FROM TALWANDI

TO
NANKANA

550TH ANNIVERSARY OF BABA GURU NANAK

(April 15, 1469 AD to November 12, 2019 AD)

 FROM TALWANDI TO NANKANA SAHIB

In the sacred memory of Guru Nanak and Rai Bular

This book is dedicated to my mother Qamar Munir Begum, born in Amritsar on

January 01, 1934 and died in Nankana Sahib on April 02, 2013. She migrated to
Nankana Sahib after her marriage to my father, Rai Bashir Bhatti, the 16 th
generation descendant of Rai Bular and the head of the Bhatti Family. My
mother, a devout Muslim taught us (her children) to follow the footsteps of our
ancestor Rai Bular and influenced me to return to Nankana Sahib from Los
Angeles, California (USA), to serve the people and the land and keep the Nanak-
Bular flame of love and respect burning and pass this torch on to our next
generations.

Rai Aurangzeb Khan Bhatti

17th Generation Descendant of Rai Bular
Nankana Sahib (formerly known as Talwandi)
Punjab, Pakistan

NOTE TO READERS: The preface in this book is unusually lengthy but it

was necessary to set the spirit and purpose of this book. While there are
many books on Guru Nanak’s life and teachings, the overall connection
with historic events in the 15h century and Guru Nanak’s message on
peace and co-existence is not emphasized in these books. It is my hope
that readers will take the preface in the context of making these
connections.

COPYRIGHT
Rai Aurangzeb Bhatti
Rai Bashir Bhatti Road
Nankana Sahib, Pakistan
First Edition, Rev 1.2 – 2019

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 CONTENTS

Introduction 3

About Rai Bhoe Di Talwandi (Nankana Sahib) 12

Birth of a Star - Guru Nanak 26

Enchanting Stories from Janamsakhis 37

Guru Nanak’s Marriage and Employment 53

Guru Nanak begins his Sacred Journeys 64

Mughal War-Lords Invade India 99

Settling in Kartarpur and the Three Principles 106

Sikh Faith Post Guru Nanak's Death 112

Fall of the Mughals and Rise of the Khalsa 125

The British Rule Begins in Punjab 146

List of All Sikh Gurdwaras in Pakistan 165

Key Dates in Guru Nanak's Life and Sikh History 172

Timeline of The Mughal Dynasty 185

References of Rai Bular and Guru Nanak 190

Postface 193

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Introduction

Human beings must be constantly reminded of our fragility and lessons

from history. Today, 550 years after the birth of the great humanitarian
Guru Nanak, human population is 7.5 Billion (ten folds more than in
1469 AD), resources are becoming scarce, and weapons of mass
destruction are unimaginable and the global pot is bubbling with hatred,
racism and bigotry.

In the 21st century, we live in a so-called 'connected and globalized

world'. But that is a misleading statement as we only live in a
'connected and globalized economic world'. Our mindset, thinking,
beliefs and behavior is still very much 'localized'. We may be connected
commercially but we are disconnected ethically and morally. We are
'closer' but yet 'distant'. This is a dichotomy and the dilemma of our
times. The danger of madmen using religion and race to persecute and
inflict carnage on other humans is more serious than ever before. The
most important task at hand is to transform the human mindset and
align it with globalization of common ‘morals’ and 'ethics' - and not just
commerce. This means turning the day-to-day conversation from 'local'
issues and focus it on the 'global' threats and problems. When people
focus only on their local problems, they don't see any urgency and
importance for a broader global co-existence, harmony and peace.
There is plenty of evidence of this dangerous mindset as we see
conflicts, wars, destruction, misery and death all around on a daily basis.

Today, diverse religions, belief systems and cultures are playing a major
role is the deepening narrow and ‘localized mindset’. Religion is being
used to ‘divide’ and not ‘unite’ humanity. Instead of focusing on the
severe threats that mankind is facing collectively as a species, humans
are caught up in sectarian, racial and even financial divide. There are
serious threats that are lurking around the corner to our common
planet while humans are busy in their daily chores and ‘media
manufactured compulsions’ to grab more power and land, sell more
weapons, drill for more oil, chase after more money, buy more clothes,
collect more materials, cut more trees for paper and furniture, become
richer to seek ever more happiness, comfort and luxury. The three giant
threats to our planet that stand out and need our immediate attention
are; (1) Nuclear war, (2) Climate change and (3) Technological
disruption.
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If humans have to continue running the world and giving it meaning, it is
imperative that our current narrow and selfish mindset is replaced by a
broader and unselfish mindset for the sake of the survival of future
generations and all of humanity. Nuclear weapons, Biotechnology and
Artificial Intelligence threaten our very existence and if we are not
serious in our resolve our planet will discard us much sooner than we
think. The first step needed to correct this narrow thinking is that our
leadership in all spheres has to acknowledge these threats as real and
not perceived. Next, leaders of all nations, universities, colleges,
religions and even heads of individual households must tell people
under their influence over and over again to think ‘global’. Without a
global conversation on the future of humanity and the proactive
involvement of parents, children and leaders of our society, humans will
continue on a 'localized mindset' which clearly is on a collision course
with the enormous transformation taking place due to rapid disruptive
geographic and technological developments.

As in the 21st century, in the 15th Century, the world was witnessing
rapid change as well but at a much slower pace than today. New
Technology as well as new political thought was transforming the world.
India specifically was experiencing numerous military external invasions
and armed internal conflicts. At that time, the scenario was one of
chaos and confusion. There were uninterrupted scenes of tyranny and
bloodshed. India was utterly weak and disintegrated due to invasions
and the constantly changing ‘rules of survival’. The rich and powerful
had lost all sense of justice and fair play. Like the present days,
corruption was prevalent throughout the society. Power and position
were bought and sold. The people were backward, ignorant, chained in
superstitions and were conditioned to believe in prejudices. Big sums of
money were spent on useless ceremonies. Thus the poor were
becoming poorer and the rich even richer. Extreme Hindu rituals
enforced by the rich and powerful holy men, called Brahmins were
creating religious problems and social chaos. Hindu rituals and practices
included idol worship, child marriage, burials of infant females,
untouchability, caste system and sati (burning of wives upon the death
of their husband) and many other such evil practices. Muslims invaders
were not far behind in cruelty and were enforcing their will over natives
which was mostly in deep conflict with their local beliefs and customs. It
is in these times that a Saint was born in Rai Bhoe Di Talwandi in Punjab
province of India. His name was Nanak and later became to be called

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‘Guru Nanak’. The teaching of this Saint, Guru Nanak, addressed these
problems of that time and focused people’s attention towards peace
and harmony through living an honest and truthful life.

The timing of the birth of Guru Nanak corresponds to an age of inquiry,

and discovery - not just only in context of our unexplored physical
universe, but also in the context of discovery of the innermost nature of
humans. Mankind was in search not only of what lay outside of them,
but also in what lay inside – their soul. Being the contemporary or near
contemporary of many great people in the 15th century, Nanak played
his role in the beginning of the age of discovery and exploration. So
many inventions happened between 1430 and 1500 AD that it is mind
boggling. Some of these inventions are the Musket, Graphite pencil,
Telescope, Microscope, Gregorian Calendar, Printing Press (1439, 1453
by Johannes Gutenberg), Spinning Wheel, Knitting Machine, Scissors,
Thermometer and among others the Lateen-Sails-rigged ships that the
European long-distance sea explorers used.

The ‘Lateen Sail’ became the favorite sail of the Age of Discovery, mainly
because it allowed the Ships to tack "against the wind" thus making it
possible for Europeans to reach Asia and America’s by Sea.

In 1453 AD, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople

was conquered by the Ottoman Army, under the command of Ottoman
Sultan Mehmed II. With this conquest, Ottomans became one of the
most powerful Empires. With the fall of Constantinople to the Muslims,
the land route to Asia for the Europeans became much more difficult
and dangerous. Fortunately for the Europeans, the printing press was
adopted in Europe and scientific knowledge began to spread rapidly in
printed form. As early as 1480 AD, there were printers active in 110
different places in Germany, Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands,
Belgium, Switzerland, England, Bohemia and Poland in Europe. From
that time onwards the printed book was in universal use in Europe.
Soon the advanced ship-building skills, lateen sails, compass, telescopes,
printed maps and other navigational tools became common in Europe
and navigators started applying these tools to find sea routes from
Europe to Asia as well as to America. The Portuguese, British, Dutch,
Spanish and French started vying to establish long-lasting colonial
empires in Asia and America’s. Christopher Columbus crisscrossed the
Atlantic Ocean against the ocean winds to reach the Americas on behalf

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of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, in October 1492
AD. Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer reached Calicut, India by
Sea in 1497 AD. His initial voyage to India was the first link of Europe
and Asia by an ocean route, connecting the Atlantic and the Indian
oceans and therefore, the West and the Orient. Vasco Da Gama's
discovery of the sea route to India around the African ‘Cape of Good
Hope’ was significant and opened the way for imperialism in India for
the Europeans. In just under a century, other European powers, namely
the Dutch Republic, England, France and Denmark, were able to
challenge Portugal's monopoly and naval supremacy in the Cape Route.
The British landed in India in Surat (in the Gujrat province) for the
purpose of trade in 1608 AD and set the stage for a major upheaval in
India’s future.

The 15th century was indeed unique and hosted many great men
destined to discover new lands, people, ideas and technology that
transformed life. Among the most notable were Ferdinand Magellan,
Leonardo Da Vinci, Oda Nobunaga, Iranian Philosopher Mullah Sadra,
Ottomon Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, Niccolo Machiavelli,
Michelangelo Buonarroti, Nicolaus Copernicus, Martin Luther, William
Shakespeare, Montaigne, Erasmus, John Calvin, Mughal Emperor Babur,
and Sebastian Castellio and Guru Nanak among others. Nanak not
merely witnessed the birth of new empires and the discovery of new
lands and sea-routes but led the protest against established religion and
caste bound dogma and social habits of man.

On one hand great things were happening in the 15th century but at the
same time tyranny and bloodshed were becoming the spearheads of
new conquests and colonization of new territories. There were
countless wars going on - The Hundred Years' War in Europe, War of
Roses, Ottoman Turks wars in Byzantine, Wars between the Khanates of
Crimea and the Turks and Invasions of India by the Sayyids, Afghans and
then Mughals to name a few. When tyranny and bloodshed were
becoming the spearheads of new conquerors’ in this region, Guru Nanak
had the courage to travel on foot all over the continent with a message
of peace and harmony. His discourse with Emperor Babur, the founder
of the Mughal Empire in India, had a huge impact on the governance
and administrative policies of the empire. Babar, Humayun and Akbar’s
enormous success in ruling as Emperors of this vast ‘multi-racial, multi-
cultural and multi-religious’ territory of India was partly attributed to

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the teachings of tolerance and co-existence by Guru Nanak. Thanks to
the genius of Nanak, he did not merely accelerate the reform in
religious and social conduct of individuals, but also planted the germ of
reasoning, love, hope, co-existence, self-expression and fulfilment in the
rulers as well.

Rai Bular, the ruler of the land where Nanak was born is to be given due
credit in nurturing and launching Guru Nanak on his mission. It was Rai
Bular who first observed the incredible events surrounding the young
boy Nanak and became his ardent patron, protector and supporter.
According to Janam Sakhi accounts, Rai Bular perceived the Divine in
Guru Nanak and became his 2nd devotee, the Guru's sister being his
first. This gives Rai Bular, a devout Muslim himself, a special place in
history and mankind’s slow yet persistent journey to seek eternal peace,
practice truthful living and generously share the gift of life with all
others on our small planet – which we often fondly call ‘spaceship
earth’.

Guru Nanak passed his entire childhood and learning young age in
Talwandi with his Hindu parents and a Muslim elder named Rai Bular. It
is in Talwandi where Guru Nanak’s character and personality took
shape. The bond of friendship, trust and love between Rai Bular and
Guru Nanak became a hallmark for interfaith discourse for all times to
come. A young Hindu boy and a Muslim elder and their mutual respect
for each other set a solid example for humanity to transcend all
religions and beliefs. "Be humans first and then become a Muslim or a
Hindu" quickly became the talk of the Talwandi town and all
surrounding areas.

The message quickly spread throughout the region. `Tolerance' began to

Conquer `Intolerance' and people began to travel from far of places to
Talwandi to listen and learn about peace and harmony from the young
teacher, Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak thus became the founder of what is
known as the ‘Sikh’ faith today.

Rai Bular's 17th generation still thrives on the very same land where
Guru Nanak was born, played, sang and meditated. Perhaps it is for
Guru Nanak's prayers that even today, the legacy of Rai Bular Bhatti still
lives on after five centuries. True, Rai Bular and Guru Nanak
disembarked at their destination after their journey on spaceship earth

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to make room for the next generation of passengers some half a
millennium ago, but the torch carrying their dream and message is still
lit and is vibrant. It is hardly a surprise that Rai Bular’s descendants
recognizing the enormous responsibility that Rai Bular has left them
with are anxious to step up and do something and not stay on the
sidelines to promote peace and harmony among all humans. No power
can so beneficially divert, or so properly direct and fix the attention,
enlist our feelings, arouse our patriotism, and awaken the energies of
the mind, as the legacy of our ancestors. Thus assembled in the birth-
place of our ancestors in Talwandi (Nankana Sahib), in honor of their
memory, I cannot but feel an anxious wish, a laudable desire, to strive
to emulate their virtues, and prove worthy of a portion of their fame;
and as the remembrance of my ancestry begets mutual love, respect
and good-will, I am disposed to entertain kindlier feelings toward our
fellow humans.

I am a Muslim by faith as were both my parents. My late mother was a

saintly women with a kindest of heart. In our house the name of Nanak
and his deeds were mentioned very frequently. As a child, perhaps
because of the special relationship of my ancestry with Guru Nanak, we
were told bedtime stories of Nanak’s childhood. Some of these stories
were so artistically and beautifully narrated by our elders as well as the
local bards in our village that the imagery became etched in my mind
forever. Their generation had carried history in form of stories passed
from generations and telling these stories to children was a favorite
past-time and a bedtime ritual. So much so that young Nanak seems like
a personal friend who we energetically ran around and played with. The
intelligent, kind and humorous side of Nanak’s personality as a boy
resonated with us and pleased us immensely. That is how Guru Nanak
became my lifelong friend. In the stories I used to imagine walking with
him through the forests, playing village games and chasing each other
around the water well, herding cows, singing songs, giving money to
fakirs and otherwise just being a pure young innocent, wholesome and
carefree child.

I believe that I have a responsibility to bring alive Guru Nanak and Rai
Bular's dream and wishes – a dream of propagating universal love and
peace, to elevate humanity above religions, to teach and to learn from
others the importance of co-existence and harmony. I am writing this
story to pass on to my future generations what was passed on to me by

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my elders - of the role we have as human beings who perceive, make
decisions, laugh, and cry, in this great fresco of the world. Who are we,
in this boundless and glowing world after all? "We," human beings, are
first and foremost the subjects who do the observing of this world, the
collective makers of the values and the composers of photograph of
reality. We are nodes in a network of exchanges through which we pass
images, tools, information and knowledge to the next generation of the
world that we perceive. We are situated within it and we pass on to the
future generations what we teach, learn and do today. As our collective
knowledge has grown over the centuries, we have learned that our
being is only a part of the universe, and a small part at that. This has
been increasingly apparent especially during the last century with new
scientific discoveries. Before the Hubble telescope and the Wilkinson
Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), the NASA Explorer that made
stunningly accurate measurements of our Universe, we used to believe
our planet was at the center of the universe, but sadly it is not. We also
thought that we existed as unique beings, a race apart from the family
of animals and plants, and independent from their fate – but we now
have discovered that we are all inter-dependent. If trees and bees
disappear, so will we. We are like a child who in growing up realizing
that the world does not revolve only around us, as we thought earlier.
We must learn to be one among nature. There is yet a lot of learning to
do and a lot of wisdom to seek.

In the process of writing this story, I have researched history books,

articles and other material, and interviewed elders in the Rai Bular
bloodline and outsiders who are living today in different parts of the
world. Together with all my collective information, I have put this
material together for readers. One of my goals is to educate the Muslim
and Sikh youth on history in order to present a truer narrative of Sikh
and Muslim relations in hopes to bring the next generation closer. I am
also playing my role in the continuation of the fantastic stories that my
elders have told nightly around bedtime and campfires for over 500
years validated by any research material I could find. It is also the
continuation of something else: of the gaze of my ancestor Rai Bular in
the first light of day from the Dhaular Mound in Talwandi looking at his
fields, scrutinizing and deducting from the details of reality in order to
pursue something that I can't see directly but I can feel and follow the
traces of. Rai Bular thinking to himself and in his full awareness
wondering if God will be kind to him and if he will find what he is

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seeking, and that somewhere out into the future, his descendants will
remember him and tell his story. This is the nature of man and the story
of continuation. My hope is that when you read stories of Guru Nanak in
this book, you too will develop an equal amount of fondness and love
for the extremely intelligent, enchanting, humorous and kind boy that
Rai Bular became very fond of and came to love and cherish.

Rai Aurangzeb Bhatti

17th Generation of Rai Bular
Nankana Sahib (Rai Bhoe Di Talwandi)

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 "As fragrance dwells in a flower,
And reflection in a mirror,
So does God dwell in every soul;
Seek Him therefore in Thyself "
- Baba Guru Nanak

Rai Bular, the ruler of Talwandi is enchanted by young Guru Nanak

The word ‘Sikh' means to learn in Punjabi and the word `Guru' means
the Knowledgeable – or the one who is learned. The two words ‘SIKH’
and ‘GURU’ are interrelated having their origin in the ancient indigenous
language of Punjab. Literally, ‘Sikh’ means a learner or a student, as in
Punjabi language saying “Kuch Sikh Lao”. ‘Guru’ means a teacher or a
guide. In the late 17th century when the British rule began to take hold in
India, the British gazetteer classified the term ‘Sikh’ under religions of
India and it has become more specific as a proper noun since. ‘Sikhs’
officially referring to a member of the Sikh religious community. The
word ‘Guru’ however has become more general as a common noun,
referring to any expert in any specialist field, e.g. education, economics,
religion or politics. However, when the Sikhs use the word Guru, it refers
specifically to the ten spiritual masters of their faith led by Guru Nanak).

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ABOUT RAI BHOE DI TALWANDI (NANKANA SAHIB)

Guru Nanak’s life story begins in Rai Bhoe Di Talwandi, a small town,
situated about sixty Kilometers to the West of Lahore and twenty
Kilometers from the river Ravi to its south. The town lies in the most
fertile verdant plains of the Punjab, Pakistan. The present name of the
town is Nankana Sahib.

Before partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947, the town was a

part of India. The existence of a huge mound popularly known as
Dhaular (royal palace) spread over approximately half a million square-
yards next to the town has traces of its ancient habitation almost 1,000
years old. There was a very old drinking water well at its foot to its north
called ‘Sitawala’, with deep drawn out flight of steps built in heavy lime
masonry leading to its spring level to provide cold spring-water bath to
the residents of the palace. Any further excavation of the mound to
trace its past history has not been possible as almost the entire mound
is covered with Muslim graves and tombs and it is considered a sacrilege
to dig up the graves.

This is how Michael MacAuliffe (also known as Max Arthur MacAuliffe

(b.10 September 1841, d. 15 March 1913), a senior Sikh-British
administrator, prolific scholar and author and most importantly
respected as a renowned historian for his translation of Sikh scripture
and history into English describes Rai Bhoe Di Talwandi;

“About thirty miles south-west of the city of Lahore, the capital of the
Punjab, and on the borders of the present civil districts of Gujranwala
and Montgomery, stands the town of Talwandi, deep in a lonely forest.
It is on the margin of the Bar or raised forest tract which occupies the
center of the Punjab. The town is still girdled by a broad expanse of
arbore scent vegetation, which, when not whitened by the sand blown
by the winds of the desert, wears through all seasons a cheerful
appearance. The Jal (Salvadora Persica) predominates, but there are
also found the Phulahi (Acacia modesta) and the Jand (Prosopis
spicigera). The wild deer is seen occasionally to appear startled at the
travelers who disturbs the solitude of its domain, and the hare and the
partridge cower cautiously among the thickets, deprecating
molestation.”

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The earliest available documented reference to the town before
MacAuliffe falls about in the early 15th century, when the Lodhi Pathans
ruled over northern India. Bahlul Khan Lodhi was the chief of the
Pashtun Lodhi tribe and founder of the Lodhi dynasty from the Delhi
Sultanate. He came into power upon the abdication of the last claimant
from the previous Sayyid dynastic ruler. Bahlul Lodhi became ruler of
the Delhi Sultanate on 19 April 1451 AD. He reigned until 1488 AD.

People of India in the 15th Century

Between 1206 AD and 1526 AD, Hindustan, as India was called at time
by the Dehli Sultanate, was constantly being invaded for her riches by
invaders from the North. Each invader overthrew their predecessor and
established their throne in Delhi. First there was the Sultanate of the
Mamluk dynasty founded by Qutb al-Din Aibak. It lasted from 1206 AD
until the defeat of Shamsuddin Kayumars in 1290 AD by Jalaluddin Khilji,
the founder of the Khilji dynasty. The Khilji Dynasty lasted until 1320 AD
when Qutbuddin Mubarak Khilji was defeated by Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq
(Ghiasuddin Tughlaq) giving rise to the Tughlaq Sultanate.

The name ‘India’ is derived from the word Indus, which originates
from the Old Persian word Hinduš. The latter term stems ultimately
from Sanskrit ‘Síndhu’, which was the name of the Indus River as
well as the country at the lower Indus basin (now Sindh, in Pakistan).
The ancient Persian Emperor Darius-I conquered Sindh in about 516
BCE, upon which the Persian equivalent Hinduš was used for the
province at the lower Indus basin. The word ‘Hindu’ was first used by
him for ‘people who lived around the river Indus’. Thus the word
‘Hindu’ had nothing to do with the religion Sanatan Dharma (The
eternal way), and it got attached to the religion much later.
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 The Indus Valley Civilization refers to the ancient civilizations of
Harappa (2600 BCE) and Mohenjodaro (2500 BCE), located on the
Indus River and one of its tributaries, the River Ravi in present-day
Pakistan. In the late 1820’s, a British explorer in India named Charles
Masson stumbled across some mysterious ruins and brick mounds,
which turned out to be the first evidence of the lost city of Harappa
(approx. 100 Km South of Talwandi). Thirty years later, in 1856 AD,
railway engineers found more bricks at that location, which were
carted off before continuing the railway construction. In the 1920’s,
archaeologists finally began to fully excavate and uncover the sites
of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. The long-forgotten Indus Valley
civilization had, at last, been discovered. The word ‘Punjaab’ stems
from Punj (5) and aab (rivers), the five major tributaries of the River
Indus.

In 1398 AD, Amir Timur (Tamerlane) the Turko-Mongol Persianate

conqueror invaded Northern India, attacking the Delhi Sultanate at that
time ruled by Sultan Mahmud Shah Tughlaq of the Tughlaq dynasty.
Taimur had spread anarchy and devastation over Northern India. A
dynasty by the name of Sayyids (so called as they consider themselves
to be descendants of the Prophet Muhammad) became Taimur’s allies
and aspired to rule in Delhi in Taimur’s name. Sayyid Khizr Khan ibn
Malik Suleiman who had been appointed the Governor of Multan by the
famous Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq to govern that area defected and
allied himself with Timur. Timur ordered him to march against Sultan
Nasiruddin Mahmud Tughlaq to take possession of Delhi in 1414 AD.
Nasiruddin abdicated the throne and Sayyid Khizr Khan became the
Sultan of Delhi and the Sultanate. He ruled as the founder of the Sayyid
dynasty until his death in 1421 AD and his son took over. In 1451 AD,
Bahlul Khan Lodhi overthrew Alam Shah of the Sayyid dynasty to
establish the Lodhi dynastic rule in Northern India. The Lodhi dynastic
rule ended with the defeat of Ibrahim Lodhi in 1526 AD at the Battle of
Panipat by Zahir-ud-din Babur, the warrior chief with a bloodline of both
Chengiz Khan and Amir Timur. This marked the end of the Lodhi Dynasty
and the rise of the Mughal Empire in India led by Babur (1526–1530).

This wave after wave of invasions and a virtual merry-go-round of

dynasties went on for almost 350 years (from 1206 to 1526). In this
period, five dynasties invaded, ruled for an average of 50 years and
perished into the dust of history forever. During these invasions and

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resulting battles, violence, death and destruction became a ‘new
normal’ for the natives and living in peace simply became an illusion.

Invasion Corridor of Mamluks, Khilji’s, Tughlaq’s, Sayyid’s, Lodhi’s and

the Mughals

Ibn Battuta, the famous Moroccan Muslim traveler left extensive notes
on the Tughlaq dynasty rule in his travel memoirs. Ibn Battuta arrived in
India through the mountains of Afghanistan in 1334 AD at the height of
Tughlaq dynasty's empire. In his memoirs about Tughlaq dynasty, Ibn
Battuta recorded the history of the 7 year famine from 1335 to 1342
AD, which killed thousands upon thousands of people near Delhi, while
the Sultan Muhammad Tughlaq was busy attacking and suppressing
rebellions. The Sultan was unforgiving and extremely tough on both
non-Muslims and Muslims who rebelled against him. As Ibn Battuta
writes;

“Not a week passed without the spilling of much Muslim blood and the
running of streams of gore before the entrance of his palace. This
included cutting people in half, skinning them alive, chopping off heads

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and displaying them on poles as a warning to others, or having prisoners
tossed about by elephants with swords attached to their tusks”.
- Ibn Battuta, Travel Memoirs (1334-1341 AD, Delhi).

The ‘Dehli Sultanate’ comprised of five Turko-Afghan dynasties who

ruled from Delhi from 1206 AD to 1526 AD. These five dynasties were
the Mamluk (1206–1290), the Khilji (1290–1320), the Tughlaq (1320–
1414), the Sayyid (1414–51), and the Lodhi (1451–1526).

The path for these invasions from the North was cut through by a
corridor approx. 60km wide. The corridor traversed first the Jech Doab
(between River Jhelum and River Chenab), Rechna Doab (between River
Chenab and River Ravi) and Bari Doab (between River Ravi and River
Beas) – in almost a direct straight line connecting Kabul to Delhi. This
corridor has an ancient history connecting Delhi to Northern India
passing from Amritsar towards Lahore and Peshawar in Pakistan, finally
terminating in Kabul, Afghanistan. Chandragupta Maurya first built his
passage along this ancient route called Uttarapatha in the 3rd century
BC, extending it from the mouth of the Ganges to the north-western
frontier of the Empire. Further improvements to this route were made
under Ashoka, the grandson of the founder of the Maurya Dynasty,
Chandragupta Maurya. It was rebuilt many times under Sher Shah Suri
around 1542 AD, and the Mughals and the British along a partly similar
route later. The old route was re-aligned by Sher Shah Suri to Sonargaon
and Rohtas. The highway was considerably rebuilt in the British period
between 1833 and 1860. The Rajput rulers of small estates of Punjab in
the path of these invasions were constantly being courted by each
successive invader in order to win over their alliance, loyalty and
logistics support. The loyalty pledge of alliance was frequently rewarded
by generous land grants and protection. Those who put up resistance
and were defeated in battle were offered to convert to Islam and pledge
loyalty to the invading Sultans. In return they were granted safe passage
to a large fertile land parcel. The most generous parceling out of
Punjab’s fertile land in the Rechna Doab was to the Bhatti Rajput clans
by Allauddin Khilji (ruled from 1296 AD to 1316 AD) after his victory
over the Rajput lords in Eastern Punjab. Among the recipient chiefs was
a Muslim Rajput, the father of Rai Bhoe Bhatti, whose holdings amassed
50,000 Acres of fertile land 60km south of Lahore on the banks of River
Ravi with its center in Talwandi. Indian history is vague of the exact
dates and places but generally the area between Sialkot and Jaisalmer

16 | P a g e
was thought to be the stronghold of the Rajput’s around 1300AD. As the
renowned British historian and expert on Indian History, John Keay
states in his book ‘History of India’; “Histories of India often begin with a
gripe about the poverty of the
available sources. These sources
were once thought as inadequate
as to make what is certainly one of
the world's longest histories also
one of its most patchy.”

Another historian, Professor R.C.

Majumdar in the 1950s writes;
“Prior to the thirteenth century AD,
we possess no historical text of any
kind, much less such a detailed
narrative as we possess in the case
of Greece, Rome or China.”
Professor Majumdar cited the
thirteenth century because that
was when northern India,
succumbing to Muslim rule,
attracted the attention of invading
partisan writers keen to chronicle the triumphs of Muslim conquests.

But given a good four thousand years of earlier pre-Islamic civilization, it

followed that for more than 80 per cent of attestable Indian history
there were no histories of India, Prof. Majumdar further states; “It is
difficult to give a rational explanation for this deficiency, but the fact
admits of no doubt.” Rational explanations apart - and there have been
many, most supposing an Indian indifference to treating antiquity as an
academic discipline - this dearth of ready-made chronicles and memoirs
weighed heavily on the historians. This lack of history handicapped the
reconstruction of past events and prevented presentation of them in an
acceptable narrative. Happily the situation improved considerably over
the last one and half-century. New ancient chronicles have come to light
and much new research has been undertaken and also other disciplines
have made important contributions.

Through discovery and deduction, stories passed on by generations in

and around Talwandi and Kartarpur, additional fortuitous finds and the

17 | P a g e
painstaking analysis of archeological remains, the documentational void
has been gradually filled. One history book points out that Talwandi was
much more ancient and some say was originally built by the Rajput King,
Raja Vairat. It was reclaimed and renamed by Rai Bhoe as ‘Raipur’ and
finally was rebuild and renovated by Rai Bular to honor his father Rai
Bhoe and also renamed as ‘Rai Bhoe Di Talwandi’. After Rai Bhoe’s
death his estate passed on to his only son, Rai Bular, who governed the
vast area at the birth and during Nanak’s youth and middle-age.

As the sole heir of Rai Bhoe,

Rai Bular’s inherited estate
holding spanned a vast area
circling and spanning from
present day Mandi Faizabad,
Mangtawala, Bucheke,
Shahkot and Warburton.
Although it lay right in the
path of the marauding
invaders who made regular
forays into Hindustan (India)
from Afghanistan and Central
Asia, under Rai Bular,
Talwandi was a prosperous
little town with agriculture
produce markets as its main
commercial strength.

Rai Bular Bhatti of Talwandi (1427 – 1515 AD)

Rai Bular Bhatti and his family alone inhabited the ancient Dhaular Fort,
while his tenants dwelt in the town of Talwandi on the plain. It is in this
little town, Talwandi where Nanak’s miraculous life story begins and as
such Talwandi (modern day Nankana Sahib) is regarded as the Janam-
Sakhi heart-land. The house in which Nanak was born is at a short
distant from the Dhaular Fort. The town has now lost its old name, and
is known as Nankana Sahib, in memory of the religious teacher to whom
it had the honor of giving birth. ‘Nankana’ means Nanak-ka-Ana or
18 | P a g e
‘Arrival of Nanak’ or as Rai Bular would proudly mention his town to
others as ‘Nanak—ayan’ (home of Nanak) and ‘Sahib’ being just Persian
epithet of respect. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the first to official register
the town as ‘Nankana Sahib’ in his official records.

Rai Bular’s Tomb on Dhaular Fort overlooking Talwandi (Nankana)

Rai Bular’s Tomb and Grave on Dhaular Mound

19 | P a g e
The whole of the present town of Nankana Sahib now lies between
Gurdwara Janam Asthan and Gurdwara Kiara Sahib—a total length of
almost two kilometers, with a width of half a kilometer only and the
main centers of its population of about fifty thousand live between
Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Bal Lila and Mal Sahib. Surprisingly, the town
has not grown much in geographic size but has become congested and
crowded due to the population growth. Before the partition of India in
1947, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims were almost equally represented in
the town but since partition it is almost entirely a Muslim town. Dhaular
Fort is located adjacent to the town and at the top of the mound is the
grave of Rai Bular Bhatti.

Haveli of Rai Hussein (15th Generation) in Kot Hussein Khan

Nankana Sahib, the Town Of Gurdwara’s (Sikh temples)

Very little activity occurred in Talwandi after Guru Nanak’s death in
1539 AD. Almost 55 years after his heath, Guru Arjun - the fifth of the
Sikh Gurus (1563 – 1606 AD) visited Talwandi sometime between 1595
and 1599 AD, where he discovered Kalu's Kotha (the house of Mehta
Kalu, where Guru Nanak was born) and other places associated with
Nanak’s early life. Guru Hargobind, (1595 – 1644 AD) the sixth Guru,
came to pay his homage to the place in 1621 or 1622 AD. During his visit
20 | P a g e
Guru Hargobind stayed in the village off Rai Isa Khan Bhatti’s father (Rai
Rehmat Bhatti, the 5th Generation descendant of Rai Bular) who had
just completed building a new village dedicated to his young son Rai Isa
Bhatti. That village still exists approx. 5 Km from the Town of Nankana
Sahib. No Gurdwara existed at that time and the places built by Rai
Bular in his lifetime where Nanak’s memories were kept alive were just
small raised platforms in brick huts which were kept clean and lighted at
night by some devotees of the Guru. Later a class of people called
‘Pujaris’ took up the work as their regular profession utilizing the
offerings made at these places for their sustenance. When the Sikh
religion had gained more prominence under Guru Hargobind, there was
a temple erected on the spot where Guru Nanak was born.

The next historical reference to Talwandi is in 1818-19 AD when

Maharaja Ranjit Singh after his conquest of Multan came to the town. It
is said that Ranjit Singh renamed the town to ‘Nankana Sahib’ and
ordered the construction of several memorial buildings now called
‘Gurdwaras’, which means 'the door that leads to the Guru’. Within the
temple is installed the Granth Sahib, or sacred volume of the Sikh faith,
intoned by a professional reader. Ranjit Singh then ordered the removal
of all usurpers and encroachers from the large estate of approx. 20,000
acres (twenty thousand acres) that had been gifted to Guru Nanak by
Rai Bular. This estate was formally attached to the Gurdwaras for their
maintenance and for ‘Guru Ka Langar’ (Guru's community kitchen). This
control of land to the Gurdwaras, as we will discover later, made the job
of Hindu Mahants and Pujaris extremely lucrative and resulted in their
firm hold on the income from that land.

Nankana Sahib now is a town of Gurdwaras (Sikh temples), the most

important of these being the 'Nanak's Ayan' called Gurdwara Janam
Asthan or Birth Place of Nanak. It was earlier known as Kalu's Kotha
(Room of Kalu). Pandit Gopal's Pathshala, where Nanak had his first
schooling is at present known as Gurdwara Patti Sahib and is about 150
yards to the south east of Janam Asthan. Approx. 50 yards beyond that,
is Gurdwara Bal Lila, that commemorates the place where as a boy,
Nanak enjoyed the company of his playmates and cast on them a soft
spell with his novel games and sweet and melodious talks. These three
Gurdwaras were originally constructed under orders of Maharaja Ranjit
Singh, when the latter visited Nankana Sahib on his return from Multan
after its conquest in the year 1818 – 1819 AD.

21 | P a g e
 Gurdwara Janam Asthan or Birth Place of Nanak.

Gurdwara Patti Sahib Gurdwara Bal Lilah

Besides these three, there are other Gurdwaras in Nankana Sahib that
are sacred to the memory of the Guru Nanak. At Nankana, every place
with which Nanak had any association is deemed sacred. Two of these

22 | P a g e
Gurdwaras, Gurdwara Mall Ji Sahib and Gurdwara Kiara Sahib,
commemorate Nanak having worked as a herd-boy to his father's cows.

Nankana Sahib is the most sacred city for over 40 million Sikhs in the
world as it is the location of the birth of the Sikh founder, Guru Nanak.
The following is a brief description of Nankana Sahib Gurdwaras;

1) Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib - This site is 'Janam

Asthan' meaning 'Place of Birth' and childhood home. A room
was first built here by Guru Nanak's son. The one room
structure was known as 'Kalu Da Kotha', literally 'house of
(Mehta) Kalu'.

2) Gurdwara Bal Lilah, Nankana Sahib - This site is connected with

adventures of the early childhood of young Nanak. It is about
300 meters from Janam Asthan. When Guru Nanak left Talwandi
to go on his journeys, Rai Bular missed him so much that he
built a small room on the spot where Nanak used to close his
eyes and meditate while Rai Bular watched over him. In
affectionate remembrance of the childhood of Nanak, Rai Bular
also built a small water tank at the spot where Nanak used to
play with other children of his own age. This water tank was
enlarged by Kaura Mai, the Diwan or financial minister of
Zakaria Khan, who was satrap (provincial governor) of Lahore.
Kaura Mai was an enthusiastic admirer of Guru Nanak, and lent
his material support and political influence to the amelioration
of the condition of the Sikhs. Later on a beautiful Gurdwara was
built at that place and is now called Gurdwara Bal Lilah or ‘The
Child's Playground’.

3) Gurdwara Patti Sahib, Nankana Sahib - 'Patti' means 'Alphabet'

and this is the site where Guru Nanak learnt the various
different languages and particularly the alphabets of these
languages.

4) Gurdwara Mall Ji Sahib, Nankana Sahib - This site is connected

with adventures of the early childhood of the Guru in particular
the events linking to Rai Bular’s discovery of young Nanak’s
divine qualities.

23 | P a g e
5) Gurdwara Kiara Sahib, Nankana Sahib - This site is where, as a
youngster, Guru Nanak used to graze cattle. It is at a distance of
about 1.5 Km from the Janam Asthan about two kilometers to
the east of Gurdwara Bal Lila Sahib. It commemorates an event
connected with the early years of Guru Nanak. While tending
his father's herd of cattle, it was common for him to let the
animals roam freely while he himself sat engrossed in
meditation. Once a peasant complained to Rai Bular that
Nanak's cattle had damaged the crop in his field, but when the
field was inspected, no damage was discovered.

6) Gurdwara Tambu Sahib, Nankana Sahib. Once Guru Nanak's

father, Mehta Kalu, gave him some money and sent him to
Chuharkhana, a market town, to do business. Instead, Guru
Nanak had fed hungry villagers with the money and came back
fully satisfied with what he had done. Only as he neared
Talwandi, did he realize the possibility of his father's displeasure
and rebuke. Hesitant to face his father's anger, Guru Nanak hid
himself under a large van tree whose branches touched the
ground making it look like a Tambu (tent) until discovered and
taken home. This Gurdwara is in memory of that event.

7) Gurdwara Panjvin and Chhevin Patshahi, Nankana Sahib. Both

of these historical shrines are situated near Tambo Sahib on the
road leading towards Janamashtan Nankana Sahib. The shrine
of the 5th Guru (Panjvin), Guru Arjun Dev is without a dome
whereas the sacred shrine of the 6th Guru (Chhevin), Guru
Hargobind has been built with dome. Both the shrines have a
common boundary wall. The sixth Guru came to visit Nankana
Sahib in 1613 AD (some sources say the visit was in 1620-21 AD)
while returning from Kashmir.

8) Gurdwara Nihang Singhan, Nankana Sahib. This Gurdwara is

situated in between Gurdwara Tambu Sahib and Gurdwara
Hargobind Sahib. Young Nanak used to play, sing and meditate
in this area when he was a child.

9) Gurdwara Sacha Sauda, Chuharkhana (Near Nankana Sahib).

This Gurdwara is situated at a distance of approx. 20 miles from
Nankana Sahib. Guru Nanak as a young man was sent by his
24 | P a g e
father Mehta Kalu with 20 Taka’s (Silver Coins, Tanka’s, Rupees)
with hopes to encourage his son to do business. On the way the
young Nanak came across a village where people were sick,
hungry and without food. The Guru Nanak decided to use the
money to provide food, water and clothes to the villagers. Kalu
was very annoyed when Nanak explained to him that as he saw
it he had done a very good deed, feeding the starving villagers,
and gaining the best profit one could gain from the money. He
had done a real ‘Sacha Sauda’ (most truthful trade). Rai Bular
was very touched and agreed with Guru Nanak’s logic. He gave
Rs. 20/- to Kalu to compensate him and pleaded with him not to
be angry with Nanak as he was a wise and blessed child.

25 | P a g e
Rai Bhoe-Di-Talwandi (Nankana Sahib) occupies an area of 2.0Km x 1.0Km.

26 | P a g e
BIRTH OF A STAR - GURU NANAK
Guru Nanak was born in Rai Bhoe Di Talwandi on 15th of April 1469 AD
during the middle of Bahlul Khan Lodhi’s reign. Guru Nanak's father,
Mehta Kalyan Das, more popularly known as ‘Mehta Kalu’ was the agent
and Chief Accountant of Rai Bular, the head of the Rajput Bhatti clan.
Guru Nanak's mother was Mata Tripta, a simple, pious and extremely
religious woman. Nanak had an elder sister, Nanki, who deeply loved
and cherished her younger brother. Rai Bular’s land holding and records
were managed by his trusted accountant ‘Kalu’. Kalyan Das was a Hindu
of the Khatri caste (Kshatriyas) and belonged to the Bedi clan. He lived
in this peaceful, quiet and secluded town of Talwandi with his family
alongside other Muslim and Hindu families. Mehta Kalu had added the
practice of agriculture to this avocation. He owned some landed
property and a small herd of cattle to augment his income.

(Note: There are a number of sources where Guru Nanak's birthday is

supposed on October 20, March 14, and November 24. There is no doubt
Guru Nanak was born on 15th April 1469 but his birthday is celebrated
on full moon following Diwali. When Sikhs became a force, the Hindu
Brahmins came forward in Sikh guise and took control of the Sikh
religion. Most of the Sikh history is written by Hindu Brahmins, who
while writing Sikh history, distorted much of it to justify placing the Sikh
faith as a Hindu sect and so the birthday celebration dates vary).

In the Sikh Bulletin of November-December 2018 following two

articles appeared: IS GURU NANAK’S PARKASH DAY DIFFERENT
FROM GURU NANAK’S BIRTH DAY? YES, IT IS. By Harbans Lal, Ph.D;
D.Litt. (Hons) and Ek Onkaar Kaur Khalsa Michaud and IS GURU
NANAK’S PARKASH DAY DIFFERENT FROM GURU NANAK’S BIRTH
DAY? NO, IT ISN’T. By Karminder Singh, PhD (Boston). Lal and
Michaud accept that “...prominent historians such as Gyani M.A.
Macauliffe, Hew McLeod, Kahn Singh Nabha, Indu Bhushan Banerji,
Khushwant Singh, Kirpal Singh, Ganda Singh, Harbans Singh, H.R.
Gupta, Principal Satbir Singh, and others accept April (1469) as the
date of the birth of Guru Nanak. Thus, April 2019 will be Guru Nanak’s
550th birth anniversary. The global Sikh community is preparing in
various ways to celebrate this auspicious day. But, they say,
“However, Guru Nanak’s birth day is not the same as his Prakash
day.” They continue to write that “at his birth, Guru Nanak’s destiny

27 | P a g e
 to spread Divine Wisdom was not recognized either by his parents or
the community around him; with the possible exception of Rai Bular
who was the landlord of Talwandi, the town where Guru Nanak was
born. Nevertheless, they do admit that “Only Rai Bular recognized his
wisdom from the time of Birth.” They continue to say that “the nine
Gurus who followed Guru Nanak and the Guru Panth (Sikh
community throughout the world) have traditionally celebrated Guru
Nanak’s birthday on Vaisakhi in a variety of ways. The celebrations
included spiritual services as well as holding of conferences, teaching
retreats, and launching of new books or other initiatives.”

Although the era was one of religious intolerance and persecution, Rai
Bular appears to have been the very reverse of a bigot. In his little realm
he had ample time for reflection on the conflicts and contradictions
between religions and the resulting violence – between form and
function, between what people believed and what they practiced.

The sister of Nanak was the first to observe some sort of divineness
about her younger brother Nanak. Even at the age of seven, Nanak
surprised his elders with the sublimity of his extra-ordinary knowledge
about many things. He astonished everyone with his eloquence in
explaining deeper truths about man and God and composed an acrostic
on Punjabi alphabet giving divinely inspired interpretation to each letter
as he spoke and sang of one God and his love for Him.

