Relations of Guru Gobind Singh with the Punjab Hill Chiefs

The story of Guru Gobind’s relations with the Rajput chiefs of the Punjab Hill States constitute one of the most significant chapters in the history of Punjab in particular and the history of India in general. It was the nature of these relations that gave the peculiar mould to the history of the period. Had the hill chiefs chosen to co-operate with Guru Gobind Singh in a common cause against the fanatic government of the Mughals, instead of opposing him, the history of not only Punjab but also of the Northern India would have been much different from what it actually turned out to her.

After the martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur in 1675 A.D., his nine year old son, Gobind Rai, then at Makhowal, ascended to the Guruship with a determination not only to avenge the brutal murder of his father but also to liberate the country from the oppressive and tyrannical yoke of the Mughals. As such, soon after his accession to the gurugaddi, he started the programme of military preparations. He not only revived the programme of his grand-father, Guru Hargobind, but gave it a further impetus on a much larger scale.

He gave a call to the Sikhs in all the directions to come and join the ranks in his army and thus organized a strong army and strengthened his resources. The Guru had even started beating of a big drum called ‘Ranjit Nagara’ at Makhowal which in those days was considered as a symbol of sovereignty. The Guru made an appeal to the hill chiefs for a joint front against the Mughals, but in vain.

The warlike preparations of the Guru and the ever growing strength of his army coupled with the beating of drum, created a sense of alarm in the mind of Bhim Chand, the ruler of Bilaspur, who observed not only an infringement of his authority by these activities of the Guru, but also a danger to his own existence. It was all the more so because Bhim Chand was a vassal of the Mughal emperor and could not allow an abode enemy of the Mughal government to openly make war-like preparations against the paramount power, except at the risk of inviting a Mughal invasion to his own territory which was so closely situated to the Mughal territory in the plains.

As such, Bhim Chand became eager to oust the Guru from his territory as early as possible on one pretext or the other. He was also annoyed with the Guru who refused to part with a trained elephant and a costly carpet presented to the Guru by his devotees from Assam and which Bhim Chand wanted ostensibly for the marriage of his son, but in reality keeping them with him permanently. Thus relations between Guru Gobind and Bhim Chand were further estranged and an armed conflict was not a remote possibility between the two. However the crisis was averted for the time being because of the Guru’s mother and well-wishers, who advised him moderation and patience. Moreover, he also got an invitation from Medini Prakash, the ruler of Nahan, who had a boundary dispute with Fateh Shah, the neighbouring hill chief of Srinagar. The Guru’s services were required by the Nahan chief to act as a mediator. Most possibly, he also wanted to impress upon the neighbouring ruler the fact that the Guru with his newly raised army was his friend.

Guru Gobind decided to retire further to the hills. He had his own reasons behind it:

-          Firstly, in view of his tender age and meager resources, he needed a sense of security and time to make elaborate preparations for fighting against the mighty and resourceful Mughals, by remaining at an arm’s length, so that to avoid an immediate attack from them. The interior of the hills, situated distantly from the Mughal territories, was an apt place for such retirement.

-          Secondly, the Guru hoped that by doing so, he would persuade the hill chiefs, by cultivating intimate relations with them, for making a common cause against the Mughals.

-          Thirdly, the rugged and uneven territory of the hills with its steep valleys along with high and low peaks, was the most suitable topographical area for the type of military training which he aimed at imparting to the soldiers.

-          Finally, Guru Gobind also aimed at carrying further the work of propagation of the mission of Guru Nanak, which condemned casteism, idolatry and false conventionalism—a mission which had hitherto been, somewhat, remained abeyance in the hilly region ever since the days of Nanak’s travels in the North.

  With these objectives, Guru Gobind retired from Makhowal to the State of Nahan, where Medini Prakash allotted a beautiful spot to him, on the banks of river Kalindri (Yamuna), now called Paonta Sahib.

Here at Paonta, Guru Gobind indulged in the activities which brought him into clash with other hill chiefs. The activities of military preparations of Guru Gobind caused a feeling of fear in the minds of the hill chiefs. It was felt that he wanted to establish an independent State in the midst of them. So, it was natural that they could not tolerate the increase of any external influence in their territories. Moreover, Guru Gobind represented a faith with liberal ideas, and much against the contemporary Hindu social order, which was based on orthodoxy. It was not liked upon by the orthodox Hindu chiefs of the Punjab hills. Moreover, most of the followers of Guru Gobind were Jats, who were looked down and hated by the Rajput chiefs and considered as an ‘inferior race’. Thus, as Dr. I. B. Banerjee observes, “political privilege, social exclusiveness and tribal pride—all combined to induce the Hill chiefs to present a united front against the Guru.”

