![Guru Teg bahadur ji](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Guru_Teg_bahadur_ji.jpg)
Guru Tegh Bahadur (
Punjabi
Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan
* Punjabi language
* Punjabi people
* Punjabi dialects and languages
Punjabi may also refer to:
* Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...
: ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ਼ ਬਹਾਦਰ
(Gurmukhi
Gurmukhī ( pa, ਗੁਰਮੁਖੀ, , Shahmukhi: ) is an abugida developed from the Laṇḍā scripts, standardized and used by the second Sikh guru, Guru Angad (1504–1552). It is used by Punjabi Sikhs to write the language, commonly r ...
); ; 1 April 1621 – 11 November 1675) was the ninth of ten
Gurus
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...
who founded the
Sikh religion
Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
and the leader of Sikhs from 1665 until his
beheading
Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...
in 1675. He was born in
Amritsar
Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
, India in 1621 and was the youngest son of
Guru Hargobind
Gurū Hargobind (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿਗੋਬਿੰਦ, pronunciation: l 19 June 1595 – 28 February 1644), revered as the ''sixth Nānak'', was the sixth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He had become Guru at the young age of e ...
, the sixth Sikh guru. Considered a principled and fearless warrior, he was a learned spiritual scholar and a poet whose 115 hymns are included in ''
Sri Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the rel ...
,'' the main text of Sikhism.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed on the orders of
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
, the sixth
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
emperor, in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
, India.
[;]
;
;
Sikh holy premises
Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib
Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib is one of the nine historical Gurdwaras in Delhi. It was first constructed in 1783 as a small shrine by Baghel Singh to commemorate the martyrdom site of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur and was probably expanded ...
and
Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib
The Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib is a historic gurdwara near Parliament House in New Delhi. It was built in 1783, after Sikh military leader Baghel Singh (1730–1802) captured Delhi, on 11 March 1783, and his brief stay in Delhi, led to the const ...
in Delhi mark the places of execution and cremation of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
His martyrdom is remembered as the ''Shaheedi Divas of Guru Tegh Bahadur'' every year on 24 November.
Biography
Early life
Guru Tegh Bahadur was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind, the sixth guru: Guru Hargobind had one daughter, Bibi Viro, and five sons: Baba Gurditta, Suraj Mal, Ani Rai, Atal Rai, and Tyaga Mal. Tyaga Mal was born in Amritsar in the early hours of 1 April 1621. He came to be known by the name Tegh Bahadur (Mighty of the Sword), given to him by Guru Hargobind after he had shown his valor in a battle against the Mughals.
Amritsar at that time was the center of the Sikh faith. As the seat of the
Sikh Gurus
The Sikh gurus ( Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ) are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who established this religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year 1469 marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the found ...
, and with its connection to Sikhs in far-flung areas of the country through the chains of ''
Masands'' or missionaries, it had developed the characteristics of a State capital.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was brought up in the Sikh culture and trained in
archery
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
and
horsemanship. He was also taught the old classics such as the
Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
, the
Upanishads
The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...
, and the
Puranas
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
. Tegh Bahadur was married on 3 February 1632 to Mata Gujri.
Stay at Bakala
In the 1640s, nearing his death, Guru Hargobind and his wife Nanaki moved to his ancestral village of
Bakala in
Amritsar district
Amritsar district is one of the twenty three districts that make up the Indian state of Punjab. Located in the Majha region of Punjab, the city of Amritsar is the headquarters of this district.
As of 2011, it is the second most populous distr ...
, together with Tegh Bahadur and
Mata Gujri
Mata Gujri (Gurmukhi: ਮਾਤਾ ਗੁਜਰੀ; ''mātā gujarī''; 1624–1705), also spelt as Mata Gujari, was the wife of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of Sikhism, and the mother of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of Sikhism.
Bio ...
. Bakala, as described in ''Gurbilas Dasvin Patshahi'', was then a prosperous town with many beautiful pools, wells, and ''baolis''. After Guru Hargobind's death, Tegh Bahadur continued to live in Bakala with his wife and mother.