Nanak was very unique child. God had provided Nanak with a
contemplative mind and rational thinking. His emotional intelligence
was extraordinary and his capacity to be aware of, control, and express
his emotions, and handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and
empathetically immediately made him stand out. This quality together
with his amazing talent for articulation, music and poetry, mesmerized
everyone who came into contact with him. Stories of his intellect quickly
flared up all around Talwandi. When the acts of Nanak reached Rai
Bular, the chief of Talwandi, and when he heard of Nanak's piety,
intelligence and learning, Rai Bular felt a mysterious interest in this
clever and precocious son of Kalu.

Rai Bular, who at that time did not have any sons of his own, quickly
developed a fatherly love and affection for young Nanak. Rai Bular felt a
strange sort of bright Aura emanating from Nanak’s eyes, an Aura of

28 | P a g e
kindness and friendliness that pulls and attracts others to friendship.
Nanak’s poetry was rich and his music and melody somewhat cast an
irresistible spell on all those who listened to him. Rai Bular became so
fond of Nanak that he longed for Nanak to be by his side all the time
and bestow him the caring, love and affection that a father would to his
own son. The beauty with which Nanak sang had Rai Bular and others
around him shake their heads in disbelief and admiration. Nanak’s
poetry and songs soon became a regular feature at Rai Bular’s home.
The Hindus of the village were amazed and the Muslims were
astonished. Both communities were convinced that Nanak was destined
for higher places.

Nanak was an extremely energetic and positive-minded child. He had

the softest smile, kindest face and absolutely captivating eyes. It is
said that his affable personality with his bright and loving eyes would
pull you towards him like a magnet. He had a strong inclination
towards Compassion, Kindness, Empathy and other Humanitarian
acts – and that became his Aura – his perfume.

Guru Nanak passed his entire childhood and young age in Talwandi
under the influence of his parents and Rai Bular. Nanak found great joy
in his poetry and singing and this enthusiasm spilled over to other
spheres of his life as well. He reached out to the people of Talwandi and
became less of an introvert. Each town used to have their own local
musicians – usually from the ‘Mirasi’ or ‘Musalli’ (Muslim Sheikh) cast.
The Mirasi were a caste of hereditary minstrels (musicians who sang
and recited lyrics and heroic poetry with a musical instrument especially
for the nobility) and it was also the Mirasi’s who preserved historic facts
in form of lyrics and poetry which augmented genealogists to trace
heritage. (This tradition of preserving history was an ancient tradition as
it was the only convenient and practical means to pass history to future
generations before writing tools and books became available. The
Scythians brought this tradition in form of Vedic Sanskrit Hymns to India
around 1700 BC or approx. 3,700 years ago – ref: John Keay, History of
India).

The Mirasi’s in Talwandi, as in other towns would entertain the rulers as

well as the people on functions and events by ‘singing history’ and
reciting lyrics. Bhai Mardana was a Mirasi at Rai Bular’s court. He was a

29 | P a g e
daily feature at Rai Bular’s evening relaxation gatherings sitting around
a campfire entertaining guests. Together with young Nanak, Mardana
would play his instrument whenever Nanak sang. Soon Nanak and Bhai
Mardana became a team and synchronized their talents. Even though
Bhai Mardana was ten years older than Nanak, he became a close
companion and friend. Nanak began to visit Mardana's home more
often to participate in the singing of devotional songs and practicing his
talent.

Nanak’s mother would often hear Nanak singing while he bathed and
was pleasantly surprised at the sweetness of his voice. People
discovered to their surprise that Nanak had a sense of humor and that
he had the wonderful ability to laugh at himself. As a son, he became
more devoted to his parents than ever before as time went by. He
anticipated his father's every need and ran errands for him without
being asked to. The parents were amazed at the transformation in their
son but Tripta was a little afraid too. "He laughs and he sings all day. I
have never seen him so happy and I am afraid that someone will cast an
evil eye on him." "Do not ruin the happiness of the present with
imaginary fears about the future," her husband advised. "If it is God's
wish that this happiness should come to an end, there is nothing we can
do to prevent it. Let us enjoy it while it lasts and thank providence that
it was given to us, even if only for a short time.”

Mehta Kalu decided that while singing, meditation and spirituality were
fine, what his son needed was some sound education. ‘Come Nanak,’ he
said, ‘I think it’s time you started school.’ A good education, he must
have thought, would keep the boy from getting into mischief, spiritual
or otherwise! And so Nanak was sent to the Talwandi School where the
local Pandit doubled up as a teacher. No sooner had Pandit Gopal
started with the Devnagari alphabet than Nanak composed an
acrostic—a poem in which the letters of the lines spell out a message—
with all the thirty-five letters of the alphabet on his Patti (Patti’s were
wooden tablets on which a kind of liquid chalk was used to write and
they were widely used in the medieval ages). Nanak also told Pandit
Gopal that each letter stood for God the creator, and existed only to
praise his creation and was actually useless otherwise. The amazed
teacher knew that this was no ordinary child. It was soon evident that
Nanak knew more than his teacher about many things. He even
composed a poem for his teacher describing what true learning should

30 | P a g e
be and how it should revolve round the name of God and His
omnipresence. Pandit Gopal thought best to send Nanak to Pandit Brijlal
who was more spiritually inclined and was a brilliant Sanskrit teacher.
However, even the Sanskrit classics that Pandit Brijlal taught were easy
for Nanak and he soon outdistanced his master.

Now, with both the pundits having failed to hold his attentions, Nanak’s
father was at his wits’ end as to how to keep him occupied and prevent
him from wandering off on his own as he so often wanted to do. Nanak
was frequently found in the company of Sadhus, Sufi’s and Saints who
happened to stop at Talwandi on their journey.

All this did not please his parents at all. Kalu expressed his concern to
Rai Bular who then called Nanak and encouraged him to study Persian.
For this a Muslim Maulvi, Maulvi Kutb-ud-din was retained in Talwandi
by Rai Bular. Since Persian was the language of administration, Rai Bular
believed that it would become useful to Nanak when he was old enough
to take up a job, perhaps as the village accountant. Amazingly Nanak
quickly mastered Persian and was soon composing poems in perfect
Persian about the temporary nature of man’s existence in the world.
The stunned Maulvi Kutb-ud-din realized he too had nothing to offer
since the boy already knew most of what he was going to teach. Nanak
was then just nine years old.

Guru Nanak learning Persian from Maulvi Kutb-ud-din

31 | P a g e
Nanak was very healthy and active boy. He liked to run about and play
with other children of his age and had quite a number of playmates. All
of them were fond of him and regarded him as their leader, and
followed him around and readily agreed with him in all matters. A
unique quality that Nanak had was that he never quarreled with
anyone. Moreover, if he found some of his friends quarrelling and
fighting, he would intervene and mediate to make them stop and
become friends again. Since Nanak was very fond of his playmates, he
used to take them to his house quite often. His mother, Mata Tripta was
a kind-hearted and generous lady. She loved her son's playmates
equally and would bring out a plate full of sweets and Nanak himself
gave the sweets to his companions. He took great pleasure in serving
others in this way. He would say; "Such acts please the God who loves
us all".

There was a pond of clear water near their house. It was surrounded by
a green grassy plot and some trees. Nanak was very fond of this place.
Sometimes he would go near the pond, all alone, and sit there for
hours, with half-shut eyes, thinking of God all the time. Rai Bular often
used to watch young Nanak thus engaged in divine meditation. Rai
Bular’s fondness and love for Nanak grew with each passing day. With
time, a new trait of Nanak’s personality was revealed. Whenever a
beggar, a needy man, a sadhu or a fakir called at the door, he would run
into the house, take hold of whatever article of food or clothing he
could get and deliver it into the hands of the beggar.

Rai Bular was completely spellbound by Young Nanak and their

relationship quickly transformed into a father – son relationship. He
bestowed his love upon Nanak as if Nanak was his own son. Whenever
Young Nanak got into trouble with Metha Kalu, Rai Bular stepped in and
encouraged Metha Kalu to have patience with Nanak as Rai Bular said
“Nanak was not an ordinary child but a highly gifted child with Divine
Qualities and a higher purpose”. Both Nanak’s sister and Rai Bular were
ardent advocates & supporters of young Nanak and would defend his
actions vehemently.

Nanak continued to amaze everyone with his kind acts and spiritual
knowledge all through his growing years. He constantly astonished his
teachers and his family with his tremendous grasp of spirituality by
32 | P a g e
composing spiritual hymns and songs. His command over several
languages too was remarkable even at that tender age.

Nanak was born to a Hindu family, but even as a young boy, he revolted
against the religious trappings, appurtenances and especially the caste-
system of Hinduism. When Nanak turned eleven, following the Hindu
tradition, Nanak was called upon to put on the sacred thread by the
family priest Pundit Hardyal. This day is called Upanayanam or Janeu
when the priest, amidst all the chanting mantras and many grandly
attired relatives and friends gathered puts the sacred thread around the
wrist of an adolescence boy. Nanak refused to allow Pundit Hardyal to
carry out the ritual and told him to stop. When asked why, Nanak
replied; “What use is this thread? Why do I need to wear it?’ Nanak said
that “the thread could do him no good and would be burnt with the
body on his death. If it was at all necessary to wear one, let it be spun
out of the ‘Cotton of Mercy’ and ‘Yarn of Harmony’ with twist and knots
of truthful and temperate living”. This was an extremely profound
statement coming from an 11 year old boy. And when the priest told
Nanak that the sacred cotton thread was a symbol of his high birth and
lineage, Nanak came up with this gem of a poem:

“Out of the cotton of compassion

Spin the thread of contentment
Tie knots of continence; give it the twist of truth.
Make such a sacred thread for the mind (soul)
Such a thread once worn will never break
Nor get soiled, burnt or lost
The man who weareth such a thread is blessed.”
(as narrated by Raja D. Singh and J. Singh in the ‘The Great Humanist
Guru Nanak’)

The entire congregation was stunned by Nanak’s refusal to wear the

thread. Nanak explained to the congregation, saying it was no more
sacred than the cotton from which it was spun; that it would decay,
break and would be left behind when the wearer died. On the other
hand, he believed that a life lived with compassion, contentment and
truth were the true symbols of a high lineage. He asked the priest; “if
you have one such thread, put it on me”. Despite their dismay, those
gathered felt there was indeed some truth in what Nanak had just said.
Nanak didn’t stop there but further went and asked the priest;

33 | P a g e
“Thou buyest a thread for a pice
And seated in a plastered square,
Puteth it around the neck of others
Claiming an inheritance of holiness
Thy thread helps neither here nor here after.”
(as narrated by Raja D. Singh and J. Singh in the ‘The Great Humanist
Guru Nanak’)

‘And so how holy or helpful could this thread really be when it was of no
use then or after death?’ It is evident that even at that age Nanak was
able to perceive the difference between empty symbolism and actual
spirituality. He was also very confident of the truth of his convictions.
As he grew, he demonstrated his determination to defend his belief in
‘Humanity Comes First before Religions’ by refusing to participate in all
other religious rituals and customs of any religion and at the same time
fearlessly criticized hypocrisies in all religions, - Hinduism, Islam,
Christianity, Judaism etc. He was not only questioning the blind faith in
ancient rituals but also questioning the holy men who were
perpetuating it. Nanak was equally unhappy about the way some
Muslim preachers or Mullahs preached intolerance and fanaticism in
the name of religion, which often led to bloodshed, tyranny and
oppression of those who did not accept Islam. He condemned rampant
corruption and exploitation, which was a common feature of both ruling
Muslims and the Hindu priestly class. He declared himself as belonging
to neither Hindus nor Muslims but the whole human race, and as God’s
servant he was going to teach all of mankind, wherever and whenever
he could, the very fundamental fact that ‘All Humans are Equals’.

Guru Nanak left his Legacy in the Janam-Sakhis (birth stories) that
have been handed down through the centuries. Janam-Sakhis are
historical relics, and hold a continuing role facilitating and
conditioning Sikhs’ relationships with Guru Nanak and the Panth
(community). In addition, they are social narratives, and are a shared
discourse about how Sikhs choose to commemorate and honor Guru
Nanak, conveying interpretations of his life as relevant to their own
and acting in accordance with that interpretation.

Young Nanak was particularly critical of the Pundits, Mulla's, Priests and
34 | P a g e
Rabbi's etc. for placing more emphasis on form, rituals and collection of
money using the religion begging bowl and not focusing on function and
practice. He encouraged dialogue and discourse among the religious
teachers to remove misunderstandings and unwarranted conflicts. By
doing this at a very young age, he not merely accelerated the reform in
religious and social conduct of individuals, but also planted the germ of
reasoning, love, hope, co-existence, self-expression and fulfilment in the
rulers of the time as well. This made him one of the pioneers and
champion of Interfaith Harmony.

Prof. Devinder Singh Chahal, PhD (Institute for Understanding

Sikhism, Quebec, Canada) in his article quotes from Joseph Davey
Cunningham, the author of the book History of the Sikhs (1849) and
an authority in Punjab historiography. Cunningham reported from a
Persian manuscript, Siar ul Mutakharin that “Nanak was carefully
educated by Sayyid Hasan and he also studied the most approved
writings of Muhammadans and learned all the earthly sciences from
Khizar, i.e. the prophet Elias”. He emphasizes that Guru Nanak was a
well-educated and keen observer of the nature, the universe, and
human behavior from an early age. In his adult life, he took long
voyages to have intellectual discussions with the heads of various
religious centers and institutes to promulgate his philosophy.
Guru Nanak promulgated his philosophy by his keen observations
about the Cosmos, Environment, Nature, and behavior of Animals
and Humans.

MARRIAGE OF BIBI NANKI TO JAI RAM

Bibi Nanaki was Nanak’s elder sister. She had an immense adoration for
her brother and was the first to recognize his "enlightened soul". She
was 5 years older to Nanak but played the role of a mother to him. She
not only protected him from their father’s anger but she loved him
unconditionally. Bibi Nanaki is known as being Guru Nanak’s first
follower. She was eternally devoted to him and his cause and she also is
known for inspiring Nanak in using music as an instrument of devotion
to God. Knowing that her younger brother had musical talent she
bought him his first Rabab (musical instrument) to help him further his
music.

Sultanpur Lodhi was then the capital of the Jalandhar Doab in Punjab
and was ruled by Daulat Khan Lodhi. At that time and up to the period

35 | P a g e
of British occupation, land revenue was generally collected by the
revenue officers called ‘Amils’, who were basically surveyors and
appraisers. Amils were dispatched from the capital to different
districts by the Sultan. Amil Jai Ram was appointed to appraise the
revenue demand of the Talwandi region. He thus interacted frequently
with Rai Bular, the landlord of Talwandi. While one day surveying Rai
Bular’s cornfield, Jai Ram observed Nanaki (the elder sister of Nanak),
drawing water from a well, and saw that she was fair to look upon. Jai
Ram expressed to Rai Bular his desire and hopes to marry Nanki. Since
Rai Bular approved of Jai Ram as a kind and suitable choice for Nanki, he
used his influence with Mehta Kalu to arrange the marriage between
them. After their wedding in 1480 AD, Bibi Nanki went with her husband
to live in Sultanpur.

When Nanak turned 15, Nanak would frequently visit his sister in
Sultanpur where she would elevate his confidence and encourage his
independence. It was Bibi Nanki who discovered and befriended Mata
Sulakhni, the future wife of Guru Nanak. Bibi Nanaki had no children of
her own and later when Nanak got married and had children, she gave
all her love to Nanak’s children. She helped raise Nanak’s two children,
Sri Chand and Lakhmi Chand together with Nanak’s wife.

Most of Guru Nanak’s early life travels were in cities located around the
River Ravi. In 1450’s, River Ravi was flowing adjacent to Rai Bhoe-Di -
Talwandi and over the past 550 years, river has gradually changed its
course moving further south due to frequent floods.

36 | P a g e
ENCHANTING STORIES FROM JANAMSAKHI’S
Nanak was an extra-ordinary and different child in many ways. When he
was only a boy, Rai Bular observed that Nanak possessed very unique
and unusual qualities. These qualities surfaced in a series of events that
occurred one after the other that left everyone puzzled and bewildered.

THE STORY OF WANDERING COWS

As part of his responsibility, Nanak was required to take the family
owned herd of cows to the open fields nearby. He usually led his cows
to the nearby open pasture grounds, where they would graze, while
Nanak sat under a shady tree absorbed in thoughts and meditation.
Nanak had to look after the herd while they grazed and keep the
livestock away from his neighbors' crops. He had to make sure the herd
stayed out of the wheat fields and rice paddies, or disturb any of the
other crops on which the farming community depended to sustain their
living.

One day while the cattle were grazing Nanak was lost in his thoughts
and fell asleep. His cattle strayed into a neighboring field and started
grazing on the ripening crop. The buffaloes freely roamed and ate as
well as trampled the wheat crop. The owner of the field, who had
worked very hard to raise the crop came around on his usual inspection
and was enraged beyond measure at the site of unattended cows
ravishing his crop. Seeing his crop of wheat being demolished, the
owner woke Nanak up and cried, "Nanak, why have you ruined my
field? I have lost everything I worked so hard for”. Nanak got up and
said; "Nothing of yours has been ruined. What harm is there in a buffalo
putting its head down to graze? God will make it a blessing for you."

Totally outraged, the owner began to argue with Nanak and decided to
take the matter to Rai Bular, the ruler of the area. Quarrelling all the
way the two went together to Rai Bular. Once they reached Rai Bular’s
place many other people from the Talwandi gathered around as well
and one of them said; "Nanak is simple-minded, What can you say to
him!” Rai Bular summoned Kalu and said to him, "Kalu, your son has
been very careless. Rebuke him for he has ruined this man’s crop. You
must make restitution for this damage and loss.” "What can I do",
replied Kalu. "He wanders around like a mystic living in his own world."
Then Nanak spoke. "Nothing has been ruined in the field”. "Everything
37 | P a g e
in my field has been ruined" exclaimed the owner of the field." I have
been robbed of 5 months hard work - give me justice". "Not a single
blade of grass has been eaten nor even broken" said Nanak. "Send some
men to see for themselves and confirm what I am saying”.

Rai Bular sent his men to inspect the field. When they reached the field
they found that not a blade of wheat had been harmed. They were
astonished and returned to Rai Bular with their report. The person
made in charge of the inspection reported, "O’ Rai Sahib, no damage
has been done to the field at all". Hearing this Rai Bular was extremely
relieved and declared the owner of the field was incorrect in his
accusation. Rai Bular then dismissed the farmer jesting that perhaps his
eyes were failing him and Nanak's herd had not wandered into his field
at all. Mehta Kalu was equally relieved and shaking his head, Kalu
berated Nanak for all the trouble and excitement he had caused
admonishing him to watch the animals entrusted to him more carefully
in the future.

News of this incidence spread throughout Talwandi and soon to other

areas around Talwandi. Many people went to confirm the event with
the farmer who kept swearing up and down that he was not out of his
mind and his eyesight had not betrayed him either. He reported to the
Rai exactly what he actually saw. The people went to see the crop for
38 | P a g e
themselves and were astonished to witness firsthand a fine ripening
crop. This is one of the first events that publically highlighted Guru
Nanak’s divine attachment to the all mighty God of mankind and nature.

Certain that he had witnessed

a miracle, Rai Bular gently
suggested to Kalu not to get
angry at Nanak and that
perhaps his son, Nanak had
been born for some other
purpose in life than that of
being a cowherd.

Rai Bular gently suggesting to

young Nanak’s father Mehta
Kalu that he should not get
angry at Nanak because Nanak
was a highly gifted and spiritual
soul.

39 | P a g e
Gurdwara Kiara Sahib, Nankana Sahib - This site is where, as a
youngster, Guru Nanak used to graze cattle. It is at a distance of about
1.5 Km from the Gurdwara Janam Asthan.

The Cobra Snake giving shade to the sleeping Nanak

On one hot summer day Rai Bular was on his way home with his men
when at a distance he spotted a large Cobra snake. The snake had its
hood spread as it swayed very slowly from side to side. This was unusual
because cobra species as we all know are poisonous snakes and spread
their hoods briefly while under threat and when they are ready to
strike. As Rai Bular slowly approached the gently swaying snake, Rai
Sahib discovered little Nanak all curled up and motionless under the
shade of the Cobra’s wide open and large hood. Rai Bular was convinced
that Nanak had been bitten and was either unconscious or even dead,
as he was thus lying absolutely motionless. Rai Bular was puzzled as to
why the snake was still there with its hood wide open swaying as if it
was protecting something even after it had bitten Nanak.

He cautioned his men to stay absolutely still as he began to dismount

from his horse and take action when the cobra saw him and retreated
and then slithered away quietly. Rai Bular approached the boy and
tenderly shook him by his shoulder. Nanak woke up rubbing his eyes
and a welcome smile for Rai Bular. The Rai kneeled down and quickly
inspected Nanak for any snake bites and asked him if he knew of the
presence of the Cobra but Nanak replied that he was unaware.

Other children of his age would have shown some signs of fear, alarm
and panic, but Nanak was as calm as one can be. After observing the
tracks of the large Cobra snake all around the sleeping Nanak, Rai Bular
and his men concluded that the snake had been there for a long time,
and much to Rai Bular’s disbelief, had been actually trying to shade the
40 | P a g e
sleeping boy from the sun's harsh rays and not harm him. Rai Bular’s
staff was also stunned by this astonishing scene.

Young Guru Nanak asleep while a Cobra gives him shade from Sun

The fact that the snake had been protecting Nanak’s face from the sun
made Rai Bular’s heart fill with wonder and joy. When Nanak got up he
dusted his clothes and Rai Bular embraced him and kissed his forehead.
This was yet another miracle that Rai Bular witnessed in a short period
of a few weeks. From that day onwards he began to give Nanak the
respect only given to great Saints. He acknowledged the miraculous
powers of Nanak, and hurried to congratulate Mehta Kalu. Rai Bular
called Kalu and told him that Kalu must no longer be displeased with
Nanak for his indifference to worldly affairs as Nanak was to become a
very great man. Truly, that prophecy in time did come true.

41 | P a g e
Gurdwara Mall Ji Sahib in Nankana Sahib – This site is connected with
adventures of the early childhood of the Nanak in particular the event
of the Cobra giving him shade from the hot Sun.

THE STORY OF THE TREE'S STATIONARY SHADOW

On another occasion, Rai Bular was returning home after Hunting and
while passing a field he happened to observe someone sleeping under a
tree. Rai Bular noticed that the tree under which the person lay was the
only tree whose shadow appeared to have remained stationary, and not
veered around like the shadows of the other trees with the sun’s
passage as if the tree was, by design providing shade to the sleeping
person. Amazingly the shadows of the other trees had moved, but the
shadow of that particular tree remained stationary. "Wake him," said
Rai Bular. "Let us see who it is." When they came closer they discovered
that it was Kalu's son Nanak.

Rai Bular had already been a witness to some other mystical events
associated with Nanak. He approached Nanak, held and kissed his hand
and turned around to his people and said; "I have seen what happened
just a few days ago when Nanak was being protected by the deadliest of
all snakes, the King Cobra. Now this also I have witnessed. It is not
without meaning. There is something of God's grace in this."

Rai Bular returned home and when he arrived he summoned Kalu and
said; "Kalu, do not maltreat your son Nanak no matter what he says or

42 | P a g e
does. He is an Exalted One and it is for his sake that my town exists. You
also are blessed, Kalu, for it is as your son that Nanak has been born.”
Kalu was overwhelmed and replied; “The ways of God are known to God
alone."

A Jal Tree, gnarled and maimed by the centuries, is still pointed out at
the scene of the former mysterious event. It possesses a thick trunk, is
still gratefully giving shade, and its venerable branches bend to the
earth in a fashion that suggests the pillared shade of the Indian
Salvadora oleoides. The tree is now called ‘Thamb Sahib’ (or holy trunk).
A wall has been built around it for its protection.

The Sacha Sauda (A True Bargain)

In the summer of 1484, Nanki and Jai Ram came on their annual visit to
Talwandi. They were overcome with happiness at the atmosphere that
now prevailed in the Bedi household. Guru Nanak had turned fifteen
yrs. old and Bibi Nanki was especially happy to see a bond developing
between her father and her brother and she prayed that this state of
affairs would prevail. However, a few weeks later, uncertainty began
gnawing at Mehta Kalu's heart again. He could not imagine his young
son herding cattle for the rest of his life. He knew Nanak was an
intelligent, hardworking, honest and sincere boy; surely life had better
things in store for him? Besides, he was disappointed that Nanak’s mind
was not into farming and other worldly affairs, therefore, he thought
perhaps engaging him in trade would be a good profitable profession,
and secondly his son would be happy all day talking to his clients about
his business. He hoped that Nanak would be willing to try his hand at
something more challenging. He turned once again to Rai Bular for
advice. It was decided that Nanak should be provided with an
opportunity to try his hand at business.

Rai Bular and Kalu convinced Nanak to embrace a mercantile life. Within
walking distance of Talwandi was the little town of Chuharkhana
(modern day Farooqabad). On market days Chuharkhana became a
center for the purchase of essential commodities like salt, rice, wheat,
oil, soap, turmeric and other spices as well. Traders from nearby villages
flocked to Chuharkhana to buy these at wholesale prices and sell them
in their villages for a small profit.

Rai Bular and Kalu drew up a plan to enable Nanak to take advantage of
43 | P a g e
this opportunity. They decided to give Nanak 20 Taka’s (Silver coins
used during Bahlul Lodhi’s rule. 20 Taka’s or Tanka’s were equal to
twenty rupees) for his first business venture. Kalu turned to Nanak and
said; "Go to Chuharkhana, my son with Bhai Mardana. Buy the
commodities that you think are most in demand and bring them back to
Talwandi so that we can earn some profit." Bhai Mardana was asked to
go as his escort with instructions; "Go with Nanak. Buy and bring some
genuine goods for selling in Talwandi from which we may make a profit.
In this way if you make a profitable transaction, next time I will send you
both with more money to buy goods”. Nanak was excited and happy to
comply with his father's instructions and took his mission seriously. He
studied the local market of Talwandi to assess the commodities most in
demand and the prices they were retailing at. He drew up a list and
decided the quantity of each commodity that he would buy in
Chuharkhana for the 20 Taka’s (from some sources 20 Tanka’s). In those
days this much money was considered a minor fortune.

On the next market day, Nanak sought his parents' blessings and set for
their journey on foot towards Chuharkhana to purchase their
merchandise. There was a flush of excitement on Nanak’s face. He was
determined to carry out this business as successfully as he was carrying
out his duties as a cowherd. He would make his father proud by earning
a handsome profit. As the two hurried towards Chuharkhana it flashed
in Nanak’s mind an image of his father declaring to his friends: "My son
is a successful businessman. I am truly proud of him."

The road to Chuharkhana skirted a forest but there was a much shorter
path that cut directly through it. It was a bright, sunny morning and by
the time they reached the outskirts of the forest, the two were
perspiring profusely. The shady path running through the forest, with its
overhang of tall trees, beckoned them. It was an invitation that Nanak
found difficult to resist. "Let's take that path, Bhai Mardana; the trees
will protect us from the strong sun. Not only will we reach sooner but
we will also be spared much discomfort." Mardana hesitated. They were
carrying a large sum of money and they ran the risk of being looted by
robbers. It would be embarrassing to return to Talwandi and admit that
they had lost their money. Mardana also worried on another account.
He knew there would be ascetics and holy men camping in the forest
and his friend Nanak would be drawn to them like a moth to a flame.
Mardana was sure they would be debating philosophy long after the

44 | P a g e
market hours of Chuharkhana were over. They would cut sorry figures if
they returned to Talwandi without having transacted any business on
their first day. "No, Nanak, let us stay on the main road. It is not safe to
go into the forest with the money we have," he cautioned. "Who is to
know that we carry so much money? It is safely hidden in my belt”.
Nanak said. Besides, “who would dare to confront a big, tough Mirasi
like you?" He smiled at his friend and with one quick stride, turned off
the road onto the path, leaving Mardana with no option but to follow
him into the forest. They had hardly gone a few kilometers from
Talwandi when they came across a small village. The village looked
abandoned. Mardana suggested that they stop for a short rest and also
quench their thirst. When they entered the village, they were shocked.
People were lying on the floor as if almost starving. Some were reaching
out to the two with open arms crying for water. There was a stench of
death, sickness and an outbreak of disease due to lack of water as their
water wells had become contaminated.

Guru Nanak’s piety could not resist and he said to Bhai Mardana,
"Father has asked us to carry out some profitable transaction. No
bargain can be more truly profitable than to feed and clothe the needy.
I cannot pass on this opportunity for this true bargain. It is seldom that
we get a chance to carry out some profitable transaction like this”.
Nanak sensed Bhai Mardana stirring restlessly beside him as he was
reminding Nanak of the purpose of their mission. Nanak was reminded
over and over again by Mardana and urged to move on to proceed to
Chuharkhana in obedience to his father’s instructions. Nanak, however,
was not to be thwarted in his new objective. With tears in his eyes and a
sorrow filled heart Nanak left the village and started to walk faster
towards the market. No amount of thirst or sweat from the heat and
humidity could slow him down. Mardana followed as a loyal servant and
friend keeping pace. They remained perfectly quiet and reached
Chuharkhana by mid-day, when the sun beat fiercely down upon the
market place.

Nanak went about his purchases quickly disregarding the list he had
prepared and Mardana was puzzled to see him buying clothes, flour,
millet, pulses, and even perishable vegetables which were available in
plenty in back in Talwandi. He looked at Nanak and said; "Nanak, we will
not earn any profit if we trade in these commodities. You should stick to
your list and buy what is not available in Talwandi". Mardana was

45 | P a g e
dismayed when Nanak replied; "Don't worry, my friend. We will earn a
far greater profit than you have ever dreamed of. Trust me”. Of course
Mardana was not convinced at all but held his peace. The sun was on
the decline when they finally finished their shopping. Burdened with
their purchases, their progress through the lengthening shadows was
slow but this time Mardana was glad when Nanak once again chose the
shorter path through the forest. When they reached the small village
where they had earlier stopped for water, Nanak, stopped and started
distributing the clothes and food among the villagers. He and Mardana
had even carried with them a heavy bucket full of water all the way
from Chuharkhana which Mardana had thought was drinking water for
their journey back.

When Mardana realized what his friend was doing he panicked. Nanak's
father would never forgive them, especially Bhai Mardana and he would
be held responsible, for had he not been sent as much to keep an eye
on Nanak as to assist him? He reached out and gripped his friend's wrist
firmly and shook his head as Nanak turned to him enquiringly. But
Nanak only smiled and gently released his hand. He turned once again
to the villagers and said; “God has seen fit to end your misery. He has
sent you some food, clothes and water." Mardana sighed in resignation.
The deed was done; there was no going back now. They would have to
face the consequences. After distributing the food, clothes and water to
the villagers, the two said a last farewell to the astonished and thankful
villagers and walked quickly out of the forest onto the main road leading
back towards Talwandi.

Meanwhile in the Bedi household the day had been one of huge
excitement. The success of Nanak's venture would prove to be the
turning point of his life. Nanaki and Jai Ram, who were visiting at the
time, were sure that Nanak would be able to strike a fine balance
between his quest in the spiritual world and the pursuit of a profession
that would earn him respect. As the hours lengthened and the boys did
not return, Mehta Kalu grew increasingly impatient. He and Rai Bular
went up the ramparts of the Dhaular fort from where they could see the
countryside for miles around. It was the height of summer and even at
six in the evening there was bright sunshine and no sign of the
approaching dusk. The two men paced up and down, looking anxiously
towards Chuharkhana.

46 | P a g e
Finally they saw one figure emerge on the road. They came down the
ramparts and hurried to meet the person only to find that it was Bhai
Mardana. Where is Nanak? Asked Kalu. Kalu replied; “He is hesitant to
face your anger and has hid himself under a tree back there”. Guru
Nanak had hidden himself under a large van tree whose branches
touched the ground making it look like a Tambu (tent). The three men
went up to the tree to fetch Nanak. Nanak looked very sad and
somewhat nervous. Before anyone could speak, Nanak told them that
they had come back empty handed.

Kalu and Rai Bular listened in disbelief as Nanak went on to tell them of
the encounter with the starving villagers and that he had distributed all
the goods among them. "There is nothing left. I gave away all our
purchases". Nanak went on to say; "Many of villagers were dying. We
would have been guilty of their murder if we had not fed them." "What
am I to do with this boy?" Kalu cried in frustration. He beat his breast
and wept in sheer helplessness. The loss of a huge amount of money
was bad enough, what was far worse was his son's failure. "I will be the
laughing stock of the village," he said. "The father of a boy who is so
stupid as to give away twenty silver Rupees. Oh! I will never be able to
live with this humiliation." "Calm down, Kalu. It is not the end of the
world." said Rai Bular. "That is what you always say Rai Sahib. How long
can I remain calm and patient in the face of one debacle after another?
Look what Nanak has done now. I have lost all my money in trusting him
to go out and make a profit”. Rai Bular took Kalu aside and appealed to

47 | P a g e
him yet again. "Just this once, my friend. I promise you I will not ask for
your indulgence again. Nanak is not a worldly child. It is too much to
expect him to conduct himself in an ordinary way. I think we belittle him
by supposing that he could be drawn into the sordid business of buying
and selling. Besides, the damage has been done and no purpose will be
served by chastening the boy." Kalu realized that Rai Bular was right; no
purpose would be served by chastening Nanak simply because it would
have no effect on him anyway. He would continue to go his own way,
doing what was in his heart, oblivious to the praise or censure of the
world. "And the twenty silver coins - have no worry on account of their
loss. I will give you twenty more to make up this loss." Rai Bular assured
Kalu. He looked at the Rai in disbelief as the Rai smiled and put his hand
on Kalu’s shoulder and said, “The true bargain of life is sharing one's
earning with the needy and helping in whatever way we can” and with
that the Rai took out twenty rupees and gave it to Kalu.

Rai Bular never seemed to tire of defending young Nanak and was
prepared to go to any length to make up for his lapses. But Kalu's anger
reared up again as he looked at Nanak. "He could at least admit he has
made a mistake and ask to be forgiven," he raged. "I have made no
mistake," Nanak said softly, turning to his father. "You wanted me to
earn great profit and that I have. You have repeatedly emphasized that
we must never turn away a hungry man, a sadhu, or a needy when he
comes to our door for alms. You have often said that in the eyes of God
it is an opportunity to earn great profit by giving food to one who is
hungry or in need. If there is profit in feeding one human, imagine how
great a profit I have earned you in the eyes of God by using your money
to feed an entire village who had gone without food and water for days.
In my heart I have made the most profitable investment that any human
can make."

Rai Bular was impressed by Nanak's irrefutable logic and struggled to

hide his smile. He knew that Nanak truly believed that he had not done
anything wrong with the money but had done a 'Sacha Sauda' (True
bargain) in the truest sense. But from the corner of his eye he could see
that Kalu was still furious as they stood in tense silence. In a matter of
minutes, the news spread all over Talwandi. People stopped in the
street to stare at Nanak, and a few youngsters even passed whispered
comments and snickered at their own humor that Nanak took all the
money and purchased food, supplies, clothes and drinking water for

48 | P a g e
total strangers. Nanak then instead of going home went and sat under a
the same tree outside Talwandi to reflect and reassure himself that
what he had done was absolutely right and he need not feel guilty
anymore.

At the place where the true bargain took place, Gurdwara Sacha
Sauda Sahib is built (present day city of Farooqabad, Pakistan). The
tradition of sharing food known as ‘Langar’ is carried out at every
Gurdwara.

Meanwhile, the ladies in Bedi household were gripped by suspense and

tension. Nanki and Tripta were longing to put their arms around the boy
and tell him not to worry, that the loss of the money didn't matter and
that they admired him for what he had done. But they were afraid of
igniting Kalu's anger into a fresh outburst. When Nanak came home
after his meditation under the tree, taking their cue from the head of
the family, they greeted Nanak in total silence. Only his sister Nanki
managed a surreptitious smile. Nanak seemed upset as he assumed that
they too lacked understanding and when Tripta placed a Thali (plate) of
food before him, he pushed it firmly aside. Tripta was about to coax him
to eat when Kalu cut in brusquely, "There is no need to fuss over him. If
he is not hungry, he need not eat. Go, Nanak, go to bed." Much later,
49 | P a g e
when the household was quiet, Nanki and Tripta brought Nanak some
food. Once again he pushed it aside. "You have earned so much merit
by feeding an entire village; will you deny us the little we would earn by
feeding one hungry boy?" Tripta smiled and caressed his hair. Nanak felt
the sadness lift from his heart.

Nanak then knew that his father's disappointment notwithstanding, he

had done the right thing in feeding the poor village. He smiled at his
mother and sister, and ate the food that they had brought him. His
sister knew in her heart that her brother was meant for greater things,
and that he was like no other ordinary boy? His father, helpless in the
face of all this, began to wonder rather reluctantly if perhaps Nanaki
and Rai Bular were right after all, that Nanak was unlike any other boy.
Nanak was soon to prove them all right.

Guru Nanak is gripped by a mysterious illness.

In spite of the unstinting assurance and support of Rai Bular and Nanki,
a strange mood gripped Nanak after the Sacha Sauda incident. He
became more and more withdrawn and began keeping entirely to
himself. Even his sister's words of affection and his mother's comforting
touch elicited no smile from him. He would lie for hours on his Manji
(rope cot), his face covered with a Chaddar (bed sheet), lost in his own
thoughts. He ignored all efforts of others to reach out to him. He ate
little and that too when his mother and sister threatened to go on a
fast. Sometimes his mother would find him sitting all by himself, tears
trickling down his cheeks in soundless weeping. He would go off on long
solitary walks in the middle of the night. He stopped communicating
with Bhai Mardana and even stopped visiting Mardana to participate in
the singing of devotional songs. He no longer indulged in endless
debates with the holy men camping in the nearby forest, or intellectual
discussions with his Sufi friends passing through Talwandi. It was as if he
had lost all interest in life. He grew frail and gaunt. The sleepless nights
left their mark in the dark circles under his eyes. There was a feverish
restlessness in all that he did and in the occasional monosyllable that he
would to utter.

His condition deteriorated so much that Kalu forgot his anger and
disappointment and was consumed by worry and anxiety. Nanak's
strange affliction became a subject of concern for everyone in Talwandi.
There were some who said that he had been acting strange from birth-
50 | P a g e
and everything he had done in his life was strange, so this behavior was
to be expected. There were others who said that this was divine
retribution-God's way of punishing him for the arrogance that he had
displayed towards the wise and pious Pandit Hardayal at the aborted
Janeu ceremony (stringing of the thread ceremony). Still others said that
he was possessed by an evil spirit, and till this spirit was exorcised,
neither Nanak nor the Bedi household would know any peace.

Tripta and Nanki, unable to find a rational explanation for Nanak's

condition, began to subscribe to the theory of the evil spirit as well.
They would have sent for an exorcist if Rai Bular had not warned them
that such a course might do more harm than good. Nanak's lack of faith
in miracles and supernatural phenomena like ghosts and spirits was well
known, and an exorcist attempting to drive away a so-called spirit might
have pushed him further into despondency. A cure through the services
of an exorcist was thus abandoned. At last Rai Bular prevailed upon
Nanak to let Haridas, the village physician, examine him for a physical
ailment. Haridas was a renowned physician and well-liked by the
inhabitants of Talwandi and the neighboring villages. Not only was his
diagnosis remarkably accurate but his treatment was simple and
uncomplicated. In addition, Haridas had an engaging bedside manner
and was able to draw his patients out to share their worries and
anxieties with him. As a result, his patients received both medical
treatment and counselling from the worthy physician and they looked
upon him as a friend and confidant. So it was with Nanak as well.

When Haridas felt Nanak’s pulse, before Haridas could say anything,
Nanak remarked, "I am afflicted not with the pain of the body, but with
the pain of the soul." Hardas had a number of sessions with Nanak and
no one knew what transpired between them. All that Haridas said to the
anxious friends and relatives was, "Do not worry about Nanak's health,
he will soon be well. He is troubled by matters of the spirit but he will
come to terms with them”. As Rai Bular had predicted when Nanak was
just a child; “Nanak is no ordinary child. He is destined to be great and
Talwandi will be proud to claim him as her son”. Rai Bular was right.

When Haridas, the physician asked Nanak what he himself thought the
illness was, Nanak replied:
I first feel the pain of separation from God, then a pang of hunger for
contemplation on Him. I also fear the pain which Death's powerful

51 | P a g e
 myrmidons may inflict. I feel pain that my body shall perish by disease. O
ignorant physician, give me no medicine. Such medicine as thou hast, my
friend, removeth not - The pain I feel or the continued suffering of my
body.
I forgot God and devoted myself to pleasure -Then this bodily illness befell
me. The wicked heart is punished. Ignorant physician, give me no
medicine. As sandal is useful when it exhaleth perfume, As man is useful
as long as he hath breath in his body, So when the breath departeth, the
body crumbleth away and becometh useless: No one taketh medicine
after that. When man shall possess the Name of the Bright and Radiant
One, His body shall become like gold and his soul be made pure;
All his pain and disease shall be dispelled, And he shall be saved, Nanak,
by the true Name.
Haridas understood what Guru Nanak had said. He took leave of Mehta
Kalu saying, "Nanak has no physical ailment. He is immersed in the love
of God. So stop worrying about your son. He does not need any medicine
from a doctor."

Gradually, the restlessness passed from Nanak's soul. He began to sleep

and eat regularly; the flesh came back to his bones. He lost the feverish,
wild-eyed look and his face now often lit up with a divine smile. Though
still not gregarious, he was friendly and affable enough and spent more
and more time interacting with others. He began to seek the company
of Bhai Mardana and Sufi men again. He resumed his scholarly sessions
with Sufi’s and his practice of singing devotional songs with Mardana. In
short, he was once again the Nanak that Talwandi had known before
the strange illness had come upon him.

Everyone in the village heaved a sigh of relief and Nanki, who had
stayed back in Talwandi to look after her brother, was at last able to
rejoin her husband in Sultanpur. Life moved on placidly and things were
quiet in the Bedi household. But Mehta Kalu's frustration at the
apparent lack of direction and purpose in Nanak's life surfaced from
time to time and found expression in regular conflicts with his son.
Nanak was not unduly perturbed by his father's flashes of anger and
continued to follow the routine he had set for himself. Tripta was
grateful that her son's moodiness seemed to be a thing of the past.
Though he continued to spend long hours in introspection and
meditation, he was polite and affable with everyone he came into
contact with.

52 | P a g e
GURU NANAK’S MARRIAGE (1487 AD)

When Nanak turned eighteen and half years of age and though his
reputation of uncertain and erratic behavior did not mark him out as
the most eligible of bachelors, the economic stability of the Bedi family
and Mehta Kalu's proximity to Rai Bular had elicited a few discreet
enquiries. Most boys of his age were already married but Nanak himself
had shown no inclination towards matrimony and had ignored the hints
that had been thrown his way. His mother Tripta too did not pursue any
of the proposals for wanting to pressurize him. But the proposal
brought by his sister Nanki could not be brushed aside as the girl was a
distant relative of her husband, Jai Ram. Her name was Sulakhni and she
was the daughter of Mul Chand, the Patwari of village Pakhoke near the
town of Batala.

Nanak’s sister knew Sulakhni well and had struck up a warm friendship
with the young girl. She spoke of Sulakhni in glowing terms to her
mother Tripta. "Not only is she extremely attractive but she is also
polite, gentle, and soft-spoken. She is diligent in performing her chores
and will make an excellent home-maker. Her quiet sensibility and
pleasant disposition will keep the family well-knit and happy." Tripta
laughed good-naturedly. "In your desire to get your friend as a sister-in-
law you are lauding her to the skies." "But you haven't heard the best
part, Mother," Nanki said, grinning from ear to ear. "Sulakhni knows of
our Nanak. She has heard the story of the Sacha Sauda (the true
bargain), when Nanak fed the villagers. And," Nanki paused
dramatically, her eyes large and incredulous, "she says she would like a
husband like him" Tripta was delighted. "How did she hear of this?" "I
guess someone from my husband's family must have told her and she
says she is so impressed by what Nanak did, she would be happy to
spend her life with him."