Under these circumstances, the allied troops of the hill chiefs under Bhim Chand attacked the Guru at Bhangani in 1686 A.D. (1688 A.D. by some other scholars), between Yamuna and its tributary, Giri. A very fierce battle ensued. Both the sides fought with great courage and bravery. But ultimately, the hill men were put to flight and the Guru achieved a complete victory.

After Bhangani, a new chapter opened in the relations of the Guru with the hill chiefs. The latter became friendly to the Guru rather than opposing him. Bhim Chand again invited the Guru to make his headquarters at Makhowal. Here the town of Anandpur was founded and the forts of Anandgarh, Lohgarh, Keshgarh and Fatehgarh were constructed.

The immediate outcome of these friendly relations between Guru Gobind and the hill chiefs was that the latter stopped paying their annual tribute to the Mughal Emperor. Consequently, an army was sent under Alif Khan to realize the tribute. He succeeded in subduing the chiefs of the Kangra tract. When he approached Bhim Chand, he refused to pay it and gave a call to the Guru and all the allied chiefs to participate in the attack on Alif Khan, who was then at Nadaun. Guru Gobind gave a practical demonstration of his friendship. Alif Khan was defeated and put to flight.

These relations were further estranged when the chiefs at the instance of Bhim Chand reconciliated with the Mughal government without giving any intimation to Guru Gobind. However, the Mughals were resisted by the Rajput rulers of Guler and Jaswan. Guru Gobind also supported them in their struggle of repeated Mughal expeditions. The Guru also felt that he must depend on his own resources rather than the hill chiefs, who were no more reliable.

In 1699 A.D., Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa Panth—religious in foundation and military in discipline. The immediate result of the Khalsa was that its military character terrified the hill chiefs and its creation came upon them like a bomb-shell. They felt that as long as the Guru is present amidst them, he was a standing menace to their princely order. Also, the increasing followers of the Guru had created many problems regarding the essential supplies in the hills. Bhim Chand could not tolerate it and sent a messenger asking for the evacuation of Anandpur or to pay rent for it. However, Guru Gobind Singh refused to accept any of these terms and once again the relations of mutual warfare started between the Guru and a confederacy of the hill chiefs.

The allied troops of the hill chiefs besieged Anandpur and a battle was fought in 1701 A.D., which lasted for many days. At last, when the hill chiefs found no chance of victory, they made peace with the Guru, and assured him of their friendship if he left Anandpur for some time. As Guru Gobind Singh did not want to waste his energy and resources against the hill chiefs, he decided to retire to Nirmoh, near Kiratpur.

At Nirmoh, there were skirmishes here and there, and in one of these Sahib Chand was killed, resulting to a battle, which ended in Khalsa victory. Finding it impossible to crush the Sikh power, Bhim Chand sought help from the Mughals, and made a joint attack on the Sikhs with the support of the Governors of Lahore and Sirhind. Here also, the army of the Guru got a remarkable victory.

At the request of the ruler of Basoli, the Guru shifted his headquarters to his territory. Bhim Chand’s army was again put to flight. The Sikhs also defeated many a times the villagers who had often skirmishes with the Sikhs. The result was that Bhim Chand was very much frightened with these repeated successes of the Sikhs, and made peace with the Guru. He even invited the Guru to stay at Anandpur and some time passed in peace.

Soon, the hill chiefs became jealous at the increasing power of the Guru and formed a confederacy against him, ordering him to leave Anandpur. On his refusal, they got assistance from Lahore and Sirhind, and declared war against the Guru. Even the Gujjars and the Banghars were brought in to join the battle against the Sikhs. Initially the Sikhs were successful, but ultimately, their position became very critical when the siege of Anandpur was laid. Finally, the Guru had to leave Anandpur with his Sikhs and the family. Although the Hindu chiefs and the Mughals had assured the Guru ‘of safe conduct if he left Anandpur’, but when they got news of the evacuation, they violated their promises and set themselves in pursuing the Guru wherever he went.