Guru journey
In March 1664,
Guru Har Krishan
Guru Har Krishan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ, pronunciation: ; 7 July 1656 – 30 March 1664) was the eighth of the ten Sikh Gurus. At the age of five, he became the youngest Guru in Sikhism on 7 October 1661, ...
contracted
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
. When asked by his followers who would lead them after him, he replied ''Baba Bakala'', meaning his successor was to be found in Bakala. Taking advantage of the ambiguity in the words of the dying Guru, many installed themselves in Bakala, claiming themselves as the new Guru. Sikhs were puzzled to see so many claimants.
Sikh tradition has a myth concerning the manner in which Tegh Bahadur was selected as the ninth guru. A wealthy trader, Baba Makhan Shah Labana
Makhan Shah Lubana (; also written as Lobana); (7 July 1619 - 1674) was a devout Sikh and a rich trader of Pelia gautra of Lobana tribe, who discovered the ninth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Tegh Bahadar in Bakala, India on 16 April 1664 A.D. (8 Vi ...
, had once prayed for his life and had promised to gift 500 gold coins to the Sikh Guru if he survived.[ He arrived in search of the ninth Guru. He went from one claimant to the next making his obeisance and offering two gold coins to each Guru, believing that the right guru would know that his silent promise was to gift 500 coins for his safety. Every "guru" he met accepted the two gold coins and bid him farewell.][ Then he discovered that Tegh Bahadur also lived at Bakala. Labana gifted Tegh Bahadur the usual offering of two gold coins. Tegh Bahadur gave him his blessings and remarked that his offering was considerably short of the promised five hundred. Makhan Shah Labana forthwith made good the difference and ran upstairs. He began shouting from the rooftop, "Guru ladho re, Guru ladho re" meaning "I have found the Guru, I have found the Guru".]
In August 1664, a Sikh Sangat arrived in Bakala and appointed Tegh Bahadur as the ninth guru of Sikhs. The ''Sangat'' was led by Diwan Durga Mal,], elder brother of Guru Tegh Bahadur, conferring Guruship on Him.
As had been the custom among Sikhs after the execution of Guru Arjan
Guru Arjan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ, pronunciation: ; 15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606) was the first of the two Gurus martyred in the Sikh faith and the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of th ...
by Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Guru Tegh Bahadur was surrounded by armed bodyguards. He himself lived an austere life.
Works
Guru Tegh Bahadur contributed many hymns to Granth Sahib including the ''Shloks'', or couplets near the end of the Guru Granth Sahib.[ Guru Tegh Bahadur toured various parts of the Mughal Empire and was asked by Gobind Sahali to construct several Sikh temples in Mahali. His works include 116 shabads, and 15 ragas, and his bhagats are credited with 782 compositions that are part of ''bani'' in Sikhism. His works are included in the '']Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
'' (pages 219–1427). They cover a wide range of topics, such as the nature of God, human attachments, body, mind, sorrow, dignity, service, death, and deliverance.
Journeys
Guru Tegh Bahadur traveled extensively in different parts of the country, including Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
and Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
, to preach the teachings of Nanak, the first Sikh guru. The places he visited and stayed in became sites of Sikh temples. During his travels, Guru Tegh Bahadur spread the Sikh ideas and message, as well as started community water wells and langars (community kitchen charity for the poor).
The Guru made three successive visits to Kiratpur. On 21 August 1664, Guru Tegh Bahadur went there to console Bibi Roop upon the death of her father, Guru Har Rai
Guru Har Rai (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ, pronunciation: ; 16 January 1630 – 6 October 1661) revered as the ''seventh Nanak'', was the seventh of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion.[Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...]
, who would be the tenth Sikh Guru, was born in Patna
Patna (
), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...
, while he was away in Dhubri
Dhubri (Pron: ˈdhubri) is an old town and headquarter of Dhubri district in Indian state of Assam. It is an old town on the bank of the Brahmaputra river, with historical significance. In 1883, the town was first constituted as a Municipal Boa ...
