About me

"My victories in battle have been through their favour,

Through their favour I have made gifts.

Through their favour all my troubles have been removed,

Through their kindness again my house is replenished.

Through their favour I have acquired knowledge,

Through their kindness all my enemies have been destroyed.

Through their kindness I am exalted,

Otherwise there are millions of poor people like me."

                                              (GIAN PRABODH, BY GURU GOBIND SINGH JI)

GURU TEGH BAHADUR – HIND DI CHADAR

 

In the galaxy of great warriors and saints, the name of Guru Tegh Bahadur stands out as one of the brightest for his great saintliness and supreme sacrifice for the Hindu religion and humanity.

 

Guru Tegh Bahadur was the youngest son of the sixth Guru, Guru Har Gobind and was born on the first of April, 1621 to Mata Nanaki at Guru ke Mahal, Amritsar. He was married to Mata Gujri, daughter of Lal Chand of Kartarpur in Jalandhar district. After the passing away of the eighth Guru, Guru Har Krishan, Guru Tegh Bahadur was ceremoniously offered the Guru Gaddi, by the disciples.

 

After becoming the ninth Guru, he purchased the village Makhowal from Raja of Kahlur and established another Sikh center there. The place was first named Chak Nanaki and is now known as Anandpur Sahib. To learn about the exact condition of the people, he went round the country visiting various holy places. He went to Kurukshetra, Mathura, Ayodhya, Prayag Kashi etc. His only son, Gobind Rai, was born at Patna in 1666 when Guruji, along with his family, was travelling to the east. In Assam, Guruji reconciled the differences between the local tribal Raja Ram Singh and Raja Chakr Dhvaj. This avoided the impending battle between them and they saved many innocent lives. In memory of this service, the armies of both kings raised a big mound or Dhobari as a monument and built the Gurdwara Dhobari Sahib there.

 

Due to the countrywide travels, Guruji got a correct picture of the cruelties being inflicted on Hindus by the ruler of Delhi. Meanwhile, Muslim rulers, particularly in Kashmir, had increased and intensified their efforts to forcibly convert Hindus to Islam. Guruji heard about this harassment and the killings of Hindus and hastily returned to the Punjab. A delegation of Kashmir Brahmins under the leadership of Pundit Kirpa Ram visited Anandpur Sahib. They came to tell Guruji of the atrocities being perpetrated on them by Aurangzeb. They reminded him that just as they had depended on Guru Har Gobind to protect them from Jahangir, so now they had no hope besides him. After hearing their woes Guruji told them that a great sacrifice was needed by someone to avert this catastrophe. His son, Gobind Rai, who heard all this and saw his father in a seeming dilemma, said: "My father, no one is more worthy than you for this sacrifice, you are so brave and generous." Guruji immediately told the delegation to inform the Mughal Emperor that instead of coercing so many Hindus, the Emperor should convert the Guru to Islam and then all Hindus would automatically adopt Islam.

 

Aurangzeb was furious at hearing Guru’s reply to the Kashmiri delegation. Soon summons came for Guruji from Delhi. In Delhi, Aurangzeb tortured Guruji and his associates to convince them to accept Islam. Guruji claimed, "Everyone as a matter of his birthright, is free to remember God the way he likes. This right cannot be taken away by the king". Having failed to force them to give up their faith, Aurangzeb ordered them killed in most cruel methods. First, Bhai Mati Das was split into two by a saw, thereafter Bhai Dyala was boiled to death in water and Bhai Satidas was wrapped up in cotton and set ablaze. Finally Guruji was also beheaded at the place in Chandni Chowk where Gurdwara Sisganj now stands.

 

Bhai Jaita took the head of Guruji to Anandpur Sahib. Lakhi Shah Vanjara took the headless body to his camp and cremated it by setting fire to his hut. Baba Baghel Singh built Gurdwara Rakab Ganj there when he conquered Delhi about a century after the death of Guruji.

 

The brutal murder of a God-loving and God-fearing saint like Guru Tegh Bahadur had an electrifying effect on the Sikhs in Punjab. It turned the Sikh community into a fiery community, which changed the course of the history of India. The momentum continued to build till the Khalsa came into being under Guru Gobind Singh ji. Guru Gobind Singh ji inspired fearlessness, a willingness to die and the psyche of a hero. He made the supreme sacrifice of his Sikhs and all of his four sons to save the honor of Hindostan. Guru Gobind Singh ji died in 1708 at Nanded. The Sikhs, till date have done much to protect human rights and freedom.

 

In today’s world where terrorism has raised its ugly head, the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur is a beacon light to show us the way.