Thus it is clear from the above study that the hill chiefs were never friendly towards the Guru. They were jealous of his rising power and regarded him as a danger to their existence, although the Guru had no such motives in his mind. He was never offensive against the hill chiefs, but had to resort to arms against them only to defend himself and his Sikhs. He had no political objectives, but to oust the tyranny from this soil. The hill chiefs established many a times the relations of friendship and cordiality with the Guru, but never stuck to it for long. However, Guru Gobind Singh performed as a true friend every time. He, in fact, did not want to come to open hostilities with the hill chiefs, but instead wanted to come to an understanding with them. His relations, however, failed him in this direction.

 

Allama Iqbal : The Poet and Philosopher

 (This article was written about 25 years back by my father, Sh. Sham Dass Khanna. He served as the News Editor in Daily Hind Samachar. In the field of journalism, he had the experience of almost 60 years. An M.A. in Urdu, he had keen interest in Urdu poetry and was himself also a poet in the language.)

Iqbal is probably the most quoted poet in world’s literary and intellectual circles. His admirers attach some sort of sanctity to his opinions and use his verses as arguments. Probably his most remarkable achievement was that he gave an abiding place to the teachings of Islam and patriotism in the hearts of the people. The language he used was one of rare beauty and charm. With its solid Islamic background, wealth of stirring phrases and telling epigrams, his verse can be memorized easily and recalled and reproduced effortlessly. Even moderately educated has a readily useable treasure of Iqbal’s wisdom on the tip of his tongue.

Allama Iqbal is the spokesman of reality. The limits of his poetry are unbounded and limitless. He used it as a source of his message, which he wanted to give to the nation. Iqbal was considerably influenced by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s thoughts. He sprang into prominence about the time of Sir Syed’s death. He studied the ups and downs of the culture of man very deeply. He dedicated Godly gift of his mind for only one work – spiritualism and patriotism. It was the only motive of his life. He lived for only this work. This work was to give message to the nation, which he gave in each and every way. He provided it with a philosophical and spiritual content and drove it deep into people’s consciousness.

To Allama Iqbal, we owe not only a poetry that stirs our soul and philosophy that serves us a clarion call for a dynamic life, but a message to his countrymen to fulfill their destiny as ordained for them in the Holy Qoran. For his exhortations, Allama Iqbal used the vehicle of poetry that he weaved with prophetic vision, religious, historical, psychological, social, cultural and political themes as if in a Kaleidoscope.

There are, indeed, countless facets of Iqbal’s message each replete with limitless truths, each capable of blazing a resplendent trail. But the quintessence of his message is best expressed in his own words in his lectures on “The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam”. Iqbal says, “Humanity needs three things today – Spiritual interpretation of the universe, Spiritual emancipation of the individual and basic principles of a universal impart directing the evolution of human society on a spiritual basis.”

Sir Abdul Qadir said, “There are so many things which are alike between Ghalib and Iqbal. If I were a believer in the transmigration of soul, I would have remarked that Mirza Ghalib had great love for Persian and Urdu poetry. This love did not let his soul take rest in paradise and compelled it to transmigrate again in someone’s body to irrigate the garden of poetry and he was again born in Sialkot – a city of Punjab. He was named Iqbal.”

The couplets of Iqbal symbolize the true teachings of Holy Qoran. He says, “Know Thyself. Everything in this world belongs to you. Remove fear and intimidation from your hearts. Dive into seas. Fight with tides and strike with rocks, because life is not a bed of roses, but a battle field.”

Iqbal also made some very pertinent comments on the rising generation. “The youth,” he said, “had been largely captivated by western ideas and was impatient to put them into practice in their immediate environment, little realizing the incalculable damage that exotic ideologies had done in the land of their birth. In trying to evolve a nationhood of the western pattern, the countrymen would be wiping out of the brightest achievements of Islam. Iqbal led an unrelenting crusade against all forces of disruption from the beginning to the end. Apparently coming from an overused pen and a tired mind, his last Urdu work published in his lifetime, lashes out at all the major evils that would banish from the kind of society he was advocating. What he branded as forces of disintegration including colonialism, western education, indifference to religion etc. All of these are more or less closely inter-related political slavery, in Iqbal’s reckoning, is the main spring of all evils; it brings out the most sinister side of human nature warps and minds of the rulers and the ruled alike and dehumanizes vast segments of humanity. Western education changes our habit of thought and scale of valves, intellectual serfdom leads to indiscriminate adoption of alien wonts and usages. Immitation kills initiative and discourages independent thought and effort. Much of what he said constitutes the warp and woof of our thinking. His idealism is a force that goes deep into our mental and moral make up.