, Assam in 1666, where stands the Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib #REDIRECTRights
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convention, o ...
. There he helped end the war between Raja Ram Singh of Bengal and Raja Chakardwaj of Ahom state (later Assam). He visited the towns of Mathura, Agra, Allahabad and Varanasi.
After his visit to Assam, Bengal, and Bihar, the Guru visited Rani Champa of Bilaspur who offered to give the Guru a piece of land in her state. The Guru bought the site for 500 rupees
Rupee is the common name for the currencies of
India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, B ...
. There, Guru Tegh Bahadur founded the city of Anandpur Sahib
Anandpur Sahib, sometimes referred to simply as Anandpur (lit. "city of bliss"), is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, in the Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most s ...
in the foothills of the Himalayas.[ In 1672, Tegh Bahadur traveled through Kashmir and the North-West Frontier, to meet the masses, as the persecution of non-Muslims reached new heights.
]
Execution
The primary nucleus of Sikh narratives remains the ''Bachittar Natak
Bachittar Natak (or Bachitar/Bichittar) (Gurmukhi: ; ''bacitara nāṭaka''; literally 'Resplendent Drama') is from Dasam Granth, ang (page) 94 to ang 175 of the 2326 ang. It is generally attributed to the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
Alt ...
'', a memoir of Guru Gobind Singh, Guru Tegh Bahadur's son, dated between late 1680s and late 1690s.
Guru Tegh Bahadur's son and successor recalled Guru's execution:
More Sikh accounts of Tegh Bahadur's execution, all claiming to be sourced from the "testimony of trustworthy Sikhs", only started emerging in around the late eighteenth century, and are thus, often conflicting. Chronicler Sohan Lal Suri states that the Guru gained thousands of followers of soldiers and horsemen during his travels between 1672 and 1673 in southern Punjab and provided shelter to those who were resistant to Mughal representatives. Aurangzeb was warned about such activity, as a cause of concern that could possibly lead to rebellion.
Persian sources maintain that the Guru was a bandit whose plunder and rapine of Punjab along with his rebellious activities precipitated his execution. The earliest Persian source to chronicle his execution is ''Siyar-ul-Mutakhkherin'' by Ghulam Hussain Khan
Ghulam Hussain Khan ( ar, غلام حسین خان طباطبائی) was an Indian historian from the 18th-century Bengal who is writer of the famous book ''Seir Mutaqherin'' (سیر المتاخرین; {{lit, ''Review of Modern Times''), one of t ...
c. 1782, where Tegh Bahadur's (alleged) oppression of subjects is held to have incurred Aurangzeb's wrath:
Satish Chandra Satish Chandra is a given name of Hindu origin, and may refer to,
* Satish Chandra (politician), Indian National Congress leader
* Satish Chandra (historian), Indian academic
* Satish Chandra Agarwal, Indian politician
* Satish Chandra Basumatary, ...
however cautions against taking Hussain Khan's argument at face value. He was a relative of Alivardi Khan
Alivardi Khan (1671 – 9 April 1756) was the Nawab of Bengal from 1740 to 1756. He toppled the Nasiri dynasty of Nawabs by defeating Sarfaraz Khan in 1740 and assumed power himself.
During much of his reign Alivardi encountered frequent Mar ...
— one of the closest confidantes of Aurangzeb — and might have been providing an "official justification". There are other challenges to the above narrative. Ghulam Husain lived far away from Punjab. Also, the Guru's association with Hafiz Adam is anachronistic. Hafiz Adam died in Medina in A.D. 1643, 21 years before Tegh Bahadur attained the status of Guru. Further, it should be pointed out that according to Ghulam Husain, Tegh Bahadur was confined in Gwalior, where, under imperial orders, his body was "cut into four quarters" and hung at the four gates of the fortress while it is well-known that Tegh Bahadur was executed in Delhi where the Sisganj Gurudwara is situated at present. The Sikh sakhis written during the eighteenth century indirectly support the narrative in the Persian sources; nothing that the Guru was in "violent opposition to the Muslim rulers of the country" in response to the dogmatic policies implemented by Aurangzeb. Both Persian and Sikh sources agree that Tegh Bahadur militarily opposed the Mughal state and was therefore targeted for execution in accordance with Aurangzeb's zeal for punishing enemies of the state.
