Two Muhammadan generals, Saiyad Beg[1] and Alif Khan, were on their way from Lahore to Dihlh. They were each in command of five thousand men. Raja Ajmer Chand having heard of them thought he would try to secure their assistance to attack the Guru. The generals on receiving a promise of one thousand rupees a day promised Ajmer Chand their assistance. Saiyad Beg, however, on subsequently hearing favourable accounts of the Guru [ p. 154 ] and his Sikhs, changed his determination and withdrew from the Muhammadan army. The battle which ensued began with great fury between the Guru’s and Alif Khan’s troops. At a critical moment Saiyad Beg approached the Sikhs, and said that as they believed in the Guru, so did he, and he would therefore fight on their side. Alif Khan, on seeing that Saiyad Beg had joined the Sikhs, concluded that he had no chance of victory, and retired from the contest. He was hotly pursued by the Sikhs and Saiyad Beg. On the return of the latter from the pursuit, he alighted from his horse and went to offer his obeisance to the Guru. Having broken with the Emperor, whose servant he had been, he threw in his lot with the Sikhs, gave them all his wealth to assist them in their struggles. with the Muhammadans, and remained with the Guru as a trusty and powerful ally.
A Brahman appeared one day in the Guru’s court, and with a loud voice invoked his assistance against some Pathans who had forcibly abducted his bride at Bassi near Hoshiarpur. The Guru directed his son Ajit Singh to go with one hundred horse, fall suddenly on the Pathans at night, and restore the Brahman his bride. The expedition was carefully planned and courageously executed. In the early morning Ajit Singh produced before the Guru the Brahman’s bride and the offending Pathans. The latter received condign punishment.
Raja Ajmer Chand again summoned his allies with the object of chastising the Guru. There came to him Raja Bhup Chand, Raja Wazir Singh, and Raja Dev Saran. Raja Ajmer Chand made a. speech in which he warned his brother chiefs of the fate in store for them from the Guru, and advised them to join him in another expedition to crush him. They all expressed themselves in favour of immediate measures, and addressed the Guru a joint letter to the effect that they had lived peace [ p. 155 ] ably for some time, but found he would not cease his aggression, and they were therefore obliged to declare war against him. The Guru briefly replied— ‘My Sikhs have only come into collision with those who wantonly annoyed them. The Khalsa are ever awaiting battle. To fight and die is the duty of the brave. Come and see the power of the Khalsa.’
The hill chiefs on receiving this reply took the field without delay. It is said that they marched against Anandpur with ten thousand men. Saiyad Beg had not been able to induce his large force to remain with him, so the Guru’s available force at this time did not exceed eight hundred men. In the former battles of Anandpur the Sikhs appear to have remained behind their battlements and embrasures. On this occasion different tactics were adopted. They met the enemy in the open field outside Anandpur. The Sikhs fought with their usual courage and determination. Raja Ajmer Chand, on witnessing their prowess and the carnage they caused, retired from the battle in despair. The other hill chiefs continued the fight, but put themselves in the rear of their troops. Alim Singh and Ude Singh displayed their usual valour on behalf of the Guru. They wished to charge the hill hosts, but the Guru restrained them, and ordered them to use their muskets and arrows from where they stood. They obeyed the Guru, and plied their offensive weapons with signal success. The hill troops on seeing their own van stricken down retreated.
The Guru surveyed the battle from a distance. He was delighted as he saw the enemy fleeing in every direction. The Sikhs now flushed with victory forgot his orders and pursued the retreating hill troops. The Guru was displeased at the temerity of his men, and mounting his horse rode back to Anandpur. The Sikh force, on finding the Guru had left them, lost heart, retreated, and were in [ p. 156 ] turn pursued by the enemy. On their return to Anandpur they tried to obtain the Guru’s forgiveness, but he refused to speak to them. At last, yielding to the entreaties of Naurang Singh, one of his foremost warriors, he resolved to receive and pardon them. He said the Guru was the Khalsa and the Khalsa the Guru, and the old friendly and affectionate relations were renewed. He then ordered his troops to return to the field and oppose the enemy. He took up his own bow and effected the usual destruction in the hostile ranks. This was the signal for the Sikhs to second his efforts and fall on the hill army like tigers on deer. Then ensued fearful carnage, upon which the hill troops again took to flight. Their leaders tried to restrain them, but in vain. The battle was at an end, and both sides departed to their homes.
