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 Kashmiri
Brahmins, led by Pundit Kirpa Ram came
to Guru Tegh Bahadur at Anandpur in
1675 for protection against atrocities
of Aurungzeb. 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. They asked 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 ceromany
and declared that next Guru will be
his son, Gobind Rai. His three devoted
disciples, Dyal Dass, Sati Dass and
Mati dass insisted on going along with
him, he agreed.
The rest account is from the book of
"History of Sikh vol-1, by Hari
Ram Gupta. His ancestors were honoured
by Guru Gobind Singh himself and were
given a title of Bhur-e-Shahi.
At Delhi 5-11, November, 1675
Aurungzeb had gone south, on his arrival
to Delhi he demanded Guru ji at capital.
(Guru ji were at Sirhind at this time)
The faujdar put Guru in an iron cage
and fastened it on the back of an elephant.
His companions were fettered and handcuffed,
and were carried in a bullock cart to
delhi. They reached delhi on Nov 5 1675,
and were kept at Kotwali jail. While
in the cage on his way to Delhi Guru
Tegh Bahadur composed the following
two quatrains: The translation is
Dohra no. 53
[My strenght is exhausted, I am in bondage,
I have
no resources. Saith Nanak God is now
my refuge.
May he succour me as He did the elphant]
Then he replied to himself
dohra no. 54
[ Strength is here, bondage is broken.
All the
resources are there. Nanak! everything
is in
thy power; you are my refuge]
Aurungzeb's pressure tactics:
Syed Mohammad Latif writes: "The
emperor had many religious disputations
with Tegh Bahadur, and asked him to
show miracles, if he was true guru,
or to embrace Islam." The Guru
replied that showing a miracle was to
interfere in the work of God which was
wholly improper. As for embracing Islam
he considered his religion as good as
Islam, and therefore the change of religion
was not necessary. The emperor ordered
that Guru be put to the severest tortures.
After five day's persecution on 10th
November, the most heinous and most
horrible scene was enacted before the
eyes of Guru who was kept in the iron
cage. Aurungzeb thought that the sight
of such ghastly deeds might force the
Guru to change his mind for embracing
Islam.
Sawing, bowling and chopping off:
Dyal Das, Mati Das and Sati Das as
well as the Guru were brought to the
open space in front of the Kotwali where
now stands a fountain. (Mati Das and
Sati das were brothers, they were former
Brahmins and belong to the area of Jammu)
First of all Bhai Mati das was asked
to become a Muslaman. He replied that
Sikhism was true and Islam was false.
If God had favoured Islam, he would
have created all men circumised. He
was at once tied between two posts,
and while standing erect, was sawn across
from head to loins. He faced the savage
operation with such compusure tranquility
and fortitude that Sikh theologians
included his name in the daily prayers
(Ardas). Dyal Das abused the Emperor
and his courtiers at this atrocious
act. He was tied up like a bundle with
an iron chain and was put into large
cauldron of bowling oil. He was roasted
alive into a block of charcoal. Sati
Das condemned the brutalities. He was
hacked to pieces limb by limb. Jaita
a Rangreta sikh of delhi collected the
remains of these martyrs and consigned
them to the river Yamuna flowing at
a stone's throw.
The Guru's reflections
All this happened before the very eyes
of Tegh Bahadur. He was all the time
repeating 'Wah Guru'. He remained stonelike
unruffled and undismayed. His energy,
thoughts, ideas, feelings, and emotions
had concentrated on Wah Guru, and dazzling
divine light was beaming upon his face.
He realized that such immortal sacrifices
could not go in vain. Their name would
live for ever. In this carnage he saw
the rise of a new nation of heroes.
Keeping in mind his promise to Kashmiri
pandits, the Guru continually chanted
the following hymn
Bah Jinahn di pakariye
Sar dije bah na chhoriye
Tegh Bahadur bolya
Dhar payae dharma na chhoriye.
[Give up your head, but forsake not
those whom you
have undertaken to protect. Says Tegh
Bahadur,
sacrifice your life, but relinquish
not your faith]
The Guru's miracle
Next morning Guru got up early. He
bath and sat in meditation. He recited
Japji and Sukhmani. He reflected upon
the supreme sacrifice of his grandfather,
Guru Arjan dev, on the duties of the
office of Guruship and on his own responsibility
at this crisis. His resolve was made.
A little before 11'o clock Guru Tegh
Bahadur was brought to open place of
execution in Chandni Chauk, where Gurudwara
Sis Ganj now stands. The Qazi, several
high officials, and the executioner,
Sayyid Jalal-Ud-Din of Samana with a
shining broad sword in hand was already
there. A contigent of Mughal soldiers
stood on guard. A large crowd of spectators
had gathered outside the barricade.
The Guru stood in front. The Qazi asked
him either to show miracle, or Embrace
Islam or face death.
Syed Mohammad Latif writes: " The
Guru said before the assembly of Omerahas
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 order. 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. The executiner was now summoned
to test the miraculous charm. The blow
was given and the head of the Guru rolled
on the floor to the amazement of court."