Many scholars identify the narrative as follows: A congregation of Hindu Pandits from Kashmir requested help against Aurangzeb's oppressive policies, to which Guru Tegh Bahadur decided to protect their rights. Tegh Bahadur left from his base at Makhowal to confront the persecution of Kashmiri Brahmins
The Kashmiri Pandits (also known as Kashmiri Brahmins) are a group of Kashmiri Hindus and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community of India. They belong to the Pancha-Gauda, Pancha Gauda Brahmin group from the Kashmir Valley, a mountai ...
by Mughal officials but was arrested at Ropar and put to jail in Sirhind. Four months later, in November 1675, he was transferred to Delhi and asked to perform a miracle to prove his nearness to God or convert to Islam. The Guru declined and three of his colleagues, who had been arrested with him, were tortured to death in front of him: Bhai Mati Das
Bhai Mati Das ( Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਮਤੀ ਦਾਸ; died 1675) along with his younger brother Bhai Sati Das were martyrs of early Sikh history. Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Dayala, and Bhai Sati Das were executed at a ''kotwali'' (police-station) in ...
was sawn into pieces, Bhai Dayal Das was thrown into a cauldron of boiling water, and Bhai Sati Das
Bhai Sati Das ( Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਸਤੀ ਦਾਸ; died 1675) along with his elder brother Bhai Mati Das were martyrs of early Sikh history. Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dyal Das were all executed at ''kotwali'' (police-station) ...
was burned alive. Thereafter, Tegh Bahadur was publicly beheaded in Chandni Chowk, a market square close to the Red Fort.
Satish Chandra expresses doubt about the authenticity of these meta-narratives, centered on miracles — Aurangzeb was not a believer in them. He further expresses doubt pertaining to the narrative of the persecution of Hindus in Kashmir within Sikh accounts, remarking that no contemporary sources mentioned the persecution of Hindus there. Louis Fenech Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS Louis, HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated te ...
refuses to pass any judgement, in light of the paucity of primary sources; however, he notes that these Sikh accounts had coded martyrdom into the events, with an aim to elicit pride than trauma in readers. He further argues that Tegh Bahadur had sacrificed himself for the sake of his own faith; the janju and tilak in the passage in the Bachittar Natak referring to his own.
Remarkably, in contrast to this dominating theme in Sikh literature, some pre-modern Sikh accounts had laid the blame on an acrimonious succession dispute: Ram Rai, elder brother of Guru Har Krishan
Guru Har Krishan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ, pronunciation: ; 7 July 1656 – 30 March 1664) was the eighth of the ten Sikh Gurus. At the age of five, he became the youngest Guru in Sikhism on 7 October 1661, ...
, was held to have instigated Aurangzeb against Tegh Bahadur by suggesting that he prove his spiritual greatness by performing miracles at the Court. Sohan Lal Suri, the court historian of Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He s ...
, in his magisterial '' Umdat ut Tawarikh'' (c. 1805) chose to reiterate Hussain Khan's argument at large: Tegh Bahadur had provided refuge to all classes of rebels and commanded a huge nomadic army across Punjab; so he was put down at the earliest, lest he declares an insurrection in near future.
Guru Tegh Bahadur's Martyrdom Day
Every year November 24 is observed as the day of the Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur. On this day in 1675, he was publicly Executed by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi for refusing to convert to Islam, as it was forcibly done at that time. The sites of his death and cremation were converted into sacred sites and are now known as Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi, respectively. Apart from the Contributions made by Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji to uphold the Pride of the Indian community before the Mughals, he also made his Contribution to the Holy Guru Granth Sahib. In total, there are 115 hymns including the slokas of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji at the end of the Holy Book. In all his works he tried to explain the nature of God, human attachments, sorrow, mind, life, and death, etc.
