S. HARMOHINDER SINGH
Indian history of valour and dignity is replenished with sacrifices and renunciation since centuries when our land was attacked and plundered by mighty foreign forces, which unleashed intense aggression on the passive populace and looted our country which was literally called (Sonay ke Chidiya) golden sparrow.
It was an ordeal for Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji, the 10th Guru of Sikhs when after the formation of Khalsa Panth on 13th April 1699 at Kesh Garh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib Punjab, the then arrogant Mughal Ruler of India Aurangzeb felt uncomfortable and saw his debacle in the coming days.
He appointed a ruthless governor of Punjab namely Wazir Khan and directed him to start persecution, forcible conversion, iconoclasm and mass annihilation of Sikhs and official dictate announced rewards for fetching severed heads of Sikhs.
Apart from this, removal of religious places of Hindus and Sikhs, and imposed a tax called Jazia on non Muslims. Abduction of womenfolk and their selling in the markets of Gazani was rampant as an official manifesto.
It is pertinent to mention here after the supreme sacrifice attained by fifth Guru Arjun Dev ji on June 16,1606 in Lahore by the orders of the then Mughal ruler Jahangir. The sixth Guru Hargobind ji took a decision of armed struggle against the tyrannical regime imposed forcibly in India. Guru sahib constructed Akal Takht at Amritsar against the then Delhi Takht (throne).
To accomplish the persecution agenda of Mughals some small sycophants Hindus kings of mountainous regions of Himachal Pradesh were also hand in glove with Wazir Khan to teach a lesson to Guru Gobind Singh ji, who was hell bent to finish the tyrannical manifesto of tyrants.
In 1704 Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji was at Anandpur Sahib,Punjab along with family of four sons, two wives and mother Gujar Kaur ji besides hundreds Sikhs devotees and warriors.
Under the conspiracy of Bhim Chand king of mountainous regions, Wazir Khan laid a siege of all five forts around Anandpur Sahib with heavily arms, ammunition and man power for eight months from May to December in 1704. A furious battle took place for a month and enemies suffered casualties heavily. There was complete curfew outside the fort as no movement of any body was allowed. Guru ji and his warriors Sikhs ran short of essentials and war material badly, only some pulses and grams were available in the fort, after that Sikhs started boiling and eat peels of trees. The horses and elephants also starved. The enemies also felt tired for this long period of eight months since siege and embargo laid.
The enemy sent letters on oaths that they would not harm Guru ji or any body and directed them to come out of fort. Later Guru Gobind Sahib ji had written about these false oaths and perfidy to Aurangzeb in his victory letter called (Zafarnama).
On seeing the serious situation inside the fort Guru Sahib ji decided to vacate the fort along with family and man power December 21, 1704.
Hardly they had reached Kiratpur the enemy forces back stabbed clandestinely. Some how Guru Sahib, family and devoat and warrior Sikhs reached near a river called (Sarsa Nadi). The river was already heavily flooded due to rains. In benumbing cold of December it was quite impossible to cross river, scores of Sikhs, precious history books,treasure, war material drowned and washed away. Guru ji’s two sons, 42 warriors crossed the mighty river and stayed in the big house (Haveli) of a devotee Hindu (Budhi Chand). Later this haveli was called Kachhi Garhi in Chamkaur Sahib.
Mata Gujar Kaur ji mother of Guru Sahib along with small two grand sons also managed to cross river with their domestic cook (Gangu Brahmin). Besides this two wives of Guru Sahib Mata Sunder Kaur ji and Mata Sahib Kaur ji went to Delhi with Bhai Mani Singh ji.
This was the tremendous segregation of entire family and was seriously painful tantamount to an ordeal which started fromhere.
Next day on December 23, 1704 the Mughal forces attacked forcefully on the big house (Haveli). Guru Gobind Sahib ji started sending army of five warrior Sikhs in battle field which pounced upon the Mughal army like lions on jackals.
After that elder son Baba Ajit Singh desired for going to battle field to annihilate them, he was allowed and showed the velour and grit by killing hundreds of enemies.At last elder son gained martyrdom.
On seeing the velour of elder brother second son of Guru Sahib,Baba Jhujar Singh ji, mere at age 14 years decided to go battle field and set exemplary courage by killing men of mighty army. At last 2nd son attained martyrdom along with flock of five Sikhs.
As the dusk started the battle stopped, the enemy had laid siege intensely. Next morning the remaining Sikhs advised Guru Sahib to leave the fort along with five Sikhs to continue the movement and eradicate Mughal Empire from Indian soil. So Guru Sahib accepted the order of Sikhs.
After segregation of family Mata Gujar Kaur grand mother, small sons of Guru Sahib ji, both Baba Zorawar singh ji and Baba Fateh Singh ji went along with their family cook namely (Gangu) a Brahmin by caste to his house.
Rewards were promulgated for arresting the family of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Due to greedy nature of cook for receiving a reward, Gangu complained the presence of family to the Mughal police and government. All three were arrested and made captive and brought to the freezing fort of Sarhind literally called Head of India in Punjab.
Thereafter younger sons of Guru Sahib were summoned to the court of Wazir Khan and enticed for embracing Islam. But true to salt gullible brothers put down his offer and showed their anger to the ruthless Governor of Punjab. The advisor to Wazir Khan namely Pundit Sucha Nanda vindicated (Fatwa) of governor and ordered that these two sons of Guru Gobind Singh be bricked alive and killed by suffocation immediately.
On December 27, 1704 they were sent back to the fort with their grand Mother and narrated whole ordeal of the day in coldest freezing night without any food, cloths.
A devotee namely Moti Ram Mehra clandestinely brought milk for the beleaguered brothers in the fort. Later he was caught and sent to gallows along with his family in Sarhind.
On December 28, 1704 the barbarians started bricking alive both tender aged brothers till suffocation,two executers cut the throats of both brothers Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh and they attained martyrdom.
Mata Gujar Kaur, mother of Guru Gobind Singh ji was thrown down from the top of Sarhind fort and all three bodies were thrown in open fields.
In this way entire family of Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji was wiped out in the shortest span of mere 8 days from December 21, 1704 to December 28, 1704.
A jeweler devotee of Guru Gobind Singh namely Diwan Toder Mal could not tolerate the gruesome martyrdom and took away the bodies of three for cremation and last rites on December 29, 1704, but Mughal forces prevented him from doing so. Wazir Khan ordered for purchase of cremation land by giving gold coins in lieu of land. Diwan Toder Mal arranged gold coins and purchased land and cremated the bodies.This was the costliest land ever purchased in the world on which, there is a Gurdwara Jayoti Saroop now. When Guru Gobind Singh ji heard about martyrdom of small two sons, he pulled a small plant along with roots from the ground indicating that the roots of Mughals hence forth will never grow. Guru Gobind singh ji gave a message to whole mankind that accept the will of Waheguru almighty and said:-
“In Putran Ke Sis Par, Vaar Diye Sutt Chaar, Chaar Muay To Kya Huva, Jeevat Kai Hazaar”.