(Latif, page 260, History of PunjaB,
he is famous for anti Sikh writings
so please don't get offended with above)
Display in Delhi
After the execution Guru's head and
body were placed on the back of an elephant
and paraded into the streets and bazars
of Delhi. They were kept at the Kotwali
in Chandni Chauk after demonstrations.
Aurungzeb then ordered that parts of
his body be imputated and hung about
the city. "Wajudash ra chand hisse
namudah atraf-e-shahar-awezand"
A desperate struggle
Jaita and Nanu, residents of Dilwali
Gali in the city, held a meeting in
the house of Nanu. They were joined
by Uda, a resident of Ladwa in Karnal
district. They resolved that such a
thing should not happen. It was suggested
that Lakhi Lubana was shortly to arrive
with a few cartloads of cotton from
Narnaul. He was a Sikh and his guidance
was sought. They waited for Lakhi on
the road a few kilometrs away from the
city. They informed him about the whole
affair. It was decided that carts should
be diverted from the side of the Red
fort to Chandani chauk about midnight
on Nov 11/12 1675 A.D. Near Kotwali
the speed of the carts would be slowed
down without stopping them. The head
and body lay at the gate. The watchmen
wrapped in quilts were inside. Jaita
slipped out quickly, picked up the head
and fled away towards Sabzi Mandi. He
tied the head in a sheet, fastened it
on his back and covered his body in
an old, dirty blanket. He made straight
for Azadpur on the road to Sonepat.
Nanu and Uda kept him company at a distance.
Lakhi's extraordinary deed
Lakhi's son and servant lifted the
body, hid it in cotton and rushed off
to Raisina, and to their home in Rikab
Ganj village. They put the body in their
house, and piled all the wood, wooden
articles, clothes, ghee available at
home, since cremation at night is prohibited
they waited for daylight.
In the morning the entire staff of
Kotwali was horrified at the disappearance
of Guru's head and body. The police
was immediately put on alert. and a
thorough search was made. (Lakhi put
fire to his house and thus was as well
as saved of the wrath of emperor and
he also cremated Guru ji's body, at
this site now stands Gurudwara Rakab
Ganj)
The trio's feat of strenght and endurance
Jaita carried the head, Nanu and Uda
served his escorts. One walked ahead
and other behind within sight of Jaita.
They followed the paths throught fields
and bushes, greeting Hindus by Ram Ram
and muslaman by Salam. From Karnal they
took the pathway to Pehowa, Ismailabad
and Ambala. They reached Kiratpur on
the afternoon of Tuesday, 16 November
1675. They covered 320 kilometrs in
five days. Guru Gobind singh was immediately
informed at Anandpur, 8 Kms distant.
He at once came to Kiratpur, and accorded
a ceremonial reception to his father's
head. He held Jaita in tight embrace
and declaring Rangrete Guru ke Bete.
The Guru bestowed same affection to
Nanu and Uda.
The effect of Guru's martyrdom
Hindus, Sikhs and Sufi Muslims in the
Panjab were deeply shocked at the execution
of the Guru and his three brave companions.
They were filled with indignation. A
Sikh even made an attempt on Aurungzeb's
life. On Friday, 27 October, 1676, the
emperor returned from Jama Masjid. He
went for an airing in a boat in river
Yamuna. When he alighted the boat and
was about to get on the movable throne
(Takht-e-rawan) "an ill-fated disciple
of Guru Tegh Bahadur" threw two
bricks on the emperor, one of which
hit the throne. (Saqi Must-Id-Khan,
Masir-e-Alamgiri translation by sir
Jadunath Sarkar. page 94)
Guru Tegh Bahadur's execution turned
the tide of history of the Sikhs and
of Panjab. His son and successor Guru
Gobind singh reflected on the history
of India as well as on the history of
the Sikhs. Guru Nanak had described
the rulers of his time as tigers and
dogs. His great Grandfather, the fifth
Guru, Arjan, was executed at Lahore.
His grandfather Guru Hargobind, had
been imprisoned in the Gwalir fort for
twelve years. His father was beheaded
simply because he happened to be the
head of a religious body. There had
been no change in the attitude of rulers
as described by Guru Nanak even after
two hundred years. After a most determined
meditation on this state of affairs,
the Guru came to the conclusion that
if the king was bad, people must rise
in revolt. The greatest need of the
time was to create a national army.
Such an army was to be based on social
justice. There should be no discrimination
in the name of caste, creed or colour.
The unpaid, unequipped and untrained
army was to be inspired by feelings
of patriotism and nationalism. This
objective was achieved by creation of
Khalsa. The down trodden people who
had lived for centuries under complete
servility turned into doughty warriors.
In the course of one hundred years they
not only ended the foreign rule but
also put a stop for ever to the foreign
invasions from the North-West.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Copyright © Harbans Singh "The
encyclopedia of Sikhism. Vol IV."
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