Raja Ajmer Chand, however, was not satisfied. He proposed to his brother chiefs that they should again make war on the Guru, this time with the assistance of the imperial troops. They accordingly sent an envoy to Aurangzeb, and prayed him to protect them against Guru Gobind Singh. They represented that they were ancient subjects of His Majesty, and would give him large tribute as the price of his assistance and protection.
Meantime there were great rejoicings in the Guru’s camp, and the wounded were carefully attended to. Bir Singh, Madan Singh, a Rajput chief, and Sham Singh visited the Guru. Sham Singh pointed out to him that the Muhammadans and Hindus were very numerous, and how could the Sikhs who were so few contend against them, much less hope to obtain empire? The Guru replied, ‘What God willeth shall take place. When the army of the Turks cometh, my Sikhs shall strike steel on steel. The Khalsa shall then awake, and know the play of battle. Amid the clash of arms the Khalsa shall be partners in present and future [ p. 157 ] bliss, tranquillity, meditation, virtue, and divine knowledge. Then shall the English come, and joined by the Khalsa rule as well in the East as in the West. The holy Baba Nanak shall bestow all wealth on them. The English shall possess great power, and by force of arms take possession of many principalities. The combined armies of the English and Sikhs shall be very powerful as long as they rule with united councils. The empire of the English shall vastly increase, and they shall in every way attain prosperity. Wherever they take their armies they shall conquer, and bestow thrones on those who assist them. Then in every house shall be wealth, in every house happiness, in every house rejoicing, in every house religion, in every house learning, and in every house a woman.[2] The English shall rule for a long time.’[3] At the conclusion of the Guru’s apocalypse the Sikhs respectfully bowed.
The Guru was asked to describe the state of the baptized Sikhs, whereupon he gave Alim Singh as an example. ‘He was’, the Guru said, ‘ originally a Brahman, but on adopting the religion of arms he now shineth like Indar. He ever worshippeth the Sword. He never accepteth gifts or invitations to feasts. I took away his sacrificial thread because if he retained it, he would still be a Brahman, and subject to Brahmanical superstitions.’
The Guru continued to instruct his Sikhs—‘ He who weareth long hair without receiving baptism is a hypocritical and foolish Sikh. I will not show myself to him. It is best to adopt one religion and not distract one’s mind with others. They who call themselves my Sikhs and stray to other creeds are [ p. 158 ] sinners. Let no Sikh associate with, much less offer presents to, those who worship Sarwar, Gugga,[4] and similar pirs, or with the misguided men who by order of their wives visit male and female Brahmans to have their fortunes told. He who giveth alms to Brahmans, who slandereth the Guru and _ his Sikhs, shall lay up for himself suffering. Put away from among you the hypocritical Brahman who, though he receive my baptism, removeth his hair in the fashion of the Hindus.
‘Let not any Sikh of mine worship Hindu or Muhammadan cemeteries and places of cremation, or give alms to one who weareth a religious garb for ostentation. I have forsworn such a person, if any there be, and let him who stupidly worshippeth false gods forswear me. He who feedeth the traveller, who giveth alms on the occasion of the Gurus’ anniversaries, and who hath faith in the Guru shall hereafter go to the Gurus’ abode. Let not my Sikhs look at Brahmans who reside at places of pilgrimage, or at those who don religious garbs and strut foppishly. Let my Sikhs abide apart, and be ever full of thoughts of God.
‘He who giveth his daughter in marriage to a Sikh and taketh no money for her, is a Sikh of mine, and shall after his death reach mine abode. Let Sikh men and women sit together and hold divine discourse. Let them worship God themselves, and teach their children to doso. My Sikhs may receive a voluntary offering for reading the Granth, or for copying it, but must not demand remuneration. Let the Sikh priest who receiveth an offering of money feed the poor before he feedeth himself. Let not my Sikhs be covetous. They who disobey this order shall receive punishment from God. I love [ p. 159 ] neither religious garbs nor castes. Men’s observance of the Sikh tenets is dear to me, but still dearer is their observance with sincerity. Let my Sikh love not the world, but pass his time as if he were to die to-day or to-morrow. Let him be ever true to his sovereign. Let him cherish his neighbour, and seek after righteousness. Let him eat and worship at fixed times. Let him shake off sloth and sing the Gurus’ hymns. Hear me, O Sikhs, practise not selfishness. Assist men whether of high or low degree, but contract not friendship with the evil. False is he who maketh promises without intention of fulfilment.