The news gladdened Tripta's heart. She admitted to herself that the
reason why she had not pursued the matter of Nanak's marriage was
her fear that no girl would be able to cope with her son's unworldly
ways and moody behavior. "The girl seems an ideal bride for your
brother. But will he agree to marry her?" "Don't worry, Mother," Nanki
said. "Have faith in me, I do have some influence over my brother and I
am sure I can make him accept this proposal. I will even ask Rai Bular to
encourage him as he listens to Rai Bular". Sure enough, with a little
encouragement, Nanak accepted the proposal. Sulakhni's acceptance of
53 | P a g e
his extraordinary behavior and nature finally won him over. Nanki took
Nanak's horoscope back with her and when the pundit in Pakhoke
declared that Sulakhni and Nanak were eminently suitable for each
other, there was much happiness on both sides.

Rai Bular was firmly convinced that marriage would bring about a great
change in Nanak's attitude towards life. With the responsibility of a
wife, and later of children, Nanak was bound to act in a more
responsible and down-to-earth manner. If nothing else, he would at
least be forced to find himself an occupation. Mehta Kalu could not
share Rai Bular’s optimism. His hopes had been dashed to the ground
once too often and he was not prepared to set much store in the
therapeutic value of marriage. But it was customary for young men of
eighteen to get married and Kalu decided to comply with the
established tradition. As the day of the wedding approached, Mehta
Kalu too was swept along by the tide of infectious gaiety that flowed
into the Bedi household. The marriage of a son was an occasion for
great rejoicing, and in spite of his disappointment and frustration at his
son, Kalu loved him dearly.

It would appear that, owing to the distance between Talwandi and

Batala, which hindered frequent visits and negotiations, the marriage
followed very soon after the betrothal. Nanak had refused to follow the
marriage rituals dictated by the Brahmins of the day. He stated that any
time would be an auspicious time for the wedding. There was no need
to cast horoscopes as he was not superstitious. Nanak’s sister was
present at the wedding, but her husband could not obtain permission to
attend. He sent word that he was employed by the Nawab and urgent
matters had to be taken care of so he sent an apology that was perfectly
understood.

The day the marriage of Guru Nanak was fixed to take place, all the
people of Talwandi assembled together. When they were about to set
forth for Sultanpur, where Nanak was staying with his sister, they
gathered at Rai Bular’s place to seek his blessing and wish him farewell;
As Henry Court in his book History of the Sikhs, 1888, Translation of the
‘Sikkhan de raj di Vikhia’, in Chapter VI describes the events;

“And Kalu, going before the Rai, stood before him; “O Rai, may you be
blessed” then the Rai said "What is it, Kalu?" and Kalu said "We feel

54 | P a g e
ourselves deeply indebted to you. The marriage day of your slave Nanak
has been fixed and the marriage party are going to Pakhoke Jiandliawa
to pay the money for the marriage preparations; will you please give us
your blessing and permission to go.” Then the Rai said; "Kalu, Do not
again call Nanak my slave; if you do, I shall be very angry. Then Kalu
said, “Sir, to be respectful is incumbent upon me.” The Rai asked; What
Kalu, are other forms of respect too few?” Kalu Said; “Well Sir, forgive
me this fault; I forgot myself.” Then the Rai said, “Go Kalu, God will
forgive you; Go may your desire be fulfilled, and give my respect to
Nanak.”

In another history text the same incident is repeated in a slightly

different manner;

“and Kalu, going before the Rai, stood before him; “O Rai, may you be
blessed” then the Rai said "What is it, Kalu?" and Kalu said, "We feel
ourselves deeply indebted to you. The marriage day of your slave Nanak
has been fixed and the marriage party are going to Pakhoke Jiandliawa
to pay the money for the marriage preparations; will you please give us
your blessing and permission to go.” Then the Rai said; "Kalu, Do not
again call Nanak my slave; if you do, I shall be very angry." Then Kalu
said, "O Rai! Do not raise doubts in my heart." Then the Rai said, "No.
Kalu, that is not it; I meant something else; Nanak is nothing more than
a holy man; take care not to quarrel, for perhaps he may say something
harsh to you." Then Kalu said, "No Rai, he is the desire of my heart and
my soul; and Rai, God has made you the master here, therefore, have
kindness on us and give us your blessing and your permission to go."
Then the Rai said, "Go Kalu! May God fulfil your desire; this is also my
hope; but Kalu, it behooves me also to kiss the forehead of Nanak, do
touch his feet with your hands for me, and make my apologies to Jai
Ram; go, may God protect you." Then Kalu got into the cart, and, on the
fifth day, arrived at Sultanpur. He arrived on Thursday, and entered the
house of Parmanand, and began to utter his congratulations. Then
Nanak received intimation that his father and mother had come; and
that his paternal uncle, and paternal grandmother and grandfather, and
maternal uncle had come, and also Bhai Mardana had arrived. Then
Nanak, immediately on hearing it, got up and came running, and
forthwith fell at the feet of Kalu. Kalu raised him and kissed his forehead;
then Nanak said, "father, was the Rai well?" Then Kalu said, "Son, he
remembered you most kindly; the Rai told me to kiss your forehead and

55 | P a g e
tough your feet but I had forgotten it." Kalu pressed him to his neck, and
said, "Son, you have dignified our family; God knows what will happen
hereafter; but in this world, you have dignified it."

On 23rd September 1487 AD, the wedding procession left for Batala and
on 24th September 1487 AD Nanak was married to Sulakhni. Guru
The couple came back to Talwandi and within a matter of days it was as
if Sulakhni had always been a member of the family. Tripta discovered,
to her delight, that the girl was all that Nanki had said she was, and
more. Always ready with a smile, she took on the responsibility of
running the household and Tripta was happy to be relieved of the
heavier chores which she now found difficult to perform. Sulakhni had
even found a place in her father-in-law's heart and he said to his wife, "I
know no one can take the place of our daughter Nanki in our home and
in our lives, but with Sulakhni here, the void our daughter left does not
seem so deep anymore."

Gurudwara Kandh Sahib, Batala

Gurdwara Kandh Sahib derives its name from Kachchi Kandh, i.e. mud
wall, which, according to local tradition, stood on this site at the time of
Guru Nanak's marriage. It is said that as the wedding party arrived and
stopped a little distance short of Bhai Mul Chand's house, waiting for
formal reception by the host. Guru Nanak sat down close to the wall. An
old lady living nearby, pointing to the dilapidated state of the wall, told
56 | P a g e
him to move away from the spot because the crumbling wall may fall on
him. Guru Nanak assured her that there was no cause for alarm for the
wall would stay intact for a long time. The wall so consecrated by the
Guru became an object of veneration for the devotees who also
constructed a memorial platform near it. A symbolic mud wall, neatly
plastered, 3 x 5 x 1.5 feet approximately, encased in glass, next to the
Guru Granth Sahib at the ground floor, now represents the original wall.

Sulakhni won her mother-in-law's admiration through her unflinching

devotion to her husband. A bond of mutual respect and deep friendship
had grown between the young couple. The strength of this relationship
was revealed in their quiet moments together, when Nanak shared his
deepest thoughts and concerns with Sulakhni. She did not always
understand his worries, especially when they pertained to his spiritual
quest, but it gave him strength to know that she would always support
him, no matter what course his life took.

One evening, Guru Nanak returned home in a rather subdued mood. He

answered every question in monosyllables and after having pecked
desultorily at his food, he went to his room. Tripta, his mother
restrained Sulakhni from finishing the chores. "Go to him, he needs
you," she said, Nanak smiled at her as she stole in quietly. "Come and sit
by me," Nanak said. They sat together in silence for a long time, their
souls in communion. Sulakhni reached out to smooth a furrow on his
brow but he took her hand and held it close to his heart. "I know that
there is only one thing that bothers you," she said eventually. "You
worry whether the path you seek will ever be revealed to you."

Nanak touched Sulakhni's hand gently to his lips and then looked into
her eyes and smiled. "I have spent much time in study and discussion
and struggled to find a path which will lead me out of the pain and
sorrow of our times-a path which others too could follow to achieve
salvation, but sometimes the light appears dim and I despair of the path
ever being revealed to me." "I do not know much about these matters-
but it would seem to me that you are walking this path already. Your
Sacha Sauda could only have been performed by a divine soul." Nanak
chuckled at her trusting innocence. "In your simplicity you regard
anything even slightly out of the ordinary as being marked by divinity.
Anyone would have done as much in similar circumstances." They were
quiet again and Sulakhni snuggled close to Nanak. "Do not despair.

57 | P a g e
Haven't you often said that we must trust in God and abide by his will?
If you are struggling to find the right path, it is because God has so
desired. If the path is revealed to you, it will be because God desires to
reveal it to you-if not, then that too is God's wish. You must bow to His
will and accept it with equanimity." Nanak held her close and with the
warmth of her nearness, the worry and despair flowed away and he was
again at peace with himself.

Nanak continued to follow his own course in life and there was no sign
that he was likely to get involved in any productive activity as a result of
his marriage. But Mehta Kalu, for once, refused to be despondent on
that score. They had gained a daughter and soon there would be little
children running around in the house. Nanak would live the life that
destiny had ordained for him and though it was not a life that he would
have wished for his son, he accepted it as the will of God.

EMPLOYMENT WITH DAULAT KHAN LODHI

Bahlul Lodhi died in 1489 AD. His second son succeeded him after his
death on 17 July 1489 and took up the title Sikandar Shah Lodhi and
ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. Daulat Khan Lodhi had established a
peaceful relationship with his allied Rajput landlords and even married
the sister of Rai Bular Bhatti, the largest and most powerful of the
Rajput’s in the Rechna Doab. Jai Ram, Bibi Nanki’s husband was
employed as an official in the service of Daulat Khan Lodhi, the
Governor of Lahore. Sikandar Lodhi preferred the continuity of peace in
his Lahore territory and welcomed the loyalty of Daulat Khan with open
arms.

As Nanak grew up he did not feel at all interested in the worldly affairs.
His father had thought that after Nanak’s marriage, Nanak may change
his attitude and pay more attention to earning a livelihood with less
emphasis on meditation. As a father, Kalu became more and more
worried and concerned. Jai Ram, during his yearly visits to Talwandi at
the close of the spring harvest, had ample opportunities of cultivating
Nanak s acquaintance, and appreciated his good qualities. Rai Bular by
now had become a staunch advocate of Nanak and so was his sister
deeply devoted to her younger brother. Bibi Nanki noticed her father's
impatience at her brother's indifference towards worldly activities. Rai
Bular and Jai Ram had already raised the concern that Nanak was a saint
ill-treated by his father.

58 | P a g e
 Taka (Tanka, Rupee, Coin) of Daulat Khan
Lodhi found near Sultanpur

While they were still contemplating what to do an incident happened

that left no doubt that Nanak must get an occupation because he was
wasting his life in saintly pursuits. Nanak had become friends with a
fakir who was visiting Talwandi. Nanak told him, as he did to the other
fakirs, that his name was Nanak Nirankari; and a friendly intimacy
sprang up between the two. The fakir was probably a con-artist and
swindler, and coveted a brass drinking vessel that Nanak carried and a
gold ring which Nanak wore. After befriending Nanak, the fakir asked
Nanak that he gifted the vessel and the ring. Nanak graciously acceded
to the request, to the further sorrow and indignation of his parents.
After this Bibi Nanki, Rai Bular and Jai Ram put their heads together and
decided to get Nanak occupation in Sultanpur with Daulat Khan Lodhi if
their father Kalu gave his consent - hoping Nanak would go with her to
Sultanpur. Kalu did not hesitate and allowed his son to proceed to
Sultanpur to join Jai Ram and Nanki if he got employed there.

Earlier, Rai Bular had promised Guru Nanak that if he learned Persian, in
which all state documents and accounts were then written, he would
appoint him village accountant in succession to his father. Even though
Persian was never the tongue of Hindus, and was despised by them as
the language of foreigners and conquerors, Nanak had learned it well
and was very conversant. Since Nanak could read and write in Persian,
Nawab Daulat Khan Lodhi obliged Rai Bular immediately. When Nanak
was told of his employment in Sultanpur as in charge of the provision
stores of Daulat Khan Lodhi, he agreed and Nanak departed for
Sultanpur in 1488 AD. He was 20 years old.

Nanak moved to Sultanpur and settled with Nanki and her husband Jai
Ram. Soon he sent for his wife who joined him and they lived a regular
59 | P a g e
family life for some time. At Sultanpur, Nanak worked diligently all the
time at the provision stores, where he lavishly distributed goods among
the poor and the needy.

After a few months, Bhai Mardana joined Nanak from Talwandi along
with some other friends. Guru Nanak introduced them to Daulat Khan,
who provided them suitable jobs in his administration. Bhai Mardana,
who in addition to being Nanak’s friend had become Nanak’s devoted
servant by now. All the ‘Boys from Talwandi’ got together every evening
and performed Shabad-Kirtan (singing divine hymns) for the Sultan as
well as the people of Sultanpur. Nanak was frequently praised by the
Sultan Governor as he applied his brilliance to his duties, and so
discharged them that everybody was gratified and congratulated him.
Of the salary and provisions that Nanak received from the Governor, he
would keep only a small portion for himself for his maintenance and
give the rest away to the poor and needy.

One day while at work, he was selling provisions at the store and
weighing the provisions when something strange happened. He was
counting each weighing as 'one, two, three... ten, eleven, twelve,
thirteen'. When he reached the number thirteen (13)- 'Tera' (in Punjabi
language Tera means number 13, and Tera also means 'Yours'), he went
into meditation. In meditation, Nanak went on weighing and kept
repeating, "Tera, tera, tera.. (which means 'I am Yours, O Lord’)" and
kept filling the customer’s bag.

The customers were happy to receive the extra provisions and did not
know how to carry so much ration. They could not understand the
bounties of the Lord. Ultimately the situation reached Nawab Daulat
Khan when a charge was levied against the Guru Nanak that he was
recklessly giving away grain. The Nawab ordered an inquiry which was
conducted very carefully. The Guru's detractors were surprised when
the stores were found completely full. In fact, the accounts showed an
extra surplus in favour of Guru Nanak.

At Sultanpur, Guru Nanak lived with his wife in his sister’s house. The
couple had two sons, Sri Chand (8th September 1494 AD and Lakhmi
Chand (12th February 1497 AD). Bhai Mardana was constantly at his
side. When Guru Nanak gave utterance to songs in the worship of God,
Mardana, having set those songs to music, used to play them on the

60 | P a g e
Rabab, and sing them in the open. Seeing the new customs and strange
habits of the two, all the neighboring people began to call them
‘Wanderers’ and ‘Fakirs’. When Mardana, who was sensitive at heart,
heard himself being called a wanderer by his brethren, he became
sorrowful; on which Nanak said: "Mardana, do not thou become
wavering; this is the custom of the world that those, who leave their
ways, and follow the road of God, them they call mad and wanderers;
but there is nothing to fear, for we have no regard for them, and have
sold ourselves in the name of God, who is Lord of all."

The Divine Call

At Sultanpur, Nanak used to take his early morning bath daily in the
river Bein that flowed nearby (Kali Bein is a rivulet in Punjab, India that
flows into the confluence of the rivers Beas and Satluj). He would sit in
deep meditation on its bank under a Ber Tree (Zizyphus jujube or Punjab
Wild Berry Tree) to meditate, after which he started his day's work. He
meditated under this tree daily for several years.

One day, when Guru Nanak was about 30 years old, he went to bathe
and meditate as usual. But this time, again something happened which
was very strange and unusual. Some people, who had observed Nanak
entering the water did not see him come out of the river. His clothes
were still on the river bank and people became very concerned. In the
Janam Sakhis, this incident is described as a ‘direct communion with the
Divine’. As the Janam Sakhis narrate the details, “Guru Nanak one
morning disappeared into the stream and was not seen or be traced
anywhere for two days. Everyone presumed that he had been drowned.
No one could establish Nanak’s whereabouts; most thought that he had
been carried away by a strong current and was probably dead.”

Nanak’s friend Mardana did not lose hope and started a twenty four
hour vigil as he knew of Nanak’s mysterious ways as well as had
complete faith that Nanak was somehow alive. Then miraculously at the
end of the third day, Nanak reappeared at a spot 2 km upstream, (that
spot in now known as Sant Ghat). Upon emerging out of the stream, the
first words Nanak uttered were: `There is no Hindu and there is no
Muslim' on his lips, which he repeated over and over again. Mardana
was overjoyed with tears and hugged Nanak and soon other curious
people gathered around to ask Nanak questions. Nanak just pointed his
finger to the skies and remained silent. This did not stop the crowd
61 | P a g e
getting larger and the curiosity and questions getting more persistent.
At last Nanak spoke out and said: “I have received a call from the
Timeless Being. God has favored me with a task to go and spread His
message to all people far and near. ‘THERE IS NO HINDU, THERE IS NO
MUSLIM’. God does not see any difference between a Hindu and a
Muslim. Nor does He belong to only Hindus or Muslims. He considers all
people alike and equal. This is true, and this is His message.” Thereafter
he started the work, for which he felt, God had commissioned him. His
first message to all was to promote equality. This meant that all humans
should be equal and they must shun class, color and creed, religious,
social and other distinctions. That was what he meant by his oft-
repeated catch-phrase 'There is no Hindu and no Muslim'. Nanak’s
sermons soon became the talk of Sultanpur.

After one of his sermons, the local Qazi complained about him to the
governor Nawab Daulat Khan Lodhi, and the Nawab summoned Nanak
to explain himself. Before the explanation hearing and the consequent
judgment, Nanak went to the mosque where the Qazi led the prayer.
The governor was also in the prayer hall. Nanak stood in a corner
silently. As soon as the prayer finished, Nanak was seen cheerful and
smiling. The Qazi approached him looking rather angry and irritated by
his behavior. But before the Qazi could utter a word, Nanak spoke and
said out loud so everyone could hear him;

“We are here in the house of the God. He witnesses everything and
knows everything. Both the Qazi and the Governor’s minds were
wandering away during the prayer. One was thinking of newborn filly,
and the other about his business of buying horses in Kabul. Both are not
good Muslims.”

Of course what Nanak had said about the lack of concentration by the
two men in their prayer was true. Everyone who heard Nanak say these
words was amazed. The next day Daulat Khan Lodhi sent his men to
bring Guru Nanak to his court. When he reached the court of the
Nawab, the Qazi was there as well. The Qazi asked Nanak, “What do you
have to say for yourself about your comments in the mosque yesterday?
How can you say that there exists no Musalman when you can see us
with your own eyes here as well as in the mosque?” Guru Nanak
replied, “All Muslims and Hindus call themselves true Musalmans and
true Hindus, but in all honesty, there is no true Musalman and there is

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no true Hindu. What I said in the mosque yesterday is true. All Hindus
and Musalmans are children of the same God and they are all brothers.
They should all love each other but they are not doing so. It is just that
they have forgotten their true religions. By this act they are displeasing
GOD.”

The Nawab was amazed to hear this answer and said, “God speaks on
the lips of Nanak.” Even the Qazi was now convinced that Nanak was
indeed a gifted person since the Qazi was a learned man and knew that

Nanak was not the first person to reject religion as an institution for
teaching and promoting intolerance. Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, a
Muslim Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic
in the 13th-century in Turkey had written: “I’m not from the East or the
West. I’m not Christian or Jew or Muslim. I’m not Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi
or Zen. I don’t belong to any established religion or any cultural system.
I’m neither body nor soul, for I belong to the Soul of my beloved God.”
And with this the Nawab gave Nanak the permission, facilities and
supplies for Nanak and to go about on his divine journey. Guru Nanak
was now ready to embark on his long journeys.

Gurdwara Ber Ji Sahib, Sultanpur Lodhi

Gurdwara Ber Sahib is the main shrine at Sultanpur. It is situated on the bank of
river Kali Bein, half a kilometer west of the old town. It is built adjacent to an
old ‘Ber Tree’ (Indian Berry Tree) under which Guru Nanak used to meditate.
The present building of the Gurdwara was built by Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of
Kapurthala. The foundation stone was laid by Bhai Arjan Singh of Bagarian on
25th Feb. 1937, and upon completion the Gurdwara was dedicated by Lt. Gen.
Maharaja Yadavinder Singh of Patiala on 26th January 1941.

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Guru Nanak Begins his Sacred Journeys
After Daulat Khan Lodhi granted permission to Nanak to pursue his
dreams, Nanak resigned from the job as a storekeeper in 1499 AD and
made plans to embark on his mission with the message of truth, love
and honest living. Nanak’s message was brief and simple to understand.
God is One Supreme Being – the same God and creator of all life. The
universal God of Muslims, Christians, Jews, Jains, Hindus, Buddhists and
all people of other beliefs. He defined Him as the only one Creator, Who
pervades the entire creation. Having an unparalleled existence He never
entertains fear nor enmity against any one. His Being is not measured
by time. God is the reason there is something rather than nothing. God
is behind human consciousness. But the most characteristic thing of
that god is that we know He was never born and is self-radiant.

All human beings were one. The same Supreme Soul pervades all
humans. All humans have similar bodies and same temperaments.
Human nature was the same everywhere and at all times. All humans
feel pain, love, suffering, joy and every emotion that exists. Hence all
differences of caste creed, color, size, profession, wealth, status and
nationality were meaningless. In his eyes the so called lowest of the low
were, as good as, rather better in many way than the self-centered
highest of the high. In his teachings Guru Nanak attached great
importance to the development of one's inner self—the soul within—
the only criterion for that being the measure of truth and love
inculcated in the soul so much so, that the same should radiate from
within and diffuse all around.

At first Nanak went on short trips to different towns and villages around
Sultanpur and when he was confident that his wife and children would
be looked after by his sister Nanaki, he decided to venture on longer
journeys.

To spread the message of humanity, Guru Nanak covered a large

geographical tapestry. Today this area comprises of several nations:
Pakistan, India, Nepal, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia,
Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. To break barriers across faiths
by engaging in spiritual dialogues, Guru Nanak visited more than 150
Islamic, Sufi and Hindu sites to seek and impart spiritual wisdom.

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 Guru Nanak rejected the existing three Semitic religions (Judaism,
Christianity and Islam) and three Indian religions of his time
(Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism) and he was not about to start a yet
another religion to add to them. He believed religions divide
humanity. Guru Nanak wanted to unite humanity. As a ‘Uniter of
Humanity’, he devoted his entire life to make mankind realize that
humanity is One. Guru Nanak’s rejection of organized religions was
very subtle. What he preached to the Hindus, Muslims, Christians,
Jews and Yogis was the daily conduct that will make them better,
Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews and Yogi’s etc.

Just like Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273), a 13th-century

Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic, Guru
Nanak became a ‘Uniter of Humanity’. Rumi, who inherited and
expanded a center for Sufism in Konya in Turkey also had rejected
religions as an institution. Rumi wrote: “I’m not from the East or the
West. I’m not Christian or Jew or Muslim. I’m not Hindu, Buddhist,
Sufi or Zen. I don’t belong to any established religion or any cultural
system. I’m neither body nor soul, for I belong to the Soul of my
beloved.”

In his preaching Guru Nanak suggested practical ways of countering

selfishness, ignorance and all that is evil. The spiritual and social welfare
of the common people was his prime concern. He wanted them to act
with reason and not follow others blindly. According to Guru Nanak the
political and cultural domination of the people by the ruling and priestly
classes was chiefly responsible for their degeneration and degradation.
He gave these demoralized people a new consciousness, which was
based on the principle of the ‘unity’ and ‘fatherhood’ of God and the
equality and kinship of humankind. Guru Nanak’s teachings were a
direct challenge to the authority of the priestly class and the inhumanity
of the ruling tyrants. There were times when he was ridiculed, stoned
and even imprisoned, however, Guru Nanak was never afraid to raise
his clear voice against cruelty, injustice and falsehood.

The people, to whom Guru Nanak talked and preached found something
special and different in his message from what they already knew; and
those who followed him or his teachings closely, came to be known as
Sikhs, meaning learners or followers. Both Hindus and Muslims were
among Guru Nanak’s followers. He lived amongst them, shared their

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joys and sorrows and taught them the way of honest and truthful living.
His main message was:

“Truth is high. But higher still is truthful living. ”

Guru Nanak stressed that one should not try to escape from worldly
family responsibilities but embrace them.
“Not the ascetic way,
But a life of truth and love
Amid the world’s temptations
Is the secret of spiritual life”?

He also advised to desist from bigotry and respect the saints of every
faith’.
“Put away thy pride.
The essence of religion is humility,
Service, sympathy.
Not the yogi’s garb and ashes,
Not the shaven head,
Not long prayers’
Not recitations and torturing’s......”

Whosoever came in contact with Guru Nanak and on whomsoever his

benign look fell, experienced some celestial light and aura emanating
from Nanak – an aura of love, trust, acceptance and confidence, and
this is why Nanak began to be addressed by all as `Guru' Nanak.

Guru Nanak’s Four Great Journeys (Udasis)

After Nanak had spent some time spreading the Divine Message
amongst the people in the Kartarpur he planned to venture further out
with his mission first all over India. Later they went abroad to the
Middle East, Tibet and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). During his travels, he held
discussions with religious leaders: Hindus—(Brahmans, Sidhs and Jogis),
Muslims—(Sufis, Mullahs and Qazis), Jains and Buddhists and others he
could learn from. This adventurous spirit was equally complemented
with his inquisitiveness and desire to visit some important centers of
religious worship and learning, as well as meeting people and sharing
their joys and sufferings. For nearly fifteen years Nanak was on the
move criss crossing the whole of Indian subcontinent, east, west, north
and south. These long tours, purposeful wanderings or journeys were
popularly known as Udasis. Four Udasis were under taken as four
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different itineraries; each starting on foot from his hometown, Talwandi
in the Punjab, and taking some years to complete. During each journey,
Nanak usually wore a strange ‘motley’ dress, which attracted people’s
attention and curiosity. Although there are many gaps in the travels of
Guru Nanak, Fauja Singh and Kirpal Singh, Sikh historians, have collated
the information from various sources to confirm these four major
travels of Guru Nanak. Various other historians as well as Janamsakhi’s
generally also confirm these four journeys with minor variations in dates
and companions.

FIRST JOURNEY (First Udasi)

Guru Nanak’s 1st journey (Udasi) started in circa 1500 AD. In his first
journey, Guru Nanak covered east of India and returned home after
spending about six years. He started from Sultanpur in 1500 and went
to his village Talwandi first to meet and inform Rai Bular and his parents
about his long journey.

Guru Nanak with travelling companions, Bhai Mardana & Bhai Bala

In his book ‘The Sikh Religion’, Max Arthur MacAuliffe describes Nanak’s
departure from Talwandi as follows; “The other members of Nanak s
family also unanimously approved of his decision. Nanak’s wife alone, on
seeing him make preparations for his journey, began to weep, and said,
My life, even here thou hast not loved me; when thou goest to a foreign
country, how shalt thou return? He answered, simple woman, what have
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I been doing here? Upon this she again entreated him, When thou satest
down at home, I possessed in my estimation the sovereignty of the
whole earth; now this world is of no avail to me. Upon this he grew
compassionate, and said, Be not anxious; thy sovereignty shall ever
abide. She replied, My life, I will not remain behind; take me with thee.
Then Nanak said, I am now going away. If I can earn my living, I will
send for thee. Obey my order. She then remained silent. When Nanak
asked Rai Bular’s permission to depart, the Rai gave him a banquet. The
Rai then requested him to give him any order he pleased, that is, to state
what favor he might grant him. Nanak replied; “I give thee just one
order if thou wilt comply with. When thine own might availeth not, clasp
thy hands and worship God”.

‘Guru Nanak leaving for his first Udasi from Talwandi’. This painting
was discovered in the late 20th century. Seen with Guru Nanak is his
Wife, Children, Sister, Father, Uncle and companion Bhai Mardana.

Nanak and Bhai Mardana packed a minimal of supplies including their

Rabab and said goodbye to their family and friends. Donning the garb of
a Fakir and accompanied by his companion Mardana, Guru Nanak left
Talwandi and set on his initial short missionary tours to surrounding
towns of Talwandi. These short tours prepared him for longer journeys.
In those days there were no paved roads or direction signs. Knowing
where to go and which route to take was an art learned only through
travel and interfacing and learning from other travelers.

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In one of his first travels, he halted at a small town called Emenabad
(now known as Saidpur), midway between Talwandi and Sialkot. They
stayed at the house of Lalu, a carpenter from Talwandi who was living in
Emenabad. While in Emenabad, they had an encounter with a local rich
landlord named Malik Bhago, who was also the chief of the town. When
Malik Bhago learned of a famous Saint’s arrival in town, he offered Guru
Nanak a luxurious place to stay and the choicest of dishes in order to
impress the Saint. To his disappointment, Guru Nanak turned down the
offer. Malik Bhago was surprised and asked as to why Nanak was
staying and having his meals with a low-caste carpenter and had refused
Malik Bhago’s generous hospitality. Guru Nanak replied; “your food is ill-
begotten and smacks of the blood, sucked of the poor, while milk oozes
out of the honestly earned bread of Lalu. Humble but honest laborers
are more welcome at my God's court than the high caste idle rich
enjoying other's earnings”. This incident is described in Guru Nanak’s
poem is as follows;

“Among the low let my caste be the meanest,

of the lowly, let me the lowliest be.
O Nanak! Let such be the men I know,
With such men let me keep company.
Why should I try to emulate the great?
Where the fallen have protected been
Is your grade and your goodness seen.”

From Saidpur (modern Emenabad, Pakistan) he went to Pasrur

(Pakistan) and then to Sialkot (Pakistan). Guru Nanak was of the age of
31 years old when he left on this trip. He came back to Saidpur on the
same route to rest where he stayed for a while with is friend Kalu the
carpenter again. During his stay in Saidpur and Pasrur area is when he
first visited Kartarpur, a quiet village on the Banks of River Ravi.
Kartarpur was approx. 40 miles from Saidpur and 22 miles from Pasrur.
He would later, at the age of 57, make Kartarpur as his permanent
home and move his family there.

Guru Nanak and Jogis at Achal Batala

About 25 miles from Kartarpur, there was a place called Achal Batala
where on the occasion of Shivratri festival, hundreds of Jogis used to
come to take part in the festival. Guru Nanak also went to Achal Batala
to teach people. Thousands of people came from far and near to see
and hear him. There were three camps - one of the Jogis, another of the
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Guru and the third one of a party of musicians. More and more people
gathered around the Guru Nanak’s camp than that of the Jogis. This
made the Jogis very angry and jealous and they were determined to
humble the Guru Nanak.
Whatever money the musicians living in the third camp were getting
from the audience was being saved by them in a bowl. Somehow the
Jogis stole their bowl full of money and hid it someplace thinking that
the musicians would go to Guru Nanak for help and if the Guru was
unable to locate the bowl, he would be humbled.

Knowing about the greatness of Guru Nanak, the musicians went to the
Guru for help to find their bowl of money. Guru Nanak within no time
told them about the mischief of the Jogis and recovered their bowl from
the hiding place. Thus the Jogis suffered a tremendous moral defeat.

The next verbal assault on Guru Nanak from the Jogis came through a
discussion. As a practice, Guru Nanak after his travels used to put aside
his pilgrim's apparel and change into an ordinary dress of a family man.
A Jogi by the name of Bhagarnath said, “O Guru, you are a holy man but
you are wearing the garb of a family person. Why does a holy man lead
a family life?” The Jogi sarcastically further went on to say; “When the
milk becomes sour, no butter is produced by churning it, why have you
cast away your hermit's dress and donned ordinary clothes?”

Guru Nanak calmly looked at the Jogi and replied; “O’ Bhangarnath,
your mother was an unskilled woman. She knew not how to wash the
churn, and so spoilt the butter in producing thee. Thou hast become an
anchoret after abandoning thy family life, and yet thou goest to beg to
the houses of family men.”

Upon this reply the Jogis were enraged and they started to harass the
Guru. One Jogi took out a Cobra snake to frighten the Guru, the other
put on a mask of a Wolf and other started howling and throwing water
and fire at Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak sat through this drama calmly
unperturbed and unafraid. When the Jogis were tired and beaten badly,
Jogi Bhangarnath asked the Guru that he exhibited amazing calm and
complimented Guru Nanak.
(Note: This story of Guru Nanak with the Jogis could also well be after he
had retired to Kartarpur in 1527 since he made several short visits to
areas around Kartarpur even after his retirement. But in any case, he

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had many interactions with Jogis in this area as well as Jogis in the Hills
of Himalayas – north of India.)

Guru Nanak with Guru Gorakhnath, Mardana and Bala and

eleven yogis, (Painted in Amritsar or Lahore, ca. 1875 AD.)
Guru Nanak sitting with Mardana (with rabab), Bala (with peacock
feathers) and twelve yogis and two more yogis flying in the air. The
picture illustrates the contest involving a lost 'lota' (water-pot) and
magical powers which the Janam-sakhis set in Achal Batala. To the left
of Guru Nanak sits Guru Gorakhnath, to the extreme left is labelled
Mangal Dass, and behind Nanak sits Machhendranath and Bhagarnath.

Guru Nanak and the Two Villages

Guru Nanak travelled to various villages from Saidpur to spread the
message of love, compassion and humanity and to profess the purpose
of human life as he saw it on Earth. Nanak had gained immense
popularity and was highly respected by all religions and sects of society.
The news of his visit to any village would reach much before his arrival,
and people used to prepare their villages in advance to welcome him.

On one of his journeys, Nanak along with his companion and by this
time also his disciple Bhai Mardana came across village. The natives of
this village were cold, haughty, and disdainful. The village was headed
by a cruel landlord and a hypocrite priest who did not like any holy men
visiting them. However, they let Nanak into their village reluctantly, but
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showed their arrogance and made Nanak feel unwelcomed. Guru Nanak
spent some time with them in an attempt to teach them the truth, but
realized that the natives were not willing to listen to him at all so he
decided to leave. Keeping the tradition of blessing the people wherever
he went, upon leaving this village, Nanak raised his hand and said,
“Vasde raho (May you stay and prosper here).”

Mardana was astonished at Nanak’s blessings after having received an

extremely cold treatment from the villagers and he had no clue as to
why Nanak wished that they ‘stay there and prosper’.

Further on their journey they arrived at another village. The natives in

this village were simple, loving, kind, and gracious in their behavior.
Every day, the villagers would get together and listen to Nanak’s lessons
of wisdom and become keenly involved. They would ask Nanak
questions and learned from him how to transform their lives to
overcome their sufferings and embrace excellence. Nanak spent a few
days with them. When he realized, his purpose had been served, he bid
farewell to the village. While leaving, in his customary style, Nanak
raised his hand to bless the villagers, and said, “Ujad Jao (or Ujhar Jao,
which means ‘May you get displaced – or scattered’).”

Hearing Nanak’s benediction, Mardana was completely baffled. Unable

to control his curiosity; he asked, “O Nanak, you blessed those who ill-
treated us to ‘stay and prosper’, and these people who have been so
nice to us, you are blessing them to get displaced and scatter. Why? I
cannot understand the point.” Nanak gave a discerning reply, “The
natives of the previous village are conceited. Their towering ego has
closed their minds to new insights, so there isn’t even a chance for
transformation. They do not possess good values and morals. It is better
that they stay within their village, so that their egoism doesn’t affect
others. Contrarily, people of this village are good and they carry great
values. If they are displaced, they will go to other places. Wherever they
will go, they will enrich others with their high values and character. They
will bring positivity among people. They have the potential to change
the society for betterment.” Mardana, bemused at Nanak’s enlightened
vision, fell on his feet and thanked God for he had the most wonderful
teacher one could ever have.

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RETURN TO TALWANDI
When Nanak showed an inclination to remain in Saidpur (Emenabad) for
a few months, Bhai Mardana asked permission from Guru Nanak to visit
Talwandi for some time to see his family. At Talwandi Mardana met
with Rai Bular, Mehta Kalu and his own family. At first, on hearing of
Nanak’s state of a ‘Fakir’ from Mardana, Kalu was a bit upset. But when
Mardana gave them further details of Nanak’s lifestyle, they became
extremely distressed, and were greatly enraged at Mardana. Mardana
defended Nanak and explained to Kalu, "Kalu, Nanak has not become a
fakir, he is but a banker of bankers, and a king of kings"; but Kalu, on
hearing his words, heaved many deep sighs of regret. In the meanwhile,
Rai Bular, upon hearing that Mardana had come from Nanak,
summoned Mardana and asked about Nanak's state. When Mardana
repeated what he had told Kalu, Rai Bular said “what lie have you told
us - Tau Gal Da Har Ban Giya Ae" which means “the lie you are telling is
like empty weight of a necklace around the neck”. When a person
bothers and annoys others, the common expression used at that time
was "You have become a weight like the necklace around my neck."

On his return to Emenabad from Talwandi, while seated one day, Bhai
Mardana, clasped his hands together and petitioned to Guru Nanak
"Guru ji, Rai Bular is very anxious to obtain a sight of you, and if you will
go to Talwandi, then his desire will be fulfilled". Nanak agreed and the
following day departed for Talwandi with Mardana at his side. When he
reached Talwandi, Nanak went straight to the water well where he used
73 | P a g e
to play as a child and stopped there. Nanak's household, having heard
of his arrival, came, and, immediately on seeing his fakir-like state
began to say, "Nanak! What disguise is this thou hast assumed? Behold
we, thy father and mother, uncle and other relations, seeing thee, are
greatly distressed; does no pity arise in thee?" Hearing this speech,
Nanak sang this beautiful composition:

Call patient endurance my mother, and contentment my father;

Call truth my uncle, for with these my heart has conquered its passions;
Listen Lalu, to these good qualities, but, as all people are bound in
chains, (Note: Nanak’s uncle was also named Lalu’)
How can they tell what are good qualities?
Affection for God is my brother, and love of the True God is my son;
Patience has become my daughter, and in such I am absorbed.
Forbearance is my companion, and prudence is my disciple;
Call these my family, who always remain with me;
The one Supreme Being is my Lord, and He it is who created me;
You Nanak left Him and became attached to someone else, he would, be
put to pain.

Hearing this, they all were mesmerized and hugged and kissed him.
Then they brought him to the Rai Bular, and the Rai was greatly pleased
to see him. The Rai entreated him nicely, "O Nanak! Do thou remain
here, I will give thee some land too. You need someone to look after
you and a means of income even when I am gone from this world." Rai
Bular, then ordered the transfer of 20,000 acres of land, amounting to
half his Talwandi estate as a gift to Guru Nanak. Up until that time, Rai
Bular did not have any male heirs of his own. In those days, the custom
was that all land was inherited by males in the household.
Unfortunately all male infants born to Rai Bular would mysteriously die
upon birth or shortly thereafter. Guru Nanak was thus as dear to him as
his own son and Rai Bular bestowed all his love to Nanak from Nanak’s
very childhood. This enormous gift gesture filled Nanak’s heart with so
much respect for Rai Bular that he uttered the words “O Rai Ji, Rab Tera
Bhalla Kare” – which means ‘may God bless you and vouch over you’.

Rai Bular’s descendants believe that it was the prayer from deep within
Guru Nanak’s heart that the following year and the year that followed,
Rai Bular was blessed with not just one son but became a proud father
of two sons. And it is due to Guru Nanak’s blessing that to this day Rai

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Bular’s many descendants are thriving in Talwandi (Nankana Sahib).

Both Nanak and Bhai Mardana by now were accustomed to travel and
became very restless in Talwandi after a few weeks and asked Rai Bular
for permission to leave. Nanak’s household also exhorted him greatly,
but Nanak would not listen to what anyone said, and after a short time,
with permission from Rai Bular and his parents, made preparations to
return to his travels. Nanak's uncle, Lalu, said to him, "If thou art
determined to wander about over the country, then do thou take some
money, and traffic in horses; but it is not becoming for one like thee, to
wander about like a fakir." Nanak, then, uttering this couplet, gave his
reply:
“I will listen to the Sastras, make them my merchandise, and, take about
(for sale) the horses of truth;
I will make good works my cash, and will not delay this till tomorrow:
I will go to God's country, for, there, I shall obtain an abode of joy.”

Note: The 20,000 acres of fertile land that Rai Bular gifted to Nanak still
exists in Nankana and is managed by the Govt. Trust. After Guru Nanak
achieved eminence, Nankana Sahib became a famous town the world
over as the birth place of Guru Nanak. It is now a part of the district of
Nankana Sahib in the province of Punjab in Pakistan and is about fifty
miles from Lahore. Predominantly Muslim, it however boasts of nine
Sikh Gurdwaras. Though it is home to only a few permanent Sikh
families, thousands visit during festivals, especially during Baisakhi, The
Sikh Solar New Year Day and Guru Nanak Jayanti (Also known as
'Gurupurab', the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak).

Guru Nanak was now a seasoned traveler and Bhai Mardana his
experienced and trusted companion. Both travelled on foot and had
developed the skills and stamina to attempt further long journeys.

Sajjan the Thug and Assassin at Tulamba

From Talwandi they travelled south to a place called Tulamba (modern
day Makhdumpur, Dist. Multan). This was a small town situated on the
eastern edge of the Ravi River, between the cities of modern day Kot
Abdul Hakeem and Mian Channu near Multan in Punjab province. (The
modern Lahore to Nankana to Multan Motorway (M3) has been
constructed on approx. this same route). When Guru Nanak and Bhai
Mardana arrived at Tulamba, they saw a grand and upscale rest house
75 | P a g e
(inn) that appeared fit for a Sultan on the roadside. Its owner was
Sheikh Sajjan whose was just called by the name ‘Sajjan’ which in
Punjabi language means ‘a friend’. Sajjan wore a white long garment to
appear pious and religious to others. He had a reputation of being good
to both Hindus and Muslim who stayed in his inn. He had provided
facilities for Hindus, Muslims and people of faiths to pray in the mosque
or the temple that he had built within.

Sajjan appearance was however deceptive. In reality, Sajjan was a ‘Thug’

and an assassin and his a saintly garb was just a cover. He had become
extremely wealthy by deceiving selected rich guests and eventually
robbing and killing them. His secret was disposing their bodies in a deep
water well hidden inside his premises. His workers took care of his vast
estate which increasingly became larger from his cunning wealth
creation scam.

Seeing Guru Nanak, Sajjan thought to himself that Nanak must be a

wealthy man and he made up his mind to rob and kill Guru Nanak and
Mardana and steal their money. In preparation, he began serving the
two generously and with great care. Guru Nanak sensed something fishy
and became alert to what was on Sajjan's mind. Sadly it was not
anything good. After serving them their meal, Sajjan said to Guru Nanak;
“O holy man, come and sleep in comfort inside. It is night and getting
quite late”. Guru Nanak replied "Sajjan, we shall first sing a hymn in
praise of the Lord, then welcome sleep to dream about the kingdom of
God."

Guru Nanak began reciting the hymn and Mardana played the Rabab.
The hymn, as incorporated in the Granth, offered some wonderful
insights to Sajjan’s intentions, which Sajjan immediately understood. It
began with these lines:

“Bright sparkles the bronze

But when rubbed blackness comes from it,
The entire firmament is Thy salver, o Lord,
and the sun and the moon are the lamps thereon,
innumerable twinkling stars are the pearls
and rubies set in Thy salver.”

“The poetry explained that shiny bronze pots,

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do cover the fingers with dirty black dots.
Those that have not done any good deeds,
Are like a garden full of weeds.
So it is with white clothed holy men who rob the innocents.
They are like pretty storks at places of worship'
whose diet alas includes frogs.
To become good and be able to do good in this world,
one needs the help of God.”

Hearing this hymn, Sajjan immediately knew what it meant and for
whom it was meant. As soon as Guru Nanak finished the hymn, Sajjan
was so moved with guilt that he fell at Guru Nanak’s feet, begged
forgiveness and promised never to kill or cheat again. Sajjan’s life
transformed and he distributed all his wealth among the poor and
started living like a true Sajjan in that land. The hymn had the desired
effect and Sajjan turned into a friend indeed.

Guru Nanak in Pakpattan

From Tulamba, Guru Nanak reached Harappa which was not far away
towards the north of Tulamba. Harappa is an ancient city which contains
the ruins of a Bronze Age fortified city, which was part of the Indus
Valley Civilization centered in Sindh and the Punjab. The city is believed
to have had as many as 23,500 residents and occupied about 150
hectares (370 acres) with clay brick houses at its greatest extent during
the Mature Harappan phase (2600 BC – 1900 BC), which is considered
large for its time. The Indus Valley Civilization is also called the
‘Harappan Civilization’. From Harappa, Guru Nanak reached Ajodhan
(now known as Pakpattan).