Legacy and memorials
Guru Har Gobind
Gurū Hargobind (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿਗੋਬਿੰਦ, pronunciation: l 19 June 1595 – 28 February 1644), revered as the ''sixth Nānak'', was the sixth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He had become Guru at the young age of e ...
was Guru Tegh Bahadur's father. He was originally named ''Tyag Mal'' ( pa, ਤਿਆਗ ਮਲ) but was later renamed ''Tegh Bahadur'' after his gallantry and bravery in the wars against the Mughal forces. He built the city of Anandpur Sahib and was responsible for saving a faction of Kashmiri Pandits
The Kashmiri Pandits (also known as Kashmiri Brahmins) are a group of Kashmiri Hindus and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community of India. They belong to the Pancha-Gauda, Pancha Gauda Brahmin group from the Kashmir Valley, a mountai ...
, who were being persecuted by the Mughals.
After the execution of Tegh Bahadur by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, a number of Sikh temples were built in his and his associates' memory. The Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib
Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib is one of the nine historical Gurdwaras in Delhi. It was first constructed in 1783 as a small shrine by Baghel Singh to commemorate the martyrdom site of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur and was probably expanded a ...
in Chandni Chowk
The Chandni Chowk, also known as Moonlight Square is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India. It is located close to the Old Delhi Railway Station. The Red Fort monument is located at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk. It was bu ...
, Delhi, was built over where he was beheaded.[SK Chatterji (1975), Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur and the Sis Ganj Gurdwara, Sikh Review, 23(264): 100–09] Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib
The Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib is a historic gurdwara near Parliament House in New Delhi. It was built in 1783, after Sikh military leader Baghel Singh (1730–1802) captured Delhi, on 11 March 1783, and his brief stay in Delhi, led to the const ...
, also in Delhi, is built on the site of the residence of a disciple of Tegh Bahadur, who burned his house to cremate his master's body.[
Gurdwara Sisganj Sahib in Punjab marks the site where in November 1675, the head of the martyred Guru Tegh Bahadar which was brought by Bhai Jaita (renamed ]Bhai Jiwan Singh
Baba Jiwan Singh (Gurmukhi: ਬਾਬਾ ਜੀਵਨ ਸਿੰਘ; 13 December 1661 – 22 December 1704), born Jaitha, was a Sikh general and companion of Guru Gobind Singh.
Early life
Bhai Jaita was born in 1661 at Patna, Bihar (India) ...
according to Sikh rites The Sikhs engage in various rites and services. Some Sikh rites are meant to be practiced in a ''gurdwara'' congregation, while others are practiced at home or in other contexts.
Ardas
''Ardas'' is a formal prayer recited at the end of most Si ...
) in defiance of the Mughal authority of Aurangzeb was cremated here. During his journey to Anandpur Sahib Bhai Jaita Singh reach a village near Delhi in Sonipat
Sonipat is a city, municipal corporation and administrative headquarter in Sonipat district of Haryana state of India. It comes under the National Capital Region and is around from New Delhi. It is also around 214 km (128 miles) southwest o ...
and the Mughal army also reach that village. Bhai Jaita demand for help to villagers so the villagers hideout Bhai Jaita with Guru' head. A villager named Kushal Singh Dahiya
Kushal Singh Dahiya or Bhai Kushal Singh Dahiya was a Jat from the village of Badhkhalsa in what is now Sonipat, Haryana, India. He offered his head in place of that of the Guru Tegh Bahadur, which was being taken to Anandpur Sahib by Bhai Jiwan ...
came ahead and offers his own head in the place of Guru's head to Mughal army. After beheading Kushal Singh Dahiya
Kushal Singh Dahiya or Bhai Kushal Singh Dahiya was a Jat from the village of Badhkhalsa in what is now Sonipat, Haryana, India. He offered his head in place of that of the Guru Tegh Bahadur, which was being taken to Anandpur Sahib by Bhai Jiwan ...
the villagers shuffle the heads and give the head of Kushal Singh Dahiya
Kushal Singh Dahiya or Bhai Kushal Singh Dahiya was a Jat from the village of Badhkhalsa in what is now Sonipat, Haryana, India. He offered his head in place of that of the Guru Tegh Bahadur, which was being taken to Anandpur Sahib by Bhai Jiwan ...
to Mughal army.