Iqbal is not a poet of insurrection but a poet of man’s awakening. With reference to Sir Abdul Qadir, it can be said, with confidence and without doubt that except elementary practice, he initiated writing in Urdu before beginning of the 20th century. In 1897-98, he was seen in poetical symposiums. He attended a meeting in which the renowned literary personalities participated. There, he recited his poem Himalaya that was published in the first issue of MAKHZAN, after some days. When Iqbal started composing couplets, Daag Dehlvi was in high esteems. By the efforts of Maulana Mohammad Hussain Azaad, the base of new poetry was prepared. The Hexameter (a verse which consists of six metrical feet) of Hali was becoming popular among the masses. Akbar Allahabadi, in his special way, was criticizing social and political problems. The speeches and writings of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had done well in eradicating the darkness of minds and thoughts. Several religious movements had breathed their last. The light of the teachings of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Shah Wali Allah was quite new. The struggle for independence of 1857 had not vanished from the minds. Fifteen to twenty years had elapsed in coming into existence of the Congress. A great revolution was created in political and social life with the efforts of Surinder Nath Bannerji, Dada Bhai Naoroji, Sir Feroz Shah Mehta and Badr-ud-Din Tyabji. The roaring of Gokhale had shaken the foundations of the palaces of the government. Such was the background of mind when our world was feeling the necessity of a new culture. This was the environment when the spokesman of reality opened his eyes; he as totally of light saw the wall of India – “Himalaya”. At that time, he by making the Ganges a witness spoke lonely:
                        Jal Raha Hun Kal Nahin Parti Mujhe
(I am burning and find no peace and tranquility in anyway.)
                        Sone Walon Ko Jaga De
                        She’r Ke Aijaaz Se
                        Khirmane Batin Jalaa De
                        Shaula-o-Awaaz Se
(O poet! Rouse the people from sleep with the miracle of poetry. Set ablaze the internal nest by the voice of flame.)

Lahore, the legendary city of united Punjab, blossomed at the turn of the century into a new centre of knowledge and culture. A galaxy of writers, litterateurs and educationists appeared on the literary scene. Among them were Mohammad Hussain Azaad, a first rank writer known for the first authentic history of Urdu poets, Aab-i-Hayat; Tirath Ram Ferozepuri, a noted translator; Lala Hans Raj, the saintly Principal of the local D.A.V. College, who dedicated his services to the Arya Samaj and the cause of education; and Principal Hakim Ali of Islamia College – an embodiment of simple living and high thinking. There were also Lala Lajpat Rai, the firebrand nationalist and Sir Abdul Qadir, a legal luminary, philanthropist, humanist, editor and many more. They slowly but silently brought about renaissance in thought and literature in the province. More or less, it was the time when Home Rule League was founded. In the struggle of independence of country, the Congress, in accordance with the demands of the circumstances, was changing its own strategy. The day had not come yet, when from the platform of the Congress, an open challenge should have been given to British Imperialism. Gokhale was about to demand the reduction and annihilation of new colonialism. Our angel Poet, Iqbal, warns us:
                        Yeh Khamoshi Kahan Tak
                        Lazzte Faryaad Paida Kar
                        Zamin Par Ho Too Aur Teri
                        Sa’daa Ho Aasmano Mein
(O man! How long will your silence continue? You should reveal your hardships and create such a situation that your voice should go from earth to sky.)
Again,
                        Utho Meri Duniya Ke
                        Garibon Ko Jaga Do
                        Kakhe Umra’a Ke
                        Daro Deewar Hila Do
                        Jis Khet Se Dekhan Ko
                        Muyassar Nahin Rozi
                        Us Khet Ke Har
                        Khosha-e-Gandam Ko Jala Do
(Rise and rouse the poor of my world. Strike and shake the palaces of the rich. A field that does not give bread to the farmer should be burnt completely.)