‘Let him who calleth himself a true Sikh of mine, accept baptism and do good acts, so shall his previous sins all depart on his seeking the Guru’s protection. Let him renounce the service of demons and sprites, and not worship stones or false gods. The hypocrites who stop their noses under pretence of meditation and count their beads are very impure. Why do the fools into whose hearts God’s love entereth not, wander to places of pilgrimage ? ’
On another occasion his Sikhs requested the Guru to give them further instruction that would aid them in their temporal affairs and ensure their deliverance from transmigration. At that moment the Guru was engaged in other affairs, and he delegated Daya Singh to deliver the necessary instruction. Daya Singh thus spoke, ‘ Act as follows and you shall be happy—Clothe and feed the Sikhs as far as your means allow, shampoo them, and bathe them, wash their clothes, fan them when they perspire, wipe their shoes, wash their feet, scour the dishes from which they have eaten, draw them cool water from the well, and cook their food with the utmost attention and cleanliness. Let them perform night and day these and other similar offices for the Sikhs, commit to memory the Gurus’ hymns, and repeat the True Name.
[ p. 160 ]
‘On seeing any person involved in trouble take compassion on him, and remove his sufferings to the best of your ability. The exercise of mercy and compassion is very meritorious. He who practiseth these virtues becometh the greatest of the great, and the primal supreme Being will be merciful unto him.
‘Speak the truth. This bringeth great comfort. Renounce falsehood which bringeth great misery in its train. On seeing another’s happiness be not envious thereof; why attach sin to yourselves for no sufficient reason ? In the first place, your jealousy will cause you annoyance, and you shall gain nothing therefrom ; and, in the second place, God will be angry with you and say, “It is I who gave, and yet this man is burning with envy.” There are also other evils attendant on this passion.
‘Abandon covetousness, practise contentment, covet not another’s wife, another’s wealth, or another’s children. If you do, you shall assuredly suffer. . My friends, practise not oppression on those whom you know to be weaker than yourselves. Be not proud of the possession of learning, beauty, great intellect, untold wealth, or similar fleeting advantages. Above all deem the bountiful Creator One alone.
‘If he who doeth good acts practise pride, they shall be as futile as the bathing of an elephant. Indulge not in praise of yourselves or dispraise of others. If you do, it will be a great sin. If ever you make a gift, boast not of it, but rather strive to conceal it. Speak civilly and satisfy everybody. Use not harsh language and annoy no one. Obtain wealth by honest means and share your meals with strangers.
‘Wear not dirty clothes, so shall your bodies be ever clean. Associate not with thieves, adulterers, highway robbers, gamblers, ingrates, thags, deceivers, or men of bad livelihood. Remember the sinner is worse than the sin, for he is the cause thereof. [ p. 161 ] When you see an evil man, avoid him at once like red-hot iron which cannot be held in the hand. Associate with the good, for in such association vice is put toshame. Listen to the history of the lives of the Gurus. Afterwards where there is discourse of God, listen to it with rapt attention.
‘Bathe in holy Amritsar. Behold God’s temple where the Gurus’ words are ever repeated. Sit down therein respectfully, and allow your minds to think of nothing but God. Ever look with devotion on where His light is_ resplendent, whether you go there on the occasion of the Gurus’ anniversaries, or visit the place every six months, or once a year if you live at a distance. If he who deemeth himself a Sikh behold not Amritsar, why did he take birth in the world? Unprofitable was his advent, and he shall afterwards regret his negligence.’
The Guru kept fifty-two bards permanently in his employ and others occasionally visited him. They wrote on all the nine subjects which in the opinion of Orientals are suitable themes for poetry ;[5] but the composition of eulogies on the Guru occupied most of their attention. The Guru once had the curiosity to weigh their compositions. They amounted to about two and a half hundredweight. The Guru included them in a compilation which he called Vidyadhar. He so valued the book that he ever kept it by him—even when he went into battle—but it was lost in one of his engagements. Some of the bards’ compositions are preserved in the Suraj Parkash, where they may be perused by the curious
The word Saiyid (ليس) is different from saiyad (حياة), which literally means a hunter, and forms the first part of the name of the general above mentioned. ↩︎
Under Muhammadan rule the Muhammadans used often to deprive the Hindus of their wives and daughters. In many cases, too, the subjects were too poor to purchase wives for themselves. The Guru possibly also meant that his Sikhs should embrace domestic lives, and cease to demean themselves by religious mendicancy. ↩︎
Suraj Parkash, Rut V, Chapter 36. ↩︎
Gugga is the name of a saint who is supposed to have become a serpent and vanished beneath the earth. In the Panjab he is worshipped by Hindus of the lower classes on the ninth day of Bhadon. ↩︎
The nine subjects are love, mirth, pity, anger, heroism, terror, hate, wonder, and contentment. ↩︎