Pakpattan (in the present day district of Sahiwal in Pakistani Punjab) is

located on a bank of the Satluj and has been a famous place since the
13th century. It is famous as `Pakpattan Sharif of Farid Ganj-i-Shakar
(Shakarganj). Two roads coming from the west joined in Pakpattan. One
of them led to Pakpattan via Dera Ismail Khan, Multan, Shorkot and
Harappa whereas the second one led to Pakpattan via Dera Ghazi Khan
and Multan. Since both the roads joined together at this famous place,
people like Sabuktdin, Mahmood of Ghazni, Amir Taimur and famous
traveler Ibn Battuta passed through here.

Farid al-Din Ganj-i-Shakar (April 4, 1179 – May 7, 1266 AD) was Punjabi
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Muslim preacher, mystic and poet who went on to become one of the
most revered and distinguished Muslim mystics of the medieval period.
He is known reverentially as Baba Farid by Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus of
the Punjab Region, or simply as Fariduddin Ganjshakar. He was a Sunni
Muslim and was one of the founding fathers of the Chishti Sufi order.

Born in Multan, Baba Farid received his early education there as well as
Multan had become a center for Muslim education; it was there that he
met his teacher Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, a noted Sufi saint, who was
passing through Multan on his way from Baghdad to Delhi. Upon
completing his education, Fariduddin Ganjshakar left for Sistan and
Kandahar and went to Makkah for the Hajj pilgrimage with his parents
at the age of 16. There are various explanations of why Baba Farid was
given the title Shakar Ganj ('Treasure of Sugar'). One legend says his
mother used to encourage the young Farid to pray by placing sugar
under his prayer mat. Once, when she forgot, the young Farid found the
sugar anyway, an experience that gave him more spiritual fervor and led
to his being given the name.

It is said that when Farid Ganjshakar first came to Pakpattan in the

thirteenth century, a Jogi by the name of Bir Nath lived here. At first,
Jogi Bir Nath challenged Farid, but later on he became Farid's disciple.
Jogi Bir Nath converted to Islam and later became popular as Pir Kamal.

One of Farid Ganjshakar’s most important contributions is to further

Punjabi literature. He developed and improved the Punjabi language for
literary purposes. Whereas Sanskrit, Arabic, Turkish and Persian had
historically been considered the languages of the learned and the elite,
and used in monastic centers, Punjabi was generally considered a less
refined folk language. Although earlier poets had written in a primitive
Punjabi, before Farid Ganjshakar there was little in Punjabi literature
apart from traditional and anonymous ballads. By using Punjabi as the
language of poetry, Farid Ganjshakar laid the basis for a vernacular
Punjabi literature that would be developed later. Guru Nanak’s mastery
in Punjabi poetry and the sweet, melodious and pleasant-sounding
Rhymes are a testament to the beauty of Punjabi language.

The Shrine of Baba Farid is located in Pakpattan, It is made of white

marble with two doors, one facing east and called the Nuri Darwaza or
'Gate of Light', and the second facing north called Bahishti Darwaza, or

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'Gate of Paradise'. It is said that Baba Farid’s loaf made of wood and
some dates are still preserved there. The devotees of Baba Farid
Ganjshakar come in droves from far and near to pay their homage at
this Shrine. It was also as a result of his respect for Baba Farid that Amir
Taimur had forbidden his forces from ransacking this town. At that time
Pakpattan was known as Ajodhan. Later on, it being a place sacred to
the memory of Farid Ganjshakar came to be called Pakpattan.

Darbar (Shrine) Hazrat Baba Farid ud Deen Ganj Shakar

At Pakpattan, Guru Nanak met with Sheikh Brahm who was the
eleventh in succession to Baba Farid, whose Bani is also included in
Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru had a wide range of discussion with Sheikh
Brahm.

Guru Nanak stated; “Thou art the tablet, O Lord, Thou art the pen, and
Thou art also the writing, Speak of the one God; O Nanak, why should
there be second." (Var Malar ki Mohalla 1, 28-2, p-1291).
The Sheikh asked Guru Nanak to explain; "You say,'There is only one
God, why should there be a second?', and the Sheikh asked: “There is
one Lord and two ways; Which shall I adopt, and which reject?"
Guru Nanak replied; "There is one Lord and one way; Adopt one and
reject the other."
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According to villagers, the Pir Baba was a disciple of Guru Nanak. Legend
has it that Guru Nanak visited Sheikh Brahm once again before heading
for Mecca. A sacred shrine in the outskirts of the old city is related with
Guru Nanak’s visit to Pakpattan. This locality is known as Samadhan
(previously there was a Gurdwara Nanaksar at Pakpattan City)

Baba Farid’s poetry is also included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the most
sacred scripture of Sikhism, which includes 123 (or 134) hymns
composed by Farid. And, according to the Puratan Janamsakhi, the first
nine pauries (stanzas) of the Asa di Var, were uttered by the Guru
during the discussion with Sheikh Brahm and the other fifteen pauries
of Asa di Var were uttered for Duni Chand Dhuper of Lahore.

Dr. Kirpal Singh who has been honored with the title of ‘Professor of
Sikhism’ has done a great service for Sikh community by analyzing all
Janamsakhi’s and other sources on the life and time of Guru Nanak. This
book ‘Janamsakhi’s Parampara’ was first published in 1969. The Part II
of Miharban Janamsakhi’s records Guru Nanak’s meeting with Sufi
Saints and Fakirs. The names of these contemporary Muslim saints have

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been confirmed from the book ‘Tazkara-i-Sufia-i-Punjab’ by Ahijazul Haq
Kadusi published in Karachi, Pakistan. This Janamsakhi’s is also the only
document which provides valuable details of last years of Guru Nanak
when he stayed at Kartarpur.

From Pakpattan Guru Nanak went to Sultanpur, then to Kurkshetra

where he attending the occasion of solar eclipse. From there he went to
Haridwar on the River Ganges. Then to Panipat, Delhi, Tanda Vanjara
(Zila Rampur), Nanakmatta (Zila Nainital, U.P.) and then stopped in
Banaras (Varanasi), where he exchanged views with a leading Hindu
Pandit). From Banaras he went on to Patna and then to Gaya. From
Gaya to Dhubri, which were centers of Buddhist and Hindu worship).
Next he reached Kamrup in Assam (Asa Desh), where he had encounters
with enchanting women and their magic. Returning through Dhaka and
Cuttack he visited the famous temples of Jagannath at Puri on the
Eastern Sea Coast and then the longest journey to Ajmer Garh,
Sultanpur and to Talwandi. During this tour he had visited many
important centers of the Hindu religion, and attended their festive
occasions as well.

Watering the Crop Incident in Haridwar (1504 AD)

In 1504 AD, Guru Nanak with Bhai Mardana stopped at a sacred Hindu
place on River Ganges called Haridwar, which means “God’s Gate.” This
place, where three holy rivers join together was said to have been
blessed by the Hindu gods, Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu. Huge crowds of
people were gathered there. They were chanting and praying. Led by
so-called holy men, called Brahmins, the people threw water towards
the morning sun to honor people in their families who had died.

As this huge crowd of people chanted and threw water, Guru Nanak
went into the river too and he also began throwing water. But there was
something different about how he did it. Everyone was throwing water
towards the rising sun, but Guru Nanak was throwing water in the exact
opposite direction as everyone else. A crowd gathered around to see
this crazy man. Obviously he didn’t know what he was doing! A
Brahman said, “If you are not Hindu why have you come to a Hindu
place of worship?” “Yes” said another “Foolish man! Who has taught
you to do such a strange thing?” Another one said, “Why on earth are
you throwing water the wrong way?”

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Guru Nanak looked at the Brahman and said, “Why do you throw water
to the sun?” The Brahmin priest said proudly, “We throw water to the
sun to honor our ancestors, it gives them happiness, blessings and
prosperity.” “So, how far away are your ancestors?” Asked the Guru. A
man nearby heard this conversation. He had read a lot of books, so he
was considered a ‘learned man’ and people thought he had the right
answers to everything. The man said, “Our ancestors live thousands and
thousands of miles away.”

After listening to the ‘learned man’, Guru Nanak started throwing more
water and with greater speed in the direction away from the sun. He
was throwing the water faster and faster now, as though he was putting
out a fire. As he splashed the water around, the Brahmans yelled,
“STOP, STOP, what are you doing?” Guru Nanak was panting from all his
splashing. He told them, “I have a farm in Talwandi, Punjab which is in
this direction. My fields really need water, especially at this time of year.
If I don’t get this water over to them, my crops might dry up.”

Now they really thought he was totally crazy. The ‘learned man’ among
them asked, “How can water get from here all the way to Talwandi in
Punjab?” The Guru said, “Well, my farm is much closer than your
ancestors. How can water reach your ancestors if it can’t even reach my
farm in Talwandi?” This was true – Nanak’s farm was much closer than
the ancestors who, according to the Brahmins were thousands and
thousands of miles away. The Brahmans still did not understand what
this strange man was talking about. But Guru Nanak read their
thoughts, and pointed to each one of them saying: “You were thinking
of business you are going to do in Kabul,” the man he pointed at looked
very surprised. That was exactly what he was thinking. Then Guru Nanak
pointed to another man and said, “And you, dear Brahman, you are
thinking of your business in Delhi.” Guru Nanak continued, “Pundit ji,
you were thinking of how you are going to make money from the
people who are coming here today.” He knew precisely what each of
them was really thinking.

The men were shocked and defenseless. He had just proven that their
minds were somewhere else entirely. Their minds were thinking of
money and they didn’t hold God in their hearts. They were the spiritual
leaders, but they were thinking of money instead of God. Guru Nanak
had humbled them. “What can we do?” Asked the Pundit. The Guru said

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“Sincerely pray from your heart. Be full of God every day and every
moment. Help people, be with them and guide them to the Truth.” As
these deep words sank in, the men stood there still in silence and these
words registered to them; “What does it matter what we do or what
religion we believe if we don’t keep God in our Hearts? Let us be honest
with everyone, and especially with ourselves! Let us pray and meditate
together with love in our hearts.”

At Haridwar, the place where Guru Nanak bathed and 'watering the
crops' episode took place is called 'Kushawart Ghat', and a Gurdwara
(Gurdwara Nanakwara) commemorates the visit. According to two Sikh
Janamsakhis, this visit took place on the Baisakhi day in 1504 AD.
Guru Nanak returned home to Talwandi in 1506 AD. His parents, sister,
his wife, children, Rai Bular and all others, whom he met after so long,
were very happy with him. By now, Rai Bular and Kalu both had grown
old. After a few weeks, Nanak started preparations for his second Udasi
towards South of India towards the Deccan. Rai Bular and Kalu both
insisted that Nanak should stay with them as they don’t know if they
will ever see him again. But Nanak replied that he had much work to do
yet to pass his message of love, peace and harmony. Guru Nanak
explained for why he must leave his family and village to spread God’s
message.
He says to his friend Rai Bular, “Raiji, it is God’s Hukam (order) that I am
following.” When Nanak began to depart, Rai Bular said to him: ''Point
me out some work (to do) Nanak.” Nanak said nothing with his mouth,
but by signs gave him to understand: "Do you cause an unwalled tank to
be dug here." The Rai, there and then, agreed (to do so), and Nanak,
together with Bhai Mardana, began their journey from town to town
and village to village.

After Nanak’s departure Rai Bular called Kalu and said to him, "Your son
is a great man. He is the greatest honor of my town Talwandi. Kalu, thou
hast become exalted and I too am exalted in whose town such a one has
been born." Guru Nanak reciprocated the honor and affection extended
to him by Rai Bular and never failed in between his long travels to visit
him, who always felt blessed to see him.

SECOND JOURNEY (1506 to 1513 AD)

He left Talwandi in late 1506 AD and headed south for central India.
It is said that during certain portions of the journey, he was also joined
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by another companion sent by Rai Bular to assist him. He was a Hindu
Jat (farmers) by the name of Bhai Bala who had become Nanak’s disciple
and travelled with them to testify his firm belief in the unity and
universality of mankind. Facts around Bala are mentioned in various
Janamsakhi’s but agreement as to when and which journey’s Bala was a
part of are not yet clear. Two other ‘Jats’, Saida and Gheo are also
mentioned as his companions in this long and arduous journey. During
his second Travels, Guru Nanak went following places:
 Andhra Pradesh: Vijaywada, Guntur
 Tamil Nadu: Nagapatnam, Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai,
Tiruchirapally, Trivanmalay, Rameshwaram
 Karnataka/Kerala: Cochin, Palghat, Nilgiri Hills, Rangapatan,
Bidar
 Maharashtra: Nanded, Narsi Bamini, Barsi(Sholapur), Nasik,
Poona, Amarnath, Nasik, Aurangabad
 Madhya Pradesh: Omkareshwar, Betma (Indore), Burhanpur
(Khandwa), Gwarighat, Indaur, Ujjain
 Gujrat: Palitana, Dwarka, Bet Dwarka, Kutchh, Baroach,
Junagarh, Vadodara
 Rajasthan: Jabalpur and Chitrakoot and Rikhanpur, Pushkar,
Ajmer Garh,
 Sri Lanka (Sangladeep / Ceylon): Matiakalam, Jaffna, Katargama,
Batticoloa, Sita Eliya

Discourse with Kauda Bheel

During his southern journey, there were many forests, barren lands and
mountains to cross. According to Prof. Sahib Singh, Guru Nanak was
travelling through a barren and dry area near Kudapa, which is today a
village about 70 km from Vijayawada in the Andhra Pardesh section of
India and the Guru entered the land of the ‘Bheel’ people. Area from
Orrisa to Rameshwaram is called Dravirh and Bheel is a word for a ‘Bow’
in Dravirhian language. Bheel’s were a non-Aryan (Dravidian) tribe
which had been driven by the Aryans from fertile land into jungles and
barren land and in order to survive the Bheels were known to eat
human flesh as a last resort. They would also specifically direct their
anger and revenge at Aryans and if they were to come across any Aryan,
they would kill and eat them. Many Historians support the fact that the
head of this Cannibal Bheel tribe was called Kauda Bheel. He was a large
man with enormous strength and scary features. Kauda, like others of
his tribe, hid in the brush of Kudapa and ambushed travelers who
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passed through their areas, robbed them and then ate them.

One of Guru Nanak’s famous encounter was with Kauda. Instead of

fearing Kauda, Guru Nanak confronted him and persuaded him and his
tribe to change their ways. As the story is told, Kauda saw three men
coming towards him of their own free will. He felt lucky and prepared
himself to assault and kill them. He had a large, deep, cauldron full of
boiling oil with a constantly burning fire under it in his hut. When the
three men approached, another Bheel from inside the hut screamed
that the oil had stopped burning despite a strong fire. Kauda could not
understand what had happened to the oil. The fire was strong but the
oil was not burning. He decided instead to push one of the three men
directly into the fire pit alive and capture the other two and tie them up
for a later feast.

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As the men approached. Guru Nanak was in the lead and in front and
suddenly Kauda emerged from the bushes, caught him from behind and
threw him into the fire pit. Instead of burning up, the fire just fizzled
and died and Kauda began to tremble. Guru Nanak stepped out of the
fire pit and just smiled at Kauda. Kauda immediately fell to the floor and
started asking for mercy and forgiveness. Guru Nanak raised him up and
comforted him and from that day, Kauda and his men all became
disciples of Guru Nanak. There were other miraculous events during this
journey. He visited many Budhistic and Jain temples on his way and
proceeded towards the south of India reaching Sri Lanka. Here he met
Raja Shivnabh of Sangla-deep (Ceylon). Raja Shivnabh showed great
interest in Nanak’s teachings. This itinerary left behind a legacy of a long
list of Gurdwaras all the way down to the Jaffna in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

The return journey to Punjab was made along the Western side of the
South Indian Peninsula, then further northwards through the provinces
of Gujarat and Sindh and to Multan and back to Talwandi.

Meeting with Turkish Sultan, Beyzeid-11

A book in Turkish language mentions that the Turkish Sultan, Beyzeid-11
was visiting the Sultan of Delhi, Sikandar Lodhi in 1511 AD. He had
ascended the throne after Bahlul Lodhi in 1489 AD. The name of the
Sultan of Ottoman Empire was Mehmet -bin- Ibrahim and he adopted
the name of Turkish 8th Sultan.

The books of Greek languages also confirmed the Sultan’s visit to India.
The book mentions his meeting with Guru Nanak in Ajmer Dargah in
Rajasthan that year. This was probably when Guru Nanak was returning
from Ceylon in 1511 AD. Later Sikandar Lodhi accompanied the Sultan
Beyzeid-11 of Ottoman Empire to Lahore. Both Rai Bular Bhatti and
Nawab Daulat Khan Lodhi of Sultanpur Lodhi were invited to the grand
dinner at Lahore. Both Rai Bular and the Nawab Daulat Khan spoke
highly in praise of Guru Nanak Sahib. Sultan Bayzeid -11 told everyone
present there that he (the Turkish Sultan) met Guru Nanak in Ajmer
Garh in Rajasthan. This is how the Sultan family came to know of Guru
Nanak in 1511 AD. Prof. Davinder Singh Chahal discovered a monument
in Baghdad and later on in Istanbul dedicated to Guru Nanak. A 15 feet
high & 6 feet wide monument constructed in mortar is situated in Public
Park on shores of the straits of Bosporus.

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THIRD JOURNEY (1515 – 1518 AD)
Upon returning to Sultanpur, Guru Nanak wanted to continue his
journey to Kartarpur and on to Sialkot and then to the Northern
Himalayan areas to Sumeru Parbat (Sumeru Parbat is a 20,830 ft high
mountain in the Gangotri Glacier region of Garhwal Himalaya,
Uttarakhand, India). On his deathbed, Rai Bular Sahib had fervently
prayed to God to grant him a final audience with Guru Nanak, before he
bade farewell to the physical world. Guru Nanak, had on sensing the
entreaties of the Rai, cut short this journey and hurried back to his
native town of Rai Bhoe di Talwandi where he arrived in late spring of
1515 AD.

Soon after Guru Nanak arrived, both Bibi Nanaki and Rai Bular ji left for
their heavenly abode. As one of her last wishes she willed her brother,
Guru Nanak, to be by her side during her last days. (Sources place her
death in 1515 AD, the same year and month that Rai Bular died. Guru
Nanak was on his third Udasi to the Himalayas and Tibet and had to cut
his journey short and return to Talwandi as both Nanaki and Rai Bular
were gravely ill). Rai Bular Ji died while his head was in the lap of Guru
Nanak Dev ji, in 1515. After completing the last rites of Rai Bular Ji, Guru
Nanak again resumed his third travel –to the mountains in Northern
India. Rai Bular is buried in Talwandi (now Nankana Sahib) on Dhaular
mound where Guru Nanak used to play as a child and a tomb has been
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constructed at his burial site. The tomb of Rai Bular is given the same
respect and status of a Gurdwara by the Sikhs.

On Rai Bular’s Death;

Bir Devinder Singh, Former Deputy Speaker, Punjab Legislative
Assembly in Indian Punjab writes; “Guru Nanak Dev ji was in the
midst of his third travel at Sumer Parbat, when responding to Rai
Bular ji's wish He returned to Rai Bhoi Di Talwandi and met Rai Bular
ji. As per the narrative; soon after Rai Bular ji left for his heavenly
abode while his head was in the lap of Guru Nanak Dev ji, in 1515.
After completing the last rites of Rai Bular Ji, Guru Nanak again
resumed his third travel. Such is the ecstatic and enrapturing
association of Sikhs, as blessed by Guru Nanak Dev ji, with all the
loving descendants of Rai Bular ji. This could never ever go in to
oblivion or decimated by any power on the earth and certainly not
with the passage of time.”

His third Udasi (tour) started in the summer of 1515 AD and lasted until
1518 AD) He covered the following towns and regions: Kashmir, Sumer
Parbat, Nepal, Tashkent, Sikkim, Tibet. Guru Nanak was of the age of 46
when he went off in the Himalayan Mountains. At Mansarovar he held
discussions with Sidhs—the followers of Guru Gorakhnath-who lived on
alms, in seclusion away from human habitations. Guru Nanak criticized
them for their unhealthy escape from life, rather than facing its
problems. The Guru read to them a hymn, the essence whereof was
`Abide-pure amidst impurities of the world'. During this journey, the
Guru is said to have crossed the Himalayas and gone as far as Tibet.

On this journey, he was accompanied by Hassu, a black smith, and Sihan

a washerman. The region travelled was generally mountainous, and his
strange dress was mainly composed of skins and woollies. While on this
journey he learned of the death of his beloved sister Nanaki in late 1515
AD as she had been seriously ill.

He walked through Nepal reaching western Tibet and met some famous
Yogis (or Hermits) living in caves. His return journey back to Talwandi
was through Ladakh, Srinagar, Jammu, Sialkot and Kartarpur. Guru
Nanak returned to Talwandi from the North in 1518 AD.

In November of 1517 AD, Sikandar Lodhi, the Sultan of Delhi died and
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his son Ibrahim Lodhi become the new Sultan of Delhi.

Guru Nanak’s 3rd Udasi to the North (Himalayas and Tibet etc.)

FOURTH JOURNEY (1518 – 1521)

Soon after his return to Talwandi, he attired himself in a Muslim Haji's
garb and left for Mecca. From Talwandi Guru Nanak proceeded to
Multan, Uch, Sakkhar (Sukkur) and reached Lakhpat, where a Gurdwara
now stands marking the memory of the Guru's visit. Then he reached
Kuriani where a water tank is named after Guru Nanak. He visited Miani,
about fifty miles west of the city of Karachi and visited the temples of
Hindus and the Muslims in the area on the coast of the Arabian Sea.
Near Hinglaj, there is a Dharmsala preserving the memory of the Guru
Nanak's visit to this place. From there he boarded a ‘Dow’ (Arab Ship) to
Aden and travelled by land to Mecca, Jeddah and Medina.

Fauja Singh and Kirpal Singh have mentioned that according to ‘Janam
Sakhis‘ (biographies of Guru Nanak) by Meharban and Bhai Mani Singh
that Guru Nanak had also travelled to Palestine, Syria and Turkey,
although there is no definite supporting evidence. Some writers of
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Janam Sakhis have extended his travels even to some countries in
Central Asia as well. The argument supporting these Janam Sakhis is
equally compelling since most of these countries were part of Turkey at
that time anyway. The Turks had conquered Herzegovina in 1482,
Albania and Montenegro in 1498 AD, Sultanate of Egypt, Syria and
Palestine in 1516, Kurdistan in 1519 and what is now Saudi Arabia were
annexed in 1517 (first Hijaz with Mecca and Medina, and later Hasa, the
strip of land along the Persian Gulf). So if a Janam Sakhi mentions
‘Turkey’, it is possibly any one of those above countries.

Where ever Guru spent a days, weeks or months, he left a legacy of

Gurdwaras named after his visit. He certainly proved to be the greatest
traveler on foot of his time covering thousands of miles on each
journey.

GURU NANAK TRAVELS TO MECCA

One day, while in the Kaaba at Mecca, Guru Nanak fell asleep unmindful
of the position in which he lay in. While he slept his feet swayed
towards the Kaaba. Enraged at this act of disrespect to the holy place,
Jiwan, a Muslim pilgrim kicked the Guru and woke him up saying `What
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an infidel you are that you sleep with your feet towards God'. The Guru
woke from his sleep and calmly replied `please turn my feet in the
direction where God is not'. Everyone was amazed by Nanak’s sense of
God's omnipresence. Thereafter they embraced the Guru and Jiwan
started a conversation. Others joined in and they questioned the Guru
as to who was better, a Christian, Jew, Hindu or a Muslim. The Guru
promptly replied; `God judges people by deeds and not by creeds'.

In some texts it is mentioned that when Guru Nanak was found sleeping
with his feet towards Kaaba, the pilgrim called Qazi Ruknuddin to
question Guru Nanak about his religion and the Guru responded, “I am a
man of The Creator, and belong to no religion”.

From Talwandi 1. Abdul Hakim 2. Sukkur

3. Lakhpat 4. Karachi 5. Kottari - Hinglaj Temple
6. Aden 7. Mecca 8. Jeddah
9. Medina 10. KhorramShahr 11. Basra
12. Karbala 13. Baghdad 14. Damascus (Syria)
15. Tehran 16. Mashad 17. Ashgabat (Turkmenistan)
18. Urgench (Uzbek) 19. Bukhara 20. Samarkand
21. Kandahar 22. Kabul 23. Jalalahbad
24. Hasan Abdal 25. Bushehar 26. Back to Talwandi

From Mecca Guru went to Medina where he was enlightened by the

‘Riasat-e-Medina’ in practice. Riasat-e-Medina or Dustur al-Madinah
was the constitution of Medina drawn up on behalf of the Islamic
prophet Muhammad shortly after his arrival at Medina (then known as
Yathrib) in 622 AD (or 1 AH), following the Hijra from Mecca. The
constitution formed the basis of the first multi-religious and multi-
ethnic Islamic state in Medina.

Guru Nanak specifically was intrigued and impressed by the similarities

of the ‘Medina Riasat’ with his own teachings of piety, compassion and
equality among humans. In the Riasat constitution he noted that the
non-Muslims had full security as the security of God is equal for all
groups.

There was no class or cast system and no one went hungry. Non-Muslim
members had the same political and cultural rights as Muslims and they
had full autonomy and freedom of religion. Yes, Guru Nanak questioned
the fact that with such compassionate teachings of Islam, how come the
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Muslim rulers in India were not so compassionate? The answer may lie
in the fact that the Afghan Pathan and Turko-Mongol conquerors of
India were more Mongols than Muslims even though they had accepted
Islam in form. They had failed to shed many Mongol practices (such as
the militancy and barbaric practices of the Mongol Hoard ancestry) and
perhaps were Muslims in ‘Form and Not in Function’ clinging to the
memory of their former status in a highly militant and hierarchical
society. Many Mongol converts to Islam did not start with orthodox
Islam, but began by accepting a few basic features.

Guru Nanak asks the Mullah in Mecca; “Please turn my feet in the
direction where God is not”.

Guru Nanak was a humanist and always looked for goodness in other
faiths and beliefs – and hence was keen on learning from Scholars,
Saints and Sufis of all faiths. He saw much common ground in his
thinking and the Quran. He concluded rightly that the Quran had given
Muslims a sacred mission - to build a just economy in which everybody
is treated with equity and respect. If the poor were oppressed, the
vulnerable exploited or state institutions corrupt, Muslims were obliged
to make every effort to put society back on track.

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From Medina, Guru Nanak travelled to KhorramShahr, Basrah, Karbala,
and then on to Baghdad in 1520 AD. In Baghdad he had a discourse with
Pir Dastgir and other holy men of the place.

As S. M. Ikram, in his writing ‘Muslim Civilization in India’, Columbia

University Press, 1964 states;
“Many Muslims did not start with orthodox Islam, but began by
accepting a few basic features, and only in the course of time, became
more orthodox. The process is less complete in the lower classes, or
those groups which adopted a somewhat composite form of religion.
More than religious beliefs, Islam in India retained certain
characteristic features of Hindu society which, if not religious in
themselves, certainly had been given religious sanction. One of these
was the place given to caste, with converts (to Islam) clinging to some
memory of their former status in a hierarchical society, while what
may be called Muslim castes developed as Indian Muslims classified
themselves as Sayyid, Shaikh, Mughal, Pathan – and Musalli, Mirassi
etc.”.

This structure was never very rigid; as the French physician François
Bernier commented, “anyone who put on a white turban called
himself a Mughal”. An old saying makes the same point: "Last year I
was a Julaha (weaver); this year a Shaikh; and next year if the harvest
be good, I shall be a Sayyid." And in the mosque “the Islamic ideals of
brotherhood and equality remained triumphant.”… Islam in India and
Pakistan - A Religious History By Dr.Y. P.Singh.

(Note: François Bernier (1620 –1688) was a French physician and

adventurer. He was briefly personal physician to Mughal prince Dara
Shikoh, the eldest son of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, and after
Dara Shikoh's demise, was attached to the court of the Mughal
emperor Aurangzeb for 12 years during his stay in India.)

Notwithstanding wholesale condemnation of music by Muslims at that

time, the Guru made them realize the importance of sacred music in
human life. The Guru held spiritual discussions with many Sufi’s in
Baghdad. The Sufi’s were much enamored of the Guru's logic, that they
would get together at the place, where they had met him for over a
year after he had left.

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Guru Nanak then proceeded to Tehran, Ashghabat, Urgench (in
Uzbekistan), Bukhara, Samarkand, Mashad, Kandhar, Kabul, Jalalabad,
Hassan Abdal, to Bushehar and finally back to his home town, Talwandi.

Guru Nanak travelled approx. 18,000 miles on foot over a period of

20 years. The only Sea journey Guru Nanak ever made was on a ‘Dow’
from the Arabia Sea coast near Karachi to Aden, the port city of
present day Yemen. It is hard for people living in our modern world
with all kinds of travelling comforts to Imagine walking unarmed on
foot through deserts, forests, marsh land, winds, storms, mountains,
rocks, hail, ice, snows and rain. These are just natural terrain and
weather hazards. But then there are other natural hazards, such as
venomous snakes, scorpions, poison-loaded lizards, bears, mountain
lions, wild boars, wild dogs and so many other wild creatures. Finally
there are the ‘unnatural’ hazards in the form of ‘human beasts’ –
these are thieves, robbers, thugs, murderers, cannibals and just purely
evil human beings who prey on travelers and strangers. Who else but
a brave, bold, pure and blessed soul could make this long and arduous
journey to promote a message of peace knowing very well all the
hazards and risk that one may encounter.

Other travelers who came close to Guru Nanak’s travel on foot were
Xuanzang (Chinese, 602 - 644 AD) who travelled 12,500 miles on foot,
Marco Polo (Venetian, 1254 – 1324 AD) who travelled 13,000 miles on
foot and Ibn Battuta (Moroccan, 1304 - 1368 AD) who travelled
14,000 miles on foot. This clearly makes Guru Nanak by far ‘The
Greatest Traveler’ in human history.

GURU NANAK IN HASANABDAL

Guru Nanak along with Bhai Mardana reached Hasan Abdal in 1521 AD
in the summer season. Under a shady cool tree, Guru Nanak and Bhai
Mardana started reciting and singing their melodious and pleasant-
sounding poems and local people gathered around them. This annoyed
a local saint, Shah Wali Qandhari. According to legend, Bhai Mardana
was sent three times to Shah Wali Qandhari by Guru Nanak so that he
would provide them with some water to quench their thirst. Wali
Qandhari refused his request and was rude to them. In spite of this,
Mardana still very politely stuck to his requests. The Wali remarked:
"Why don't you ask your Master whom you serve?"

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Bhai Mardana went back to the Guru in a miserable state and said "Oh
Guru! I prefer death to thirst but will not approach Wali the egoist
again." The Guru replied "Oh Bhai Mardana! Repeat the Name of God,
the Almighty; and drink the water to your heart's content." With this
the Guru pushed aside a big rock lying nearby and a pure fountain of
water sprang up and began to flow endlessly. Bhai Mardana quenched
his thirst and felt grateful to the Guru. On the other hand, the fountain
of Shah Wali Qandhari dried up. On witnessing this, the Wali in his rage
threw a large boulder towards the Guru from the top of the hill. The
Guru stopped the hurled boulder with his hand leaving his hand print in
the rock. Observing that miracle, Shah Wali Qandhari was astonished
and immediately came down the hill to apologize and offered his
respect and hospitality to Guru Nanak.

The boulder with a clearly

visible hand imprint is
embedded in the concrete
structure of the building
complex of Panja Sahib. Clear
fresh water gushing out from
somewhere in the ground
cascades down the face of the
rock, washing the hand imprint,
into a very large pool. Next to
the pool, on an elevated
platform, stands a beautiful
Gurdwara, built by Maharaja
Ranjeet Singh (1780 -1839 AD).

This holy and revered place where this incident took place in 1521 AD
was named ‘Panja Sahib’ by Hari Singh Nalwa, the most famous general
and Commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Fauj, the army of the Sikh
Empire. Hari Singh Nalwa is known for his role in the conquests of Kasur,
Sialkot, Attock, Multan, Kashmir, Peshawar and Jamrud and he is also
the founder of Haripur city in Pakistan, which is named after him. Hari
Singh built the first Gurdwara at this place to commemorate Guru
Nanak's journey through that region.

Gurdwara Panja Sahib is considered to be particularly important as the

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handprint of Guru Nanak is believed to be imprinted on a boulder at the
Gurdwara.

Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasanabdal, Pakistan

Last Visit to Talwandi

Finally Guru Nanak returned to Talwandi for the last time in 1521 AD.
His father Mehta Kalu was seriously ill and died the following year in
1522 AD. Mehta Kalu who was originally a Hindu, became a disciple of
the Guru, his son and stayed committed to Nanak throughout his life.
After his father’s death, Nanak did not stay long in Talwandi and moved
to Emenabad (Saidpur) with his friend Lalu the Carpenter as everyone
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he knew in Talwandi had died and had passed away, except his uncle
who too was now old and frail. Nanak was almost 52 years old and Bhai
Mardana almost 62 years when they last returned to Talwandi. There is
very little known of Bhai Mardana after this last journey with Nanak. In
some writings, Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana made another trip to
Baghdad in 1534 AD. There is some dispute among the historian about
this trip and the place where Bhai Mardana died but it is believed that
he fell ill and died in Baghdad on the return journey (Udasi). In 1534,
Bhai Mardana would have been 75 years old so it is highly unlikely that
a 75 year old man would be travelling on foot through deserts,
mountains, rocks and snow. There are other stories of Bhai Mardana
falling ill near Kabul on way to Baghdad and he died there. There is a
high probability of this being correct as he was too old to make the
journey by foot. Notwithstanding where Bhai Mardana died, history
facts do support that with a heavy heart Guru Nanak performed the
obsequies of his lifelong Muslim friend, companion and devotee, Bhai
Mardana with his own hands. A humble monument apparently was also
erected in memory of Mardana.

The complete travels of Guru Nanak are still to be discovered. This is

evident from the research and information collected by Fauja Singh and
Kirpal Singh on the discourses held between Guru Nanak and the heads
of various religious centers. Some discourses, e.g. Sidh Gosht, Arti, and
Onkar Bani are found in the Aadh Guru Granth Sahib (AGGS) and some
isolated verses of Guru Nanak are linked to some travels in some Janam
Sakhis but it many are yet to be documented.

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MUGHAL WAR-LORDS INVADE INDIA
The Lodhi Dynasty ruled Northern India from 1451 to 1526 AD, which
spans almost all of all of Guru Nanak’s life. Sikandar Lodhi, the second
son of Bahlul, succeeded him and ruled from 1489 to 1517 AD. Ibrahim
Lodhi, the youngest son of Sikandar succeed him and ruled from 1517–
1526 AD. Ibrahim Lodhi had the qualities of an excellent warrior, but as
a ruler he was cruel and rash in his decisions and actions. His policy of
sheer repression, poor administration and wastage in military spending
and resources was to eventually give rise to numerous rebellions. Most
prominent among them was the rebellion by Daulat Khan Lodhi, the
Governor of Lahore who eventually invited the Turko-Mongol warrior-
lord Zahir-ud-din Babar, a descendant of both Chengiz khan and Amir
Timur. Daulat Khan Lodhi gave strong assurances of victory to the
invading Babur to put an end to the much despised rule of Ibrahim
Lodhi in 1526 AD.

Coins of Bahlul Khan Lodhi, circa 1455 AD, excavated in Punjab

Daulat Khan Lodhi was a relative of Bahlol Khan Lodhi and had been
made governor of Lahore by Bahlol Khan with his Darbar (Court) at
Sultanpur Lodhi. It was a common practice for rulers to marry into
powerful chiefs to make strong alliances and gain loyalty. For this, he
had married the sister of Rai Bular, who was the largest and most
influential landlord in Daulat Khan’s domain at that time.

It was due to his personal animosity with Ibrahim Lodhi that Daulat
Khan invited Babur to invade the kingdom. In 1523 AD, Ibrahim Lodhi
was locked in a power struggle with his relatives and ministers. Daulat
Khan was one of Ibrahim's chief opponents, along with the ruler's own
uncle, Alam Khan Lodhi (also known as Ala-ud-din), who at that time
was living under the protection of Sultan Muzaffar of Gujarat. There was

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rebellion throughout the empire. Aware of his own precarious position,
Daulat Khan Lodhi sent his son, Ghazi Khan Lodhi, to Delhi to learn more
about the state of affairs in the Lodhi government. On his return, Ghazi
Khan warned his father that Ibrahim Lodhi was planning to remove him
from his governorship. In response, Daulat Khan Lodhi sent messengers
to Babur in Kabul, offering his allegiance and assistance against Ibrahim
Lodhi in exchange for the control over Lahore and Sultanpur Lodhi.
Babur was reluctant even after two years of persistent requests from
Daulat Khan. It was only when one of Daulat Khan’s youngest son, a
nephew of Rai Bular was assassinated by Ibrahim Lodhi that Ghazi Khan
Lodhi, his other son went to Kabul to deliver Babur a hand written and
signed letter from his father Daulat Khan, with a gift of half-ripened
mangoes preserved in honey. When the letter and the gift was set
before Babur, he accepted them as a sincere gesture, and from that
time forth, made preparation for a move on Hindustan.

MUGHAL EMPIRE - THE ACCIDENTAL EMPIRE

To a large extent, the Mughal empire was accidental. It is likely that
the limit of Babur's aims — even when he had set out to India in
late 1525 AD— had been to incorporate the Punjab into his
kingdom and rule it from Kabul, rather than to penetrate deep into
India. But as opportunistic as ever, Babur took his chance to seize a
greater prize. This development to penetrate deep into India did
not appeal to Babur's commanders and was not welcomed as their
interest was to just raid and then turn their attention to Samarkand
and Bukhara, their main focus. India to them was a place to raid for
its riches, and many of them were aghast when it emerged that
Babur intended to remain in the new country to rule, rather than
return home with their booty. Babur himself was unimpressed with
his conquest, as he complained in his book ‘the BaburNama’ that;
“Hindustan lacked good bread, melons, dogs, horses, grapes and
candles”. The hot climate also horrified the Mughals, used as they
were to temperate Kabul. Nonetheless, Babur decided to stay in
India as the founder of a dynasty. For him, the accidental conquest
of India represented a chance of glory, an opportunity to exceed
the modest boundaries of the kingdom of Kabul and to ensure
lasting fame. Although he would have preferred an empire
centered on Samarkand, India would suffice. It was undoubtedly
wealthy, and it was in the early days of the Mughal conquest that
one of the legendary treasures of India first emerged into recorded

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 history: the Koh-i-Noor, or `Mountain of Light', the most famous
diamond in the world. After the battle of Panipat, Humayun, his son
and heir, had been sent ahead of his father to secure the central
lands of the Dehli Sultanate in preparation for the triumphal
advance of the conqueror. In restoring order in these areas
Humayun did a service to the royal house of Gwalior, vassal Kings of
the Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi, and in return the family gave him the
wondrous jewel in their gratitude. When Babur arrived in Agra,
Humayun presented the Koh-i-Noor (although it was not known by
that name at that time) to his father. From “The Khyber Pass, A
History of the Empire and Invasion” by Paddy Docherty, British
Historian and Author. (Note: The Koh-i-Noor has a complex history
that goes back to the 13th century. This large colorless diamond
weighed around 793 carats and originated in India’s Golconda
mines when they were under the rule of the Kakatiya dynasty. In the
early 14th century, Ala-uddin Khilji, second ruler of the Khilji dynasty
of the Delhi Sultanate, and his army began looting the kingdoms of
southern India. During a raid on Warangal, Malik Kafur (Khilji’s
general) acquired the priceless diamond for the Khilji dynasty. It was
then passed on to the succeeding dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate).

In April 21, 1526 AD, the Mughal forces of Babur, the King of Farghana,
Kabulistan (Kabul, present day Afghanistan), defeated Ibrahim Lodhi's
much larger army in the Battle of Panipat. Ibrahim Lodhi was helped by
Maharaja Lakshminath Singh Deva Jha (Shahdeo) of Mithila (Tirhut).
Both Ibrahim Lodhi and Maharaja Lakshminath were killed during the
ensuing battle. It is estimated that Babur's forces numbered around
12,000 to 15,000 men and he had between 20 and 24 pieces of field
artillery. Ibrahim Lodhi on the other hand far outnumbered Babur’s
forces and had around 100,000 to 120,000 men along with at least 300
war elephants.

After the defeat of Ibrahim Lodhi, the end of Lodhi dynasty gave rise to
the era of Mughal rule. Babur's army quickly captured Lahore and
Dipalpur. Daulat Khan and his sons, Ghazi and Dilawar Lodhi, joined
Babur at Dipalpur only to be disappointed when Babur presented Daulat
Khan with Jullandur and Sultanpur instead of Lahore. Rather than accept
these assignments, Daulat Khan and Ghazi went into hiding while
Dilawar Lodhi betrayed his father and accepted Sultanpur and the title
of Khan Khanan. Daulat Khan eventually emerged a short while later

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when Babur left India to fight the Uzbeks at Balkh while leaving some
forces in Lahore to assist Alam Khan’s attempted siege of Delhi. Daulat
Khan offered his assistance to Alam Khan in his siege hoping to recover
Lahore. However, since Daulat Khan was no longer on friendly terms
with Babur, his assistance was declined by Alam Khan. Instead, he was
left in charge of Punjab with his son Ghazi, while his other sons, Dilawar
and Hajji went to Delhi with Alam Khan. This attack was unsuccessful
due to treachery on both sides. On his way back to India, Babur heard of
Alam Khan's failure in Delhi and Sialkot. Meanwhile, Daulat Khan and
Ghazi, hearing of Babur's return, fled to the fortress of Milwat, north of
Lahore. Babur laid siege to Milwat fort and Daulat Khan Lodhi
surrendered. He was made prisoner and died on the way to Bhera (now
in Tehsil Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan), where he was to spend his
remaining years as a prisoner.

Guru Nanak was 57 years old when Babar invaded. He was staying in
Saidpur with his friend Lalu the carpenter since his return from Mecca in
1521 AD. Due to his age, Guru Nanak was now lovingly called ‘Baba
Nanak’.

In 1526 AD after Babur had taken control of Lahore, the Mughal army
had controlled all the territory between Delhi to Sialkot. Babur’s Army
looted, sacked and killed people in the thousands. When Babur
captured Saidpur, many citizens, were imprisoned and forced to work
on a stone mill. Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana were among those
imprisoned and made to grind wheat and corn for the victorious army.
Guru Nanak bewailed the woes and miseries of the down-trodden
people and poured out his heart in deep anguish thus:

“How strange is Thy dispensation, O’ Lord.

How incomprehensible are Thy ways.
All is death confusion now.
But all happens as it pleases Him,
O’Nanak how can man resist His Will?”

Guru Nanak’s poem ‘Babur Bani’ (Babar-Vani), included in the Guru

Granth Sahib, the Sikhism’s central scripture and its 11th and eternal
guru, beautifully captures the destruction that the king left at
Emenabad (Saidpur) in its aftermath. He writes:

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“Bringing the marriage party of sin,
Babar has invaded from Kabul,
demanding our land as his wedding gift, O Lalo...
...The Qazis and the Brahmins have lost their roles,
and Satan now conducts the marriage rites, O Lalo...
...The wedding songs of murder are sung, O Nanak,
and blood is sprinkled instead of saffron, O Lalo.”

The poem mentions that Babur’s forces did not differentiate between
Muslims and Hindus. Both fell victim to his wrath, which Nanak
sarcastically calls “justice” of god. Guru Nanak accounts for all these
sufferings and ruins. He further narrated in Babar-Vani occurring on
page 417 of the Holy Granth.

`When the Lord wishes to destroy one .. He first destroys one's virtues'.

Today, the Gurdwara Chakki Sahib is located at the spot where Nanak
was imprisoned and was made to grind corn. When Babur heard of Guru
Nanak’s imprisonment he was extremely disturbed as he had known of
the Saint’s existence and deeds. And, it would be at Emperor Babur’s
orders Baba Nanak was released and meeting would take place
between Babur and Baba Nanak. The message given by Baba Nanak to
Emperor Babur was very simple. He stated that if the rule of tolerance
and justice would become the basis of rule of the Mughal Empire than
the heirs of Babur would rule for a 1,000 years. If the rule of the Mughal
Sultanate turned to become one of intolerance and discrimination than
the empire would vanish in large part, in less than seven generations.

