taken to Agra where the Wazir of the Empire was staying; but later on they were brought to Delhi.’ The Wazir under orders of “Emperor Aurangzeb,” writes Syed Muhammad Latif, “whose efforts were directed to converting the whole world to the Mahomedan faith urged the Sikh Guru to embrace Mahomedanism.”68 Tegh Bahadur turned down the proposal with contempt. He was then asked to show miracles. The Guru rejected the idea by saying that he could not interfere in the work of God.
The Guru in an Iron Cage
Guru Tegh Bahadur was thrown into prison and was shut up in an iron cage in chains. He was subjected to severe tortures, both physical and mental. His companions were imprisoned elsewhere and the Guru was falsely told that they had fled away. The darogha of the gaol was Sayyid Hasan Abdullah of Mani Majra near Chandigarh. He treated the Guru with consideration as far as circumstances permitted.69 In this situation the Guru composed two more chants:
Dohira No. 55
Sang sakha sab taj gae
Kou na nibhyo sath
Kaho Nanaky eh bipt men
Tek ek Ragh Nath
(My associates and companions have all abondoned me;
No one has remained with me to the last.
Saith Nanak, in this calamity
God alone is my refuge).
He gives a reply in Dohra No. 56:
Nam rahyo sadhu rahyo
Rahyo Gur Gobind
Kauh Nanak eh jagat men
Kin japyo Gur mant.70
(The Name remaineth, saints remain,.
The Lord remaineth;
Saith Nanak in this world,
Few are God’s devotees).
The Guru took five paise and a coconut71 prayed and bowed before them. He sent these articles to his son Gobind Rai as a token of his nomination to Guruship, through Gurditta.
The Martyrdom
The authorities now decided to finish this matter. Of the five companions of the Guru, Jaita remained free, as he had taken to sweeping the road in front of the Kotwali. Gurditta had escaped and gone to Anandpur disguised as a rustic. Dyal Das, Mati Das and Sati Das were brought into the presence of the Guru. Then the most diabolical drama was staged at the place where now stands the Fountain in front of the Kotwali. Bhai Mati Das was asked to become a Musalman. He refused, saying that his own faith was true and he had no desire to change it. He was tied between two posts, and while standing erect, was sawn across from head to the joints. He faced the savage operation with such composure, tranquility and fortitude that the Sikh theologians included his feat in the daily prayer (ardas) of the community. Dyal Das was tied up like a bundle and thrown into a huge cauldron of boiling oil. He was roasted alive into a block of charcoal. Sati Das condemned to similar brutalities. He was hacked to pieces limb by limb. Jaita was also present, disguised as a sweeper with a broom and a basket in his hands. He collected the remains of these martyrs at night and consigned them to the river Jamuna flowing at a stone’s throw.
All this happened before the very eyes of Guru Tegh Bahadur. He was all the time repeating “Wahe Guru”. He knew his turn was coming next. He remained composed, unruffled and undismayed. His energy, thoughts, ideas, feelings and emotions had concentrated on God, and the dazzling divine light was beating upon his face. He realized that such immortal sacrifices could not go in vain. Their name would live for ever. In this holocaust, he saw a new nation of heroes. It was not the English nation as misinterpreted by some apologists for the British Raj but the Khalsa, the Sikh warriors. whose daring exploits and heroic deeds were to fill the pages of history later on. His followers were done to death on November 10, 1675.
At the end of this devil’s dance, the Guru was asked either to embrace Islam or show a miracle, or face death. The Guru refused to apostatize himself. About the performance of miracles, he turned down the demand with contempt. In the words of Bachittar Natak an autobiographical fragment composed by Guru Gobind Singh, he is stated to have replied:
‘The performance of theatrical acts is low.
At which the devotees of God should feel ashamed’
The Guru, contemplating the sufferings of the Indian people and the Kashmiri Brahmins who had sought his succor, was determined to offer the supreme sacrifice. The famous words of a poet express his resolve:
Bahen jinahn di pakariye.
Sir dije bahen na chhoriye
Guru Tegh Bahadur boliya
Dhar paiyai dharam na chhoriye
(Give up your head, but forsake not those
whom you have undertaken to protect.
Says Guru Tegh Bahadur,
Sacrifice your life, but relinquish not your faith).
On the morning fixed for the martyrdom, the Guru got up early. He bathed and sat in meditation, recited the Japuji and Sukhmani. He reflected upon the supreme sacrifice of his grandfather, Guru Arjan, on the duties of the office of Guruship, and on his own responsibilities at this crisis. His resolve was already made.
The nobles and courtiers had gathered near the Kotwali in the open space. Thousands of spectators had flocked there. At 11 O’clock the Guru was produced before the multitude. “The Guru said before the assembly of the Omerahs that the duty of man was to pray to the Lord, but since he had been commanded by His Majesty to show a miracle, he had resolved upon complying with the King’s orders. He wrote on a piece of paper, which he said was charmed, and then, having tied it round his neck declared that the sword would fall harmless on it by the effect of the charm which was written upon it. The executioner was now summoned to test the miraculous charm. The blow was given and the head of the Guru rolled on to the floor to the amazement ofthe court.72
A grand Gurudwara, called Sis Ganj (The Holy Head), stands at the place where the Guru was executed. Its adjacent building, the Kotwali Prison where the Guru was kept confined, was acquired by the Sikhs from the Delhi administration of October 11, 1968.
