A Sikh went to the Guru, to complain that his wife having been enchanted by a Muhammadan desired to embrace Islam. He prayed the Guru to perform incantations whereby his wife might adhere to her faith and conjugal duties. The Guru replied, ‘Charms, incantations, and spells are useless. The Gurus’ hymns alone are of any avail. No jin,[1] fairy, or demon shall approach her who daily reciteth or heareth the Japji. It is the duty of all Sikhs to give their wives religious instruction. Thy wife on receiving it shall return to her religion and allegiance to thee.’
One day the musicians were singing the story of Gopi Chand in presence of the Guru. The story being affecting, the audience were moved to tears. One man said that the musicians ought to be fined because they had in the Guru’s presence sung the epic of Gopi Chand instead of the hymns of the Gurus, and it was written in the Anand that all compositions except the Gurus’ were inadmissible. The Guru replied, ‘Only those compositions are forbidden which lead men astray from God. When simple men sing verses which lead to a reconciliation with Him, it is not thy duty to spurn them. It cannot harm thee tolisten to a story which containeth a moral.’
The Guru thought it prudent to be ever prepared for war, and he continued to enlist all who offered themselves for service. He provided them with horses and arms, and often represented to them that the power of the Turks had now grown beyond all endurance.
[ p. 120 ]
One day as the Guru was on a hunting excursion in the Dun, Balia Chand and Alim Chand, two hill chiefs, seeing him with only a small retinue, resolved to surprise and capture him. A fight ensued, but the Sikhs were too few in number to cope with their assailants and were obliged to retreat. A Sikh trooper came upon the Guru, who had lost his way in the mélée, and thus addressed him: ‘As a forest hath no beauty without a tiger, so a Sikh army hath no ornament without its Guru. If thou assist us not in our present difficulty, it will be a matter of eternal reproach to thee.’ The Guru then discharged five arrows at the enemy which took fatal effect. Upon this the Sikhs, though few in number, were encouraged to return to the combat. Blood was spilled on both sides like red powder at the Hindu festival of the Holi. Balia Chand, on seeing the destruction of his men, rushed forward, but found himself opposed by Ude Singh, one of the bravest soldiers of the Guru’s army. Alim Chand also advanced to support the hill army, but was confronted by Alim Singh. Both sides fought desperately, and men fell like trees cut down by the woodman’s axe. Alim Chand aimed a blow of his sword at Alim Singh, who received it on his shield, and then with his return blow struck off Alim Chand’s right arm. Alim Chand, however, contrived to escape, leaving Balia in sole command of the hill — troops. Balia Chand did not long enjoy that honour, as he was soon shot dead by Ude Singh. The hill troops, finding that one of their chiefs had fled with the loss of his arm, and that the other was dead, took to flight, leaving the honours of victory to the Guru and his Sikhs.- After the battle the Guru, undismayed, continued his hunting excursion.
After this defeat, the hill chiefs thought it highly dangerous to allow the Sikhs to increase in power and number. They remarked that the Sikhs were to-day in thousands, but in a short time they [ p. 121 ] would be in millions, therefore immediate measures ought to be taken for their repression. An Indian fig-tree when small can be easily destroyed, but, if allowed to grow, it becomes a forest and cannot be eradicated. The hill chiefs therefore thought it desirable to complain to the Dihli government against the Sikhs. The Emperor Aurangzeb was still engaged in warfare in the south of India. In his absence the Subadar or viceroy of Dihli heard their representations. The hill chiefs, having traced the Guru’s history from the time he had left Patna and settled with a humble following in Anandpur, thus continued: ‘ Knowing that he was a successor of the holy Guru Nanak, we made no objection to his residence among us. When he obtained power and we essayed to restrain him, he went to Nahan and there formed an alliance with its raja. He then came into collision with Raja Fatah Shah of Srinagar, which ultimately led to the battle of Bhangani, where there was great destruction of human life. After his return to Anandpur, the Guru established a new sect distinct from the Hindus and Muhammadans, to which he hath given the name of Khalsa. He hath united the four castes into one, and made many followers. He invited us to join him, and promised, if we consented, that we should obtain empire in this world and salvation in the next. -He suggested to us that if we rose in rebellion against the Emperor, he would assist us with all his forces, because the Emperor had killed his father, and he desired to avenge his death. As we did not think it proper to oppose the Emperor, the Guru is displeased with us, and now giveth us every form of annoyance. We cannot restrain him, and have accordingly come to crave the protection of this just government against him. If the government consider us its subjects, we pray for its assistance to expel the Guru from Anandpur. Should you delay to punish and restrain him, his next [ p. 122 ] expedition will be against the capital of your empire.”[2] This representation was duly submitted by the Subadar to the Emperor.
A Qazi called Salar Din came to visit the Guru, reminded him of the Sikh and Muhammadan belief in destiny, and upbraided him with having reversed the judgement of heaven. ‘They on whose foreheads unfavourable destiny was written,’ he said, “have been blessed and have received from thee all bounties and good gifts in return for their services and their fidelity… The Guru replied, ‘Destiny is as the reversed letters on a seal. I bless those who bow to the Guru. The letters of their destiny then present their ordinary appearance.’ This shows that the Sikhs need not implicitly believe in the controlling power of destiny.