Sadly Babur only ruled for just 4 years and died on December 26, 1530
AD. On his death bed Emperor Babur stated that the rule of India was
like seasons, as they passed from one to another, so did the diversity of
beliefs in India.

The relationship between Baba Guru Nanak, and Emperor Babur is a

very unique story in the long history of India. Baba Nanak, witnessed the
initial cruelty of the invasion of North India by Babur and his relatively
small Army. Baba Nanak would openly criticize the heinous loss of life
and pillaging of temples by this new ruler. Nanak attempted to reason
with Babur, and fortunately they found common ground as both
seemed to despise India’s age old traditions and both were leaning

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towards an enlightened approach to life.

The Historical Milieu of the Sikh Gurus' Relations with the Mughal
Emperors
Guru Nanak had witnessed the defeat of the Turkic Lodhi rulers of
Delhi and the rise of the Mughal regime under the leadership of the
descendant of Timur, the victorious Babar Padshah (Emperor). The
defeated Turkic Lodhi rulers and the Mughal victors were professing
Sunni Muslims. Both camps were related by bloodline to the Turko-
Mongol clan of conquerors (the Al-Khanids and the Timurids) who
ruled Middle East, Central Asia, and North India. In spite of his
destructive role Babar is seen by Guru Nanak to have been an
unwitting instrument of the divine Will. Because the Lodhis had
violated God's laws, they had to pay the penalty. Babar descended
from Kabul as God's chosen agent, demonstrating the absolute
authority of God and the retribution which must follow defiance of
His laws. Guru Nanak's commentary on the events which he actually
witnessed thus becomes a part of the same universal message. God is
absolute and no man may disobey His commands with impunity.
Obey Him and receive freedom. Disobey him and the result must
inevitably be retribution, a dire reckoning which brings suffering in
this present life and continued transmigration in the hereafter.

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In his short reign of four years, Babur laid out the vision of the Mughal
Empire for his heirs and dynasty. Babur’s ‘Wasiyyat Nama’ (will and
secret testament) to his son and successor, Humayun, embodies in it his
administrative policy, which was scrupulously adopted by Humayun and
carried to its logical conclusion by Akbar and his successors. It preaches
peace and enjoins tolerance as the motto of Mughal Rule in India, and
contains the essence of its author's administrative genius. As a
monument of enlightened statesmanship and a document of unique
historical importance, it deserves to be reproduced here. It reads:
"GOD BE PRAISED - Secret testament of Zahir-ud-Din Muhammad Babar
Badshah Ghazi to Prince Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad Humayun. May God
prolong his life! For the stability of the Empire this is written. O my son!
The realm of Hindustan is full of diverse creeds. Praise be to God, the
Righteous, the Glorious, the Highest, that He hath granted unto thee the
Empire of it. It is but proper that thou, with heart cleansed of all
religious bigotry, should dispense justice according to the tenets of each
community. And in particular refrain from the sacrifice of cow, for that
way lies the conquest of the hearts of the people of Hindustan; and the
subjects of the realm will, through royal favor, be devoted to thee. And
the temples and abodes of worship of every community under Imperial
sway, you should not damage. Dispense justice so that the sovereign
may be happy with the subjects and likewise the subjects with their
sovereign. The progress of Islam is better by the sword of kindness, not
by the sword of oppression. Ignore the disputations of Shias and Sunnis;
for therein is the weakness of Islam. And bring together the subjects
with different beliefs in the manner of the Four Elements, so that the
body-politic may be immune from the various ailments. And remember
the deeds of Hazrat Taimur Sahib-qarni (Lord of the conjuction) so that
you may become mature in matters of Government And on us is but the
duty to advise. (First Jamadi-ul-Awwal 935H - 11th January, 1529 AD.)

The original document is in Persian and is treasured in the Hamida

Library at Bhopal as one of its heirlooms. It was first published in the
20th century in Allahabad by Mr. N. C. Mehta, I. C. S. with an English
translation by Nawab Sahib of Bhopal. Babar's message is only one of
the numerous Imperial Firmans (orders) which were issued from time to
time by the Mughal Emperors according to the requirements of the
time. Babur’s legacy was adopted by Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir and
Shahjahan – demonstrating a heavy influence from the movements
founded by Baba Nanak and Sant Kabir. These principles would reach an

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epitome of national implementation by Emperor Akbar. Akbar married
the daughter of a Hindu-Rajput Raja Bharmal of Amber in 1562 AD. The
Hindu princess Hira Kunwari (also known as Jodha Bai) would give birth
to Emperor Jehangir. Emperor Akbar even went to a ‘Langar’ and met
with Guru Amar Das (the 3rd Guru) to show his humility and respect for
other faiths. It would be Emperor Akbar, who would grant the land for
the construction of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, in 1580 AD.
India became the world’s first Secular State under the Mughals. Many
Hindu scholars such as Jagannatha Panditaraja and Kavindracharya were
employed by Shah Jahan who taught Prince Dara Sikhoh.
Sant Kabir was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint, whose
writings, according to some scholars, influenced Hinduism's Bhakti
movement. (His dates are uncertain, some scholars giving his birth
date as 1398 AD, and some as late as 1440, but it is generally agreed
that he flourished in the middle of the fifteenth century). There has
also been much controversy concerning his religious origins, but it is
quite likely that he was born into a Muslim family. The names of
Kabir and Kamal, his son, are both Islamic names. According to the
popular Tazkirah-i-Auliya-i-Hind (Lives of Muslim Saints), he was a
disciple of the Muslim Sufi, Shaikh Taqi. A further indication of his
Muslim origin is that his grave at Maghar has always been in the
keeping of Muslims.

According to one tradition Kabir was a disciple of Ramananda, the

great mystic who is credited with the spread of Bhakti doctrines in
North India. That Ramananda himself was influenced by Islam is not
certain, but his willingness to admit people of all castes and religions,
including Islam, as his disciples, suggests the possibility of this. The
right conclusion seems to be that Kabir was a Muslim Sufi who,
having come under Ramananda's influence, accepted some Hindu
ideas and tried to reconcile Hinduism and Islam. However it was the
Hindus, and particularly those of the lower classes, to whom his
message appealed.

Kabir was above all a religious radical who denounced with equal
zest the narrowness of Islamic and Hindu rituals and sectarianism.
Kabir is known for being critical of both Hinduism and Islam, stating
that the Hinduism was misguided by the Vedas, and questioned the
meaningless rites of initiation such as the sacred thread among
others. Kabir suggested that God is within the person who is on the

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 path of righteousness, and thus considered all creatures on earth as
his own self, and was passively detached from the affairs of the
world. In his lifetime, he was threatened by both Hindus and Muslims
for his views but when he died, both Hindus and Muslims had
claimed him as theirs.

Settling in Kartarpur and the Three Principles

Guru Nanak’s first visit to Kartarpur was in around 1504 AD. Kartarpur
was a sleepy little village on the Banks of River Ravi (located in the
present day tehsil Shakargarh, Narowal District in Punjab, Pakistan)
approx. 100 km upstream from Talwandi. Guru Nanak, would retreat to
Kartarpur between his journeys as the town offered solitude essential
for meditation. His companions and followers would assemble there
and he established the first Sikh commune (‘Learners Commune’) there.

The name Kartarpur means "place of God". Here all people, irrespective
of their religion or caste, lived together as one family. After his travels,
Guru Nanak settled in Kartarpur along with his family at the end of 1526
AD or early 1527 AD. Thus it was in Kartarpur that Guru Nanak put to
the test Sikhi and its new way of life; he built up this township as a
Utopia city. It is here that he put all his life’s ‘learning’ to practice. The
institutional development of Sikhi, (for instance, sangat and pangat)
started at Kartarpur. By the time of the tenth Guru many such new
townships in Punjab had taken root from Kartarpur model. Townships
such as Khadur Sahib, Goindwal, Taran Taaran, Amritsar and finally on
to Anandpur, among others; and the infrastructure of Punjab was built
by the successor Gurus, one Guru at a time. This is how the foundation
of a new faith built around ‘Humanity First’, independent of Hindu,
Buddhist, Zain, Christian, and Islamic practices, was firmly established.

T. L. Vaswani in his book `A prophet of the people' writes at page 69,

`Work and worship, love and labor, silence and song blended together
in the life at Kartarpur.' Here for 13 years the Guru gave practical
demonstration of a truthful living which according to him was higher
than Truth itself. Here the people learnt with him how to live pure
amidst the impurities of life.

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 The Golden Temple, Amritsar
Painting by: Edwin Lord Weeks, American Painter, c.1880

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Guru Nanak believed in ‘working to earn a living’ and worked in his fields
well into his last living days. His old age and weary and tired body did
not stop him from setting an example for others.

In Kartarpur, Guru Nanak was to set himself as a living role model for
everything good he had learned in his life and his journeys. He summed
it up as “Truth is high, but higher still is truthful living”. Guru Nanak’s
message of Truthful Living is built on three basic principles, which he
laid down for his Sikhs. They are; KIRAT KARNA (Working in earnest),
NAAM JAPPNA (Remembering God) and WAND CHHAKHNA (Sharing
food).

1. KIRAT KARNA means earning one’s livelihood by honest means by

applying one’s self sincerely to work. Guru Nanak himself worked till the
end of life on his land. In doing so, he taught others that every human
being has a potential for earning enough for a reasonable living. It is not
good to be a burden on others or living on charity or grants. Exploitation
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of labor is equally bad. In India at that time there were many beggars
and wandering ‘Sadhus’ and so called holy men living on other people’s
charity. Guru Nanak was particular to advise everyone he met not to do
so. According to Nanak; “One who delivers Sermons but begs alms door
to door, Is blind of mind and devoid of self-respect.”

2. NAAM JAPPNA means reciting or meditating in the name of God, and

thanking Him for the gift of life and living. The Guru’s advised people he
met; “Remember God all the time and help others to recite His name.”

This art of meditating in God’s name is called SIMRAN. But Guru Nanak
also warned of the futility of any such exercise or meditation with an
empty stomach. He said; “Rosary is no help to the hungry devotee”.
It is difficult for an ordinary person to concentrate on God’s name when
the stomach is empty and rumbling all the time. Not eating enough,
leads to a weak body and in turn to a weak mind. That is why Guru
Nanak advised others to work to eat, and eat to pray. The order is
simple and sensible. Not eating enough is not to be confused with
fasting. Fasting is a practice to giving the stomach rest and in
moderation is good for the health.

3. WAND CHHAKHNA literally means sharing your meal with the one
who is without a means to earn enough to even eat. Guru Nanak
believed that one must do something for the benefit of the less
fortunate members of the community. His could be people who are
unable to work, extremely sick or otherwise handicapped, old people,
and children who are orphaned etc. Earning more is not a bad thing
provided the benefits are shared with the needy.

“He alone treads the path of righteousness

Who earneth his bread with hard labor
And shareth it with others, sayeth Nanak”

Guru Nanak himself demonstrated to others the working of the above

three principles of truthful living in improving the individual, as well as
the whole community. In his ‘Learning Commune’ (Sikh Commune) in
Kartarpur, he was able to blend all the above three as an example and
future practice. It was also here that the first institution of LANGAR (free
kitchen) was established by Guru Nanak.

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“In good and virtuous action lay the quintessence of a religion.
It is not words that saint or sinner make,
It is action alone that is written in his book of fate.
His practical life of meditation and service and his thorough humbleness
serve as beacon light to the world.”

The principle of truthful living also incorporate the concept of SEVA

(selfless service). This service or SEVA is recognized in either of the three
ways i.e. TANN, MANN and DHANN. ‘TANN’ means body; service or help
which involves a personal physical effort to do some job or work for
non- personal benefits e.g. helping to cook or clean in the Langar.
‘DHANN’ means money; service or any other work which involves help
in the form of cash or kind, e.g. bags of flour, milk, butter vegetables
etc. for running the Langar (free kitchen for all) and ‘MANN’ means
mind; one must remember that just as words without actions have no
value, similarly any service without sincerity of mind has no merit.

DEATH OF GURU NANAK

At the age of 70, Guru Nanak sensed that he will be departing to the
eternal abode. Before his death, he chose one of his true devotees, Bhai
Lehna, to be his successor and transmitting the light of the Guru into
him since neither his elder son, Siri Chand, nor his younger merchant
son Lakhmi Das, met with Guru Nanak's criteria for the next Guru. He
named him ‘Guru Anga’ i.e. Guru's limb or Guru's own self. Guru Angad
would carry forward his message as compiled in a Pothi (a notebook of
Guru’s teachings). This Pothi later became the basics of a larger
collection of teachings by the successive Gurus to form the Sikh holy
book called the ‘Guru Granth Sahib’.

A few days later after appointing Guru Angad, on Sept. 22, 1539, the
great humanist Guru Nanak quietly passed into God's abode. There
arose a controversy between the Hindus and Muslims regarding the
disposal of his earthly remains. The Hindus claimed that he was their
Guru, while Muslims called him their 'Pir' and accordingly each party
wanted to perform the last rites in its own way. Both, the Muslims and
the Hindus had accepted Guru Nanak as a reformer and a revolutionary,
and that bears to the universality of his teachings and the love and
respect they all had for him. He is buried at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, in
Kartarpur, present day Pakistan – approx. 84 miles upstream on River
Ravi from his birth place Rai Bhoe Di Talwandi.

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The Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, close to the Pakistan-India
border, is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism. The temple is located
around 4km (2.5 miles) from the border with India. The main shrine
building was built in 1925 by Sardar Bhupindar Singh, the Maharaja of
Patiala. The new Kartarpur Corridor was inaugurated on Nov. 12, 2019
and links Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Narowal Pakistan, and Dera Baba
Nanak shrine, Gurdaspur, India.

The original
Gurdwara Darbar
Sahib Kartarpur,
(now in Pakistan)
was built in 1925 by
Sardar Bhupindar
Singh, the Maharaja
of Patiala.

111 | P a g e
SIKH FAITH POST GURU NANAK’S DEATH
The founder of the Mughal dynasty, Babur had died in 1530 AD
(December 26, 1530) in Agra, India. He had only been an Emperor of
India for 4 years. Hardly any time to adjust to the new land and its
culture and customs. His son Humayun was crowned Emperor the same
day at the young age of 22.

Guru Nanak died in 1539 and just eight months after Guru Nanak’s
death, the infant Mughal Empire suffered its first defeat in May of 1540
AD at the hands of Sher Shah Suri. Sher Shah Suri was one of eight sons
of Mian Hassan Khan Suri, a prominent figure in the government of
Bahlul Khan Lodi in Narnaul Pargana. Sher Shah belonged to the Pashtun
Sur tribe. His grandfather, Ibrahim Khan Suri, was a noble adventurer
from Roh who was recruited much earlier by Sultan Bahlul Lodi of Delhi
during his long contest with the Jaunpur Sultanate.

Relationship of Guru Angad with the Mughal Emperor Humayun

Humayun, the second Mughal Emperor of India, visited Guru Angad in
around 1540 AD after he lost the Battle of Kannauj, and thereby the
Mughal throne to Sher Shah Suri. According to Sikh hagiographies,
when Humayun was on the run he arrived in Gurdwara Mal Akhara
Sahib at Khadur Sahib. Guru Angad was sitting and listening to hymns
of the sangat. The failure of the Guru to greet the Emperor
immediately angered Humayun. Humayun lashed out at him but the
Guru calm and reminded him; “The time when you needed to fight
you lost your throne and you ran away and did not fight. Now you
want to attack a person engaged in prayer”. Humayun was humbled
and apologized for his arrogance. In the Sikh texts Guru Angad is said
to have blessed Humayun and reassured him that someday he will
regain the throne.

After Humayun’s defeat, the Mughal Emperor had to flee India and stay
in exile for 15 years in Persia. Unfortunately for the Sur dynasty, Sher
Shah Suri died from a gunpowder explosion during the siege of Kalinjar
fort on May 22, 1545 fighting against the Chandel Rajputs. Had it not
been for his untimely death, the Sur dynasty would not have declined
and perished and the Mughal Empire may never have been re-
established.

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Sher Shah Suri’s second son Islam Shah Suri succeeded him. Islam Shah
Suri died nine years later in 1554 AD. These two deaths left the Suri
dynasty reeling and disintegrating. In the following year four other Suri
rulers would come and go. When Humayun who was living in Isphan,
Iran under the protection of Shah Tahmasp–I, learned of the chaos in
India, he decided to return with an Army to regain the throne. Shah
Tahmasp of Iran provided Humayun with 12,000 cavalry and 300
veterans of his personal guard along with provisions, so that his guest
may recover his lost domain. After defeating the 6th Suri ruler, Sikandar
Shah Suri, decisively at the Battle of Sirhind on June 22, 1555 AD,
Humayun re-established the Mughal Empire in India.

After the death of Guru Nanak in 1539 AD, Guru Angad followed
the Sikh tradition set by Guru Nanak. Instead of his own son, Guru
Angad chose his disciple Guru Amar Das as his successor and the
3rd Guru of Sikhism. Guru Angad is remembered in Sikhism for
adopting and formalizing the Gurmukhi alphabet. Gurmukhi means
“from the mouth of the Guru”. The Gurmukhi script is now the
standard writing script for Punjabi language for the Sikhs in
contrast to the Punjabi language in Pakistan where now an Arabic
script called ‘Nastaliq’ is the standard. The original Sikh scriptures
and most of the historic Sikh literature have been written in the
Gurmukhi script. Guru Angad began the process of collecting the
hymns of Guru Nanak and contributed 62 or 63 hymns of his own.
Gurmukhi was developed to be a very precise phonetic script. By
learning to pronounce Gurmukhi, people could not only learn to
read and pronounce the songs written by Guru Nanak; they could
also learn how to pronounce the songs that Guru Nanak had
preserved during his life from other masters and sages, even if
those songs were in a completely different language. The purpose
of Gurmukhi was not to simply represent a common language
spoken by many at that time, but to allow people to read and sing
sacred songs in other languages, as well.

Fortunately, after his return to India, Emperor Humayun remained

committed to following his fathers ‘Wasiyyat-nama’ (will and secret
testament) which directed him to stay the course of tolerance and
harmony and build a secular empire as advised by Baba Guru Nanak. In
his lifetime, Guru Nanak had promulgated a unique and universal
philosophy of humanism in the Indian sub-continent and it was being

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supported by the renaissance taking place in Europe in that century
with scientists and philosophers challenging religious and economic
concepts and beliefs. Guru Nanak had carried his message on foot far
and wide to South Asia and in the Middle East. During his travels he
challenged the ancient mythology, religious concepts and rituals which
the people of South Asia and Middle East had been practicing for over
two millenniums. People in India specifically were simply unable to
express their free will in most aspects of their lives because their lives
were heavily influenced by religious and political authorities. Nanak’s
philosophy, termed as ‘Nanakian Philosophy‘, is embodied in his Bani
(Word), which has been incorporated in the Aadh Guru Granth Sahib
(AGGS). It has become a means to spread his message of ‘truthful living’
and, his devotees are now spread across India, Assam, and Singapore
and may other South East Asian countries.

However as in most religions and faith, different sects (sub-traditions

within a faith) started to emerge in Sikhism immediately following Guru
Nanak’s death. Some believed in an alternate lineage of Gurus and
others believed in the amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or
schools of thought mostly leaning towards Hinduism. Each Sikh sect had
a different interpretation of the Sikh scriptures and concepts that
differed from the orthodox. According to Harjot Oberoi, Professor of
Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia, the major historic
sects of Sikhism have included Udasi, Nirmala, Nanakpanthi, Khalsa,
Sahajdhari, Namdhari Kuka, Nirankari and Sarvaria.

The first early Sikh sect was Udasis, a syncretic sect founded by Sri
Chand – the elder son of Guru Nanak, and the Minas Prithi Chand – the
elder son of Guru Ram Das (the fourth Guru) in parallel to the official
succession of the Sikh Gurus. Even though this sect was an
amalgamation of different religions, cultures, and schools of thought, it
was mostly leaning towards Hinduism and followers regarded
themselves as Hindus rather than Sikhs. Just as Hindus, the Udasis also
worship the panchayatana, the five Hindu deities: Shiva, Vishnu, Durga,
Ganesha, and Surya. This created a rift between Guru Nanak’s followers
who believe in the existence of One Eternal God and the Udasis who
believed in many Hindu idols and gods.

Prithi Chand (1558 - 1618) wanted to inherit the Sikh Guruship from his
father, who instead favored and appointed his youngest son the 18-year

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old Arjan Das as the next Guru. Chand was embittered and notably
started one of the major subsects of early Sikhism. This subsect came to
be labelled as the Minas, literally "unscrupulous scoundrels", by his
competition. According to historians, Prithi Chand was a Sikh rebel
leader who took a "distinctly hostile view" of his brother's appointment.
Modern scholars have called his movement one of the unorthodox but
influential sects that emerged in the history of Sikhism.

Priti Chand was an accomplished devotional poet. He created a parallel

scripture which included the hymns of earlier Gurus and his own. His
spiritual discourses attracted a large following and the official support of
the Mughal Empire. His followers gained control of the Sikh holy city of
Amritsar and neighboring region, while Guru Hargobind – the sixth Guru
of Sikhism, had to relocate his Guruship to the Himalayan Shivalik
foothills. Chand and his followers rejected Guru Arjan and Guru
Hargobind as the official followers of Guru Nanak. His poetic abilities
and his distribution of hymns of Guru Nanak and those of his own, likely
triggered Guru Arjan to formulate and release the official first edition of
the Adi Granth. There was a bitter competition between the followers
of Guru Arjan and Prithi Chand for three generations. In contemporary
Sikhism, the followers and movement led by Prithi Chand are
considered as "dissenters". Prithi Chand established his Guruship in
Kotha Guru (about 35 kilometers northeast of Bathinda). He died there
in 1618.

In 1690’s, The wars of Guru Gobind Singh against the Mughal

commanders and Hindu-Hill Raja’s and the rise of the militant Khalsa
ultimately ended the control of Amritsar by the followers of Prithi
Chand. His movement and the "Minas" sect thereafter became largely
extinct.

In the middle of the 17th century, Ram Rai – the eldest son of Guru Har
Rai (the seventh Guru), formed his own sect at Dehradun and his
followers are called Ram Raiyass. He died in 1686 and later many
splintered Sikh communities formed during the period between the
death of Guru Har Krishan (8th Guru) and the coronation of Guru Tegh
Bahadur (9th Guru). These sects have had considerable differences. Over
the course of Sikh history, various other Sikh sects have emerged but
without much success.

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Some of these sects were financially and administratively supported by
the Mughal Empire in the hopes of gaining a more favorable and
compliant citizenry. In the 19th century, Sanatan Sikhs, Namdharis and
Nirankaris sects were formed in Sikhism, seeking to reform and return
to what each believed was the pure form of Sikhism. They also accepted
the concept of living Gurus such as Guru Baba Dyal Singh. The Nirankari
sect though unorthodox was influential in shaping the views of Tatt
Khalsa and the contemporary era Sikh beliefs and practices.

Another sect emerged when Sikhs started associating with Bandai

Khalsa (after Baba Banda Singh Bahadur). Bandai Khalsa or Bandai Sikhs,
is the name given to the followers of Banda Singh Bahadur (1670 - 1716)
that regarded the great military leader Banda Singh, as the Eleventh
Nanak, who followed Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru in an unbroken
line of spiritual succession. This sect originated around 1712 AD, but the
majority of Sikhs opposed their view; ultimately they were expelled
from the Panth by the Tatt Khalsa in 1721 AD. The Radhasoami
movement in Punjab led by Baba Shiv Dya was another significant Sikh
sect of the 19th century but was opposed and expelled.

As Sikh Historian, William Hewat McLeod (Emeritus Professor of History,

University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Author of Guru Nanak and
the Sikh Religion) points out that the Sikhs understand their religion as
the product of five pivotal events. The first was the teaching of Guru
Nanak: his message of liberation through meditation on the divine
name. The second was the arming of the Sikhs by Guru Hargobind. The
third was Guru Gobind Singh’s founding of the Khalsa, its distinctive
code to be observed by all who were initiated. At his death came the
fourth event, the passing of the mystical Guru from its 10 human
bearers to the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy book. The final event
took place early in the 20th century, when Sikhism underwent a
profound reformation at the hands of the Tatt Khalsa. The Tatt Khalsa
defines a Sikh as, "any person who believes in One God (Akal Purakh); in
the ten Gurus (Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh); in Sri Guru Granth
Sahib, other writings of the ten Gurus, and their teachings; in the Khalsa
initiation ceremony instituted by the tenth Guru; and who does not
believe in any other system of religious doctrine."

According to Baljeet Singh, a Sikh writer and a novelist; “when the Sikh
became a force in Punjab, the Hindu’s became more active to keep them

116 | P a g e
in their fold. The Hindu Brahmins in Sikh guise came forward and took
control of the Sikh religion.” This was done creatively by distorting facts
and propagating misinformation in an era of massive illiteracy in India.
Baljeet Singh further writes; “Most of the Sikh history is written by these
dubious Hindu Brahmins and their accomplices knowing fully well that
Guru Nanak and all other Gurus who followed had no connection with
Hinduism and had rejected almost all Hindu religious practices and
rituals. Now that education is widespread, the Sikhs are noticing these
distortions and are demanding corrections despite the resistance
extremist Hindus”.

In their foresight, all of the 10 Gurus of Sikhism insisted that the Sikhs
are a distinct community. This insistence was made so that Sikhs will
not be assimilated by the caste-ridden and idolatrous Hindu way of
life, which were clearly against the Gurus' egalitarian and monotheistic
ideals. The Gurus knew the strength of the Brahministic sway in Indian
culture and mentality. They knew that if Sikhs will not be careful and
stay vigilant, there is a grave danger that the prevalent ethos of
Hinduism will water down the Sikh ideals of egalitarianism and staunch
monotheism-thus making it another sect of Hinduism like what
happened to other egalitarian and anti-caste religious movements of
India in the past. It was the spiritual genius and progressive
forethought of the Gurus that made possible the survival of Sikhism as
an independent world religion.

In his writings, Prof. Dalip Singh alerted the Sikhs regarding the grave
threat and the consequent danger of falling into the trap of Hindu
assimilation and Brahminic syncretism [Dalip Singh, Eight Divine Guru
Jots (Light). Chesterfield: Missouri: Sikh Research and Educational
Center, 2004; pp. 137-139].

Brahminic “Historical Myths” were used to divide Sikhs and

Muslims in Mughal India
The rise of Mughal rule directly coincided with the flourishing of the
spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith and the
subsequent nine Sikh Gurus succeeding him. The animosity between
Sikh Gurus and Mughal rulers in Mughal India and the initial conflicts
that transpired between them between 1606 – 1760 AD time-frame
were instigated by fundamentalist bigots (both Hindus and Muslims).

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The relations between the Sikhs and the Mughals first started to
deteriorate during Mughal Emperor Jehangir’s reign even though
Emperor Jehangir was himself a moderate. Jehangir’s mother, Jodhaa
Akbar was a Hindu (daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber) and he was
raised in a tolerant household. His father, Emperor Akbar had even
formed a new belief that did not discriminate other religions and
focused on the ideas of peace, unity and tolerance. It was rumoured
that each night a Brahman priest, suspended on a string cot pulled up to
the window of Akbar's bedchamber, would captivate the emperor with
tales of Hindu gods.

Jahangir and his son, Shahjahan maintained many of Akbar's

concessions, such as the ban on cow slaughter, having only vegetarian
dishes on certain days of the week, and drinking only Ganges water.
Even as he was in the Punjab, 200 miles away from the Ganges, the
water was sealed in large jars and transported to him. He referred to
the Ganges water as the "water of immortality."

However, the Mughal courtiers of Emperor Jehangir were heavily

influenced by the Muslim Caliphate of Turkey as well as the Hindu upper
class and Elites and they projected Sikhism a threat to the dominance of
Mughal rule and the established caste and hierarchy system in India.
Their influence prevailed over the naïve Emperor Jehangir who was
swayed easily. Thus the 5th Guru, Guru Arjan, was arrested under the
orders of the Emperor for promoting social equality dissolving social
classes and caste boundaries. Guru Arjan died in custody on May 25,
1606 at the age of 43.

Prof. Dalip Singh’s research confirms that Emperor Jehangir was

manipulated by his courtiers to protect the spread of Sikhism which was
being adopted rapidly by those who detested castes and human
inequality. Prof. Dalip Singh is an eminent academic authority on Sikh
Studies and a senior researcher at Sikh Research and Education Center
(SREC) based in Chesterfield, Missouri, USA. He has written six
voluminous books as well as numerous scholarly articles on the history,
philosophy, and theology of Sikhism. In Prof. Dalip Singh’s books, he
presents his historical descriptions regarding the relations between the
Sikh Gurus and the Mughal rulers. Prof Singh identified what he calls
“Orientalist and Brahminic historical concoctions” regarding many
alleged events that transpired between the Sikh Gurus and the Mughal

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rulers [Dalip Singh, Eight Divine Guru Jots (Light)]. For example his
strong denial of the popular story propagated by Brahmin historians (a
story that is unfortunately believed by most Sikhs) that a Pathan
mercenary under the order of Emperor Bahadur Shah martyred Guru
Gobind Singh. Prof Singh utilized more than one-sixth of the total pages
of his book, Life of Guru Gobind Singh to prove that the story is an
“Orientalist and Brahminic concoction” intended to sow discord among
Muslims and Sikhs. He analyzed the factual events surrounding the last
eighty days prior to the assault of Guru Gobind Singh’s life to show that
the story is a total fabrication. Likewise, Prof. Dalip Singh narrates the
harmonious, amicable, fraternal, and friendly relations that existed
between the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah and Guru Gobind Singh [Cf.
Dalip Singh, Life of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Chesterfield, Missouri: Sikh
Research and Educational Center, 2002; pp. 312-336]. He showed that
Guru Gobind Singh and Emperor Bahadur Shah (Prince Shah Alam
before his coronation) developed close friendship right at the start of
the latter’s enthronement to the Mughal throne. The emperor was a
well-wisher of the Guru who offered the Guru a Mughal robe of honor
symbolizing imperial camaraderie and royal favor. Bahadur Shah even
assured the free movement of the Guru throughout the whole breadth
of Mughal territories. Furthermore, the emperor issued a firman (edict)
guaranteeing the safety of the Guru and his disciples during the whole
duration of his reign [Ibid., pp. 289-291, 302-304].

It appears that Wazir Khan (real name Mirza Askari), Governors of

Sirhind was the mastermind of the Guru’s murder. Wazir Khan sensing
the Guru’s closeness with the emperor had been sending hit men and
spies to find opportunity to murder the Guru. Wazir Khan was afraid
that the Guru—who was now a very close friend of Emperor Bahadur
Shah—would settle scores with him as retaliation for the former’s
murder of the Guru’s sons [Ibid., pp. 328-331]. According to Prof Dalip
Singh, the Pathan and his assistant before they were killed in an
encounter with the Sikhs, directly confessed that it was Wazir Khan who
deputed them to murder Guru Gobind Singh. Emperor Bahadur Shah,
who was at that time in Maharashtra—hearing of the murderous assault
on the Guru’s life—right away dispatched his surgeon (an Englishman
named Mr. Cole) to treat the Guru’s wounds. Furthermore, the emperor
issued immediately a strong directive to round-up the 700 Pathans in
the immediate vicinity where the crime was committed; as they may
have harbored the Pathan assassin and his assistant. Guru Gobind Singh

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asked the Emperor not to do so since that act would entail punishing
the innocent who may not be directly or indirectly involved in the
reprehensible act [Ibid., pp. 329-330].

The Mughal officers in Lahore murdered the Guru, under the instigation
of Chandu, a Hindu who was jealous of the Guru's fame. The Guru's
martyrdom was clearly due to the slanders and intrigues of these Hindu
and Muslim fundamentalist bigots in the court of Emperor Jehangir who
for pragmatic reasons to remain in power, approved of the Guru's
execution. Emperor Jehangir deeply regretted his decision and made
amends and eventually the Sikhs entered a period of relative peace
which lasted until the Emperor Shah Jahan became ill in 1658 AD. His
illness sparked a war of succession between Dara Shikoh, his eldest son
and heir-apparent, and, his third son Aurangzeb.

Mir Mohammed Muayyinul Islam,

(1550-1635) popularly known as
Sain Mian Mir was a Muslim saint
and a very close friend of the,
Guru Arjun Devi (5th Guru). Mian
Mir laid the foundation stone of
the Harmandir Sahib, (now known
as the Golden Temple) on 1st
Magh, Samvat 1647 (13 January
1588 AD). Mian Mir raised slogans
to mourn the martyrdom of Guru
Arjun Dev. He never accepted any
gift sent by Emperor Jehangir, Famous Muslim Sufi saint Mian
Emperor Shah Jehan, their Mir resided in Begampura,
Ministers or nobles. Mian Mir’s Lahore (in present-day
most famous disciple was Dara Pakistan). He belonged to the
Shikoh, the eldest son of Mughal Qadiri order of Sufism.
emperor Shah Jahan.

Dara Shikoh is widely renowned as an enlightened paragon of the

harmonious coexistence and a champion of religious and cultural
interaction among people of all faiths. This made him a heretic in the
eyes of his orthodox younger brother Aurangzeb and a suspect eccentric
in the view of many courtiers around the Mughal throne. Dara Shikoh
was a follower of the Persian "perennialist" mystic Sarmad Kashani, as

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well as Lahore's famous Qadiri Sufi saint Mian Mir, whom he was
introduced to by Mullah Shah Badakhshi (Mian Mir's spiritual disciple
and successor). Mian Mir was so widely respected among all
communities that he was invited to lay the foundation stone of the
Golden Temple in Amritsar by the Sikhs.
Dara Shikoh had developed a deep friendship with the seventh Sikh
Guru, Guru Har Rai and this friendship cost them both dearly. Guru Har
Rai supported the moderate Sufi influenced Dara Shikoh instead of
conservative Sunni influenced Aurangzeb as the two brothers entered
into a war of succession to the Mughal Empire throne. Guru Har Rai
provided medical care to Dara Shikoh, possibly when he had been
poisoned by Mughal operatives. According to Mughal records, Har Rai
provided other forms of support to Dara Shikoh as well in his fight with
Aurangzeb for rights to succession. Ultimately, Dara Shikoh lost in their
bitter struggle to Aurangzeb for the imperial throne and he was
imprisoned and executed on Aurangzeb's orders on 30 August 1659 on
charges of apostasy from Islam.
The course of the history of the Indian subcontinent, had Dara Shikoh
prevailed over Aurangzeb, would certainly have been very different.
In 1660, Aurangzeb summoned Guru Har Rai to appear before him to
explain his relationship with Dara Shikoh. In the Sikh tradition, Guru Har
Rai was asked why he was helping the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh
whose forefathers had persecuted Sikhs and Sikh Gurus. Har Rai is
believed to have replied that; “if a man plucks flowers with one hand
and gives it away using his other hand, both hands get the same
fragrance”.
By the end of his reign, Emperor Aurangzeb had expanded his Empire
and ruled over much of India. His predecessors had promoted a broadly
secular state, but under his rule many of his subjects experienced
intolerance and injustices. Apparently Aurangzeb had abandoned
Emperor Babur’s ‘Wasiyyat-nama’ (will and secret testament) of
peaceful coexistence. Aurangzeb antagonized the Sikhs further when he
had the 9th Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, imprisoned and executed in 1675
AD. After this tragic event, Mughal and Sikh relations saw their lowest
point in Sikh history and this animosity was exploited by both the British
as well as the Hindu Brahmin elites.

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Not the Islamic Shariah but Political Pragmatism and Discriminative
Policies of Mughal Bureaucracy Persecuted and Oppressed the Sikhs;
Prof. Dalip Singh narrates that notwithstanding the grave injustices
perpetrated by the Mughal Padshahs (Emperors) to the Sikhs and to
their Gurus; the fact remains that almost all Mughal Emperors,
especially Emperor Jehangir and Emperor Aurangzeb made their
decisions based on pragmatic considerations of appeasing bigoted
Muslims and Hindus who constantly flattered them in their royal
durbar (court). Prof. Singh argues that Aurangzeb's decisions were not
specifically dictated by his commitment to Islamic Sunni orthodoxy;
rather they were largely dictated by political pragmatism. He pointed
out that during the time of Guru Harkrishan, the Sikh masands (feudal
overlords) and the rival claimant to guruship, Ram Raie should be
equally pointed out as among those who greatly persecuted Guru
Harkrishan and caused him much distress. They were the ones who
presented their case to Emperor Aurangzeb and instigated the
emperor to persecute Guru Harkrishan. The Sikh masands further
appealed to the emperor to make Ram Raie the Guru instead of
Harkrishan. In short, Emperor Aurangzeb's commitment to orthodox
Sunni Islam did not have anything to do with his decision to imprison
by house arrest Guru Harkrishan; rather it was Aurangzeb's political
and pragmatic move to please and to win-over to his side the
rebellious Sikh masands and the rival claimant to the guruship, Ram
Raie.
Prof. Dalip Singh brings home two very important points in his analysis
of Sikh-Muslim relations in that era. Firstly, the conflicts between the
Sikh Gurus and the Mughal emperors were brought about by the
Mughal's elitist and discriminatory policies towards all non-Muslims.
Secondly, the caste-oriented Brahmins who detested Sikhism's
egalitarian ideology, and who were firmly opposed to Sikhism's cutting
criticisms of Hindu idolatry, ritualism, and casteism, fanned the
Mughal emperor's conflict with the Sikh Gurus [Eight Divine Guru Jots
(Light), op.cit. pp. 16-24].
Prof. Singh also highlights the part played by obscurantist, casteist,
divisive and communalist Brahmins in fomenting conflicts between
Sikhs and Muslims. He identified the role of Brahminic machinations in
creating divisions between these two egalitarian religions.
Unfortunately, most Sikh histories fail to show the Brahminic
instigations in the Sikh-Muslim conflicts. Prof. Singh emphasizes that
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 most of the troubles that were experienced by the Gurus were not
only due to the oppression of the Mughal Padshahs (Emperors) but
also due to the plots of upper caste Hindus who were fearful of the
teachings of the Guru Nanak against casteism. These Brahmins
frequently slandered the Sikh Gurus before the Mughal authorities.
Prof. Singh enumerated many examples of Brahmin machinations
against the Gurus. The immediate successor of Nanak, Guru Angad,
suffered from the disruptive plots of Brahmins who wanted him
removed from the "guruship" for his spirited campaign against the
Hindu caste system. Hindu Brahmins aggressively supported the
Udassi sect of Guru Nanak's ascetic son, Sri Chand in order to create
division among the Sikhs at the crucial time when the infant Sikh
community suffered bereavement during the demise of Guru Nanak.
Similarly, a yogi-ascetic by the name of Shiv Nath Tapa, in collusion
with local Brahmins, jealous of the rising popularity of Guru Angad
among the masses; and envious of the general acceptance among the
ordinary people of the Guru's institution of casteless dining (Guru ka
langar), vehemently endeavored to remove Guru Angad from
preaching his doctrine of pristine monotheism and social
egalitarianism in the town of Khadur and other outskirt areas.
Likewise, Chandu, the person who is responsible for the martyrdom of
the fifth Guru Arjan; Pandit Krishan Lal who vehemently opposed the
preaching of the eighth Guru Harkrishan; the upper-class Brahmins
and hill-chieftains (Pahari Rajas)- These are not Muslims but these are
all Hindus who intensely opposed the Sikh Gurus and caused them
much suffering (See also, Life of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, op.cit. pp.
166-177 and Eight Guru Jots (Light), op.cit., pp. 307-320].

After Guru Tegh Bahadur’s death, his son Guru Gobind Singh was
formally installed as the leader of the Sikhs at age nine. Gobind Singh,
became the 10th Guru.

This was a time when the rulers and the masses were deeply divided
and the masses were suffering from administrative, religious, social and
economic injustices. The rulers, the large landowners (Jagirdars) and the
clergy, were in collusion with each other. They were all exploiting
religion and abusing their own power and position for selfish ends. The
cruelty inflicted by caste divisions and the superstitious practices used
as tools for exploitation by the priestly class, was no less than that
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inflicted by the sword of the tyrannical rulers and merciless invaders.
It needs to be mentioned that some of the greatest injustices were
inflicted by the administrators at the time. For example, Chandu Diwan
(Minister in Lahore court) played a role in the martyrdom (Shahidi) of
Guru Arjan Dev Ji as he was afraid that Guru Nanak's first rebellion,
which was against the cruelty of the caste system would surface and
"lowliest of the low" would demand equality if Guru Nanak’s message
prevailed.

Under Guru Gobind Singh, Guru Nanak's universal movement of

equality and his call to the people to "fear none, frighten none"
culminated in the formation of a complete spiritual and temporal
system. This system interpreted and defended the human values taught
in Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book) by sages of many religions - in a
sense the parliament of faiths. The common values which this
movement promoted and defended were, respect for diversity and for
all paths leading to the One Creator Being, and equality of all before the
One Creator (e.g. Aadm ki jaat sabhe ekay pehchaanbo - Recognize all
human race as one … Guru Gobind Singh).

Panth Khalsa (Order of the Pure Ones)

Guru Gobind Singh organized the Sikhs as a spiritual-military collective
called the ‘Khalsa’ to make sure they would always be ready to defend
their faith as well as faiths and lives of others who are suppressed. This
started what would become a long line of highly coveted warriors. The
‘Panth Khalsa’ (Order of the Pure Ones) tradition was formed in 1699
AD and the Vaisakhi day (or Baisakhi) festival (typically 14 April)
celebrates the birth of this tradition each year. Guru Gobind Singh
assembled his Sikhs and baptized five beloved (Panj Pyare) who were
brave and obedient to his orders and called this brotherhood – ‘The
Khalsa’. These five saints - soldiers were devoted to all of mankind. On
Vaisakhi day, he also gave his Sikhs five symbols and a distinctive
clothing and headwear so that they were easily recognized. The five
Symbols or ‘K’s are:
1. Kesh (uncut hair),
2. Kangha (a wooden comb for the hair),
3. Kara (an iron bracelet – a symbol of being faithful),
4. Kachera (100% cotton tie able undergarment as a symbol of
simplicity),
5. Kirpan (an iron dagger large enough to defend oneself).
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The new brotherhood had no distinctions of caste, creed, color or sex.
The women were given equal status with men and advised to add
"KAUR" (Princess) to their names and were to be always protected. The
men were given a new surname "SINGH" (Lion) to be added to their first
names.

Flowing from these ideals was also the concept of community service
(seva) and sharing. "Guru ka Langar" or community kitchen where all
are served without discrimination became a popular Khalsa institution -
as powerful as the sword to resist and overcome the social and political
injustice (therefore, "Degh Teg Fateh").

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FALL OF THE MUGHALS AND RISE OF THE KHALSA

The years 1707 through the late 1799 was an exceptionally difficult
period for the Sikh followers. By this time, the Mughal court, that earlier
had lost direction under the deep influence and misguidance of the
Hindu Upper class and Muslim extremist clergy had pretty much
exhausted its resources and energy fighting ill-advised battles against
the newly formed Sikh Khalsa. The list of treacherous conspirators like
Gangu the Brahmin, and others who conspired in the death of the
young Sahibzadas (Princes) of Guru Gobind Singh must not be forgotten
by history as the people who sowed the seeds of conflict between the
Mughals fighting to keep their empire and the Sikh Khalsa, fighting for
the rights of ordinary people.

Even at that time there were many Islamic supporters of Guru Nanak's
universal teachings and mission of equality and justice who openly sided
with the Sikh Khalsa against the misguided rulers. The roots of
communal harmony in the area date back many years. Thousands of
Muslim warriors served with the Khalsa under Guru Gobind Singh in the
battles against the Mughals. Others like Pir Budhu Shah came to Guru
Gobind Singh's aid with his 700 disciples at a most critical time when he
was under attack from the Hindu Hill Rajas at Bhangani (near Paonta
Sahib) where his two sons were killed in the battle. When the Mughal
army attacked the fortress of Chamkaur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh was
saved by two of his Muslim Pashtun devotees, Gani Khan and Nabi Khan
who gave shelter to Guru Gobind Singh in the forests of Machhiwara
when he was being pursued by the Mughal army.

