[ p. 162 ]
Owing to the repeated representations of the hill chiefs, the Emperor sent a large army under Saiyad Khan to reduce the Guru to submission. The Guru received intelligence that the imperial army had arrived in Thanesar, and would soon reach Anandpur. On hearing this he mustered his troops, and found they were only five hundred strong. The rest of his army had dispersed to their homes. Nothing now remained for the Guru but to make the best defence he could with his present force. In a few days Saiyad Khan’s troops appeared in sight singing a war hymn to stimulate their spirits.
Maimun Khan, a faithful Musalman who had attached himself to the Guru, said that he was indebted to him for many favours, and asked permission to show his prowess. The Guru gave him a bow, and told him he would do well to kill even his own co-religionists on account of their misdeeds. The brave and faithful Saiyad Beg also came forward to continue his services to the Guru, Both Musalmans went like tigers into the battle, and were followed by the Sikhs. The latter represented to the Guru that it was futile to contend with such a large army as had now appeared. The Guru in reply encouraged them, and they advanced boldly against the enemy. ‘The early part of the battle was signalized by a fierce single-handed combat between a hill chief and Saiyad Beg. After they had repeatedly missed each other, Saiyad Beg at last struck off the hill chief’s head. On seeing this Din Beg of the imperial army rushed at Saiyad Beg, for whom he cherished a double hatred as the slayer of the hill chief, and as a deserter from his sovereign, and mortally wounded him. Saiyad Beg died praising the Guru. Then ensued a general engagement of both armies. The Sikhs performed prodigies [ p. 163 ] of valour, and the Musalmans are said to have fallen to the earth like minarets toppling from their heights. Maimun Khan charged on horseback in every direction and committed great havoc among the imperial troops.
An unexpected circumstance now occurred. Saiyad Khan, the general of the imperial troops, had long been a secret friend of the Guru, and when he heard that an expedition was to be sent against him, contrived to be put in command of it, so that he might at last be able to behold the great priest of the Sikhs, and do him signal service. The Guru knew what was passing in Saiyad Khan’s mind, and advanced ostensibly to challenge him, saying, ‘ If thou attack me not, I will not attack thee.’ Saiyad Khan on obtaining the wish of his heart to behold the Guru, said that he was the Guru’s servant and slave, and that he would never fight against him. The Guru replied, ‘I am a poor man. It is only rich men who have slaves. To conquer in war is ever held honourable.’
Saiyad Khan dismounted and fell at the Guru’s feet. The Guru conferred on him the true Name and the supreme reward of salvation. Saiyad Khan, however, did not actively assist the Sikhs, but turned aside from the battle as he was unable to restrain his troops or divert their energies to the Guru’s assistance. They made a fierce onslaught on the Guru’s soldiers, who began to retire, overpowered as they were by a multitudinous host. But at a critical moment the Sikh war-cry was ragséd, upon which the Sikhs rallied and presented a bold front to the enemy. After Saiyad Khan’s defection from the imperial cause, Ramzan Khan took command and fought with great bravery against the Sikhs. The Guru seeing this let fly an arrow at him which killed his horse.
The Guru on closely observing the combat saw that there was no chance of retrieving his position, [ p. 164 ] so he decided to evacuate Anandpur. The Muhammadans then captured the city and plundered the Guru’s property. On obtaining this booty they proceeded in the direction of Sarhind. Some Sikhs not yet satisfied with warfare asked the Guru’s permission to pursue them. The Guru replied that as his Sikhs were subservient to him, so was he subservient to God. He repeated on the occasion the third slok of the Asa ki War. By this he meant that it was God’s will that he should be defeated, and as all creation feared God, so did he himself at all times.
The Sikhs feeling their defeat, again pressed their request. The Guru at last yielded, and allowed them to pursue their enemies. The latter were unprepared for attack, and fell into great confusion on finding themselves pursued by the very men whom they already thought they had vanquished. The Turks who turned to oppose the Sikhs were killed, and only those who took to flight escaped the vengeance of the Guru’s pursuing army. In addition to killing and dispersing the Muhammadans, the Sikhs deprived them of all the booty they had captured at Anandpur. The remnant of the Muhammadan army finally made their way to Sarhind. On this the Guru returned and took possession of Anandpur.
The Emperor called on his fugitive troops to account for their cowardice. They pleaded that they had been waylaid by the Sikhs and taken at an unfair advantage. This excuse seems to have been accepted, for the Emperor then turned the conversation in another direction, and asked what sort of person the Guru was, and what forces he possessed. A Muhammadan soldier gave highly coloured accounts of the Guru’s beauty, sanctity, and prowess. He was, he said, a young handsome man, a living saint, the father of his people, and in war equal to one hundred thousand men.