One of the great forums of literary and religious gatherings in Lahore was Anjuman-e-Himayat-Islam, which had the avowed object of promoting the cultural, educational and social interests of the Muslims. The Anjuman provided a ready platform to Iqbal to recite some of his famous poems, like Nalaa-e-Yateem (orphan cry), a pathetic verse lamenting the pitiable condition of the Muslims. “Shikwa” (the complaint) written soon after Italy had grabbed Tripoli from the Turks, voices the grievances of the Muslims against their God. Khizr-e-Rah (The Guide), a poem unmasking and dissecting the European civilization and statesmanship and Talu-e-Islam (The Rise of Islam), in which the poet glorifies the vision of the rebirth of Islam, of which Mustafa Kamaal Pash’a coup in Turkey, was in his opinion, the promise to flourish.

His verse invariably succeeded in generating the right atmosphere of emotional upsurge. “Hindustan Hamara” his short poem of nine stanzas pointedly refers to the citizens of the sub-continent as Indians and India as their motherland. It chides communalists by saying that “Religion does not teach bigotry.” (Mazhab nahin sikhata aapas mein bair rakhna) One critic hails it as the best patriotic poem written by any Indian in modern times. The last two stanzas of the poem require a special significance:
                    Yunan-o-Misr-o-Roma Sab Mit Gaye Jahan Se
                    Ab Tak Magar Hai Baki Naam-o-Nishan Hamara
                    Kuchh Baat Hai Ke Hasti Mit’ti Nahin Hamari
                    Sadiyon Raha Hai Dushman Daur-e-Zaman Hamara.
(The civilizations of Greece, Egypt and Rome are dead and gone but the glory of India shines still. There must be something and some reason why we have not been wiped out of existence, despite the fact that for centuries the horrible winds have been blowing against us.)
Iqbal summed up for all times to come his and the nation’s emotions in lines of ineffable beauty and splendour.

Iqbal, the poet of world celebrity, played an important role in the history of the Indian Muslims. Though he supported the Liberal movement, he asked the liberal Muslims to be on guard so that the broad human principle, which Islam stood for, was not thrown in the background by emphasis on the nation and the race.

Iqbal described the European civilization as inhuman, rapacious, predatory and decadent. He even quoted such writers as Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Spengler and Karl Marx holding conflicting views to denounce in different aspects. He passionately attacked the European civilization in poems which are pearls of Persian and Urdu poetry. He was essentially a humanist and considered Islam as a religion of broadest humanism.

The Aligarh Movement, started under the leadership of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, played a significant role in bringing about awakening among the Muslims, especially among its middle classes. Chirag Ali, Syed Mehdi, Mustafa Khan, Khuda Bakhsh, Hali, Nazir Ahmed and Mohammad Shibli were the outstanding leaders and exponents of the ideas of the movement. They exhorted the Muslims to imbibe the western culture to interpret Qoran in the rational terms and in accordance with the needs of the Muslims in the present period and to revise their social system on more or less modern and democratic lines.

Josh Malihabadi : A Great Revolutionary Poet

 (This article was written by my father, Sh. Sham Dass Khanna. He was the News Editor of the Urdu daily, Hind Samachar. He was himself a great poet of Urdu and was the literary follower of Josh Sahib.)

KAAM HAI MERA BAGHAWAT

NAAM HAI MERA SHABAB

MERA NA’ARA INQUILAB-O-

INQUILAB-O-INQUILAB

(My function is to revolt and my name is youth. My slogan is revolution and total revolution.)

This couplet vividly symbolizes the revolutionary spirit of great poet, Shabbir Husan Khan, whose nom de plume is Josh. He throughout his life preached revolution and worked for it. He raised a banner of revolt against society, social, political and economic set up of the country and more over his family. He selected his own way, adopted his own principles and gave a new message to humanity.

 Born on December 5, 1898 in Malihabad (Oudh) in Uttar Pradesh, Josh had his early education in Husainbad, Lucknow and Aligarh and obtained his senior Cambridge diploma from St. College, Agra. He joined ‘DARUL TARJUMA’ in 1925, where he came in contact with well known writers, poets and scholars of his time.

Later, he moved to Delhi, where he was appointed to head a Government of India publication, Aaj Kal, a monthly magazine. He migrated to Pakistan around 1956 and was appointed there as a literary advisor to the Urdu Development Board. A pupil of a well known poet Aziz Lakhnawi, the first collection of his prose and poetical composition, Rooh-e-Adab, was published in 1920. He had written some fifteen books, some of which are  Shola-o-Shabnam, Ravish-o-Rang, Junoon-o-Hikmat, Saif-o-Subu, Yaadon Ki Barat and Shair Ki Raatein.

