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Pandit Kirpa Singh Dutt
(d. 1705) was the son of Bhai Aru Ram,
a Sarasvat Brahman of Matan, 65 KM east
of Srinagar, in Kashmir. Aru Ram had
met Guru Har Rai and sought his blessing
at the time of the latter's visit to
Kashmir in 1660.
Kashmiri Brahmins, came to Guru Tegh
Bahadur at Anandpur in May 1675 for
protection against atrocities of Aurungzeb.
Kirpa Ram led this group of Kashmiri
Pandits driven to dire straits by State
Persecution. They had faced stiff taxes,
atrocities, cruelty under muslim Mughal
governor of Kashmir. Honour of their
daughters was being lost and they were
losing their religion to the fanatic
zeal and proletyzation activities of
Islamic crusaders.
Iftikhar Khan, governor of Kashmir
(1671-75) was a harsh man and was making
forcible conversion to Islam. Kashmiri
Brahmins asked Guru for a solution.
Guru replied "Such activities can
only be stopped by a sacrifice of a
great person". Just then 8 years
old son of Guru Tegh Bahadur Gobind
Rai (Later Gobind Singh) came along
and saw his father in deep thoughts.
He enquired about the reason. He offered
a possible solution by saying "who
else is greater then you, O father".
Guru Tegh Bahadur knew immediately about
his Dharma. He told Kashmiri Brahmins
"Go tell Aurungzeb that if they
can convert your Guru then you will
all become Muslims." Kirpa Ram
obliged and Aurungzeb issued summons
for Guru. Guru performed the ceremony
and declared that next Guru will be
his son, Gobind Rai.
Guru Tegh Bahadur whose help the visitors
sought asked them to go and have it
communicated to the Emperor that, if
he (Guru Tegh Bahadur) was converted,
they would all voluntarily accept conversion.
Kirpa Ram and his companions sent to
Emperor Aurungzeb a petition to that
effect through Zalim Khan, a governor
of lahore. Then followed by imperial
summons, and Guru Tegh Bahadur's arrest
and Martyrdom in Delhi. Kirpa Ram returned
to Anandpur. Guru Gobind Singh ji from
1675 until 1690 took an extensive courses
in Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, and Punjabi
in educating himself. According to chronicles,
Pandit Kirpa Dutt helped Guru Gobind
singh in his Sanskrit Studies. Guru
Gobind Singh contemplated the martyrdom
of Guru Arjan Dev (his great grand father),
Guru Tegh Bahadur (his father) and decided
to create a khalsa. Khalsa was created
at Anandpur on March 31st 1699. Pandit
Kirpa Ram Dutt became Kirpa Singh after
taking Khanda Baate da Pahul. In 1699
he received the holy Amrit and entered
the fold of the Khalsa.
In December of 1699 A.D. Mughal forces
sieged the fort of Anandpur and after
many months, siege was lifted once Guru
agreed to give up the fort of Anandpur.
Mughals broke the promise and attacked
the retreating Guru Gobind singh's forces,
in this confusion, Guru's soldier and
family departed in different directions.
Guru Gobind Singh along with his 40
Sikhs (including Kirpa Singh and his
two sons Ajit Singh, and Jujhar Singh)
came to the fort of Chamkaur. Mughals
soon sorrounded the small mud fort of
Chamkaur. Guru and his sikhs decided
to face the battle in the batches of
five soldiers each. Pandit Kirpa Singh
Khalsa fell a martyr in the battle of
Chamkaur on 7 December 1705.
Copyright © Harbans Singh "The
encyclopedia of Sikhism. "
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