[ p. 165 ]
The Emperor was much displeased on hearing this panegyric of the Guru, and ordered that the panegyrist should be excommunicated. The Court qazi advised that the Guru should be brought to the Emperor’s presence by some stratagem. Accordingly the Emperor sent him the following message. ‘There is only one Emperor. Thy religion and mine are the same. Come to see me by all means, otherwise I shall be angry and go to thee. If thou come, thou shalt be treated as holy men are treated by monarchs. I have obtained this sovereignty from God. Be well advised, and thwart not my wishes.’
To this the Guru replied, ‘ My brother, the Sovereign who hath made thee emperor hath sent me into the world to do justice. He hath commissioned thee also to do justice, but thou hast forgotten His mandate and practisest hypocrisy. Wherefore how can I be on good terms with thee who pursuest the Hindus with blind hatred? Thou recognizest not that the people belong to God and not to the emperor, and yet thou seekest to destroy their religion.’ When dispatching this reply to the emperor the Guru conferred a robe of honour on his envoy.
The Sikhs of the Malwa and Manjha districts now thronged to the Guru in great numbers, and began to study the science of war under his tutelage. Raja Ajmer Chand was distressed on seeing the power and glory of the Sikhs daily increase, and prevailed on the other hill chiefs to join him in another mission to the Emperor to make further complaints against the Guru. The Emperor was at that time in the south of India, and thither the raja proceeded in person to lay the petition of the allied chiefs before him. It described the foundation of Anandpur by Guru Teg Bahadur, whom the Emperor had executed, and the martial and troublesome proclivities of his son the present Guru Gobind Singh. It then proceeded to give the rajas’ own version of the Guru’s proceedings, and how he had [ p. 166 ] asked them to embrace his new religion and join them in waging war against the Emperor.
Aurangzeb fearing that the Guru would become too powerful, and also displeased at the state of unrest that prevailed in the Panjab, ordered all available troops under the viceroys of Dihli, Sarhind, and Lahore to be dispatched against the Guru. The hill chiefs who complained should also assist in repressing the common enemy. At the conclusion of the campaign the Guru was to be captured and brought before the Emperor. It would appear from an interview which Raja Ajmer Chand subsequently had with the Dihli viceroy, that the latter, in view of the safety of the capital of the empire, was not at the time in a position to dispatch any troops against the Sikhs.
The Guru was informed by a faithful Sikh of the result of Raja Ajmer Chand’s mission to the Emperor. He harangued his troops on the duty of religious warfare against the Muhammadans, and on this subject he had much to say. From the time of the persecution of Guru Arjan up to the present the emperors had been open or covert foes of the Gurus and their Sikhs. The Guru affirmed that death on the battle-field was equal to the fruit of many years’ devotion, and ensured honour and glory in the next world.
The time for the Diwali fair was now approaching. Sikhs came in large numbers to make offerings. The Guru issued orders to absent Sikhs to come with their arms and assist him. The Guru’s orders were generally obeyed, and warlike preparations began at Anandpur.
The hill chiefs who arrayed themselves against the Guru were Ajmer Chand of Bilaspur, Ghumand Chand of Kangra, Bir Singh of Jaspal, and the Rajas of Kullu, Kionthal, Mandi, Jammu, Nurpur, Chamba, Guler, Srinagar, Bijharwal, Darauli, and Dadhwal. They were joined by the Ranghars and the Gujars, [ p. 167 ] and all formed a large and formidable host. The imperial army, however, amounted to double their number. Wazir Khan, who had been put in supreme command by the Emperor, mustered his troops at Sarhind for parade and inspection.
Some faithful Sikhs ever kept the Guru informed of the movements of his enemies. He read in darbar the last letter of information he had received, and vowed to destroy his enemies and put an end to the sovereignty of the Mughals. The Sikhs were delighted at the prospect of battle, and congratulated themselves on their good fortune in_ being allowed to die for their Guru and their faith. Several of them put on saffron-coloured clothes in token of rejoicing, and said, ‘ We have only four days to live in this world. Why should we not endeavour to obtain the exalted dignity of martyrdom which will ensure salvation ? ’
Every variety of warlike weapon was served out to the Guru’s followers, and no one was left unarmed. The Guru took the precaution of laying in supplies for the maintenance of the garrison in the event of a siege. He addressed his troops, ‘Consider the hill chiefs as well’ as the Muhammadans your enemies. Fight bravely, and they shall all flee away.’ The Guru then repeated the following quatrain of his own composition :—
Blest is his life in this world who repeateth God’s name with his mouth and meditateth war in his heart.
The body is fleeting and shall not abide for ever; man embarking in the ship of fame shall cross the ocean of the world.
Make this body a house of resignation ; light thine understanding as a lamp ;
Take the broom of divine knowledge into thy hand, and sweep away the filth of timidity.
The chronicler judiciously remarks that the Khalsa ought to be congratulated because, though few in [ p. 168 ] number, they had confidence in themselves to fight for their religion, and delighted by anticipation in the approaching conflict.