Then in Dec. 1704, when Sahibzada Fateh Singh and Sahibzada Zorawar
Singh, 9- and 7-year-old sons of Guru Gobind Singh, were ordered to be
murdered by the governor of Sirhind, Wazir Khan (Mirza Askari). Wazir
Khan’s close relative, Nawab Sher Mohammed Khan, Nawab of
Malerkotla, lodged a vehement protest against this inhuman act and
said it was against Islam and humanity. Wazir Khan nevertheless had the
Sahibzadas killed and the Nawab of Malerkotla stormed out of the court
in protest. Later he became very close friend of Guru Gobind Singh and
married a lady of Guru Gobind Singh's family, hence all the succeeding
Nawabs of Malerkotla descend in the female line from Guru Hargobind
Singh.

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 Note: Wazir Khan (real name Mirza Askari), Governor of Sirhind is not
to be confused with Wazir Khan (real name Hakim Shaikh Ilam-ud-din
Ansari), the physician of Emperor Shahjahan. There is no relation
between the two. Wazir Khan (Hakim Ansari) was a native of Chiniot,
whose family migrated to Lahore and who rose to be one of the court
physicians to the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in Lahore, and was in
due course, over a long lifetime of service, made a Mughal noble. He
remained Chief Qadi at Lahore for some time. The Wazir Khan
Mosque (Masjid Wazir Khan) is 17th century mosque located in the
city of Lahore, Pakistani. The mosque was commissioned during the
reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as part of an ensemble of
buildings that also included the nearby Shahi Hammam baths.
Construction of Wazir Khan Mosque began in 1634 C.E., and was
completed in 1641.

It wasn’t until after that battle of Battle of Chamkaur that better sense
also prevailed over Emperor Aurangzeb and he became remorseful over
the blunders of his reign. The highlight of this was when he received a
spiritual victory letter from Guru Gobind Singh in 1705. The letter is
written in Persian verse. Guru Gobind Singh sent Bhai Daya Singh to
Ahmednagar to give the letter, called ‘Zafarname’ to Emperor
Aurangzeb. (It is said that a copy of the letter, written by Guru Gobind
Singh, was found with the Mahant of Patna Sahib in 1890 and another
copy with Babu Jagan Nath; this copy was mysteriously misplaced).

Bhai Daya Singh handed over the Zafarname to the Emperor on 5th of
January 1705 (which was last day of Ramdaan that year). The Emperor
read the letter from Guru Gobind Singh and after reading it was
convinced wholeheartedly that indeed the Guru was highly spiritual,
truthful, and a fearless warrior. Emperor Aurangzeb, now nearly 91
years of age, was so moved after reading the letter that his body started
to tremble with feelings of remorse and regret of what he had done in
his life time.

The ‘Zafarnama’ had an extremely demoralizing effect on Emperor

Aurangzeb as he saw his old age overcoming his ambitions and the end
looming over the horizon. He saw in Guru Gobind Singh his hope – as
someone who could show him the right path in truth before he died.
Aurangzeb wanted redemption as he had wronged the Guru. He now
knew the Guru to be a man fighting for the rights of poor and

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underprivileged and wanted to meet the Guru in person, to seek his
own redemption. The Emperor was horrified by the contradictions of his
own faith, Islam and his own deeds, which contradicted Islam. He
assured Bhai Daya Singh that he would make amends and extended an
invitation to the Guru to meet him in person in the Deccan. Bhai Daya
Singh suggested that a written response to the letter would be more
appropriate to extend an invitation to Guru Gobind Singh. The Emperor
agreed and he wrote a letter back to the Guru, stating his inability to
come to the north and requesting the Guru to meet him in Ahmadnagar
at his earliest convenience. He sent two messengers with Bhai Dhaya
with his letter to the Guru extending the invitation. The return journey
of 900 miles lasted three months. Aurangzeb also issued instructions to
his Governors to withdraw all orders against the Guru. He instructed his
minister, Munim Khan, to make arrangements for the safe passage of
the Guru when he came to meet. Upon receiving the Emperor's letter,
Guru Gobind Singh felt that Aurangzeb's invitation was extended with
due humility from the Emperor’s heart and concluded the time was
right to accept his peace offering it in view of the Emperor's old age,
without compromising on his oath to mete out justice to anyone who
resorted to acts of barbarity.

Alas, the historic meeting – a meeting that could have changed the fate
of India was not in God’s plan. Unfortunately, by the time the Guru
Gobind Singh entered Rajasthan, news came of the Emperor's death at
Aurangabad on March 3, 1707. With this also ended the only hope for
uniting the people against the British colonists and defending them
from the evil designs of the power hungry future rulers who fought for
the throne, thrived on people’s misery and were willing to pay any price
to continue conflict in lieu of peace. Emperor Aurangzeb had made
peace with himself and Guru Gobind Singh and in his last days, the
Emperor' wrote the following letter to his sons in which he states:

"I do not know who I am, where I am, where I am to go and what will
happen to a sinful person like me. Many like me have passed away,
wasting their lives. Allah was in my heart but my blind eyes failed to see
him. I do not know how I will be received in Allah's court. I do not have
any hope for my future: I have committed many sins and do not know
what punishments will be awarded to me in return."

The Emperor's last will was recorded by Maulvi Hamid-ud Din in chapter

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8 of his hand-written Persian book on the life of Emperor Aurangzeb.
Some portion of Emperor Aurangzeb’s last is stated below;

"There is no doubt that I have been the emperor of India and I have
ruled over this country. But I am sorry to say that I have not been able to
do a good deed in my lifetime. My inner soul is cursing me as a sinner.
But I know it is of no avail".

After Aurangzeb’s death, Bahadur Shah I was crowned on 19 June 1707.

He was to be the first and the last of the later Mughal rulers to exercise
real authority. Earlier In 1695, Aurangzeb had sent him to the Punjab
region to fight the chieftains and subdue a rebellion by the Sikh Guru
Gobind Singh. Although as commander he imposed "heavy taxation" on
the defeated Rajas, he thought it necessary to leave the Sikhs
undisturbed in their fortified city of Anandpur and refused to wage war
against them out of "genuine respect" for their faith. Once he became
emperor, he tried to reverse some of the narrow-minded policies and
measures adopted by his father, Emperor Aurangzeb, adhering to his
fathers’ last will and letter to the spirit. He followed a conciliatory policy
towards the Rajput’s and Marathas and even befriended Guru Gobind
Singh. Unfortunately on October 7, 1708, Guru Gobind Singh died from
wounds inflicted by Pathan Assassins sent by Wazir Khan (real name
Mirza Askari), the Governor of Sirhind who disobeyed orders of Bahadur
Shah. Wazir Khan of Sirhind cunningly placed the blame on Bahadur
Shah and this started a rebellion led by Banda Singh Bahadur against the
Mughals once again. Banda Singh Bahadur was able to capture the
coward and scoundrel Wazir Khan in Sirhind city in the Battle of
Chappar Chiri in May of 1710 and execute him in revenge for the deaths
of Guru Gobind Singh's sons and Pir Budhu Shah after the Sikh victory at
Sirhind.

In Feb. 1712, Bahadur Shah died at age 68 and with this the Mughals
lost their ability to tax or effectively govern most of the Indian
subcontinent. In the northwestern region, particularly the Punjab,
Banda Singh led a successful campaign against the successive weakened
Mughals for several years, establishing the foundation pillars of the
future Sikh rule in Punjab. Banda Singh was captured by Mughal
Emperor Farrukhsiyar (grandson of Bahadur Shah I) and executed in
Delhi in 1716 AD.

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After Banda Singh Bahudur’s death, the persecution of the Mughal
Empire in the Punjab region forced some Sikhs to seek a refuge among
the recesses of the hills or in the woods to the south of the Sutlej. The
Sikhs went into hiding during this period. From 1718 to 1738, the Sikhs
carried out a guerrilla war against the oppressive Mughal Subedars and
the Hindu Hill Raja’s in the area around the Sivalik Hills. With their hit-
and-run tactics, the Sikh warriors caused devastation to both. Historian
Joseph D. Cunningham writes of the period: "The Sikhs were scarcely
again heard of in history for the period of a generation". Throughout
that period, the well-disciplined and highly trained Sikh fighters were at
war but were keeping a low profile. In Ajmer, Ajit Singh carved out a
vast territory and allied himself with the renegade Marathas. While in
the Deccan the Marathas had ruined Mughal fortifications and were
already on the warpath. All this greatly contributed to the eventual
decline of the Mughal Empire. In 1737, the Marathas under Baji Rao I
annexed Gujarat, Malwa and Bundelkhand, and raided the Mughal
capital Delhi.

Nader Shah Afshar, the Persian Emperor (Shah of Iran) saw the turmoil
in India as an opportunity. His eyes turned upon the wealthy but
weakened Mughal Empire. In 1739, he invaded India and crushed the
Mughal army in less than three hours at the huge Battle of Karnal on 13
February 1739. After this spectacular victory, Nader Shah captured the
Mughal Emperor, Mohammad Shah, the grandson of Bahadur Shah and
entered Delhi. Zakariya Khan Bahadur (who was the Mughal Empire's
viceroy of Lahore under Muhammad Shah from 1726 onwards) was
spared and left in charge of Lahore by Nader Shah in return for annual
tribute payments to the Persian crown. This event weakened the
Mughals significantly. Once the Mughals were completely looted of
their wealth, rebellions and disloyalty became commonplace, paving the
path for more invaders and eventually the British East India Company.

Zakariya Khan extended the misguided policies initiated earlier of the

scoundrel and traitor, Wazir Khan of Sirhind against the Sikhs, and
thousands of Sikhs were killed during his period especially during the
Sikh holocaust of 1745-1746 (also called Chhota Ghallughara in Punjabi
for "Smaller Massacre"). Once again, the inept Mughals were playing
into the hands of the cunning Hindu elites such Lakhpat Rai, a Hindu
Khatri from Kalanpur and the Diwan of Lahore who led this massacre.
The Sikh inhabitants of Lahore were first rounded up by Lakhpat Rai,

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then executed on 10 March 1746. Lakhpat Rai went on to order Sikh
places of worship destroyed and their scriptures burnt. He went so far
as to decree that anyone uttering the word "Guru" be put to death and
even saying the Punjabi language word for sugar, "gur", which sounded
like "Guru", could be cause for the death penalty. During this period,
Mahant Akil Das of Jandialla (also known as Haribhagat Niranjania) and
the head of the Handali sect of Jandiala in Amritsar district of the
Punjab, orchestrated Bhai Taru Singh's Shahidi. Taru Singh was a hard
working saintly farmer from Poolha, Distt. Kasur, who ran a daily
"Langar" for all. History records that the local poor and suppressed
Muslims mourned the arrest, torture and death of Bhai Taru Singh.

In 1748, Mir Mannu (Mu'in ul-Mulk) became governor of Lahore and the
surrounding provinces through his exploits in battle against the Afghan
army. Barbarity of Mir Mannu is unprecedented as he led a mass
genocide of Sikhs under his very tyrannical and oppressive regime. Mir
Mannu, used his absolute power to wreak havoc on the ordinary
people. Such was the cruelty inflicted by Mannu that his name passed
into folklore, 'Mannu is our sickle and we are his grass blades; as he cuts
us, we grow many times more'.

That same year, in 1748, Ahmad Shah Durrani (Abdali) of the Durrani
clan invaded the Mughal Empire. He subsequently raided India eight
more times. In March 1752, Mir Mannu surrendered Lahore to Ahmad
Shah Abdali. Mir Mannu died one year later. Punjab, which was now in
complete chaos and subjected to frequent raids had no civil government
and the people were at the mercy of armed bandits and looters – there
was simply no respite for the people. It was during this period that the
'Rakhi system' or protectorates under which people paid money to
mercenary bands became common. In this power vacuum, with support
from all oppressed Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, the Khalsa 'jathas'
(groups), formed which later grew into larger misls, gaining in strength.

In 1762, Ahmed Shah Abdali invaded India again and plundered Punjab
treasury, destroyed Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple) and massacred
thousands of Sikhs. In Sikh history, this massacre is called the ‘Vadda
Ghallughara’, the greater massacre. Before leaving for Iran, Ahmed Shah
Abadali appointed a Hindu, Kabuli Mal, as the Subedar or Governor of
Lahore. Kabuli Mal had aided Ahmad Shah by betraying the Sikhs. This
ignoble Hindu Governor further appointed Massa Rangar as the

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administrator of Harimandir Sahib who sacrileged the holy shrine by
smoking and drinking intoxicants there. Kabuli Mal and Massa Rangar
both eventually paid with their lives for this desecration.

The resolve of all ordinary people against these tyrannical regimes and
‘Turk invaders’ whose only aim was to loot and plunder became
stronger. In Sikh writings the word 'Turk Invader' was not directed
towards any religion but for "foreign invaders" from the north in
particular Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali. Some biased historians
misleadingly interpret the popular uprising and struggle for freedom
from tyranny and oppression by the people as some sort of religious
conflict between the Hindus (led by the Khalsa) and the Muslims. This
Anglo-Hindu narrative is absurd since all historical evidence, when
added to the unique Khalsa ideology of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind
Singh’s vision points to all ordinary people, Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs,
fighting off the invaders and tyranny under the brave leadership of
Khalsa. Regardless of religion, all suffered from the excesses and greed
of a cruel regime. The sword arm which inflicted cruelty may have been
Mughal, Durrani, Afghani or Hindu Hill Rajas and Divans like Lakhpat Rai,
who were supported by Brahmanical opposition to the liberating
ideology of Guru Nanak Dev. Ordinary people were being crushed
between the inept Delhi rulers of the remnants of the Mughals and the
invaders from the North-West who descended periodically to purely
loot and plunder India’s treasures.

Henceforth, the Khalsa, now backed by popular support, spearheaded

the struggle to establish a rule of the people, by the people, in which all
were equal partners. Guru Nanak's mission was clarified as the
establishment of, "a regime in which no one inflicted pain on another as
the Will of the Benevolent Lord." (Guru Arjan Dev Ji).

By 1764, the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent (now

Pakistan and parts of north India) were a collection of fourteen small
warring regions. Of the fourteen, twelve were Sikh-controlled misls. Of
the remaining two, one named Kasur (near Lahore) was Muslim
controlled, and one in the southeast was led by an Englishman named
George Thomas. This region constituted the fertile and productive
valleys of the five rivers - Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Bias and Sutlej. The Sikh
misls were all under the control of the Khalsa fraternity of Sikh warriors,
but they were unfortunately not united and frequently fought with each

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other over revenue collection, disagreements, and local priorities;
however, in the event of external invasion such as from the armies of
Ahmed Shah Abdali from Afghanistan, they would usually unite.

The misl chiefs, despite occasionally fighting among themselves,

assembled at Amritsar in 1764 and pronounced sovereignty of the
Khalsa Raj. They struck a new coin with the inscription "Degh, Tegh,
Fateh," in the memory of Guru Gobind Singh. The chiefs also decided to
hold "Sarbat Khalsa" (Congregation) once a year at Amritsar to resolve
their differences through Guru Mata or Gurmata (meaning ‘Guru’s
intentions’- an order that is binding on all Sikhs). Their concerted efforts
and relentless war against the Mughals and their agents ultimately
paved the way for the Sikh empire to be established by Maharaja Ranjit
Singh in 1799. Initially, the Sikh misls’ only appointed their own
‘Zamindars’ (Landlords) in areas under their control, replacing the
previous Muslim revenue collectors, which provided resources to feed
and strengthen the warriors aligned with Sikh interests. Also by this
time, a new threat. i.e. European colonial traders and the East India
Company appeared on the scene as they had expanded their operations
in India on both its eastern and western coasts.

Sikh Confederacy between (1707–1799)

In order to withstand the persecution of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
(5th Mughal Emperor), and subsequent Mughal rulers beginning in
1655 AD, several of the later Sikh Gurus established military forces to
fight the Mughal Empire and Hindu Hill Chiefs (Pahari-Rajas of
Himachal). Banda Singh Bahadur continued Sikh resistance to the
Mughal Empire until his defeat at the Battle of Gurdas Nangal. For
several years, Sikhs found refuge in the jungles and the Himalayan
foothills until they organized themselves into military bands known as
‘Jathas’ which later became ‘misls’. The term ‘misl’ literally means
"equal", also "an example" derived from a Perso-Arabic term
meaning "similar", headed by Misldars. In Sikh history it generally
refers to the sovereign states of the Sikh Confederacy, that rose
during the early 18th century in the Punjab region from the ‘Jathas’
after the Mughal Empire started its steep decline in 1716 AD.

The period from 1716 to 1799 was a highly turbulent time politically
and militarily in the Punjab region for all inhabitants of Punjab,
regardless of religion. The Khalsa fighters organized themselves as

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‘Dal Khalsa’, meaning "Khalsa army" or "Khalsa party" in the late 18th
century, after defeating several invasions by the Afghan rulers of the
Durrani Empire and their allies, remnants of the Mughals and their
administrators and the Mughal-allied Hindu Hill-Rajas of the Sivalik
Hills. The Sikhs of the Dal Khalsa eventually formed their own
independent Sikh administrative regions called misls.

The misls formed a commonwealth that was described by Antoine

Polier as an "aristocratic republic". The ‘Sikh Confederacy’ is a
description of the political structure, of how all the Barons' Kingdoms
interacted with each other politically together in Punjab. Although
the misls were unequal in strength, and each misl attempted to
expand its territory and access to resources at the expense of others,
they acted in unison in relation to other non-Sikh states. The misls
held biannual meetings of their legislature, the Sarbat Khalsa in
Amritsar.

‘Sarbat Khalsa’ literally translates to the "entire Sikh Nation". The first
Sarbat Khalsa was called by the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh before
his death in 1708 and the tradition of calling Sarbat Khalsa has
continued ever since at times of hardship or conflict. The next known
meeting of the Sarbat Khalsa took place on the occasion of Divali in
1723 when a clash between Tat Khalsa and the Bandais (followers of
Banda Singh Bahadur) was averted and amicably settled through the
intervention and wise counsel of Bhai Mani Singh.

In 1733, the Mughal government decided, at the insistence of

Zakariya Khan, Mughal governor of Sirhind, to revoke all repressive
measures issued against the Sikhs and made an offer of a land grant
with a royalty title to them. The grant was of a Jagir consisting of the
three parganas of Dipalpur, Kanganval and Jhabal and the title of
‘Nawab’ conferred upon their leader. At the Sarbat Khalsa of 1733,
the Sikhs accepted the offer. Kapur Singh was unanimously elected as
the leader and chosen for the title. He was reluctant, but could not
deny the unanimous will of the Sikh community. Before putting on
the robe of honour ('Siropa') sent by the Mughals, as a mark of
respect, he placed the robe at the feet of Baba Deep Singh, Bhai
Karam Singh and Bhai Buddh Singh (great-great-grandfather of
Maharaja Ranjit Singh).

134 | P a g e
Rise of the Misls
Nawab Kapur Singh combined the various Sikh militias into two
groups; the Taruna Dal and the Budda Dal (the veteran group), which
would collectively be known as the Dal Khalsa. Sikh militias over 40
years of age would be part of the Budda Dal and Sikh militas under 40
years were part of the Taruna Dal. The purpose of the Budda Dal, was
to protect Gurdwaras and train the Taruna Dal, while the Taruna Dal
would act as combat troops. The Taruna Dal was further divided in
five jathas (groups), each with 1300 to 2000 men and a separate
drum and banner, thus forming the nucleus of a separate political
state. Sardar Hari Singh Dhillon was given command of the Taruna
Dal. Under Hari Singh's leadership, the Taruna Dal rapidly grew in
strength and soon numbered more than 12,000. The territories
conquered by these groups were entered in their respective papers at
the Akal Takht (‘Throne of the timeless one’) in Amritsar. From these
documents or misls, the principalities carved out by them came to be
known as ‘misls’. The area of operations of each Dal, or army, was
Hari ke Pattan, where the Sutlej river and Beas River meet; the
Taruna Dal (the young fighters) would control the area east of Hari ke
Pattan while the Budha Dal (the elder trainers and mentors) would
control the area west of it.

After Nawab Kapur Singh, the command of Dal Khalsa was given to
the Misldar of the Ahluwalia Misl, Sultan Jassa Singh Ahluwalia in
1748. He was an able and powerful administrator and made the
foundation of Khalsa strong for future generations to lead. Other
prominent leaders of the Misls were Baba Deep Singh (1682–1757)
who is revered among Sikhs as one of the most brave martyrs in
Sikhism and as a highly religious person.

Under a gurmata of the Sarbat Khalsa on 14 October 1745, the active

fighting force of the Sikhs was reorganized into 25 jathas (bands) of
about 100 each. A further reorganization into 11 misls (divisions)
forming the Dal Khalsa was made by the Sarbat Khalsa on Baisakhi, 29
March 1748. Thus, Sarbat Khalsa became the central body of what
J.D. Cunningham, in his book, A History of the Sikhs, terms a
“theocratic confederate feudalism” established by the misls.
Although misls varied in strength, the use of primarily light cavalry
(horsemen) with a smaller amount of heavy cavalry was uniform
throughout all of the Sikh misls. Cavalrymen in a misl were required

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to supply their own horses and equipment. A standard cavalryman
was armed with a spear, matchlock, and scimitar. How the armies of
the Sikh misls received payment varied with the leadership of each
misl. The most prevalent system of payment was the 'Fasalandari'
system; soldiers would receive payment every six months at the end
of a harvest. In battle, ‘The Running Skirmish’ was a tactic unique to
the Sikh cavalrymen which was notable for its effectiveness and the
high degree of skill required to execute it. George Thomas and
George Forster, contemporary writers who witnessed it described its
use separately in their accounts of the military of the Sikhs. George
Forster noted: "A party from forty to fifty, advance in a quick pace to
a distance of carbine shot from the enemy and then, that the fire may
be given with the greatest certainty, the horses are drawn up and
their pieces discharged, when speedily, retiring about a 100 paces,
they load and repeat the same mode of annoying the enemy. Their
horses have been so expertly trained to a performance of this
operation that on receiving a stroke of hand, they stop from a full
canter."
The 12 main Sikh misls by 1780 AD had a total strength of approx.
94,000 highly trained and disciplined Horsemen;

# of
Misl Name Capital Horsemen
Phulkian Misl Patiala, Nabha, Jind 5,000
Ahluwalia Misl Kapurthala 10,000
Bhangi Misl Amritsar 10,000
Kanhaiya Misl Sohian 8,000
Ramgarhia Misl Sri Hargobindpur 5,000
Singhpuria Misl Jalandhar 5,000
Singh Krora Misl Shamchaurasi, Hariana, etc. 10,000
Nishanvale Misl Ambala, Shahbad Markanda 2,000
Sukerchakia Misl Gujranwala 15,000
Dallewalia Misl Rahon 12,000
Nakai Misl Chunian 7,000
Shaheedan Misl Shahzadpur 5,000
Strength in Regular Horsemen (in 1780 AD) 94,000

The two main divisions in the territory between the misls were
between those who were in the Malwa region and those who were in
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 the Majha region. While eleven of the misls were north of the Sutlej
river, one, the Phulkian misl was south of the Sutlej. The Sikhs north
of the Sutlej river were known as the Majha Sikhs while the Sikhs that
lived south of the Sutlej river were known as the Malwa Sikhs. In the
smaller territories were the Dhanigeb Singhs in the Sind Sagar Doab,
the Gujrat Singhs in the Jech Doab, the Dharpi Singhs in the Rechna
Doab, and the Doaba Singhs in the Jalandhar Doab.

Towards the end of 18th century, the five most powerful misls were
those of Sukkarchakkia, Kanhayia, Nakkais, Ahluwalias and Bhangi
Sikhs.

Among the smaller Sikh misls, some such as the Phulkias misl had
switched loyalties in the late 18th century and supported the Afghan
army invasion against their Khalsa brethren. The Kasur region which was
ruled by a Muslim Misaldar, always supported the Afghan invasion
forces from the North-West and joined them in their plundering.

Rangit Singh’s rise to fame and early conquests

Ranjit Singh belonged to the Sukkarchakkia misl, and through marriage
had a reliable alliance with Kanhayia and Nakkais, giving him 1/3rd of the
total strength of the Sikh Confederacy. Ranjit Singh's fame grew when
he was only 17 years old in 1797 AD, when the Afghan ruler Shah
Zaman, of the Ahmad Shah Abdali dynasty, attempted to annex Punjab
region into his control through his general Shahanchi Khan and 12,000
soldiers. The battle was fought in the territory that fell in Ranjit Singh
controlled misl, whose regional knowledge and warrior expertise helped
resist the invading army. This victory gained him recognition. In 1798,
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the Afghan ruler sent in another army, which Ranjit Singh did not resist.
He let them enter Lahore, then encircled them with his army, blocked
off all food and supplies and burnt all crops and food sources that could
have supported the Afghan army. Much of the Afghan army retreated
back to Afghanistan after this defeat.

In 1799, Raja Ranjit Singh's army of 25,000 Khalsa, supported by another

25,000 Khalsa led by his mother-in-law Rani Sada Kaur of Kanhaiya misl,
in a joint operation attacked the region controlled by Bhangi Sikhs loyal
to the Afghan ruler, Zaman Shah Durrani centered around Lahore. The
Bhangi Sikh rulers escaped, marking Lahore as the first major conquest
of Ranjit Singh.

Both the Muslim and Hindu population of Lahore welcomed the rule of
Ranjit Singh. In 1800, the ruler of Jammu region ceded control of his
region to Ranjit Singh. On April 12, 1801 (to coincide with Vaisakhi),
Ranjit Singh proclaimed himself as the "Maharaja of Punjab", and
agreed to a formal investiture ceremony, which was carried out by Baba
Sahib Singh Bedi – a direct descendant of Guru Nanak through his
younger son, Lakhmi Das (Chand).

138 | P a g e
On the day of his coronation, prayers were performed across Mosques,
Temples and Gurdwaras in his territories for his long life.
Ranjit Singh called
his rule as "Sarkar
Khalsa", and his
court as "Darbar
Khalsa". He ordered
new coins to be
issued in the name
of Guru Nanak
named the
"NanakShahi" ("of
the Emperor
Nanak"). Maharaja
Ranjit Singh had
formed one of the
most formidable
fighting force in
history. He had
raised a very
powerful and
cosmopolitan army.
According to
Mandeep Rai, a
former bureaucrat
and historian; “He
[Ranjit Singh] had Muslim gunners who never fled the battlefield. Then
there were Gurkhas, Sikhs and Hindus. It was a most cosmopolitan army
of the brave”.

Thousands of Muslim warriors served with the Khalsa in many battles

from Guru Gobind Singh to Maharaja Ranjit Singh - the latter's
artillery was almost entirely in the hands of Muslim generals. Even
earlier in the 17th century, Banda Singh Bahadur (1670 –1716), a Sikh
warrior and a military commander of Khalsa army had 5,000 Muslim
soldiers in his army (from Gurmukh Singh (U.K.), based on well
publicized Panjabi and English sources).

With subsequent and progressive expulsion of Afghans from the Punjab

followed by defeating them in the Afghan-Sikh Wars, and the unification

139 | P a g e
of the separate Sikh misls, Rangit Singh created a unified political state
leading to a formidable Sikh Empire. Maharaja Ranjit Singh reclaimed all
the Sikh holy places and land and put them under the protection of
Sikhs. After the defeat of Nawab Muzzafar Khan and capture of Multan
in June of 1818 AD, Ranjit Singh came to Talwandi in Sept. of 1818 and
reclaimed all the land from usurpers and squatters that had been gifted
to Guru Nanak by Rai Bular. He then formalized the management of that
land and assets under a trust managed by the Gurdwara Janamashtan.
The Gurdwara too was repaired and rebuilt by Ranjit Singh around 1819.

‘Nanakshahi’, the currency of Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Ranjit Singh's reign in Punjab introduced numerous reforms,

modernization, investment into infrastructure and general prosperity.
His Khalsa army and government included Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and
Europeans. His legacy includes a period of Sikh cultural and artistic
renaissance of Punjabi Culture and Language. His currency ‘Nanakshahi’
held a strong position against the British and the French currencies in
commerce and trade. For his bravery, honesty and fairness, Maharaja
Ranjit Singh was popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab, or "Lion of Punjab".

Decline of the Sikh Empire

Rangit Singh made his empire and the Sikhs a strong political force, for
which he is deeply admired and revered in Sikhism. However, his era
also marked a general decline in religious and moral fervor towards a
life of alcoholism and licentiousness, along with a demoralization of the
Sikh court and nobility. Many Sikh historians point to Ranjit Singh for the
beginning of the decline of Sikhism - who could neither understand the
philosophy enunciated by Guru Gobind Singh nor did he follow the
concept of Miri Piri defined by Guru Hargobind. Instead, he followed the
imperial life style of the Mughal emperors and indulged in extravagance
and loose morality. In this way they say he neglected the Sikh tenets
140 | P a g e
and allowed evils and vices to be crept in the religion – vices that Guru
Nanak was strictly against. The most extreme example of this was that
instead of paying obeisance to Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple) and
bathing in the Sarovar there regularly, Ranjit Singh paid visits to
Haridwar and bathed in the Ganga River. When he died on June 27,
1839, some of his wives even committed ‘Satti’, a practice that was
extremely repugnant to Sikh faith. Even though his reign was known for
fairness and justice, unfortunately, the Sikh Empire did not last for very
long because Ranjit Singh failed to establish a lasting structure for Sikh
government or stable succession, and the Sikh Empire rapidly declined
after his death.

The British Excursions in Punjab

Earlier in 1784 AD, the Pitt's India Act gave the British government
effective control of the private British East India Company and by 1805
AD the British had gained a strong foothold in India and had become the
single territorial power in the Indian subcontinent. After Rangit Singh’s
death in 1839 AD, the British set their eyes on Punjab, the rich
agriculture bread-basket of India. Within six years of his death, the Sikh
government had broken down in a series of palace revolutions and
assassinations. There was infighting among the many sons of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh and new rulers installed died mysteriously. Also at the time
there were two other factions contesting for power; the Sikh
Sindhanwalias (related to Ranjit Singh) and the Hindu Dogras (a dynasty
whose founder was Maharaja Gulab Singh Dogra of the house of Jammu
and Kashmir). First, Maharaja Kharak Singh, the eldest son of Ranjit
Singh died of poisoning and then his son Maharaja Naunahal Singh, died
mysteriously a day later on Nov. 06, 1840. The Dogras were able to
install Sher Singh, the half-brother of Maharaja Kharak Singh to the
throne immediately. Sher Singh was assassinated by his cousin, an
officer of the army, Ajit Singh Sindhanwalia on Sept. 14, 1843 and the
same day his powerful and loyal Prime Minister (Wazir) Raja Dhian Singh
Dogra was murdered as well. On Sept. 15, 1843, the Sikh army placed
Duleep Singh, the 6 year old son of Ranjit Singh to the throne with
Maharani Jind Kaur, his mother and youngest wife of Ranjit Singh as his
queen regent. Her brother, Jawahar Singh was appointed as the young
emperor’s guardian and tutor. Actual power, however, resided with the
Sikh army, which was itself in the hands of ‘Panths’ (‘panches’), or Sikh
military committees. Given the political turmoil that followed Ranjit
Singh’s death, the soldiers took it upon themselves to protect the
141 | P a g e
sanctity of the Khalsa Empire, a glorious empire bequeathed to them by
their Sher-e-Punjab. And with the grave threat on the eastern frontier in
the form of the British, the soldiers started believing they had to take
charge to ensure the empire’s survival. With their growing involvement
in politics, the soldiers had developed a bureaucratic mechanism of
their own. Instead of exhibiting loyalty to their commanding officers,
they reported to ‘panches’ selected by themselves. The ‘panches’ were
soldiers appointed from within their ranks to represent the grievances
and concerns of the soldiers. The system was modeled on the
‘panchayat’ system from where the word ‘panches’ is derived.

Government corruption and political instability is not unique to the

Sikh Empire downfall. In fact this weakness has been the cause of the
downfall of many empires in history. For example, in the late stages
of the Roman Empire, being the Roman emperor had become a highly
dangerous job – even a death sentence. The Praetorian Guard—the
Roman emperor’s personal bodyguards—assassinated and installed
new sovereigns at will, and once even auctioned the spot off to the
highest bidder. The political rot also extended to the weakening of
the Roman legions. For most of its history, Rome’s military was the
envy of the ancient world but during the decline they had little or no
loyalty to the emperor, and their power-hungry officers often turned
against the emperor. So it was with the Sikh Empire.

After the death of Maharaja Sher Singh and his wazir, Raja Dhian Singh
Dogra, Hira Singh was appointed as the wazir. Hira Singh was the son of
Dhian Singh Dogra and a nephew of Maharaja Gulab Singh Dogra (of
Jammu). At first, the new wazir took little notice of the young Maharaja
Daleep Singh and his mother, Jind Kaur. The mother became fiercely
defensive of the rights of her son and pleaded with the military
regimental committees to protect his position asking 'who is the real
sovereign, Duleep Singh or Hira Singh? If the former, then the Khalsa
should ensure that he was not a king with an empty title. The council
supported her and she gradually became the symbol of sovereignty. She
took control of the government with the approval of the army and cast
off her veil. As Regent, she reconstituted the Supreme Council of the
Khalsa and restored some balance between the army and the civil
administration. She held court, transacted State business in public and
reviewed and addressed the troops.

142 | P a g e
The young Maharani was faced with many problems. Pashaura Singh
Kanvar, half-brother of Duleep Singh, was seeking to replace Duleep
Singh as Maharaja. The feudal chiefs wanted a reduction in the taxation
imposed on them by Hira Singh and the restoration of their jagirs, land
grants from which they received income. The army wanted an increase
in pay. The cost of the civil and military administration had increased
and Gulab Singh Dogra, Raja of Jammu and uncle of Hira Singh, had
taken away most of the Lahore Treasury. The power struggle between
the various Sikh factions was continuing and some were secretly
negotiating with the British forces now amassing on the border. In the
continuing intrigues at Lahore between the royals, the Wazir, Hira Singh
removed Jawahar Singh as guardian to Duleep Singh and replaced him
with Lal Singh as the guardian and tutor of the young Emperor. Hira
Singh did not trust Jawahar Singh and had him imprisoned on suspicion
of making treasonous overtures to the British. During his imprisonment
Jawahar Singh was beaten and tortured.

Meanwhile, the rebellious Prince Pashaura Singh and his brother, Prince
Kashmira Singh had taken asylum with Baba Bir Singh at Naurangabad,
near Tarn Taran (Tarn Taran Sahib town was founded by the Fifth Sikh
Guru, Guru Arjan Dev in the Majha region of the state of Punjab). Baba
Bir Singh was a Sikh Saint and a true well-wisher of the dynasty of Ranjit
Singh and was deeply grieved at the disaster which had overtaken the
royal family through the envy of their own courtiers. Baba Bir Singh’s
personal influence greatly perturbed Hira Singh who considered Bir
Singh's camp as the centre of a Sikh revolt against the Dogra dominance
over the Punjab. In May 1844, Hira Singh dispatched a force of 20,000
men and 50 cannons under the command of Mian Labh Singh to destroy
Bir Singh’s camp. Baba Bir Singh told his men not to fight “How can we
attack our brethren?” He was killed by a shell while meditating over the
Holy Book. Kashmira Singh, Pashaura Singh’s elder brother was also
killed in the cannonade, but Pashaura Singh escaped.

The attack upon the holy man Baba Bir Singh and a subsequent attempt
by Hira Singh's favorite, Pandit Jalla, to poison Maharani Jind Kaur
aroused the ire of the Sikh army. Maharani Jind Kaur who was already
furious at the ill-treatment of her brother by Hira Singh turned to the
army to get back at the wazir. She appealed to the passion of the
soldiers, protectors of the Khalsa Empire, to avenge the humiliation the
wazir had wrought on their maharani, the wife of ‘Sher-e-Punjab’. Hira

143 | P a g e
Singh escaped from Lahore with several loads of gold and silver stolen
from the treasury, but was pursued by a Sikh force led by Jawahar Singh
and Sham Singh Atarivala. They captured and killed him on Dec. 21,
1844 along with his advisers, Pandit Jalla and Gulab Singh’s youngest
brother. The maharani had won her battle.

After the Wazir Hira Singh’s death, Jawahar Singh, Lal Singh, and Gulab
Singh all put themselves forward for the position of Wazir; the Maharani
selected her brother as Wazir on May 14, 1845. He held the position
only briefly and during a tumultuous nine months he persecuted those
who had antagonized him in the past. His most significant action was his
alleged ordering of the murder of the rebel Prince Pashaura Singh
Kanvar, which was carried out after Pashaura had been offered safe
conduct and had surrendered. The Khalsa army believed that Jawahar
had personally ordered the death, fearing that the prince presented too
great a threat to young Duleep Singh. The leaders of the Khalsa
demanded Jawahar Singh present himself before them, which he did
after much prevarication and attempts at bribery. The panches met and
it was decided that Jawahar Singh would be put to death. The
justification was the insult meted out to Peshura Singh, a son of their
great Maharaja Ranjit Singh. How dare a wazir take the life of a scion of
Maharaja Ranjit Singh! The maharani pleaded with the soldiers to spare
her brother but they had made up their minds. Maharani Jind Kaur
could only look on as her brother, the wazir of the Lahore Durbar,
Jawahar Singh, was executed by soldiers of the Khalsa Empire outside
the walls of the Lahore Fort on Sept. 21, 1845.

A new wazir, Lal Singh, was appointed by the soldiers. As for the
maharani, still reeling from the loss of her brother, she had other plans.
She decided, along with Lal Singh and the head of the army Tej Singh,
that it was time to cut the power of the soldiers. As the administration
collapsed the Lahore Darbar became increasingly vulnerable. Relations
with the British had already been strained by the refusal of the Sikhs to
allow the passage of British troops through their territory during the
First Anglo-Afghan War (1838–42). Once the British saw their
opportunity, they antagonized the Sikhs into war. On the eastern bank
of the Sutlej River, the British monitored the unfolding of the Lahore
Durbar carefully. They had seen the assassination of one maharaja after
another. They observed as powerful prime ministers (wazirs) found
themselves at the mercy of the Khalsa soldiers. The time was ripe for

144 | P a g e
them to strike. Two campaigns were fought between the Sikhs and the
British known in history as the ‘Anglo-Sikh Wars’. The first war was in
1845 to 1846 and the second war lasted from 1848 to 1849.

The Anglo-Sikh Wars

Many historians conclude that the Regent Queen may have actually
plotted the fall of Khalsa Army by hastening the First Anglo-Sikh War as
the Khalsa Army was no longer under the command of the crown or its
appointed commanders. Her plan was to put the Sikh soldiers in a war in
which their defeat was assured as a revenge of seeing her brother
stabbed over 50 times in front of her eyes by the Khalsa. She decided,
along with Lal Singh and the head of the army General Tej Singh, that it
was time to cut the power of the soldiers.

On Dec. 11, 1845, urged on by their commanders, the Khalsa soldiers

crossed the Sutlej River and in response, the British moved their army to
Ferozpore region. Thus began the First Anglo-Sikh War. The Sikhs were
led by General Raja Lal Singh and Tej Singh. General Henry Hardinge was
in command of the British forces. The battle of Firoze Shehar was fierce
and continued into the late night with the British losing the battle.
General Hardinge asked his aide de corps to bring out his sword so that
he could surrender. Hardinge expected a defeat on the following day
and ordered the state papers at Mudki to be burned in this event.

But the next day, Dec. 12, 1845, the battle suddenly took a different
course due to the machinations of General Lal Singh. It turned out that
General Raja Lal Singh who, with Tej Singh, had betrayed the Sikhs
during the course of the war. Gen. Lal Singh had been regularly
supplying information and even receiving instructions from British
officers before and during the battle. The following morning, the British
Army units rallied and drove the Sikhs from the rest of their
fortifications. Lal Singh had made no effort to rally or reorganize his
army. At this point, Tej Singh's army appeared and the exhausted British
army faced defeat and disaster, but Tej Singh inexplicably withdrew.

The British forces won the Battle of Aliwal on Jan. 28, 1846, eliminating
the Sikh bridgehead. They attacked the main Sikh bridgehead at
Sobraon on Feb. 10, 1846. Tej Singh is said to have deserted the Sikh
army early in the battle. The bridges behind the Sikhs broke under
British artillery fire, or were ordered to be destroyed behind him by Tej
145 | P a g e
Singh. The Sikh army was trapped. None of them surrendered, and the
British troops showed little mercy. This defeat effectively broke the Sikh
army.

The maharani and her entourage had achieved their purpose of

reducing the might of the soldiers but a new setup brought with itself a
whole new set of problems. A few months later in March, the Treaty of
Lahore was signed, assuring the British over-lordship over the affairs of
the Lahore Durbar and partial subjugation of the Sikh kingdom and
cession of Jammu and Kashmir as a separate princely state under British
suzerainty.

In April of 1848, a little incident in Multan provided the British with an

excuse to begin the Second Anglo-Sikh War. The British easily defeated
the confused and demoralized Khalsa forces, then disbanded them into
destitution. The Sikh army eventually surrendered on March 12, 1849
and the Punjab was then annexed by the British. Just a decade after
Ranjit Singh’s death, the Sikh Empire crumbled, but Sikhism as a faith
and way of life did not decline. Clive Dewey has argued that the decline
of the empire after Ranjit Singh's death owes much to the ‘Jagir-based
economic and taxation system’ which he inherited from the Mughals
and retained. After his death, a fight to control the tax spoils emerged,
leading to a power struggle among the nobles and his family from
different wives. This struggle ended with a rapid series of palace coups
and assassinations of his descendants, and eventually the annexation of
the Sikh Empire by the British.

After the Second Anglo-Sikh War, the Sikhs in the Punjab had been
rendered ‘Armless and Leaderless’. Their forts were destroyed and
weapons confiscated. Patriot Sikh leaders were killed or deported.
During the first year of the annexation of the Punjab, eight
thousand Sikhs were arrested and 300 were put to death by the
British. The British then raised new units of Army in the Punjab
consisting of Sikhs, Muslims and Hindu Rajputs.

146 | P a g e
THE BRITISH RULE BEGINS IN PUNJAB

Within a decade of Ranjit Singh’s death, the British had total control
over Punjab and India. By 1850, they had devised systems to keep their
power and rule in place through strengthening their military might and
crafting divisive tactics to keep India divided. By 1855, the British had
recruited the ‘battle-hardened’ but unemployed Sikhs into their army in
large numbers. There were thousands of Sikhs in the British Army all the
way up to Independence from the British in 1947. Thousands of Sikh
troops fought and died for the British in the European First World War.
By the end of WW-1 hostilities, 125,000 Sikh combatants had seen
active service in Europe and beyond in many of the war’s forgotten
fronts. These included Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), Aden, Egypt,
Palestine, Persia, Arabia, Italy, Salonica, Russia, East and West Africa, on
the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey, and as far east as China.

Just as the British recruited Sikhs in their military, they also recruited
the Upper class Hindus called Brahmins (Brahmins is the highest caste in
Hinduism. It is the caste from which Hindu priests are drawn, and are
responsible for teaching and maintaining sacred knowledge) into their
civil governance.

The Punjabi Muslims and Sikhs were kept away from all the powers
deeming pernicious for the British interests. By design they also
exploited religion, sects and cultural differences to carve out a ‘divide
and rule’ strategy that served them well until at least for the next
century. Their strategy was to eliminate the sense of patriotism and
faithfulness towards the motherland from their minds.

Systematic destruction of Punjabi Culture and Language by British.