In October, when the cold season was approaching, his troops represented to the Guru that they required warm clothing. He requested them to be patient. A Sikh, he said, was bringing him a bag of money to relieve all their necessities. A rich merchant, who had been originally a follower of Sakhi Sarwar, soon arrived with an offering of two thousand rupees, and related his story: ‘While I was a follower of Sakhi Sarwar, I invested a large sum of money in merchandise, but failed to dispose of it to advantage, notwithstanding a large offering of sweets to my patron saint. That and other mercantile ventures of mine having failed, I set about finding a religious guide who possessed influence with the supreme powers. I then heard that the tenth Guru occupied the seat of the holy Guru Nanak, and I vowed that in the event of commercial success I would give him a tithe of my profits. I have accordingly brought this bag of rupees, and I promise that I will no longer be a follower of any Muhammadan, but a Sikh of the Guru.’ The Guru duly baptized him and accepted his offering. The Guru was [ p. 123 ] thus enabled to provide warm clothing for his troops, and their devotion to him and their belief in his prophetic and divine power increased in consequence.
One day when the Guru felt thirsty, he asked a Sikh to fetch him water. Before the Sikh had time to do so, a young boy, who had come to see the Guru, volunteered to perform the service. The Guru noticing that the boy’s hands were soft and clean, asked him if he had any occupation. He replied in the negative. That was the first time he had ever offered to fetch water for any one. When he brought it the Guru refused to drink, saying it was impure. The boy remonstrated and insisted on its purity… The Guru replied, ‘ Hear me, O Sikhs, it is an important article of the Guru’s faith that performing service for saints contributeth to man’s salvation. The hands are purified by serving them. The feet are purified by going to behold the Guru. Without serving holy men[3] man’s body is as unclean as the limbs of a corpse from which all shrink and which all fear to touch.’
The Guru quoted the following from Gur Das’s Wars :—
Curses on the head which boweth not to the Guru and which toucheth not the Guru’s feet ;
Curses on the eyes which instead of beholding the Guru look at another’s wife ;
Curses on the ears which hear not and pay no attention to the Guru’s instruction ;
Curses on the tongue which repeateth other spell than the word of the Guru ;
Curses on the hands and feet which serve not the Guru : all other work is fruitless.
His disciples are dear to the Priest ; happiness is obtained by seeking the shelter of the Guru.[4]
After this the boy placed himself under the Guru’s instruction and learned to know God.
[ p. 124 ]
In due time the orders of the supreme government were received on the representation of the hill rajas’ envoy to the viceroy of Dihli. An army would be sent to assist them against the Guru, if they paid its expenses, but not otherwise. They accordingly sent the necessary funds, and further represented that they had no hope except in the Emperor’s assistance. The viceroy sent for Generals Din Beg and Painda Khan,[5] both commanding divisions of five thousand men, and ordered them to take their troops to resist the Guru’s encroachments on the rights of the hill chiefs. When the imperial troops arrived at Ropar, they were joined by the hill chiefs at the head of their contingents. They decided to expel the Guru if he offered resistance, but, if he undertook to be a loyal subject for the future, they were prepared to allow him to abide in Anandpur.
A Sikh, hearing of the force proceeding against the Guru, hastened from Kiratpur to Anandpur to give him information. The Guru’s men were soon under arms. He appointed the five whom he had first baptized, as generals of his army. The Sikh chronicler states that, when the engagement began, the Turks were roasted by the continuous and deadly fire of the Sikhs. The Guru went into the midst of his troops and gave them every form of encouragement. They never retreated, but staunchly confronted the enemy.
General Painda Khan, seeing the determined resistance of the Sikhs, shouted to his men that they were engaged in religious warfare, and called on them to fight to the death against the infidels. Upon this his troops discharged clouds of arrows, which obscured the sky. Painda Khan himself formed the design of engaging in single combat with the Guru, and thus deciding the battle. The Guru, on hearing his challenge, advanced on horseback and said, ‘O Pathan, I am Guru Gobind Singh, the [ p. 125 ] enemy of thy life.’ On hearing this Painda Khan’s eyes became bloodshot, and he vowed to fight to the death against the priest of the Sikhs. He invited the Guru to strike the first blow, so that he might not afterwards have cause for regret. The Guru refused the role of aggressor and said he had vowed never to strike except in self-defence.
Painda Khan whirled his horse round and round to find an opportunity of attacking the Guru and breaking his guard. At last both warriors and their horses stood still, and both sides began to speculate on their chances of victory. Painda Khan discharged an arrow which whizzed past the Guru’s ear. The Guru ironically complimented him on his archery, and invited him to shoot again so that he might have no cause for remorse. Painda Khan discharged another arrow which also missed its mark. Upon this he was on the point of retreating through shame and vexation, when the Guru addressed him: ‘O jackal, wait a little. Whither goest thou ? It is now my turn.’