Josh spent the last year of his stormy controversial life of struggle in virtual oblivion in the Pakistani capital. A third generation poet in his family, Josh regretted till his death his migration to Pakistan, which attracted the wrath of fanatic Mullahs and the suspicion of the Military regimes of Pakistan. Even as early as December 22, 1955 Josh realised his mistake and even shared it with one of his friends in India, Diwan Singh Maftoon, an Editor of Riyasat weekly, expressing his unhappiness and worries as to what would happen to his wife and family after his death. 

Tall, well built, handsome with flowing hair, Josh, a Pathan had fiery temper but at the same time he was equally sentimental, especially in religious affairs.

Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad fired his revolutionary zeal. While freedom struggle inspired him, youth and beauty bewitched him. A versatile poet of his era, Josh equally dominated in Nazm and Ghazal, but preferred the former as better vehicle for giving expression to his feelings of revolutionary thought, patriotism and anti-colonialism. Though a scion of the feudal aristocracy, he identified himself with the toiling masses and the working class and preached communal harmony.

His ‘MARSIA’ (elegy) on the death of Mahatma Gandhi is considered a master-piece in Urdu poetry. He was equally adept in prose writing of which ROOM-i-ADAB and YADON KI BARAT, a biographical account, are the best specimens. The latter became controversial though it was regarded as a trend setter in prose writing of those days.

Fond of good things of life, economic constraints took him to Bombay for a while, before he left for Pakistan in 1956. In Bombay, he wrote songs for films, some of which became hits, but literary critics accused him of “prostituting with his pen.”

Even in his age disregard for delicacy elegance colloquial usage of language courtesy and manners, Josh always regarded the Lucknow school as his bible. This is how he summed up this aspect of life :

TABIYAT  KHUSH  HUI  AE  HUMNASHIN

KAL  JOSH  SE  MIL  KAR

ABHI  AGLI  SHARAFAT  KE

NAMUNE  PAYE  JATE  HAIN.

Stung by allegations of being a traitor and an Indian agent, soon after raaching Pakistan, Josh gave a statement to a newspaper in Karachi declaring that he had decided to lead a solitary life so that nobody even know whether he was living or dead even if he had ever been a poet. He could not but mourn :

IN  BUZDILON  KE  HUSAN  PAR

SHAIDA  KIYA  HAI  KYON

NAMARD  KAUM  MEIN  MUJHE

PAIDA  KIYA  HAI  KYON

(Why have you made me enamoured of the beauty of these cowards. Oh! why have you given me birth in a race of impotents.) 

Fed up, he beseeched his friends in letters to pray to Allah to take away Josh from this world immediately. Yet he had once said

MUDATTON  ROYA  KARENGE

JAM-o-PAIMANA  MUJHEY

(For a long time to come, the goblet and the wine measure would bemoan my loss.)

One of the last of his genre, his contemporary and somewhat elder, Raghupati Sahai, well knkown as Firaq Gorakhpuri, has spoken highly of his poetry as well as the man himself. As for ability and contribution to literature, it was always too close to call. But at the mushairas (poetical symposia), Josh always recited his piece after Firaq, a sort of recognition of his seniority.

As Josh was from a family of the Taluqdars, this background left a lasting imprint on him. When P.C.Joshi, as Secretary General of  the Communist Party of India, was scouting for important Urdu poets to strengthen the cultural wing of the party, he cast his net as far as Josh, but inspite of his revolutionary ideas, he could never be cast in that role. He remained the feudal aristocrat till his death.  No doubt, he did compose highly rhetorical and powerful anti-colonial poetry during the freedom struggle, which earned him the title of Shair-i-Inquilab (Revolutionary Poet), a fact which brought him close to leaders like Mr. Nehru; but a factor that contributed towards sustaining this question may well have been a shared aristocratic demeanour.

Through his fiery poems against the British imperial rulers, Josh Malihabadi inspired the Indians in their fight for freedom and defence of the country.