Tegh Bahadur has been remembered for giving up his life for the freedom of religion, reminding Sikhs and non-Muslims in India to follow and practice their beliefs.[ Guru Tegh Bahadur was martyred, along with fellow devotees ]Bhai Mati Dass
Bhai Mati Das ( Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਮਤੀ ਦਾਸ; died 1675) along with his younger brother Bhai Sati Das were martyrs of early Sikh history. Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Dayala, and Bhai Sati Das were executed at a ''kotwali'' (police-station) in t ...
, Bhai Sati Das
Bhai Sati Das ( Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਸਤੀ ਦਾਸ; died 1675) along with his elder brother Bhai Mati Das were martyrs of early Sikh history. Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dyal Das were all executed at ''kotwali'' (police-station) ...
and Bhai Dayala
Bhai Dayala Ji ( pa, ਭਾਈ ਦਿਆਲਾ ਜੀ, hi, भाई दयाला जी) died 9 November 1675, also known as ''Bhai Dayal Das'' He was boiled alongside his Sikh companions Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das and the Ninth Guru, ...
.[ 24 November, the date of his martyrdom, is observed in certain parts of India as a public holiday.]
The execution hardened the resolve of Sikhs against Muslim rule and persecution. Pashaura Singh states that "if the martyrdom of Guru Arjan
Guru Arjan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ, pronunciation: ; 15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606) was the first of the two Gurus martyred in the Sikh faith and the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of th ...
had helped bring the Sikh Panth together, Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom helped to make the protection of human rights central to its Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
identity". Wilfred Smith stated "the attempt to forcibly convert the ninth Guru to an externalized, impersonal Islam clearly made an indelible impression on the martyr's nine-year-old son, Gobind, who reacted slowly but deliberately by eventually organizing the Sikh group into a distinct, formal, symbol-patterned community". It inaugurated the Khalsa identity.
Gallery
File:Portrait of the ninth Sikh guru, Tegh Bahadur.jpg, Circa 1670 portrait of the ninth Sikh guru, Tegh Bahadur.
File:Guru Tegh Bahadur, fresco from Qila Mubarak.jpg, Guru Tegh Bahadur, fresco from Qila Mubarak.
File:Portrait of Guru Tegh Bahadur in the Pahari style.jpg, Portrait of Guru Tegh Bahadur in the Pahari style.
File:Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Ninth Sikh Guru.jpg, 18th century painting of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
File:A 19th century painting depicting Guru Tegh Bahadur.jpg, 19th century painting depicting Guru Tegh Bahadur.
File:Guru Tegh Bahadur, Pahari painting.png, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Pahari painting. Gouache on paper.
File:Guru Tegh Bahadur painting from the family workshop of Nainsukh of Guler.jpg, Guru Tegh Bahadur painting from the family workshop of Nainsukh of Guler.
File:Portrait of Guru Tegh Bahadur.jpg, Portrait of Guru Tegh Bahadur from last quarter of 19th century.
Notes
References
External links
;Peer reviewed publications on Guru Tegh Bahadur
Guru Tegh Bahadur
Ranbir Singh (1975)
Non-Canonical Compositions Attributed to the Seventh and Ninth Sikh Gurus
Jeevan Singh Deol, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 121(2): 193–203, (Apr. – Jun., 2001)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bahadur, Guru Tegh
1621 births
1675 deaths
Tegh
Tegh ( hy, Տեղ) is a village and the center of the Tegh Municipality of the Syunik Province in Armenia. Tegh is the last village on the Goris-Stepanakert Highway before passing the border with the Republic of Artsakh.
Of significance in the vi ...
People executed for refusing to convert to Islam
Executed Indian people
People executed by the Mughal Empire
17th-century executions in India
Punjabi people
People executed by India by decapitation
Indian city founders
Sikh martyrs