Prof. Pritam Singh, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies,
University of Oxford, UK, highlighted that "language is a
fundamental right and the destruction of a language is essentially a
political agenda to push back the local culture and language."
According to Prof. Pritam Singh, “any struggle for equality in society
has to be fought in a local language. In Punjab, or anywhere else,
you cannot mobilize people if you don't speak their language and
communication in a local language is a must for political struggle."
Dr. Saeed Khawar Bhutta. Professor of Punjabi language and
literature at Oriental College, University of the Punjab, Lahore,
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 Pakistan in his paper narrated the sad tale of how Punjab was made
illiterate by the British after 1849. "The British proclaimed that
anyone who surrenders a gun will be rewarded with two annas,
while the one who surrenders a Punjabi Qaeda will be given six
annas for the same act." Dr. Bhutta quoted from the G.W. Leitner's
report on indigenous education system in Punjab that gives the
story of how Punjab was made illiterate almost overnight with
merely a stroke of pen; and Punjabi was detached from the market
economy. Piles of Qaeda’s (‘books’) were collected and burned by
the British by posting huge posters soliciting Punjabi Qaeda’s.

Materialism, corruption, nepotism, office-seeking nature and rapacity in

other possible domains became a permanent feature of their politics
and strategy to rule. As they were more inclined to reward loyalty and
less sensitive to the sanctity of beliefs, they made several compromises
that were detrimental to the feelings of various sections of Indian
people, especially Muslims and Sikhs. For example, the control of the
Sikh Gurdwaras and associated finances was turned over to materialistic
and powerful Hindu Mahants and Pujari’s who had been loyal to the
British in the two Sikh wars.

In Nankana Sahib Area, the head of the Rai Bular descendants at that
time was Rai Sardar Khan Bhatti and he with others of the Bhatti clan
strongly protested and objected to this arrangement since they sensed
mischief in this act. The British power over-ruled them and The
Gurdwara Janam Asthan and Gurdwara Mal Sahib were turned over to
the Hindu Mahants. All of them but more particularly the Udasis and
Brahmanical sects installed the Hindu idol gods along with the Holy
Granth in the Gurdwaras under their control.

Note: the attempt of the British and the Hindu Mahants was to classify
the Sikh faith as an uncontested sect of Hindu’s in order to make the
Sikh’s subservient to the Hindu laws. The demoralized Sikhs after their
losses in the Sikh Wars did not have the strength to fight this cunning
move and had to live with the humiliation of being classified under a
Hindu sect – especially knowing the fact that Guru Nanak had rejected
the Hindu faith and had strongly contested most Hindu practices and
rituals, particularly the worship of idol gods, killing of infant girls, Satti
(burning of widows alive alongside the deceased husband),
Reincarnation (rebirth or transmigration - a part of the Samsara doctrine

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of cyclic existence) and the Hindu caste system among others.

About the British and Hindu designs, Sardar Harbans Singh in his book
‘Heritage of the Sikh’ states that “The true teachings of Gurus, which
had supplied Sikhism its potent principle of reform and regeneration
were being obscured and the Sikh religion was losing its characteristic
vigour and its votaries were relapsing into beliefs and dogmas from
which the Gurus' teaching had extricated them. Absorption into
ceremonial Hinduism seemed the course inevitably set for them”.

The 325 years of the Muslim Sultanate rule in India and the further
325 years of Mughal Empire in India could not have enjoyed that
longevity without evoking considerable goodwill among the Hindu
subjects, who were by far in a vast majority. For 650 years, be it the
Dehli Sultanate era (1191 - 1527 AD) or Mughal dynasty (1528 - 1857
AD), emperors relied upon Hindu ministers, generals, warriors,
accountants, chroniclers and the whole hierarchy of other
functionaries to conquer, consolidate, run, administer and manage
their vast empire. They had many Hindu Generals (Mansabdars) in
their army, most prominent being Tilak, Sondi Rai, Jairaj, Souvana Rai,
Jai Sen, Viraj Rai, Raja Jaswant Singh, Raja Mansingh, Bhivan Rai,
Nakka, Lodha, Pira, Kishan, Raja Ramdev of Devagiri, Gwalior Raja
Ram Shah, Siddi Hambal. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's trust of Hindu
officers was so great that he is known to rely on none, but the Hindus
to guard his palace. In fact the number of Hindu Mansabdar’s in the
Mughal army grew to the highest during Aurangzeb's reign. They
were even greater than those in the tenure of Akbar. (further
references on this topic are available in ‘Hindu Participation in
Muslim Administration in Medieval India, by M. K. A. Siddiqui,
Institute of Objective Studies, Kolkata, 2002).

This fact combined with events lends huge credibility to the assertion
that upper class Hindus used the Mughal’s as pawns to push their
own agenda of demonizing Sikhism as they were worried about mass
conversion of Hindus to Sikhism. Guru Nanak's teachings resonated
with many Hindus who converted to 'Sikhism', so after Guru Nanak's
death, the Hindus came up with many schemes to pollute Sikhism
with Hindu rituals as a way to trap Sikhs and assimilate them back
into the Hindu fold. The upper class Hindus exploited the one single
common practices they shared with the Mughals – The Caste System.

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 Proof of this is that Banda Singh Bahadur was a great reformer and
strongly followed Guru Nanak. Following Guru Nanak’s teachings he
broke down the barriers of caste, creed and religion. He appointed
sweepers and cobblers as senior officers before whom high caste
Hindus, Brahmins and Kshatriyas stood with folded hands awaiting
their orders. Banda Singh distributed all his riches among his
followers. He abolished the ‘Zamindari’ system and established
peasant-proprietorship making peasants as actual masters of the soil
they till. Both the Mughals and the Hindus were horrified by this.
They joined forces against Banda Singh Bahadur to protect the Caste
System. The Hindus knew that the Mughal rulers were in India
primarily as 'rulers' and not champions of Islam and hence were more
interested in securing their throne and gaining additional territory.
This is evident from their policy of trusting Hindus as their most
trusted Ministers (wazirs) in courts and as Generals (Mansabdars) in
their Army – who spearheaded the atrocities against the Sikhs under
the Mughals flag. Had the Mughals desired to convert everyone to
'Islam' in India then the Hindu's would have been the real target and
not the Sikhs – as Sikhs were in such a small relative minority.
Furthermore, a Muslim invader, Babar the Mughal dynasty founder,
destroyed the Pathaans in 1521 AD and Nadir Shah, a Pathaan
destroyed the Mughals in 1739 AD confirming that these rulers were
in India for wealth and power and not to promote Islam.

There were several attempts and movements to reform the Sikhism to

its past glory. First one being Nirankari movement, which was started by
Baba Dyal (b.1783- d.1855) in 1853. He was a contemporary of Ranjit
Singh. A man of humble origin. He preached against the rites and rituals
that were creeping into Sikhism. He saw that Sikhism was being
assimilated into Hindusim in front of his eyes. His main target was the
worship of images against which he preached vigorously. He re-
emphasized the Sikh belief in Nirankar—the Formless One. From this,
the movement originating from his message came to be known as the
Nirankari movement. As mentioned earlier, the Nirankari movement
was influential in shaping the views of Tatt Khalsa Sikh beliefs and
practices.

In 1873 AD, the Sikhs in Amritsar were so conditioned to having Hindu

idols in the Gurdwaras that they attempted to merge Sikhism with
Hinduism and formed the Sanatan Singh Sabha as the original Singh

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Sabha. It was essentially Sanatan (meaning 'eternal', almost
synonymous with Hinduism). In 1879 AD, the Sanatan Sikhs (Udasis,
Nirmalas and the Namdharis) were challenged by Tatt Khalsa (the 'True
Khalsa') Singh Sabha founded in Lahore (Pakistan) and eventually
Sanatan Singh Sabha was marginalized as majority of Sikh community
criticized the Sanatan Singh Sabha as having more in common with
Hinduism than Sikhism.

Although original Tatt Khalsa are Sikhs made by Sri Guru Gobind Singh,
the leader of Tatt Khalsa Singh Sabha was Bhai Gurmukh Singh, a
professor at the Oriental College of Lahore. He influenced Bhai Kanh
Singh of Nabha, a notable scholar, to write Mahan Kosh (encyclopedia
of Sikhism) and Ham Hindu Nahin (We are not Hindus). Bhai Gurmukh
Singh and Bhai Kanh Singh also cooperated with Max Arthur MacAuliffe,
a divisional judge, to undertake the translation of Granth Sahib
(completed in 1909).

Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh, known by its more popular name
of ‘Mahan Kosh’, is a Punjabi language encyclopedia compiled by Bhai
Kahn Singh Nabha over fourteen years. It was the first Punjabi
encyclopedia and contains more than 70,000 words, some of them
have sufficient reference from Guru Granth Sahib, Dasam Granth, Gur
Pratap Suraj Granth and from other Sikhism books. It is considered a
groundbreaking work in terms of its impact and its level of scholarship.
Mahan Kosh has 64,263 entries arranged in the alphabetical order of
the Gurmukhi script covering religious and historical terms in the Sikh
canon. Each entry records the etymology and different meanings of a
term "according to its usage at different places in different works"
alongside textual quotations. When words of Perso-Arabic or Sanskrit
origin appear they are reproduced in their original scripts to inform
readers of their correct pronunciation and connotation.

While studying two existing titles, Pandit Tara Singh Narotam's Granth
Guru Girarth Kos (1895) and Hazara Singh's Sri Guru Granth Kos
(1899), Bhai Kanh Singh of Nabha realized there would be great value
in a lexicography on words occurring in Sikh historical texts as well as
in the Guru Granth Sahib because it would promote literacy and
critical studies in Punjabi.

On May 12, 1912 Bhai Kanh Singh of Nabha resigned his position in

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 Nabha State and began work on the project. His original patron,
Maharaja Brijindar Singh of Faridkot State, who had earlier sponsored
scholarly work on the Guru Granth Sahib died in 1918. His other
patron, Maharaja Ripudaman Singh was forced to abdicate his throne
in 1923 by the British. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala State then
offered to underwrite the entire expense of printing. Kahn Singh
finished the work on February 6, 1926 and printing began on October
26, 1927 at the Sudarshan Press in Amritsar, owned by the poet Dhani
Ram Chatrik. The first printing, in four volumes, was finished on April
13, 1930. The Languages Department of Punjab, Patiala then published
Mahan Kosh in one volume and it has gone through three editions, the
latest released in 1981. The Punjabi University in Patiala has translated
it into English.

THE MAHANT ERA AND SAKA NANKANA

The seventy years post Sikh Wars (from 1850 to 1920 AD) were
extremely painful for Rai Bular’s descendants as well as the Sikh
community in Nankana Sahib. It was painful to see their land being
usurped and mismanaged by total strangers purely for profit and for
financing the British wars. Wheat and Rice grown on 750 Morrabas
(approx. 20,000 acres) of land gifted by Rai Bular to Guru Nanak was
being used to finance wars instead of promoting peace. The grains were
shipped to feed the British Army on the battle fields - even as far away
as South Africa where the Second Boer War was being fought between
the British Empire and two Boer states, the South African Republic
(Republic of Transvaal) and the Orange Free State, over the Empire's
influence in South Africa. All this while there were six famines in India in
a short period of 40 years (Upper Doab famine of 1860–61, Orissa
famine of 1866, Rajputana famine of 1869, Bihar famine of 1873–74,
Great Famine of 1876–78 (also Southern India famine of 1876–78),
Indian famine of 1896–97 and the Indian famine of 1899–1900). Over 15
million Indian natives perished in hunger during the British Raj while the
Mahants were amassing wealth and the British were feeding their
soldiers.

The collective helplessness of Rai Bular’s descendants and the Tatt

Khalsa community only worsened when the British further financially
empowered the Hindu Mahants in Punjab. With availability of water
from the irrigation canals built by the British, the Gurdwaras and
agriculture land of Nankana Sahib became the most lucrative enterprise
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for the Mahants. Agricultural incomes of the Mahants sky rocketed, and
they became richer and more powerful - leading luxuriant and in some
cases immoral life styles, so much so, that Naraindass (Narayan Das),
the Mahant of Gurdwara Janam Asthan had publically retained Muslim
women as prostitutes. It was also alleged that several Sikh pilgrim ladies
had been raped and maltreated in Janam Asthan by the Mahant and his
associates. Furthermore, some Mahants had secretly sold off and even
otherwise transferred the Gurdwara lands to their other family
members and kin. This was the state of Gurdwaras all over the Punjab.
The leaders of the Sikhs assembled at Amritsar on 15th November 1920
to assess the situation and formed a committee called the ‘Shiromani
Committee’ (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee - SGPC), to
address the Gurdwara problems in their entirety. They decided to oust
the Mahants and Pujaris from all the Gurdwaras, remove the idols and
all symbols of Hinduism and take the management of the Gurdwaras in
their own hands. The chosen method was to remain strictly non-violent
and even in cases of aggression from the Mahants or any other party
the Sikhs were to offer only passive resistance.

On the morning of 20th February, 1921, a group of about 130 unarmed

Sikhs led by Bhai Lachhman Singh entered the Gurdwara Janamashtan in
Nankana Sahib. The Mahant had advance warning of their arrival and
had hired dozens of Pathan mercenaries and Hindu Mahant loyalists
who took up positions and hid behind the Gurdwara’s high walls. When
the Sikhs entered the Gurdwara, the mercenaries started shooting
indiscriminately and butchered the non-resisting Sikhs, including those
who were already busy in their prayers within the Gurdwara precincts.
More than 260 Sikhs were killed, the youngest of them being a little boy
of eight years, Sardar Darbara Singh, son of Sardar Kehar Singh. The
Mahant’s mercenaries then collected the dead as well as the wounded
into various heaps, sprinkled kerosene oil and burnt them all.

The news of this criminal act spread like wild fire all over and another
group of 2,200 men led by Bhai Kartar Singh Jhabbar arrived at Nankana
Sahib on the 21st afternoon. The Mahant was very well connected and
no one was daring to file formal charges against him for his arrest.
Fortunately, the Zaildar of the region was one of the 15th descendants of
Rai Bular, the son of Rai Sardar, the Bhatti elder who had reservations
about giving charge of the Gurdwaras to the Mahants three decades
earlier. The ‘Zaildar’ was a position based title of the ‘Grand Jagirdar’

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(landlord) of the area, who was in charge of a ‘Zail’ which was an
administrative unit of group of villages during the British Indian Empire.
As Zaildar, Rai Rehmat wielded sufficient authority and despite threats
to his life from the Mahant’s mercenary troops, he boldly ordered an
arrest warrant of the powerful Mahant. Mahant Narayan Das was
arrested but many of the mercenaries had scattered and escaped.
Gurdwara Janamashtan was cordoned by the British military force that
conveniently arrived only after the incident was well over. After this
ordeal was over, the Government handed over the possession of
Janamashtan to a committee of seven Sikhs headed by Sardar Harbans
Singh, a descendant of General Sham Singh of Attari, the hero of the
battle of Sabroan fought by the Sikhs against the English in 1846 AD.
Thus control of Gurdwara Janamashtan passed into the hands of the
Sikh community as a whole. Every year on 21st of February, Guru Granth
Sahib's Swaroop with Bullet marks is brought to Deewan (assembly)
from 2pm to 4pm for darshan of the Sikh Sangat at Gurdwara
Janamashtan to honor the Shaheeds.

Mahatma Gandhi visited Nankana Sahib on March 3, 1921. Addressing

the gathering, Mahatma said: "I have come to share your anguish and
grief. It is interesting indeed to note that the Sikhs in this drama
remained peaceful and non-violent from the start to the end. This (role
of the Sikhs) has greatly added to the glory and prestige of India. All
indications point to the fact that the cruel and barbaric action is the
second edition of Jallianwala Bagh massacre; rather more evil and more
invidious than even Jallianwala”. Gandhi further spoke: "the action of
these dimensions could not be perpetrated by the Mahant alone. The
government officers are also involved in this heinous crime. Where had
the authorities gone when the Mahant was making preparations for
murderous plans?"

Mahant Narayan Das and the few captured mercenaries were charged
with murder and were sentenced to death. The Mahants of the other
five Gurdwaras at Nankana Sahib peacefully gave over the control of
their respective shrines to the Sikh Committee, and some of them
arrived at a settlement regarding the properties held by them while a
few resisted. Eventually the Punjab Sikh Gurdwaras Act was enforced in
1926 under which a specially constituted Gurdwara Tribunal heard the
claims and counter claims of the parties and barring four or five out of
about 50 property cases - all were decided in favor of the committee.

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Bhai Pheru Morcha - 1922
In 1922, the Gurdwara Sangat Sahib (also known as Gurdwara Bhai
Pheru) incident took place. This Gurdwara is located in ‘Mien ke Maur’
in Lahore district, about 15 km from Changa Manga railway station. This
Gurdwara is dedicated to the memory of Bhai Pheru (1640- 1706), a
masand in the time of Guru Har Rai who was honoured for his devotion
by Guru Gobind Singh with the titles of Sachchi Dahri (True Bearded)
and Sangat Sahib. This was an important shrine, with 2,750 acres of land
attached to it, and was being managed by Mahant Kishan Das.
After the Saka Nankana earlier in 1921, Hindu Mahants (priests) had
started voluntarily handing over all Gurdwaras under their control to
the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Mahant Kishan
Das transferred the Gurdwara Bhai Pheru to the Committee on Dec. 28
1922. The Mahant later went back on the agreement he had signed and
petitioned the British government to have the shrine and the lands
restored to him. On Dec. 7. 1923 the police arrested the Manager, Jagat
Singh, and eleven other representatives of the Shiromani Gurdwara
Parbandhak Committee. The possession of the shrine and the estate
was restored to Mahant Kishan Das. However, the decision of the
deputy commissioner of Lahore on the Gurdwara lands went in favour
of the Shiromani Committee and, as its representatives they arrived at
the Gurdwara to take charge. Mahant Kishan Das and his tenant Pala
Ram, brother of Mahant Narain Das, of Sri Nankana Sahib, lodged a
complaint with police that the Akalis were forcibly taking possession of
his property. The Police arrested 34 Akalis on January 2, 1924. The
government revised its earlier decision given in favour of the Shiromani
Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and passed fresh orders declaring
Pala Ram to be temporarily in possession of the land. Akalis launched a
Morcha (gathering for protest) in protest even as the morcha at Jaito
was still continuing. Jathas or batches of Akali volunteers started
marching to Bhai Pheru from different parts of the district.

On January 5, 1924, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee

took the campaign into its own hands. By 10 September 1925, the
number of arrests had reached 6,372. Eventually the Gurdwara and the
lands attached to it came under the Committee's control after the Sikh
Gurdwaras Act of 1925 was passed by the Punjab Legislative Council,
and the court case too was decided in the Committee's favour in June
1931.

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Post 1947 Sikh events
Post 1947, the Sikhs the Sikhs have struggled for constitutional rights
along with granting Sikhs’ their religious rights which had already been
granted to other communities. Indian Government has dragged the
issues using prolonged negotiations and has shown little concern for the
Sikh demands. In order to divert public attention from the real issues,
the Indian government used their entire media to present a false image
of the Sikh struggle for constitutional and religious rights to brand it as a
secessionist movement trying to break up India. To make matters
worse, the Nirankari movement was hijacked by Arya Samajis and other
neo Hindu fanatics who wanted Sikhs to assimilate into the Hindu
religion. These New Neo Nirankaris (also called Nakali Nirankaris) who
believed in "Living Gurus" confronted Sikhs at Amritsar in 1978 on the
Baisakhi day (April 13, 1978). The living guru "Gurbachan" of these
Nakali Nirankaris got permission from the authorities of the Amritsar
district to do the procession in the Sikhs main city Amritsar on Vaisakhi
creating an extremely inflammable situation. During the procession in
the Sikhs main city Amritsar on Vaisakhi day, he was trying to create
Seven Stars just like Guru Gobind Singh had created five beloved one's,
obviously to prove to the Sikhs that he is more or less like Guru Gobind
Singh (a very serious blasphemy for Sikhs, it is like telling Christians or
Muslims that "I am Christ" or "I am Mohammad"). When the Sikhs
heard that the ‘Nakali Nirankari Gurbachan Singh’ was holding a
procession in Amritsar and was shouting slogans against the Satguru
and shouting insults against the Sikh religion, a confrontation was not a
surprise. Some Sikhs of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha (The AKJ has been
called a purist or fundamentalist group within Sikhism because it
believes that the words of the Guru Granth are literally the words of the
Guru, asserting that no interpretation of scriptural passages by others is
necessary, whose meaning is clear and self-evident) and the Bhindra
Jatha (led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale) were stopped by the police
authorities and were fired upon killing 13 and wounding over 70 Sikhs.
After the 1978 clash between the Sikhs and Nakali Nirankari’s, further
tensions between Hindu and Sikhs grew in India.

Unfortunately, the Hindu’s of Punjab also did not stand behind the
rights of the Sikhs and the very State they lived in and instead decided
to side with the Indian government imploring it to take strict action
against the Sikhs. Eventually tragedy struck when the Indian
government launched an attack on June 6th 1984 on the Sikh Golden
156 | P a g e
Temple in Amritsar and on several other Gurdwaras throughout Punjab.
Thousands of innocent Sikhs were massacred and the damage done to
the Sikh psyche was irreversible. June 6, 1984, was like a dagger through
the heart for Sikhs everywhere in the world and deeply damaged and
Hindu-Sikh relations. These relations can only be repaired over time and
that too if the ‘Hindutva’ mindset is minimized in India and India returns
to its core principles of ‘Secularism’ as a dominant mindset. Hindutva is
an ideology seeking to establish the hegemony of Hindus and the Hindu
way of life. Hindutva (which means "Hinduness") is the predominant
form of Hindu nationalism in India. The term was popularized by
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in 1923. It is championed by the Hindu
nationalist volunteer organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),
Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Hindu Sena. The Hindutva movement
has been described as "almost fascist in the classical sense", adhering to
a disputed concept of homogenized majority and cultural hegemony –
and with an extreme form of "conservatism" and "ethnic absolutism".
Hindutva opposes the core concept of Hinduism – which is leading a
meaning-full life. Hinduism guides people towards Moksha, whereas
Hindutva guides people to acquire political power. Hinduism is a
religious believe, but Hindutva is a political movement.

A gifted child boy born in Talwandi - Guru Nanak, taught the world that
'Truth is High - but living a Truthful life is Higher'. He taught us that one
should live an honest and truthful life. That one must focus more on
'Function' and less on 'Form'. That one must be 'Human First' before
anything else.

His followers, the people of the Sikh faith have endured tremendous
amount of hardships, pain and suffering at the hands of a select
ignorant and uncompassionate Mughals, Afghan Invaders, Hindu Elites
and British colonists over the centuries who tried relentlessly to
suppress his message of peace and interfaith harmony.

The major effort to suppress the message of Guru Nanak started

immediately after Emperor Akbar's death in 1605 AD, when Jehangir
became the fourth Mughal Emperor. Jehangir's ministers (both Muslims
and Hindus) impressed upon Emperor Jehangir to counter the spread of
the teachings of social equality of Guru Nanak - teachings in which all
people have the same status and there are no legally enforced social
classes and caste boundaries. Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh Guru leading this

157 | P a g e
message had growing in popularity which made many fanatic Hindus
and Muslims jealous, particularly Chandu Shah, an influential Hindu
banker and revenue official of Jahangir and Prithi Chand, the older
brother of Guru Arjan.

Emperor Jehangir, who was a widely considered to have been a weak

and incapable ruler (reference: Orientalist Henry Beveridge, editor of
the Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, who compares Jahangir to the Roman emperor
Claudius, for both were "weak men... in their wrong places as rulers")
had Guru Arjan imprisoned where he soon after died. Ironically Emperor
Jehangir was so ill-informed that he was not even clear on what Sikhism
stood for.

It was only after Guru Arjan's unwarranted death, the sixth Guru, Guru
Har Gobind Rai made the difficult and painful decision to ask his Sikhs to
take up arms and learn the skills of the sword to defend themselves and
others from tyranny and cruelty of governments and rulers or else Guru
Nanak's message will perish. The Sikhs were left with no choice but to
arm themselves. From 1606 onwards, the Sikhs began to learn how to
use the sword and over time became skillful and fierce fighters for their
survival. Fortunately, due to the strong belief and commitment of the
Sikhs to the teachings of Guru Nanak, no power and no amount of
wealth has been able to derail the Sikhs from their course of seeking a
lifestyle of 'Truthful Living' since.

The Sikh faith has survived numerous assaults, perhaps more than any
other known faith. There is no doubt that Guru Nanak's followers
survived because of their resilience and spiritually rooted beliefs about
justice and dignity without fear as evidenced in Zafarnama (literally,
"epistle of victory") - the letter sent by 10th and last living Guru, Guru
Gobind Singh to the last of the great Mughals, Emperor Aurangzeb in
1705. Over the past centuries, Sikhs have grown in numbers and will
continue to grow because of their strong belief in Guru Nanak's
message that was first broadcast from Rai Bhoe-Di-Talwandi and then
carried on foot to many places in our world.

Today, wherever you go in the world, one can see that the Sikh
community is exemplary in hard work, honesty, respect for the women,
respect for other faiths and cultures, compassion for the less privileged
and constantly vying for living a peaceful and harmonious life. What else

158 | P a g e
could be a better testament to the success of Guru Nanak and Rai
Bular's message?

Nankana Sahib Today

The total area of the estate that had been gifted to Guru Nanak by Rai
Bular including the non-agricultural land under the town of Nankana
Sahib, various habitations of the Gurdwara tenants, approach roads,
irrigation channels, and the railway line, comprising 17,675 acres was
declared to be original Gurdwara property, though some of it had been
acquired by the Government for public purposes. The actual agricultural
area gifted by Rai Bular that finally passed into the hands of the Sikh
Committee was about 15,927 acres. Ironically, even after 1947 partition,
the greedy business minded people, real-estate con-artists and even
corrupt government officials and politicians constantly schemed to
transfer this gifted land illegally, either for phony projects to make a
quick profit or to transfer the land to their relatives and kin. Fortunately,
Rai Bular’s descendants keep a close eye and remain vigilant and quickly
highlight and thwart such acts of theft and fraud on Guru Nanak’s land.
As long as Rai Bular’s descendants live, this land shall be guaranteed to
remain the Property of Guru Nanak.

On Feb 06, 2013, a ruling by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed of the Pakistan
Supreme Court observed that the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB)
and even members of the Sikh community had no right to dispose of the
land and these properties would remain part of the Gurdwaras forever.

The kernel of love, sown by the great humanist Guru Nanak and his
revered disciple Rai Bular continued to sprout and flourish over
centuries. Rai Hussein Bhatti, the 15th generation head of the
descendants of Rai Bular Sahib is credited with personally escorting over
one thousand Hindus and Sikhs to the Pakistan-India border during the
turbulence of the 1947 partition of India by the British. He established
the village of Kot Hussain, just three miles from Gurdwara Janamashtan,
where people from all castes lived together as a single family.

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The Ten Gurus (1469 AD – 1708 AD)

160 | P a g e
WAYS OF SIKH LIVING TODAY
In Sikhism, worship is a way of life. Many Sikhs believe that they should
dedicate their lives to Waheguru and follow the teachings of the Guru
Granth Sahib. Sikhs always try to keep Waheguru in their mind, which
will ensure their actions are Gurmukh, meaning God-centred.

Amrit Sanskar initiation ceremony: The Amrit Sanskar ceremony is an

important event in a Sikh's life. It shows that a Sikh has decided to show
commitment to the Khalsa. This ceremony was first initiated by Guru
Gobind Singh when he founded the Khalsa in 1699. Some of the key
features of the Amrit Sanskar ceremony are:

 The person who is being initiated into Khalsa wears the five Ks.
 At least six Amritdhari Sikhs (Sikhs who have already been initiated)
are present at the ceremony.
 A Granthi reads from the Guru Granth Sahib.
 The Panj Pyare - the group of Sikhs who perform the Amrit Sanskar
ceremony - then sit around the cauldron and stir the Amrit mixture
(a mixture of sugar and water) with a Khanda (double-edge straight
sword).
 The person who is being initiated is given the name Singh, meaning
'Lion', if they are male and Kaur, meaning 'Princess', if they are
female.
 The congregation then share Karah Parshad (It is a type of semolina
halva made with equal portions of whole-wheat flour, clarified
butter, and sugar).

Amritdhari Sikhs and Sahajdhari Sikhs

The discussion of the intricacies of today’s Sikh faith is not in the scope
of this book nor does the author has a deep understanding of the
politics and other aspects that give rise to these intricacies. However it
is important to mention - at a very high level, the events that gave rise
to these intricasies. To understand this, consider a large pool of people
roughly 500 years ago, who inspired by the teachings of Guru Nanak and
the Gurus that followed, gradually give up the rigid caste practices of
Brahmanism and the codified rituals of Hindu idol worship and Satti,
and moved towards a deeper understanding of the idea of one God of
161 | P a g e
all humanity echoed in the Sufi/Bhakti tradition by Muslim and Hindu
poets, and from various castes including Dalits. However, invaders,
regional rulers and orthodox zealots of the time form an alliance and
persecute these ever-growing people to protect their hierarchy, caste,
traditions and rituals. Feeling the need to defend themselves and rise
against injustice, Guru Gobind created a group of armed warriors - the
Khalsa, or the pure. Like any army, the Khalsa has its discipline and
codes.

Over time, the rich and immensely meaningful spectrum of Sikh thought
of Guru Nanak and the fierce protection of this thought by Guru Gobind
– which at that time could only be protected by taking up arms, gave
those seeking to divide the Sikhs an opportunity to create narratives
and make followers choose between the legacy of Guru Nanak and Guru
Gobind as if their thoughts were any different. The fact is that Guru
Gobind had no choice left but to create the Khalsa code to protect the
Sikh faith without which the Sikhs might have perished altogether.

With this as the backdrop now in the modern world, there are generally
two ways of ‘Sikh living’. There is the Amritdhari way and the
Shahjdhari way. The Amritdhari Sikhs are the individuals who have gone
through the Amrit Sanskar initiation ceremony. These Sikhs belong to
the Khalsa. They must follow the rules of the Rahit Maryada, the Sikh
code of conduct to include:

 They must wear the five Ks, which are; the Kesh, the Kanga, the
Kara, the Kachera and the Kirpan. In addition to not cutting their
hair, they must always keep it clean and most wear a turban.
 They must pay Daswandh (10% earnings to the poor).
 They must not eat meat that has been ritually slaughtered (such
as halal meat). However, most Amritdhari Sikhs are vegetarian.
 They must not drink alcohol or gamble.
 They must not arrange marriages for their children for financial
gain. modern

Sikhs who have not gone through the Amrit Sanskar initiation
ceremony are known as Sahajdhari Sikhs (Sahajdhari or Sehajdhari -
literally means "slow adopter"). The Sahajdhari Sikhs believe in all the
tenets of Sikhism and the teaching of the Sikh Gurus but do not put all
162 | P a g e
of them into practice. These Sikhs follow the Guru Granth Sahib but
have not been initiated into the Khalsa. These Sikhs are just as much a
part of the sangat as Amritdhari Sikhs. Anybody who is part of a Sikh
family can be part of the sangat.

The reasons for not being part of the Khalsa are many, including not
being disciplined enough to maintain the Khalsa discipline and code of
conduct or due to personal reasons such as perhaps lack of
commitment. In the Sikh community these reasons are considered valid,
as to renege upon them or break the Khalsa code of conduct, once
becoming a baptized Sikh Khalsa, is considered one of the greatest sins
in Sikhism, so it is better not to commit (by not becoming a baptized
Khalsa Sikh) rather than to fall short later. They may have aspirations of
receiving the rites of Khalsa baptism one day and maintaining the Five
Ks, nevertheless, the ultimate ideal which they must realize in their
lifetime is to become a baptized Sikh - a Khalsa.

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 THE FIVE K’S OF KHALSA

1. Kesh (uncut hair)

2. Kara (a steel bracelet)
3. Kangha (a wooden comb)
4. Kirpan (steel sword)
5. Kaccha (cotton underwear)

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165 | P a g e
LIST OF ALL SIKH GURDWARAS IN PAKISTAN
Names City / Town

Balochistan Province
Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Kallat Kallat

Gurdwara Tilgenji Sahib, Quetta Quetta

KPK (Kyber Pakhtun Khawa) Province

Gurdwara Bhai Than Singh, Attock Attock

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Balakot (Hazara) Balakot, Hazara

Gurdwara Bhai Bannu Mangat Bannu

Gurdwara Danna Khel, Bannu Bannu

Gurdwara Jogiwara, Bannu Bannu

Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Dhamial Dhamial

Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Chitti Gatti, Mansehra

Mansehra, Distt. Hazara
Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Mansehra Mansehra

Gurdwara Patshahi, Naralil Naralil

Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh, Peshawar Peshawar

Gurdwara Gurhattti, Peshawar Peshawar

Gurdwara Sri Diyal Sar Topi, Rakh Topi, KPK Rakh Topi

Northern Areas
Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Balakot Balakot

Gurdwara Chota Nanakiana, Sakardu Sakardu

Punjab Province
Gurdwara Dharam Shala, Pehli Patshahi -

Gurdwara Panjvin Patshahi, Sheikhrumi -

Gurdwara Shala, Bhai Hamam Singh Ji -

Gurdwara Shikar Gurah Sahib Kachha -

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Gurdwara Puncham Patshahi, Beharwal, Distt. Beharwal
Kasur
Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Burewala Burewala

Khuh Baba Farid 17 Eb, Burewala Burewala

Gurdwara Panjvin Patshahi, Chak Ram Das, Chak Ram Das

Gujranwala Distt.
Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Kattas, Chakwal Chakwal

Gurdwara Ameer Shah Ji, D.I. Khan D.I. Khan

Gurdwara Dharamshala Guru Nanak Dev Ji D.I. Khan

Gurdwara Kali Devi, D.I.Khan D.I. Khan

Gurdwara Darbar Sri Chand Bhumman Shah, Dipalpur

18Km from Dipalpur
Gurdwara Chota Nankiana, Dipalpur, Okara Dipalpur

Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Kotli Bhaga Village, Eimenabad

Eimenabad
Gurdwara Bhai Lalu Di Khuhi, Eimenabad Eimenabad

Gurdwara Chaki Sahib, Eimenabad Eimenabad

Gurdwara Rohri Sahib, Eimenabad Eimenabad

Gurdwara Shaheed Bhai Daleep Singh Ji, Chak 132 Faisalabad

RB (Chak Jhumra)
Gurdwara Sacha Sauda, Choorhkana/Farooqabad Farooqabad

Gurdwara Sach Khand, Choorhkana/Farooqabad Farooqabad

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi Fateh Bhinder (Sialkot Fateh Bhinder

Distt.)
Gurdwara Damdma Saheb, Gujranawala Gujranawala

Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Galotian Kalan, Near Gujranwala

Gujranwala
Gurdwara Bhai Lalu, Village Tatliali, District Gujranwala
Gujranwala
Gurdwara Khara Sahib, Bhaike Mattu (2Km from Gujranwala
Noshehra' Virkan, Tehsil Gujranwala)
Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Bazurgwal Village, Gujrat
Union Council of Gujrat District
Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Gujrat Gujrat

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Gurdwara NanakSar, Dinga, Gujrat Gujrat

Mizar Hazrat Shah Daula, Gujrat Gujrat

Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Hafizabad Hafizabad

Gurdwara Guru Ramdas Ji Dhuni, Hafizabad Hafizabad

Gurdwara Ichhaprik Vinni, Hafizabad Hafizabad

Gurdwara Pind Bachhe, Hafizabad Hafizabad

Gurdwara NanakSar, Harrapa Harrapa

Gurdwara Punja Sahib, Hassan Abdal Hassan Abdal

Gurdwara Kir Ji Sahib, Jaesukhwala Jaesukhwala

Gurdwara Bhai Karam Singh, Jehlum Jehlum

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi Bal Gundai, Tila Joggian, Jehlum

Jehlum
Gurdwara Bhai Khan Chand at Magghiana, Distt. Jhang
Jhang
Gurdwara Garh Shah Fatah, Jhang Jhang

Gurdwara NanakSar, Jhang Jhang

Gurdwara Dharam Shala Bhai Hema Ji Magghiana, Jhang

Jhang
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, Narowal Kartarpur

Gurdwara Baba Ram Thaman Ji, Kasur Kasur

Gurdwara Bhai Behiul Qadivind, Kasur Kasur

Gurdwara Haulm Sahib Bhamavan, Kasur Kasur

Gurdwara Jhari Sahib Targe, Kasur Kasur

Gurdwara Maal Ji Sahib, KanganPur, Kasur Kasur

Gurdwara Manji Sahib Manak Deke, Kasur Kasur

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi Alpa, Kasur Kasur

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi Bheelgrani, Kasur Kasur

Gurdwara Tham Sahib Jumber, Kasur Kasur

Gurdwara Janam Asthan Mata Saheb Kaur Ji Kaur

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Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Chungi Amarsadhu, Lahore

Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Guru Mangat, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Jhallian, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Minhala Kalan, Lahore

Lahore
Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Padhana Village, Lahore
Distt, Lahore
Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Rampura, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Baoli Sahib, Rang Mahal, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Beri Sahib Kharak, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Budhu Da Aava, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Chaubacha Sahib, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Chaumala Sahib, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Hadyara Village, Distt Lahore

Lahore
Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Mozang, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Chota Nankiana, Manga, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Devan Khana, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Janam Asthan Bebe Nanaki, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Sat Guru Ram Dass Ji, Lahore

Chuna Mandi Bazar, Dehli Darwaza
Gurdwara Laal Khooh, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Lahora Sahib, Jahman, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Nanak Garh, Badami Bagh, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi Manak, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Samadhi Baba Shri Chand, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Shaheed Gunj Bhai Mani Singh Ji, Masti Lahore

Gate
Gurdwara Shaheed Gunj Bhai Taroo Singh Ji, Lahore
Naulakha Bazar

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Gurdwara Shaheed Gunj Singh Singhania, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Tibba Baba Farid, Lahore Lahore

Mizar Sain Hazrat Mian Meer Ji Lahore

Samadh Baba Shri Chand, Lahore Lahore

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Chohatta Mufti Baqar Lahore

Gurdwara Bal Lila, Nankana Sahib Nankana Sahib

Gurdwara Sacchi Manji Pehli Patshahi, Haftmadar Nankana Sahib

Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib Nankana Sahib

Gurdwara Kabar Rai Bular, Nankana Sahib Nankana Sahib

Gurdwara Kirara Sahib, Nankana Sahib Nankana Sahib

Gurdwara Maal Ji Sahib, Nankana Sahib Nankana Sahib

Gurdwara Panjvin & Chhevin Patshahi, Nankana Nankana Sahib

Sahib
Gurdwara Panjvin Patshahi, Jatri Village, (Bhai Nankana Sahib
Pheru-Khunda / Balluki Head Work)
Gurdwara Patti Sahib, Nankana Sahib Nankana Sahib

Gurdwara Tamboo Sahib, Nankana Sahib Nankana Sahib

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Mallah village, Shah Narowal

Gharib (9 miles from Narowal)
Gurdwara Chota Nankiana, Hujra Shah Muqeem, Okara
Okara
Gurdwara Bhuman Shah, Distt. Okara Okara

Gurdwara Chota Nankiana, Okara Okara

Gurdwara NanakSar, Tibba Abhor, Distt Pakpattan Pakpattan

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Pakpattan Pakpattan

Gurdwara Tibba Nanaksar, Pakpattan Pakpattan

Gurdwara Panjvin Patshahi, Hanjra, (near Pattoki / Pattoki

Lahore)
Gurdwara Malrhdoompur, Pohran Pohran

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi Deoke, Pusrur Pusrur

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Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Rasool Nagar Rasool Nagar

Gurdwara Bhai Mani Singh, Rawalpindi Rawalpindi

Gurdwara Nirankari, Rawalpindi Rawalpindi

Gurdwara Singh Sabah, Rawalpindi Rawalpindi

Gurdwara Choa Sahib, Rothas Rohtas

Dargah Baba Farid Ganj Shakar Sahiwal

Gurdwara Nanaksar, Sahiwal Sahiwal

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Seoke Seoke

Gurdwara Ajnianwala, 20 miles from Sheikhupura Sheikhupura

on Hafizabad Road
Chillah Gah Hazrat Hamza Ghaus, (near Gurdwara Sialkot
Baba Bair Sahib, Mohalla Baba Bair)
Gurdwara Baoli Sahib, Sialkot Sialkot

Gurdwara Ber Sahib, Sialkot Sialkot

Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Dhilwan Sialkot

Gurdwara Gurusar Rehsma, Sialkot Sialkot

Gurdwara Nanaksar Tilakpur, Sialkot Sialkot

Gurdwara Talhi Sahib Rehsma, Sialkot Sialkot

Gurdwara Thara Sahib, Uchsharif Uch Sharif

Gurdwara Guru Da Kotha, Wazirabad Wazirabad

Sindh Province
Gurdwara NanakVara, Kandhkot Kandhkot

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi Clifton, Karachi Karachi

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Karachi Karachi

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi Bulani, Larkana Larkana

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Mirpur Khas Mirpur Khas

Gurdwara Thara Sahib, Sakhi Sarwar Sakhi Sarwar

Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Shikarpur Sindh Shikarpur

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Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, Jindpur Sukkhur Sukkhur

Gurdwara Sadhu Bela, Sukkur Sukkhur

Dharam Shala, Bhai Harnam Singh Ji

Dharam Shala, Pehli Patshahi

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Key Dates in Guru Nanak’s Life and Sikh History

Date Event Location

1451 Sultan Bahlul Khan Lodhi overthrew Alam Shah of the Delhi
Sayyid dynasty and became Sultan of Delhi Sultanate.
April 15, 1469 Birth of Guru Nanak Rai Bhoe Di
Talwandi
1476 Age 7 Yrs., Discovery by Nanki and Rai Bular of young Rai Bhoe Di
Nanak’s extraordinary knowledge Talwandi
Nanak starts School with Pundit Gopal and later with Rai Bhoe Di
Pundit Brijlal. Talwandi
1478 Age 9 Yrs., Nanak starts learning Persian from Maulvi Rai Bhoe Di
Kutb-ud-din. Talwandi
1479 Marriage of Guru Nanak’s sister, Bibi Nanki to Jai Rai Bhoe Di
Ram. Talwandi
1480 Age 11 Yrs., Guru Nanak refuses to wear sacred Rai Bhoe Di
thread on day of Upanayanam / Janeu. He also starts Talwandi
to shun all Hindu customs and rituals.
Rai Bular witnesses the miracle related to young Rai Bhoe Di
Nanak and unattended cows in a field damaging Talwandi
crops.
Rai Bular witnesses the miracle where a Cobra snake Rai Bhoe Di
is protecting Young Nanak from the Sun. Talwandi
Rai Bular witnesses the miracle where a Tree’s shade Rai Bhoe Di
remains fixed on Young Nanak. Talwandi
1485 Age 16 Yrs., Sacha Sauda event – Guru Nanak feeds Chuharkhana,
the Hungry. now
Farooqabad

Age 16 ½ Yrs., Mysterious illness grips Guru Nanak. Rai Bhoe Di

Talwandi
1486 Age 17 Yrs., Guru Nanak is sent to live with his elder Sultanpur
sister Bibi Nanki in Sultanpur. Lodhi
Sept. 24, 1487 Age 18 ½ Yrs., Marriage of Guru Nanak to Bibi Pakhoke /
Sulakhni. Batala
1488 Age 20 Yrs., Guru Nanak starts employment with Sultanpur
Daulat Khan Lodhi as Store Keeper. Lodhi
1489 Death of Bahlul Khan Lodhi, Sikandar Lodhi becomes Delhi
new Sultan of Delhi Sultanate.