The whole of Painda Khan’s body except his ears was encased in armour. The Guru knowing this discharged an arrow at his ear with such unerring aim that he fell off his horse prone on the ground, and rose no more. This, however, did not end the battle. Din Beg now assumed sole command, and urged on his troops. Maddened by Painda Khan’s death they fought with great desperation, but were unable to make any impression on the solid ranks of the Sikhs. On the contrary the Sikh forces caused great destruction among them. Ajmer Chand, seeing this, prepared for flight. The other hill chiefs followed his example. By this time Din Beg was severely wounded, and began to ask himself why he should try to keep the field any longer, since all those whom he had come to assist had ingloriously fled. He accordingly beat a retreat, and was pursued by the Sikhs as far as Ropar.
[ p. 126 ]
The Guru sent an officer to recall his troops as he did not think it became Sikhs to take the trouble to pursue cowardly and fugitive enemies. The Sikhs returned with horses, arms, and a vast quantity of other booty taken from the Muhammadans. The Sikh chronicler states that the enemies’ heads remained on the field like so many pumpkins, and that kites, ravens, and jackals hovered round them impatient for a feast.
The Guru continued to keep his troops in readiness for defence whenever attacked. He sent for armourers to make muskets, swords, and arrows, and filled his magazine with gunpowder and lead. He issued a proclamation that all Sikhs who came to see him should bring offensive and defensive weapons as offerings. Numbers, hearing of his bravery and piety, flocked to his standard. He baptized all comers and thus infused into them the spirit of the Khalsa.
The hill chiefs again took alarm and said to themselves that the Guru who had defeated Painda Khan and Din Beg, though commanding an army of ten thousand men, would be soon emboldened to oust them altogether from their territories. They must therefore either kill him or expel him from Anandpur, and with this object they again thought it necessary to seek the assistance of the Dihli government. Raja Ajmer Chand was deputed as envoy, and it was resolved to provide him with costly presents for the Emperor.
Raja Bhup Chand, now Raja of Handur, braver than his fellows, opposed the dispatch of an envoy. He said that nothing could be gained by again seeking the assistance of the Emperor. They ought to be able to defend themselves. If all the hill chiefs concerned were to contribute reasonable contingents, they could muster a large army which would be more than sufficient to annihilate the Guru and his Sikhs. He, however, proposed as the most [ p. 127 ] simple and feasible measure, to invest the Guru’s capital, Anandpur, and starve its occupants into submission. Should any hill chief not join in this enterprise, the others were to hold no intercourse with him, but treat him asanenemy. The Ranghars and Gujars, who were their subjects and were at ancient enmity with the Sikhs, would now be valuable allies against the Guru. The Raja of Handur concluded his address, ‘O Ajmer Chand, a reed is a frail support, but a handful of reeds bound together is not easily broken. If we all join together, the Sikhs will be powerless to offer us resistance.’
Raja Ajmer Chand was gained over by the proposal, and both he and Raja Bhup Chand sent envoys to all the hill chiefs. Upon this the Rajas of Jammu, Nurpur, Mandi, Bhutan, Kullu, Kionthal, Guler, Chamba, Srinagar, Dadhwal, and others came with their contingents. When they met in council, Raja Ajmer Chand thus addressed them: * Hear me, O rajas, the Sikhs are not merely my enemies. They are the common enemies of all. No one is able to withstand them. They cannot even be bribed by money into submission. We know not what their Guru’s designs may be. He baptizeth Sikhs, and they beget Sikhs as wicked as themselves. _ We know not what the Guru whispereth into their ears, that night and day they think of nothing but harrying and slaying. Give me your counsel as to what you deem best to be done.’
The rajas were unanimous in promising that they would agree to any proposal made by Raja Ajmer Chand. If the Guru, they said, were put to death they might all reign in peace. Accordingly ammunition was served out to the allied army over night, and before daybreak all were on their march to Anandpur. On arriving near the city the rajas drew up the following letter and dispatched it to the Guru : ‘ The land of Anandpur is ours. We allowed thy father to dwell on it, and he ever paid us rent, [ p. 128 ] but thou payest us not a single kauri. Nay, thou hast originated a new religion, and laid our country waste. We have endured this up to the present, but can now endure it no longer. Wherefore we have come to blockade thy town and destroy thee and thy Sikhs. This is the time for thee to pay arrears of rent for the occupation of our land. We call on thee to do so, and undertake to pay it regularly every year for the future. If thou art not disposed to accept these terms, then prepare for thy departure from Anandpur or take the consequences.’
To this the Guru sent reply, ‘O Ajmer Chand, thou and thine allied rajas desire to take money from me ; but my father purchased and paid for the land and now the only further payment you deserve is with the sword. If you can deprive me of Anandpur, you shall have it with bullets added thereto. Seek my protection, and you shall be happy in both worlds. Seek the protection of the Khalsa too, and abandon pride. Part not with your senses and come to terms with us. This is the Guru’s house, in which men shall be treated as they deserve. It is like a mirror. As men make themselves so they appear in it. If you proceed to hostilities with the Sikhs, they will not allow you to drink even a drop of water. Now is the time for a settlement. I shall act as a mediator between the Khalsa and you. You may then rule your states without apprehension.’