Darling Deeds of Jaita and Lakhi Shah Labana
The people of Delhi were so terror-stricken that none came forward to cremate the body of the Guru for fear of the authorities. Jaita, the sweeper, managed to steal the Guru’s head, and carried it to Anandpur, 340 kms distant, a prodigious performance, and presented it to Guru Gobind Rai, the nine-year old child. The new Guru bestowed all affection and love on this hero and remarked, “Ranghrete Guru ke bete”, meaning “the untouchables are the Guru’s own sons.” The Gurudwara Sis-Ganj at Anandpur Sahib marks the site where the head was reverently received and cremated.
A Labana Sikh, Lakhi Shah, a trader by profession, stole the decapitated body in a cart laden with cotton and cremated it in his village later named Rakab Ganj, 8 km distant from the Kotwali, by setting his own hut with all its belongings on fire to avoid detection. The ashes of the body were collected placed in a brass vessel (gagar) and buried. A magnificent Gurudwara has been erected recently at this site.
This was the great turning point is Sikh history. The execution of the Guru and his companions in the most barbarous manner set ablaze the hearts of Hindus no less than of the Sikhs. They were convinced that any attempt at reconciliation with the Mughal authorities was impossible. It was realized that the people themselves must find their own salvation against a cruel and corrupt government. This task was taken up by Guru Tegh Bahadur’s son and successor, Guru Gobind Singh.
As is well-known, Guru Gobind Singh transformed the Sikhs from a quietist sect of God-fearing people into a martial people, a church militant that urged endless war against Aurangzeb and his successors. After untold sacrifices for nearly three quarters of a century, the Khalsa (militant Sikh Order) of Guru Gobind Singh liberated the Punjab and its neighbouring areas. Guru Tegh Bahadur’s sacrifice was only the starting point for a mighty revolution. In the words,of Bachittar Natak, already referred to:
The Lord protected the paste-mark and the sacred thread.
And in Kali-yuga performed a mighty heroic deed.
This deed he performed for the protection of Dharma,
Gave up his head, but not his passion.
For men of God he spared himself no suffering.
Gave up his head, but uttered not a groan,
Breaking the vessel of his life on the head of the monarch of Delhi.
He departed for the Celestial Realms-
None has performed a mighty deed like Tegh Bahadur’s.
At Tegh Bahadur’s departure the whole world was plunged in grief
The world wailed, but the Celestial Realms echoed with his glory.
~~~
ReferenceS
I. There is a controversy over the date of birth of Guru Tegh BahaduL Gulab Singh in Gurparanali. and Gian Singh in Twarikh Guru Khalsa give 19 Maghar Shudi 2. Bikrami Samvat 1678 (November. 1921).
Sohan Singh in Gur Bilas Patshahr Chhevin Santokh Singh in Suraj Prakash Kahan Singh in Mahan Kosh. Amritsar Bansavali, Kesar Singh Multani in Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji Ka Jiwan Britant. McAuliffe in Sikh Religion, Teja Singh and Ganda Singh in A short History of Sikhs and Trilochan Singh in Guru Tegh Bahadur accept Baisakh Vadi 5.1678 B.S. (April I. 1621 A.D.)
2. The practice ofCharanpahul was started by Guru Nanak and it was followed by all the Gurus up to 1698 A.D., when the Khalsa was created by Guru Gobind Singh. At initiation, a Sikh drank water in which the Guru had dipped his head finger of the toe (Nar angusht-e-pa) Its object was to develop the spirit of humility and meekness as this was the only way of survival for common down-trodden non-Muslims.
3. J. S. Grewal and S. S. Bal. Guru Gobind Singh. fin. p. 11.
4. Trilochan Singh. Guru Tegh Bahadur. p. 42
5. Dabistan-e-Mazahib, p. 234.
6. Guru Tegh Bahadur, p. 75.
7. Ibid., p. 83,
8. Latif. Lahore, pp. 51, 61, 214-21.
9. M’Gregor, History of the Sikhs. I, p. 59.
10. The Dabistan, p. 235.
11. The Sikhs. William Blackwood & Sons. London, MCM IV. 35: Syed Muhammad Latif, History of the Punjab. p. 252.
12. The Dabistan, p. 235.
13. Gain Singh, Twarikh Guru Khalsa. i. (Gurmukhi). p. 264.
14. Jadunath Sarkar, A Short History of Aurangzeb, p. 68.
15. Sujan Rae Bhandari, Khulasat-ut-Twarikh, p. 513.
16. Macauliffe, iv, p. 310.
17. Trilochan Singh places it in October, 1661, which is October 6. 1661: vide Guru Tegh Bahadur, p. 109, f.n. 40.
18. Kesar Singh Multani, 9.
19. Kanhiyalal, Tarikh-e-Panjab. 38: Trilochan Singh Guru Tegh Balladur, 112.
20. Kanhiyalal calls it Sripal perhaps a sharifa. Tarikh-e-Panjab, 39.41.
21. Guru Gobind Singh’s two wives, Mata Sundari and Mata Sahib Devi, were also cremated close to Bala Sahib.
22. Gian Singh, Twarikh Guru Khalsa. 262.
23. Gian Singh, Panth Prakash, 110: Trilochan Singh Guru Tegh Bahadur. 139, f. n. 5.
24. Khazan Singh in his History and Philosophy ofthe Sikh Religion. i. 150 puts it on April 16. 1664 A. D., which is obviously wrong.