Guru Hargobind’s Relations with Shah Jahan: An Era of Warfare

 Jahangir’s death in 1627 AD opened a new chapter in the career of Guru Hargobind. The death was an important event with which we enter into a new phase of relations of Guru Hargobind with the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan. The relations between them grew so worst that battles between them became evident. The estrangement between them was caused due to the following factors:

- Guru Hargobind’s New Policy was an important cause for this estrangement. When Shah Jahan became the emperor, the Guru had given due shape to his New Policy. The Akal Takhat had been constructed upto this time and the fortification of Amritsar had also been completed. The Guru had established his well-organized Sikh army and had even formed a contingent of the Pathan troops under Painda Khan. He had himself started wearing royal dress and adopted royal-symbols, besides being called the Saccha Padshah. In this way, he was forming an imperium-in-imperio. “Thus the Guru was becoming a potential source of danger to the established order,” states Dr. I. B. Banerjee, and it was possible for Shah Jahan to take action against him.

- The fanatic policy of Shah Jahan was another factor. The repair of old temples or the construction of new temples was not allowed to the Hindus. At Banaras and certain other places, the Hindu temples were demolished. While he was returning home from Kashmir, he got the news about the marriage of Hindu boys with Muslim girls at Rajouri, Bhimber and Gujarat. Shah Jahan not only declared such marriages illegal, but also forcibly seized the Muslim girls from their Hindu husbands.

- In the case of Punjab, three temples were destroyed and mosques were constructed over there. The Baoli of Lahore was filled with mud and dirt, and the Langar Bhawan was converted into the mosque. The Sikhs were stunned at it and stood against the fanatic rule.

- As Jahangir had in his early days of accession come under the influence of the Naqshabandis, he was responsible for the martyrdom of Guru Arjan. Since then, it is stated that he had come under the influence of Mian Mir and adopted the policy of Sulah-i-Kul. Soon the relations between Jahangir and Guru Hargobind became friendly. On the accession of Shah Jahan, the situation had changed. Masud, the son of Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, led the Naqshabandis and the number of fanatic Muslims increased under him. Shah Jahan was also highly influenced by him. As these people were full of hatred against the non-Muslims, especially against the Hindus and the Sikhs in Punjab, they poisoned the ears of Shah Jahan against the Sikhs.

- The Kaulan affair also strained the relations between the two. Kaulan was the daughter of the Qazi of Lahore. She was a religious minded girl and was a follower of Mian Mir. Being a staunch Sunni, the Qazi could not tolerate the religious sentiments of his daughter. Therefore, he started inflicting atrocities on her. Mian Mir sent her in the shelter of Guru Hargobind. When Shah Jahan came to know about it, he flared up against the Guru.

The above are some of the fundamental factors responsible for the warfare between the two. Though the writers differ on the number and places of the battles fought, the view of Macauliffe is the most acceptable, that Guru Hargobind fought the following three battles against the Mughals.

1.      Battle of Amritsar, (1628 A.D.): The battle of Amritsar “was the first combat between the Muhammedans and the Sikhs.” Shah Jahan was on a hunting trip in the forests near Amritsar. Guru Hargobind was also on a similar mission in the same forest. It so happened that the Mughals started pursuing a very beautiful hawk. After some time, Shah Jahan returned to Lahore leaving his men to accomplish the task. As fortune has it, the Sikhs also met with the same hawk and captured it for their Guru. However, the Mughals claimed their authority over the bird, because they were the first to pursue it. When the Mughals resisted, they were driven out with slaughter, and as Dr. I. B. Banerjee states, it “was too great an offence to be lightly passed over.”

The Mughals in the command of Mukhlis Khan made an attack against the Guru. The Mughals were 7,000 in number. Though all the records unanimously agree with the Sikh victory, the writer of Dabistan narrates, “At Ramdaspur, Hargobind sustained an attack of the army, which Shah Jahan, the Shadow of God, sent against him, and the Guru’s property was then plundered.” The statement of the author of Dabistan may indeed be true, but what happened was that the invaders had taken possession of the Guru’s palace. The sweets had been stored there in plenty, because the marriage date of the Guru’s daughter, Viro, had been fixed, which was in the near future. The Mughals ate plenty of sweets and could not help sleeping. Consequently they could not cope with the surprise attack of the Sikhs in the command of their Guru. The Sikhs came out victorious in the battle. The Mughals were killed in a great number, including their commander, Mukhlis Khan.

The battle of Amritsar is considered an important landmark in the Sikh history. Dr. A.C. Banerjee comments, “It marks the beginning of their armed resistance to the Mughal Empire, a process which reached its culmination in the early years of the eighteenth century.” The victory popularized the Guru among the non-Muslim masses, who were fed up by the fanatic rule. Sir Jadu Nath Sarkar has also believed that “many men came to enlist under the Guru’s banner. They said that no one else had power to contend with the Emperor.”

