Inderjeet S. Bhatia ‘Prince’
Guru Hargobind Ji, revered as the 6th Nanak, was the 6th of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. Guru Ji was born on 19th June 1595 at village Guru Ki Wadali to the house of Guru Arjan Dev Ji and Bibi Bhaniji. He had become guru at the young age of 11 after the execution of his father, Guru Arjan Dev Ji, on the orders of Mughal Emperor Jehangir in Lahore (now in Pakistan).
Guru Hargobind Ji, also known as the master of Miri-Piri, introduced the process of militarization to Sikhism. This was seen as his response to his father Guru Arjan Dev’s execution by the Mughal empire and also to protect Sikh community. Guru Ji symbolized it by wearing two swords representing the dual concept of ‘Miri’ and ‘Piri’ (temporal power and spiritual authority) Guru Ji got ‘Akal Takht’ (The throne of the timeless one) constructed in front of the Golden Temple, Amritsar. The ‘Akal Takht’ represents the highest seat of earthly authority of the ‘Khalsa’. Guru Ji used to hold his ‘darbar’ (court) in front of ‘Akal-Takht). Guru Ji encouraged his followers to maintain physical fitness.
It is believed that just 5 days before his execution, Guru Arjan Dev Ji had selected his son Guru Hargobind Ji as the next Guru of Sikhism. Guru Arjan Dev Ji instructed his son to start a military tradition to protect people and always keep himself surrounded by armed Sikhs for self protection.
Guru Ji, following his father’s advice, kept himself surrounded by armed Sikhs. The number 52 was special in his life and his retinue consisted of 52 armed men. In due course of time, Guru Ji came to possess 700 horses and his ‘Risaldari’ (army) grew to 300 horsemen and 60 musketeers.
Guru Ji built a fort near Amritsar and called it ‘Lohgarh’. Deftly, Guru Ji instilled the will to fight and established high morale in his followers.
The Mughal Emperor Jehangir viewed the build-up of Sikh power as a threat and had young Guru Ji imprisoned at Gwalior for some period of time.
There are some historians who believe that Guru Ji had willingly gone to the fort of Gwalior, ostensibly to pray for the recovery of ailing Emperor Jehangir. When Jehangir regained his health, he ordered the release of Guru Hargobind Ji. Guru Ji, however, refused to leave unless 52 hilly rajas, mostly Hindus, were freed as well.
The 52 Rajas were kept as prisoners in the Gwalior fort as hostages for million of rupees and also for opposing the Mughal empire.
Jehangir agreed to Guru Ji’s request to release hilly rajas with condition that only those kings would be freed who could get hold of Guru Ji’s gown while leaving the fort.
It is said that Guru Ji got a special gown stitched which had 52 hems.As Guru Ji left the fort, the 52 captive kings caught the hems of the cloak and came out of the Gwalior fort along with Guru Ji.
Guru Ji reached the holy city of Amritsar. It was the auspious day of ‘Diwali’. To mark the occasion, Sikhs celebrated ‘Diwali’ as ‘Bandi-Chhor Diwas’
Guru Ji, thus, was the 1st Sikh Guru to engage in warfare, fighting and winning 4 defensive battles with Mughal forces. Guru Ji himself was an adept swordsman, wrestler and rider as he had been imparted training in military warfare and martial arts.
Guru Hargobind Ji studied religious texts with Bhai Gurdas Ji and trained in martial arts with Baba Budha Ji.
According to historians, Guru Ji’s relations with Jehangir remained mostly friendly. Guru Ji, as a friend, accompanied Jehangir to Kashmir and Rajputana and subdued Tarachand of Nalagarh, who had continued for a long time in open rebellion and all efforts to subdue him had failed.
During Jehangir’s rule, Guru Hargobind Ji fought a battle against the Mughals at Rohilla. That battle was in response to militarization of the Sikhs. The Mughals were led by Governor Abdul Khan and were defeated by the Sikhs.
After the death of Jehangir, Shahjahan became the emperor. During Shahjahan’s reign, that started in 1627, relations of the Sikhs with the Mughal empire became bitter once again.
Shah Jahan was intolerant who started persecuting the Sikh community. He forced people to convert to Islam. According to historians, the emperor was also insecure about the increasing influence and power of the Sikhs, a fact which the ill wishers preyed upon with their conspiracies to incite Shahjahan against the Sikh especially Guru Hargobind Ji.
In 1628, Shahjahan’s hunting party plundered some of Guru Ji’s property which triggered the 1st armed conflict of Guru Ji with Mughal forces. Guru Hargobind Ji took on Shahjahan and his strong Mughal army and defeated them four times in his life. Shahjahan’s defeat at the hands of the Sikhs was a telling blow to the military might of the Mughal Empire.
On 3rd March, 1644, Guru Hargobind Ji called his followers and passed on the Guruship to his grandson Guru Har Rai Ji to continue the legacy of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’. Guru Ji left for his heavenly abode on the same day.
In the words of J D Cunningham, a British historian “Unlike other Sikh Gurus, who are fondly remembered for their spiritual insights, Guru Hargobind Ji, the 6th Sikh Guru is additionally credited for spearheading the militarization of the Sikh community. Guru Hargobind Ji, thus emerged as both spiritual teacher as well as a military ruler’’.
Guru Hargobind Ji did not neglect the work of preaching and spreading the Sikh faith. He sent his followers to distant places like Bihar and Bengal to preach Sikhism. Guru Ji allowed Udasis to preach Sikhism.
Guru Hargobind Ji never abandoned the true character of Guru Nanak Dev Ji whose teachings he had to spread in this world.
In those times, when the scourge of caste division, religious discrimination and superstition was making life into a living hell for the ordinary person. At that time, Guru Hargobind Ji used the power of worship and the power of the sword to fight this oppression.
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