25. Makhan Shah belonged to village Tanda in Jehlam district. Gian Singh. Twarikh Guru Khalsa i. p. 265: Khazan Singh History and Philosophy of the Sikh Religion, i. 1914. p. 149.
26. “Banjaras acknowledge one God and look on Guru Nanak as the Supreme Teacher”. W. Crook. Tribes and Castes of NW. India. i. 1542.
27. Santokh Singh, Suraj Prakash, Ras 11 Ansu 2 and 5: Gian Singh, Panth Prakash. 110: Twarikh Guru Khalsa. i. 265.
28. Santokh Singh. Suraj Prakash.Ras 11. Ansu 13.
29. Macaulilfic. i. 335
30. Khazan Singh, History and Philosophy of the Sikh Religion. i. 1914. p. 151.
31. Gian Singh, Twarikh Guru Khalsa. i. 266: Jagjit Singh Temple of Spirituality, The Sikh Religious Tract Society. Tarn Taran. 1935. p. 24.
32. Two shrines were later on erected in this village to commemorate Guru Tegh Bahadur’s visit: one is outside the village and the other inside.
33. Macauliffe. iv. 337.
34. Ibid.
35. Ibid.. 338.
36. Ibid.. 339.
37. Santokh Singh, Suraj Prakash. Ras 11. Ansu 33.
38. A Journey from Bengal to England. i. Languages Department. Punjab, 1970. p.300.
39. Cunningham, A History of the Sikhs. 1966. p. 57.
40. Bachittar Natak, 7/1.
41. Khazan Singh. History of the Sikhs. 1966. p. 57.
42. A short History of Aurangzeb. 1954. p. 204.
43. Macauliffe. iv. 350.
44. Kirpal Singh, Patna Collection of Hukam Namaha quoted in S. S. Uppal’s Guru Gobind Singh- The Saviour. 1969. p. 89.
45. Kirpal Singh. Patna Collection of Hukam .Namahas.
46. Trilochan Singh. 219, 222, 223.
47. The name, Gobind Rae, was given by Tegh Bahadur at his departure from Patna to the expected birth of a male child. Macauliffe, iv, 358.
48. Jadunath Sarkar, History of Aurangzeb. iii, 213.
49. Macauliffe, iv, 357.
50. Eliot and Dowson, vii, 1964 edition, pp. 183-4.
51. Muntakitab-ul-Lubab. ii, 651, Eliot and Dowson; Later Mughols. Susil Gupta. Calcutta, 1955, p. 26.
52. Sri Ram Sharma, Religious Policy of the Mughols. 115.
53. Macauliffe. iv, 366, Kartar Singh, Lift of Guru Gobind Singh. 1968, p. 25.
54. Chait Samvat 1729 Bikrami; Sewa Singh, Shahid Bilas. 59: Cunningham writes: “After a time Tegh Bahadur returned to the Punjab and bought a piece of ground now known as Makhowal, on the banks of the Sutlej and close to Kiratpur the chosen residence of his father.” A History of the Sikhs. 1955, p.57.
55. Trilochan Singh, Guru Tegh Bahadur. p. 177.
56. Gian Singh. Twarikh Guru Khalsa. i, p. 270.
57. Surinder Singh Johar, Guru Gobind Singh. 1967, p. 37.
58. Memoirs of My Indian Career. i, p. 77.
59. Jadunath Sarkar, A Short History of Aurangzeb. 133.
60. History of the Panjab. 260.
61. Kartar Singh. Life of Guru Gobind Singh, 1969, p. 34.
62. A Journey from Bengal to England. i, Languages Department. Punjab. 1970, p.300.
63. A History of the Sikhs. 1955. p. 57.
64. History of the Punjab, 1964, p. 259.
65. Macauliffe, iv, 385 wrongly attributes this Dohira to Guru Tegh Bahadur’s son Gobind Rai.
66. Stanley Lanepool, Aurangzeb. S. Chand & Co., 1964, p. 89.
67. Bhagat Lakshman Singh, Guru Gobind Singh. Languages Department Punjab, 1970, p. 14.
68. History of the Panjab, p 259.
69. Kanhiyalal, Tarikh-e-Panjab (Urdu), 45.
70. Bani Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji. SGPC. Arnritsar. (Gurmukhi). October 1963. 5th edition, 69-70.
71. Kanhiyalal calls it Sriphal. Tarikh-e-Punjab, (Urdu). 75.
72. Syed Muhammad Latif, History o/the Panjab, 260.
¤