Although the Guru had won the battle, yet he retreated from Amritsar to Kartarpur and here thrashed a small contingent of the Subahdar of Jullundur, sent against him.

2.      Battle of Lahira, (1631 A.D.): Guru Hargobind was not interested to lead a life of warfare, but wanted to live in peace. He had been living a peaceful life for three years since his first encounter with the Mughals, and the process would have longed when suddenly an event occurred.

It is said that two Masands, Bakht Mal and Tara Chand, were bringing two horses of extreme beauty and fleetness for their revered Guru. On the way, the Mughal officials seized both these horses. Bidhi Chand, a notorious dacoit of his times, but now an ardent follower of Guru Hargobind, succeeded in recovering these horses from the royal stable at Lahore. This act of Bidhi Chand annoyed the emperor and he sent an expedition under Lala Beg and Qamar Beg against the Sikhs. The news alarmed the Guru and he thought it wise on his part “to seek shelter in some advantageous position and retired to the wastes of Bhatinda, south of Sutlej, where it might be useless or dangerous to follow him.” When the Mughal commanders got information of the reaction of the Guru, they foolishly ordered their troops to advance to the area where the Sikhs had settled. Here the Mughals attacked the Sikhs for the second time, but could not cope with the natural difficulties. Hence the Sikhs under Guru Hargobind defeated the Mughals very easily at Lahira. A good number of the Mughals were killed in the battle and the Sikh soldiers also were either badly injured or killed in great number.

The victory at Lahira made the Guru and the Sikhs feel themselves so powerful that without convincing any danger they returned in the plains. According to S. M. Latif, “Hargobind having twice beaten the Mughal army in the open field, now began to entertain some degree of confidence in his own power and in the prowess of his followers.”

3.      Battle of Kartarpur, (1634 A.D.): The Guru had settled down along with his Sikhs at Kartarpur and was leading a peaceful life. But Painda Khan, in the service of the Guru as a Pathan commander, made the battle inevitable for the third time. It so happened that Painda Khan, on being pressurized by his son-in-law, Asman Khan, stole the favorite hawk of Bhai Gurditta, a son of Guru Hargobind. The Sikhs recovered the hawk from Painda Khan’s house, but he denied that it was in his house. In order to punish him, the Guru drove him out.

Munshi Sohan Lal in his monumental work, Umdat-ut-Tawarikh, has narrated a different story. According to him, Painda Khan incurred the Guru’s displeasure by making over to his son-in-law the horse and Khillat the Guru had given him for his personal use.

Be whatsoever it may, Painda was ousted and in order to avenge his humiliation, he approached Shah Jahan and offered to destroy the Sikhs this time, if he was given sufficient troops. Hence the Guru was attacked at Kartarpur in April, 1634 A.D. A desperate battle was fought here. Macauliffe writes, “The Pathans were powerless against the brave Sikhs fighting for their religion and their Guru.” The Mughal army was repulsed with great slaughter, Painda Khan, Asman Khan and Chandu’s son being among the slain.

Sir Gokul Chand Narang observes, “Victorious as the Guru was, he did not think it safe to live any longer in the plains.” After his victory at Kartarpur, he had left this place and reached Phagwara, but as Macauliffe states and the Guru himself would have been convinced, the town of Phagwara was on the road to Lahore, and the Mughal government could very easily send reinforcements against him. Consequently, he retired to Kiratpur, where he spent the remaining years of his life in peace and working for his spiritual mission, being alienated at all to the acts of warfare.

 In his relations with Shah Jahan, Guru Hargobind introduced himself as a brave and an efficient military general. He had established his small army and under his command the Sikhs defeated the Mughals in three consecutive battles at Amritsar, Lahira and Kartarpur. These battles gave the Sikhs essential training of warfare. Though Guru Hargobind came out victorious in these battles, he did not occupy any territory, which makes it clear that his intentions were not political. According to Sir G. C. Narang, “Hargobind was the first of the Sikh Gurus to have entered upon a military career.” On the same hand, Dr. Indu Bhushan Banerjee observes, “The Guru’s military actions were mostly of a defensive nature, and in almost all cases, he did not lead expeditions, rather expeditions were led against him.”