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Oct. 21, 1492 Age of Discovery – American Continent discovered by San Salvador
Christopher Columbus. Islands (the
Bahamas)
Sept. 8, 1494 Birth of Guru Nanak’s First son, Sri Chand Sultanpur
Lodhi
Feb. 12, 1497 Birth of Guru Nanak’s Second son, Lakhmi Chand Sultanpur
Lodhi
May 20, 1498 Age of Discovery - Portuguese explorer Vasco de Calicut and
Gama reaches India by a Sea Route Goa, West
coast India
1499 ‘Drowning incident’ at River ‘Kali Bein’ and his Sultanpur
‘Devine Call’. Lodhi
1500 to 1506 First Udasi (Journey), North Eastern India, Assam. From Rai
Bhoe Di
Talwandi
Discourse with Malik Bhago in Saidpur. Saidpur
(Emenabad)
Discourse with Sajjan the Assassin in Tulamba (near Tulamba
Multan)
‘Watering fields’ incident in Ganges River at Haridwar
Haridwar. Discourse with Brahmins Pundits.
1506 to 1514 Second Udasi (Journey), Central and South India and From Rai
Ceylon Bhoe Di
Talwandi
1511 Meeting with Turkish Sultan Beyzeid-11. Ajmer
Dargah in
Rajasthan
1512 Discourse with Kauda Bheel at the ‘Forest of Bheels’ Kudapa
in a village in Andhra Pardesh. village about
70 km from
Vijayawada
in the
Andhra
Pardesh
1513 Discourse with Raja Shivnabh of Sangla-deep Ceylon (Sri
(Ceylon). Lanka)
1515 Death of Guru Nanak’s sister Bibi Nanki. Rai Bhoe Di
Talwandi
1515 Death of Rai Bular. Rai Bhoe Di
Talwandi
1515 to 1518 Third Udasi (Journey), Northern India, Himalayas, From Rai

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 Ladakh and Tibet. Bhoe Di
Talwandi
1517 Sikandar Lodhi dies and his son Ibrahim Lodhi Delhi
becomes new Sultan of Delhi Sultanate
1518 - 1521 Fourth Udasi (Journey), Middle-East, Mecca and From Rai
Central Asia. Bhoe Di
Talwandi
1521 Arrives in Hasan Abdal – Meeting with Shah Wali Hasan Abdal
Qandhari.
Dec. 24, 1522 Death of Guru Nanak’s father Mehta Kalu. Rai Bhoe Di
Talwandi
April 21, 1526 Zahir-ud-din Babur’s invasion and battle of Panipat. Panipat
Start of the Mughal Empire in India.
Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi’s death in battle in battle in Panipat
Panipat.
Nawab Daulat Khan Lodhi’s death. He died en route Bhera
to prison in Bhera (Sargodha). (Sargodha)
1526 Guru Nanak is 57 years old and is imprisoned in Saidpur
Saidpur by the Mughal Army.
1527 Guru Nanak settles in Kartarpur with his family Kartarpur
Dec. 26, 1530 Mughal Emperor Zahir-ud-din Babur dies and his 22 Delhi
years old son Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad Humayun
becomes Emperor.
Sept. 17, 1539 Guru Nanak appoints his successor. Neither his elder Kartarpur
son, Siri Chand, nor his younger merchant son Lakhmi
Das, met with Guru Nanak’s criteria, instead, Guru
Nanak selected his devoted disciple Bhai Lehna, who
he renamed Guru Angadas.
Sept. 22, 1539 Guru Nanak dies of natural causes at the age of 70 Kartarpur
years.
May 17, 1540 Mughal Emperor Humayun and his brothers Askari Kannauj,
and Hindal defeated by Sher Shah Suri at the battle Agra
of Kannauj (200 Km East of Agra). Humayun goes into
exile. Sher Shah Suri becomes Emperor of India.
Mar 26, 1552 Guru Amar Das becomes the 3rd Guru. Kartarpur
Mar, 29 1552 The 2ndGuru Angadas dies on 29 March, 1552 at age Kartarpur
48 years.
June 22, 1555 Humayun re-establishes the Mughal Empire in India Sirhind-
with the decisive victory over Sikandar Shah Suri at Fatehgarh,
Indian state
175 | P a g e
 the Battle of Sirhind. of Punjab.
Jan 24, 1556 On 24 January 1556, Humayun, with his arms full of
books accidently falls while descending a staircase
and injures himself. He died three days later at age
47.
Feb. 11, 1556 Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a
regent, Bairam Khan at age 14. Bairam Khan helps
Emperor Akbar expand and consolidate Mughal
domains in India.
Sept. 1, 1574 Guru Amar Das dies at the age of 95 years. Guru Ram Ramdaspur
Das succeeds him as 4th Sikh Guru. or Chak
Ramdas.
1576 Sri Chand (1494–1643), the eldest son of Guru Nanak Ramdaspur
and Minas Prithi Chand - the eldest son of Guru Ram or Chak
Das (the 4th Guru) start the Udasi religious sect of Ramdas
ascetic sadhus centered in northern India.
1577 Amritsar (formerly Chak Ramdas) founded by Guru Amritsar,
Ram Das on a site granted by the 3rd Mughal emperor India
Akbar.
Sept. 1, 1581 Guru Ram Das, the 4th Guru dies at age 46 of natural Amritsar,
causes. He is succeeded by Guru Arjan, the 5th Guru. India
1590 Guru Arjan, the 5th Guru visits Talwandi and Rai Bhoe Di
discovers ‘Kalu Da Kotha’ (House of Metha Kalu Talwandi
where Guru Nanak was born) (Nankana
Sahib)
Oct. 27, 1605 Mughal Emperor Akbar dies on Oct. 27, 1605 at age
63.
Nov. 24 1605 Akbar’s son Jehangir, from his Hindu wife Jodha Bai,
becomes the 4th Mughal Emperor at age 46 on Nov.
24 1605.
May 25, 1606 Guru Arjan is arrested under the orders of the Lahore,
Mughal Emperor Jehangir and he dies in custody. He Pakistan
was 43 years old.
May 25, 1606 Guru Hargobind succeeds as 6th Sikh Guru.
1608 The British arrive in India. Mughal Emperor Jehangir Surat (in the
gives permission to Captain William Hawkins of the Gujrat
East India Company to establish facilities in Surat province)
(Gujrat province) for the purpose of trade.
1609 The Miharvan sect emerges. They followed Baba
Prithi Chand (1558 – 1618), the eldest son of Guru
Ram Das after the younger brother Guru Arjan was
officially made the next Guru. They were called
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 Minas by the orthodox Sikhs, a derogatory term
meaning "scoundrels". An alternate non-derogatory
term for them has been the Miharvan Sikhs, after the
son of Prithi Chand. This sect was shunned by
orthodox Sikhs, declared by Guru Gobind Singh as
one of the five ‘Panj Mel’ that a Sikh must avoid.
1615 Sir Thomas Roe is sent by Emperor James-I of Surat (in the
England to Jehangir’s court for more trade Gujrat
concessions. British establish more factories on the province)
Western coast of India.
1621 6th Guru, Guru Hargobind visits Talwandi. Talwandi
(Nankana
Sahib)
Oct. 28, 1627 Jehangir died on the journey from Kashmir to Lahore,
near Sarai Saadabad in Bhimber on Oct. 28, 1627 at
age 58.
Feb. 14, 1628 Prince Khurram (future Shahiahan), the third son of Agra
Emperor Jehangir, becomes the 5th Mughal Emperor
on 14 Feb. 1628 at age 36. His father considered him
his favorite. In 1622, Khurram murdered his blind
older brother, Khusrau Mirza, in order to smooth his
own path to the throne. After Jehangir's death in late
1627, a war of succession ensued, Shahjahan
emerged victorious. He put to death his remaining
two brothers and crowned himself emperor.
Feb. 28 , 1644 Death of Guru Hargobind at age 48 from natural Amritsar
causes.
Mar 8, 1644 Guru Har Rai became the 7th Sikh leader at age 14 Amritsar
after the death of his grandfather and 6th Sikh leader
Guru Hargobind.
1657-58 Dara Shikoh (the first son from Shahjahan’s favorite
wife, Mumtaz Mahal for whom he built the Taj
Mahal) is sheltered by the 7th Guru, Guru Har Rai.
Dara Shikoh was favored as a successor by his father
as he was a liberal-minded and an unorthodox
Muslim as opposed to Aurangzeb.
Mughal Emperor Shahjahan becomes seriously ill in
1658. His eldest son and heir-apparent, Dara Shikoh
(assumed the role of regent in his father's stead. This
started the animosity between Dara Shikoh and his
younger brother Aurangzeb which led to the war of
succession between them.
June 13, 1659 Aurangzeb crowns himself as the 6th Mughal Emperor
on 13 June 1659 at Shalimar Bagh, Delhi. He is 41 yrs.

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Aug. 30 1659 Dara Shikoh loses to Aurangzeb in a bitter struggle
for the Mughal Imperial Throne. He is executed in
1659 on Aurangzeb's orders.
Guru Har Rai is persecuted by Emperor Aurangzeb
with charges of anti-Islamic blasphemy.
Oct 6, 1661 Guru Har Rai dies at a young age of 31 of natural
causes on Oct. 6, 1661.
Guru Har Krishan becomes the 8th Guru at age 5 Amritsar
succeeding his father Guru Har Rai.
Mar 30, 1664 Guru Har Krishan dies at age 8 of smallpox which he Amritsar
contracted while healing the sick people during an
epidemic.
Aug, 20 1664 Guru Tegh Bahadur becomes the 9th Sikh Guru. He Chandni
Opposes the forced conversions of Hindu Kashmiri Chowk,
Pundits by Mughals. He is imprisoned and executed Delhi, India.
under orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb on Nov.
11, 1675 at the age of 54.
Jan. 22, 1666 Emperor Shahjahan fully recovered from his illness,
but Aurangzeb declared him incompetent to rule and
put him under house arrest in Agra Fort. Shah Jahan
died on 22 January 1666 at age 74.
Nov. 11, 1675 Guru Gobind Singh, the son of Guru Tegh Bahadur Amritsar
becomes the 10th Guru of the Sikhs at age 9 upon the
death of his father.
Mar. 30, 1699 Founding of Khalsa by 10th tenth Guru of Sikhism, Anandpur
Guru Gobind Singh in Anandpur (in Rupnagar district (in Indian
(Ropar) on the edge of Shivalik Hills near Sutlej River. Punjab)
Dec. 7, 1704 Sahibzada Ajit Singh, the eldest son of Guru Gobind
Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, his younger
brother were both martyred during the Second
Battle of Chamkaur.
Dec. 26, 1704 Sahibzada Fateh Singh and Sahibzada Zorawar Singh,
9- and 7-year-old sons of Guru Gobind Singh, were
murdered by the governor of Sirhind, Wazir Khan.
Jan. 5, 1705 Bhai Daya Singh handed over the ‘Zafarnama’ Letter
written by Guru Gobind Singh to the Emperor
Aurangzeb on Jan. 5, 1705 (last day of Ramdaan).
Mar. 3, 1707 Death of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 AD at
age 88. After his death, the Mughal Empire fell apart
and declined in its ability to tax or govern most of the
subcontinent.

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June 15, 1707 Aurangzeb’s 4th son, Bahadur Shah Zafar-I crowned Dehli
himself Mughal Emperor after defeating his other
brothers in one of the bloodiest wars of succession.
He is 64 years old when he assumed the throne.
1708 The first Sarbat Khalsa was called by the tenth guru,
Guru Gobind Singh before his death in 1708 and the
tradition of calling Sarbat Khalsa has continued ever
since at times of hardship or conflict.
Oct. 7, 1708 Guru Gobind Singh dies of complications from stab Deccan area
wounds by Afghan assassins of Mughal governor of India
Wazir Khan of Sirhind. He was 41 years old. The (near river
Guruship of the Sikhs passes to the Guru Granth Godavari)
Sahib Holy Book (as Final and last, eternal living
guru). There would be no Guru in ‘Human Form’ after
Guru Gobind Singh’s death.
May, 1710 Banda Singh Bahadur captured Wazir Khan in Sirhind
city in the Battle of Chappar Chiri in May of 1710 and
executed him in revenge for the deaths of Guru
Gobind Singh's sons and Pir Budhu Shah after the
Sikh victory at Sirhind.
Feb. 27, 1712 In 1710, Bahadur Shah -I becomes mentally ill after Lahore
failing to capture a military leader under Guru
Gobind Singh, Banda Singh Bahadur at the fort
Lohgarh. Bahadur Shah Zafar-I died two years later
on Feb. 27, 1712 at age 68.
1712 Rise of the Sayyid Brothers – The brothers (Sayyid
Hussain Ali Khan and Sayyid Hassan Ali Khan Barha)
claimed to belong to the family of Sayyids or the
descendants of the Prophet Muhammad though his
daughter Fatima and son-in-law and cousin Ali. The
Sayyid Brothers became highly influential in the
Mughal Court during and after Aurangzeb's death
and became ‘King Makers’ during the anarchy
following the death of emperor Aurangzeb in 1707.
They created and dethroned Mughal Emperors at
their will after Bahadur Shah’s death.
1712 Bandai Khalsa sect movement started by followers of
Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, a military leader under
Guru Gobind Singh. They install Banda Singh
Bahadur as the 11th Guru, after Guru Gobind Singh.
1716 Formation of the first of the Sikh misls from ‘Jathas’
which will eventually grow to 12 misls forming the
‘Sikh Confederation’ in Punjab.
1716 Banda Singh Bahadur is captured by Mughal Delhi
Emperor Farrukhsiyar (grandson of emperor Bahadur
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 Shah-I) and he is executed in Delhi.
Jan. 1719 In Jan. 1719, the Sayyid Brothers blinded, deposed
and murdered Farrukhsiyar. They then arranged for
his first cousin, Rafi ud-Darajat, to be the next ruler in
Feb. 1719.
June. 1719 Rafi ud-Darajat died of lung disease in June of 1719
and the Sayyid Brothers made his elder brother, Rafi
ud-Daulah the Emperor.
Sept. 1719 Rafi ud-Daulah also died of lung disease in Sept.
1719. The Sayyid Brothers crowned Muhammad
Shah at the age of seventeen with the Sayyid
Brothers as his regents until 1720.
1721 Followers of Banda Singh Bahadur and Bandai
Khalsa sect are expelled from the Sikh Panth by the
Tatt Khalsa (True Sikhs) in 1721.
1722 Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah arranged for the
Syed brothers to be killed with the help of Nizam-ul-
Mulk Asaf Jah to take back control of his rule. Sayyid
Hussain Ali Khan was killed at Fatehpur Sikri in 1720,
and Sayyid Hassan Ali Khan Barha was fatally
poisoned in 1722.
1723 The next known meeting of the Sarbat Khalsa took
place in 1723 (on the occasion of Divali ) when a
clash between Tat Khalsa and the Bandais (followers
of Banda Singh Bahadur) was averted and amicably
settled through the intervention and wise counsel of
Bhai Mani Singh.
1733 In 1733, the Mughal government decided, at the
insistence of Zakariya Khan, viceroy of Lahore, to
revoke all repressive measures issued against the
Sikhs and made an offer of a grant to them with a
Jagir consisting of the three parganas of Dipalpur,
Kanganval and Jhabal and the title of 'Nawab'
conferred upon their leader. At the Sarbat Khalsa of
1733, the Sikhs accepted the offer. Kapur Singh was
unanimously elected as the leader and chosen for the
title. He was reluctant, but could not deny the
unanimous will of the Sikh community.
Feb. 13, 1739 In 1739, Nader Shah Afshar, the Persian Emperor
(Shah of Iran) invaded India and crushed the Mughal
army in less than three hours at the huge Battle of
Karnal on Feb. 13 1739.
1745-1746 The Sikh holocaust of 1745-1746 (also called Chhota
Ghallughara in Punjabi for "Smaller Massacre") took

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 place on the orders of Zakariya Khan Bahadur, the
Mughal Viceroy of Lahore. Thousands of Sikh men,
women and children and their Muslim sympathizers
were murdered.
1745 Under a gurmata of the Sarbat Khalsa on Oct. 14,
1745, the active fighting force of the Sikhs was
reorganized into 25 jathas (bands) of about 100 each.
1748 In 1748, Mir Mannu (Mu'in ul-Mulk) became
governor of Lahore and the surrounding provinces
through his exploits in battle against the Afghan
army. Barbarity of Mir Mannu is unprecedented as
he led a mass genocide of Sikhs under his very
tyrannical and oppressive regime.
March 29, A further reorganization into 11 misls (divisions)
1748 forming the Dal Khalsa was made by the Sarbat
Khalsa on Baisakhi (March 29, 1748). Thus, Sarbat
Khalsa became the central body of ‘Sikh theocratic
Confederate’. In this Sarbat Khalsa, Nawab Kapur
Singh appointed Jassa Singh Ahluwalia as his
successor. His followers further awarded him the title
Sultan-ul-Qaum (King of the Nation).
1748 In 1748, Ahmad Shah Durrani (Abdali) of the Durrani
clan invaded the Mughal Empire. He subsequently
raided India eight more times.
1752 In March 1752, Mir Mannu surrendered Lahore to
Ahmad Shah Abdali. A year later Mir Mannu died.
Nov. 7, 1760 Sikh Sarbat Khalsa passes Gurmata to attack Lahore
on November 7, 1760.
1762 - 1767 In 1762, Ahmed Shah Abdali invaded India once again
and plundered the Punjab treasury, destroyed
Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple) and massacred
thousands of Sikhs. In Sikh history, this massacre is
called the 'Vadda Ghallughara'. For the next few
years, Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Sikhs battled for
control of Punjab.
1764 In 1764, Sultan Jassa Singh Ahluwalia collected
donations and rebuild the Golden Temple.
1772 Jassa Singh Ahluwalia founded Kapurthala State.
1773 Ahmed Shah Abdali dies and his son Timur Shah is
unable to suppress the Sikhs.
1763 - 1774 Charat Singh Sukerchakia, Misldar of Sukerchakia
Army established himself in Gujranwala.

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Nov. 13, 1780 Birth of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Gujranwala
1784 The Pitt's India Act gives the British Govt. effective
control of the private British East India Company.
1799 Ranjit Singh captures Lahore from Zaman Shah Lahore
Durrani. Rise of the Sikh Empire starts with all 12 Sikh
misls consolidated and united under Ranjit Singh.
1799 - 1801 Transition period for the Sikh state. It is neither a
‘Confederacy’ nor an ‘Empire’. The Sikh state is in
revolution or anarchy.
April 12, 1801 Ranjit Singh is proclaimed ‘Maharaja of Punjab’ at Lahore
age 21.
June, 1818 Maharaja Ranjit Singh captures Multan after Multan
defeating Nawab Muzzafar Khan effectively ending
the Afghan Pathan rule in Punjab.
Sept. 1818 Maharaja Ranjit Singh visits Talwandi and officially Nankana
renames it to ‘Nankana Sahib’ – or ‘Nanak Da Aana’ – Sahib
(Nanak’s arrival).
March 1819 Gurdwara Janamashtan is rebuilt and expanded Nankana
under orders of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Sahib
Aug. 1819 Gurdwara Patti Sahib, Gurdwara Kiara Sahib, Nankana
Gurdwara Mal Ji Sahib, and Gurdwara Bal Lila are Sahib
built under orders of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
June 27, 1839 Death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of natural causes the Lahore
age 58 years.
Maharaja Kharak Singh succeeds his father Ranjit Lahore
Singh to the Lahore Throne in June 1839.
Nov. 5, 1840 Maharaja Kharak Singh is poisoned with white lead Lahore
and mercury. Within 6 months he was bedridden,
and dies 11 months after the poisoning at age 39
years. (At his funeral, 3 of his wives committed Sati,
along with 11 slave girls).
Nov. 6, 1840 Maharaja Nau Nihal Singh succeeds to the throne. He Lahore
dies just one day after his father’s death of head
injuries from a large rock that fell on him when
passing through Roshnai Darwaza (the gate of the
Hazuri Bagh at Lahore Fort). He was returning from
his father’s funeral.
Maharani Chand Kaur, the wife of Maharaja Kharak Lahore
Singh and mother of Nau Nihal Singh, becomes
regent of the Sikh Empire (Nov. 5, 1840 to Jan. 18,
1841) as Sahib Kaur, the wife of her only son Nau

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 Nihal Singh was carrying his unborn child.

Jan. 18, 1841 Maharani Chand Kaur abandons her claim to the Lahore
throne when Nau Nihal Singh’s widow, Sahib Kaur
delivered a stillborn son.
Jan. 27, 1841 Maharaja Sher Singh, a son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Lahore
and step brother of Kharak Singh (Nau Nihal Singh’s
father) becomes Maharaja of the Sikh Empire after
the sudden death of Nau Nihal Singh.
June 11, 1842 Maharani Chand Kaur is battered to death by her Lahore
servants on 11 June 1842 as she was seen as a threat
by her enemies.
Sept. 15, 1843 Maharaja Sher Singh is killed by his trusted cousin Lahore
Ajit Singh Sandhawalia. Sher Singh only had time to
utter, "what treachery." The Sandhawalias also
murdered Raja Dhian Singh Dogra, the loyal Prime
Minister (Wazir) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Sept. 15, 1843 Maharaja Duleep Singh, the youngest son of Lahore
Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the only child of Maharani
Jind Kaur is placed in power in Sept, 1843, at the age
of five, with his mother ruling on his behalf. Hira
Singh Dogra, son of Raja Dhian Singh Dogra is
appointed as his Wazir.
Sept. 1844 Duleep Singh’s step brothers, Pashaura Singh and
Kashmira Singh start a rebellion against Duleep Singh
and Maharani Jind Kaur.
Dec. 21, 1844 The Wazir, Hira Singh Dogra attacks Baba Bir Singh’s
Dera at Naurarigabad in Tarn Taran where Pashaura
Singh and Kashmira Singh are taking refuge. Baba Bir
Singh forbade his Sikhs to fight back saying, "How can
we attack our own brethren?" He was in meditation
and had the Holy Book when he was killed with a
shell from the besiegers. Prince Kashmira Singh also
lost his life. The Sikh troops did not forgive Hira Singh
for forcing them into an action which led to the
death of a holy man. They killed him and his advisers,
Pandit Jalla and Gulab Singh's youngest brother.
Sept. 11, 1845 Jawahar Singh crushes the rebellion against his sister
and Duleep Singh. Pashaura Singh surrenders and is
taken to Attock where he was strangled to death.
Sept. 21, 1845 The Sikh army is infuriated by this cruel act of
Jawahar Singh and he is speared to death outside the

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 Lahore Fort by the Sikh army on Sept. 21, 1845 in
front of his sister, Maharani Jind Kaur.
1845 The first Sikh-Anglo War from 1845-1846. The Sikhs
were betrayed by their Generals Lal Singh and Gen.
Tej Singh. In March, the Treaty of Lahore was signed,
assuring the British over-lordship over the affairs of
the Lahore Durbar and partial subjugation of the Sikh
kingdom and cession of Jammu and Kashmir as a
separate princely state under British suzerainty.
1847 The Treaty of Amritsar frees Maharaja Gulab Singh
Jamwal, the founder of royal Dogra dynasty, from all
obligations towards the Sikhs and the British make
him the Maharajah of Jammu and Kashmir. The
Dogras' loyalty came in handy to the British during
the revolt of 1857 which challenged British rule in
India.
1848 The second Sikh-Anglo War started due to a small
incident in Multan which provided the British with an
excuse.
Mar. 12, 1849 The Sikh army surrenders and the Punjab is annexed
by the British.
Mar. 29, 1849 Maharaja Duleep Singh is deposed and placed under
British guardianship.
May 1854 Maharaja Duleep Singh is sent into exile in Britain at
age 15 Yrs. He is made to accept Christianity.
April 1857 The War of Independence (or The Indian Rebellion of Meerut
1857 as the British called it) was a major, but
ultimately unsuccessful, uprising in India in 1857–58
against the rule of the British East India Company,
which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of
the British Crown. After the war, the British crown
took over the rule directly.
1872 Outbreak and violent suppression of the ‘Kooka
uprising’ (Kuka uprising) inspired by Balak Singh
(revolting Sikhs from the Namdhari sect threatened
British colonial authority).
1873 The Sikhs in Amritsar form the Sanatan Singh Sabha. Amritsar
It included Udasis, Nirmalas and Namdharis. (Sanatan
means 'eternal', synonymous with Hinduism).
1879 Tatt Khalsa ('True Khalsa') Singh Sabha is founded in Lahore
Lahore (Pakistan) to rival the earlier Sanatan Singh
Sabha based in Amritsar. The Tatt Khalsa challenged
and eventually marginalized Sanatan Singh Sabha.

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Oct. 22, 1893 The last of the Sikh Emperor, Maharaja Duleep Singh
dies in Paris at the age of 55.
1909 Bhai Gurmukh Singh and Bhai Kanh Singh cooperate
with Max Arthur MacAuliffe, a divisional judge, to
undertake the translation of Granth Sahib
(completed in 1909).
April 13 , 1919 The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, (Amritsar massacre). Jallianwala
Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer orders British Indian Bagh,
Army to shoot into a crowd of unarmed civilians in Amritsar,
Jallianwala Bagh killing at least 500 men, women and Punjab
children. Over 1,000 were injured.
Feb. 20, 1921 The Nankana massacre (or Saka Nankana) of Sikhs by Nankana
Mahant Narayan Das took place in Nankana Sahib Sahib
Gurdwara Janamashtan. 400 Sikh men, women and
children lost their lives.
March 3, 1921 Mahatma Gandhi visited Nankana Sahib. Nankana
1922 Bhai Pheru Morcha takes place –Mahant Kishan Das Bhai Pheru,
and his tenant Pala Ram (brother of Mahant Narain Pakistan
Das the Mahant of Sri Nankana Sahib) give up control
over Gurdwara Sangat Sahib to Sikh Committee.
1925 The Sikh Gurdwara Reform Act, 1925 defined the Amritsar
term "Sikh" and excluded the syncretic groups like
the Udasis, the Nanakpanthis and Sanatanis.
Subsequently, the Udasis increasingly identified
themselves as Hindus rather than Sikhs.
1926 Bhai Kanh Singh of Nabha, a notable scholar, finished
compilation of ‘Mahan Kosh’ (encyclopedia of
Sikhism) and ‘Ham Hindu Nahin’ (We are not Hindus)
after 14 years of research.
April 13, 1978 1978 Sikh – Nirankari clashes. Violent clashes Amritsar
occurred at Amritsar between the traditional Sikhs
and the Neo Sant Nirankari Mission (Nakali Niranjari)
also called ‘Nakali Sikhs’.
June 6, 1984 Attack by Indian Army on the Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar
Amritsar and on several other Gurdwaras throughout
Punjab on orders of Indian Government on June 6th
1984. Several hundred Sikhs were martyred
(shaheed) and thousand injured including innocent
men, women and children.
Nov. 12, 2019 Guru Nanak’s 550th Anniversary is celebrated. Worldwide

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Timeline Of The Mughal Dynasty
Babur - Founder of Mughal Empire.
- Introduced gun powder in India.
(1526- 1530 AD)
- Defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in the first Battle of
Panipat (1527 AD).
- Defeated Rana Sanga (Sangram Singh) at the
Battle of Khanwa (1527 AD).
- Defeated Medini Rai of Chanderi at the Battle of
Chanderi (1528 AD).
- Wrote Tuzuk-i-Babri in Turkish.

Humayun - Made Dinpanah at Delhi as second capital.

- Fought two battles with Sher Shah Suri - Battle of
(1526- 1556 AD)
Chausa (1539 AD); Battle of Kannauj (1540 AD)
and was defeated.
- Died due to fall from his library building’s stairs in
1556 AD.
- His half-sister Gulbadan Begum wrote ‘Humayun-
Nama’.

Akbar - Introduced Mansabdari System (Holder of rank) to

organise the nobility and army.
(1566- 1565 AD)
- Abolished Jaziyah (1564 AD); Believed in Sulh-i-kul
(Peace to all).
- Issued “Degree of Infallibility ” in 1579.
- Formulated religious order Din-i-Illahi (1582 AD).
- Nine Gems of His Court (Navratnas): Mahesh Das
Birbal aka Birbal), Tanna Mishra aka Tansen, Faizi,
Maharaja Man Singh, Fakir Aziao din, Mirza Aziz
Koka, Todar Mal, Abdur Rahim Khan-i-khanaa and
Abul Fazl.
Note: There is ambiguity on whether Mullah-do-
Pyaza was one of the nine gems of Akbar. Some
sources states that it was fictional character and
some says advisor of Akbar.
- He married Hindu Princess Hira Kunwari (aka
Harkha Bai aka Jodha Bai) daughter of Raja
Bharmal of Amber. She gave birth to Prince Salim
(the future Emperor Jahangir).

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Jahangir - Established Zanjir-i-Adal at Agra Fort for the
seeker of royal justice.
(1605-1627 AD)
- Captain Hawkins and Sir Thomas Roe visited in his
court.
- Abdul Hassan, Ustad Mansur and Bishandas were
the famous painters of his court.
- He had several Hindu wives. One was his Hindu
cousin Rajkumari Man Bai, daughter of Bhagwant
Das of Amber. Bhagwant Das, was the son of Raja
Bharmal and the brother of Akbar's Hindu wife
and Jahangir's mother Jodha Bai. Another Hindu
wife was Karamnasi Begum, daughter of Raja
Kesho Das Rathore of Mertia. He then married a
Hindu Koka Kumari Begum, eldest daughter of
Jagat Singh, Yuvraj of Amber. Jahangir also
married another Hindu Rajput Princess, Jagat
Gosain Begum (aka Manmati Bai). Jagat Gosain
gave birth to Prince Khurram (the future Shah
Jahan), who was Jahangir's successor to the
throne.
- Jahangir was deeply influenced by Hindu Elites
and it is they who misguided him to executed Sikh
fifth Guru, Guru Arjun Dev.

Shahjahan - Two Frenchmen, Bernier and Tavernier and Italian

adventurer Manucci visited his court.
(1628-1658 AD)
- Built Moti Masjid and Taj Mahal at Agra, Jama
Masjid and Red Fort at Delhi.
- Annexed Ahmadnagar while Bijapur and Golconda
accepted his lordship.

Aurangzeb - He claimed to be a scholar of Islamic theology and

jurisprudence. He appointed a board of Ulema to
(1658-1707 AD)
compile authoritative passages from the standard
of Hanafi Fiqh (Fatawa-ul- Alamgiri) for the
guidance of the qazis known as ‘Fatawat-i-
Alamgiri’ which was completed in AD 1672.
- He had ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bhadur
executed in 1675 AD.
- He forbade Sati Pratha.

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 - Built ‘Biwi ka Makbara on the tomb of his queen
Rabaud-Durani at Aurangabad; Moti Masjid in Red
Fort at Delhi; Jami or Badshahi Mosque at Lahore.

Emperor Aurangzeb had two Hindu wives-one a

Rajput named Udaipuri and another Nawab Bai.
Udaipuri was so much in love with the sixth Mughal
emperor that she had expressed her wish to perform
'Sati' if Aurangzeb died before she did - defying
Aurangzeb’s orders.

Bahadur Shah-I - Popularly known as Shah Alam-I and called Shahi-

i- Bekhabar by Khafi Khan due to his appeasement
(1707-1712 AD)
parties by grants of title and rewards.
- Ascended himself on the throne in 1707 after
killing his two brothers, and defeating Kam Baksh
in the Battle of Jajau.
- He was the last Mughal who enjoyed all the
authority in real term.
- Granted the right to collect Sardesh Mukhi of
Deccan but not Chauth (one fourth) to the
Marathas.

Jahandar Shah - Gave the title of ‘Mirza Raja’ to Jai Singh of Malwa
and ‘Maharaja’ to Ajit Singh of Marwar.
(1712-1713 AD)
- Encouraged Ijara System (the revenue farming/
contract farming and abolished Jazia).
- He was killed while in captivity by Sayyid brothers,
Abdulllah Khan and Hussain Ali.
- His mother was Nizam Bai, a Hindu Princess.
- His third wife was Anup Bai and fourth Lal
Kunwar, a Hindu dancing girl.

Farrukhsiyar - Known as ‘Sahid-i-Mazlum’ and son of Azim-us-

Shah.
(1713-1719 AD)
- Assigned the duty of Deccan’s governor to Chin
Quilch Khan who was better known ‘Nizam-ul-
Mulk’, later who laid the foundation of
independent state of Hyderabad.
- Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath visited in his court to
take grant for collecting Chauth (or one fourth)
and Sardesh Mukhi on Maratha land. The term

188 | P a g e
 ‘Chaudhry’ originated from ‘Chauth’ or the
collector of ‘one fourth’.

Muhammad Shah - His full name was Roshan Akhtar (called Rangila).
- The Marathas under Baji Rao raided Delhi for the
(1719- 1748 AD)
first time in Mughal history.
- Nadir Shah of Persia invaded with the help of Sadat
Khan who defeated Mughal army at the Battle of
Karnal.
- He married Udham Bai, a Hindu Princess who gave
birth to Prince Mirza Ahmad Shah Bahadur. She
was an administrator and served as de facto regent
of India from 1748 to 1754.)

Mirza Ahmed Shah - The former general of Nadir Shah, Ahmad Shah
Bahadur Abdali invaded India five times during Mirza Ahmad
Shah’s reign.
(1748- 1754 AD)
- He was overthrone by his wazir Imad-ul Malik who
placed Alamgir-II as ruler.

Alamgir-II - Called ‘Azizuddin’.

- During his reign, the Battle of Plassey took place.
(1754- 1759 AD)
- He was overthrone by his wazir Imad-ul Malik who
placed Shah Alam-II as ruler.
- His mother was Anup Bhai, a Hindu Princess

Shah Alam-II - Popularly known as ‘Ali Gauhar’ who was defeated

in the Battle of Buxar in 1764 AD.
(1759- 1806 AD)
- During his reign, the third Battle of Panipat took
place.
- Gave all his Diwani rights of Bihar, Bengal and
Orissa until 1772 but after 1772 with the help of
Mahaji Scindia, he took those back.
- His mother was Kunar Bai, a Hindu Princess
- He was the first Mughal ruler to become British
East India Company Pensioner.

Akbar-II - First Mughal ruler who was under the British

protection.
(1806- 1837 AD)
- During his tenure, Mughal Empire shrinks to the
Red Fort only.

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Bahadur Shah-II - He was the son of Akbar-II and his Hindu Rajput
wife Lal Bai and also was the last ruler Mughal
1837- 1857 AD)
Empire.
- During his reign, 1857 revolt took place; he was
sent to Rangoon as captive where he died in 1862.
- He was very good Urdu poet and his pen name
was Zafar.
- He was the last of the Mughal Emperor’s. The
Dynasty ended after him.

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 REFERENCES OF RAI BULAR AND GURU NANAK
1. History of the Sikhs; Translation of the Sikkhan de raj di vikhia
Major Henry Court (1843-1892)
Printed at the "Civil and Military Gazette" Press 1888. Lahore

2. History of Punjab -The Sect & Nation of Sikhs, Volume 1 (1846),

Wm. H. Allen & Co. Leadenhall Street, London

3. Sketch of Sikhs
Lt. Col. Malcolm (1812), Author of Political Sketch of India

4. The History of the Sikhs

Indian Institute Oxford, The Malan Library
Concise Account Of The Punjaub And Cashmere
Published By D'Rozario And Co. 1846

5. A History of the Sikhs: Volume 1: 1469-1838

Khushwant Singh
Former Editor, The Hindustan Times and The Illustrated Weekly of
India, Print publication date: 2004

6. The Religion of the Sikhs

Gopal Singh

7. Knowing Guru Nanak

Prof. Shirking Parson

8. The A to Z of Sikhism
William Heat "Hew" McLeod (2009).

9. The Sikh Religion

MacAuliffe, Max Arthur (Oxford, 1909)

10. The Great Humanist Guru Nanak

Sir Jogednra Singh & Raja Sir Daljit Singh
Birmal Publishers and Distributors, New-Dehli, India

11. History of the Sikhs

Joseph Davey Cunningham, 1853

12. Guru Nanak: The Enlightened Master

Sreelata Menon

13. Spiritual Masters, Guru Nanak

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 Harish Dhillon
Indus Source Books

14. The B40 Janam-Sakhi Translation

William Hewat "Hew" McLeod, Amritsar, 1980

15. Biography of Guru Nanak

Karatara Singha
Hemkunt Press, 1984

16. Guru Nanak

By Eleanor M. Nesbitt, Gopinder Kaur

17. Janamsakhi Bhai Bald

Kohli, Surindar SINGH, ed., Chandigarh, 1972

18. The Mughal Empire from Babar to Aurangzeb

S. M. Jaffar, B.A., M.R.A.S. (London)

19. The Sikh Bulletin, Guru Nanak and his Bani

Hardev Singh Shergill
Prof Devinder Singh Chahal, PhD,
Institute for Understanding Sikhism

20. Puratan Janamsakhi

Vir Singh, Bhai, ed., Amritsar, 1971

21. Pamth Prakdsh

Gian Singh Giani, Delhi, 1880

22. The Bhatti’s of Guru Nanak Order

Sandeep S. Sandhu

23. “Sakhis of Guru Nanak.” Accessed July 31, 2014.

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/
24. index.php/Sakhis_of_Guru_Nanak.

25. Guru Nanak and Origins of the Sikh Faith

Harbans Singh, Bombay, 1969.

26. Harbhajan Singh S.E. (retd.)

Sanjay Nagar Jammu-1800-10.

27. Prof. Henry Francis B. Espiritu

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 Muslim-Sikh Relations in Medieval India: Deconstructing the
Orientalist Myth of "Perpetual Communal Conflict"
Between Muslims and Sikhs in the Mughal Era.
.
28. Exposing Lies of the Empire
Andre Vltchek
Philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist.

29. The First and Second Sikh Wars / Edition 4

by Reginald George Burton, Jon Coulston

30. Living and Learning With Guru Nanak: Toby Braden Johnson
Participation and Pedagogy in the Janam-Sakhi Narratives
Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate Program in Religious Studies
University of California, Riverside, March 2015
Drs. Vivian-Lee Nyitray & Pashaura Singh, Co-Chairpersons

31. Harvey Whitehouse, Modes of Religiosity: A Cognitive Theory of

Religious Transmission (Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press, 2004). The
Janam-Sakhis as a direct and continuing interactive dialogue with Guru
Nanak, the primary teacher of doctrines.

32. Eight Divine Guru Jots: Guru Angad Dev to Guru Tegh Bahadur,
Prof. Dalip Singh (Author)
Published by B. Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh (2004)

33. Prof. Dalip Singh, Life of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and His Teachings.
Chesterfield, Missouri: Sikh Research and Educational Center, 2004.

34. Prof. Dalip Singh, Life of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Chesterfield,
Missouri: Sikh Research and Educational Center, 2002.

35. William Jackson A. V., (ed) History of India, vol. 5, The Grolier society,
London, Baroda edition 1907, page 14).

36. Om Prakash Prasad, Auranzeb-Ek Nai Drishti, Khuda Baksh Khan

Oriental Public Library, Patna, 1994

37. S. R. Sharma, The Religious Policy of the Mughal Emperors, 3rd

edition, (1988)

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 POSTFACE
There are many human races, ethnic groups and religions on our planet
“Spaceship Earth”. Religion, which should have taught people to treat all
human beings as equal, has generally acted as a divisive force. This was
the situation in the Indian sub-continent in the 15th century and this is
the same situation in Indian sub-continent in the 21st century. Nothing
much has changed except the population has grown 15 fold (10 fold
globally but 15 times in the Indian Sub-Continent).

In the 15th century, there was no Television, Internet, or any other form
of ‘Instant Mass Media” where a message could be delivered
universally. Guru Nanak had to travel by foot 18,000 miles all over the
world for a period of 20 years to tell humans that we are all children of
the same God – The single God of all humanity; we can love Him by any
name, Allah, God, Ram or whichever name we prefer. There are no
creatures anywhere that belong to any other or lesser God. He declared
if all believe in one God then spiritual unity can be achieved even if the
way of worship is different. Unity, peace and harmony among all
humans is but natural – as humans only know love at birth. Hatred is a
trait that is taught in homes, schools, society and mass gatherings and is
not natural.

As our collective knowledge has grown over the centuries, we have

learned that our being is only a part of the universe, and a small part at
that. We are nodes in a network of informal and formal exchanges
around dining tables, play grounds, classrooms, religious institutions
(Church’s, Mosque’s, Synagogue’s, Mandir’s), Political Rally’s, Media
Anchor’s, Breaking News etc.) through which we pass information,
knowledge, images, tools and form narratives for the next generation.
We pass on the world that we build - and that is the world that future
generations inherit.

Our world cannot exist without giving the highest priority to preserving
humanity first. We are truly at a tipping point. I wish to emphasize that
in a world of nuclear armed nations, if we continue on a path of hate
that promotes conflicts over religion, ethnic and economic interests, we
will lose our entire human race. The Planet will still be around for as
long as the sun keeps converting Hydrogen to Helium and giving energy.
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But some other species will enjoy the Sun’s energy for the next 4.5
Billion years – not humans. Humans are here as part of the existence
and not against the existence. Humans may think we are superior – but
nature does not think so. If bees, butterflies and insects die, all humans
will die within 2-4 years and all life will seize to exist. But if all humans
die, nature will still flourish – in fact humans will make good manure
and fertilizer for new trees, plants and flowers. Life without humans will
certainly flourish – as it has for millions of years. Humans are not the
most significant creatures - we are not the center of the cosmos. The
cosmos won't care if we survive or not.

In Sept. 2019, most leaders of the world gathered in the annual UN

General Assembly. Sadly few spoke of the clear and present threats to
mankind and human life on our planet. Pakistan’s leader however very
boldly delivered strong message of peace on the Global Forum. He said
that our world cannot exist without giving the highest priority to
preserving humanity first. He emphasized that in a world of nuclear
armed nations, if we continue on a path of hate that promotes conflicts
over religion, ethnic and economic interests, we will all perish. The
magnificent gift of the Electromagnetic Spectrum allows those in a
position of power and influence to broadcast messages of peace,
harmony, selflessness, compassion, co-existence and piety all over the
globe. They don’t have to travel on foot like Guru Nanak had to 500
years ago. It is so easy now to reach billions of people all over the world
in a matter of minutes.

I would like to conclude my message by quoting a paragraph from a

human being I greatly admire – Stephen Hawking. He was an
astonishing scientist and a remarkable and courageous man who had
led the world in his field of science despite his devastating disability.
I first met him in 1975 when I was a student in Los Angeles, California.
He was a visiting professor at California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
and he was staying at a colonial style house near the campus. There, in
a non-credit extension course in the emerging field of cosmology, I first
learnt of ‘black-holes’ and the ‘theory of everything’ that sparked my

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life-long interest in understanding our universe. I began reading up on
the theory of the ‘very large’, i.e. general relativity and gravity and the
theory of the ‘very small’ i.e. quantum theory. Cosmology, creation and
humanity became one of my passions that I have pursued ever since.
Had Guru Nanak lived in modern times – I am certain the two would
have had absolutely amazing discussions. Here is what Stephen Hawking
wrote a few months before his death;

“I have led an extraordinary life on this planet, while at the same time
travelling across the universe by using my mind and the laws of physics.
I have been to the furthest reaches of our galaxy, travelled into a black
hole and gone back to the beginning of time. On Earth, I have
experienced highs and lows, turbulence and peace, success and
suffering. I have been rich and poor, I have been able-bodied and
disabled. I have been praised and I have been criticized, but I have never
been ignored. I have been enormously privileged, through my work, in
being able to contribute to our understanding of the universe. But it
would be an empty universe indeed if it were not for the people I love,
and who love me. Without them, the wonder of it all would be lost on
me.

And at the end of all this, the fact that we humans, who are ourselves
mere collections of fundamental particles of nature, have been able to
come to an understanding of the laws governing us, and our universe, is
a great triumph. I want to share my excitement about these big
questions and my enthusiasm about this quest.

One day, I hope we will know the answers to all these questions. But
there are other challenges, other big questions on the planet which
must be answered, and these will also need a new generation who are
interested and engaged, and have an understanding of science. How will
we feed an ever-growing population? Provide clean water, generate
renewable energy, prevent and cure disease and slow down global
climate change? I hope that science and technology will provide the
answers to these questions, but it will take people, human beings with

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knowledge and understanding, to implement these solutions. Let us
fight for every woman and every man to have the opportunity to live
healthy, secure lives, full of opportunity and love. We are all time
travelers, journeying together into the future. But let us work together
to make that future a place we want to visit. Be brave, be curious, he
determined, overcome the odds. It can be done.”

Hate is Not a Natural Human Behavior

– It is Taught and Learnt.

Love is a Natural Human Behavior

– It is just Not Practiced Enough.

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 About the Author

Rai Aurangzeb Bhatti (Zeb Bhatti) is the 17th

generation direct descendant of Rai Bular
Bhatti, who is revered as the second person
to discover the divine qualities of Guru
Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith.

After receiving his early education from

Lawrence College, Murree Hills and Cadet
College Hasan Abdal in Pakistan, Zeb moved
to Los Angeles, California (USA) in 1973
where he completed his higher education at
Northrop Institute of technology. With a
natural talent for computers and systems, Zeb founded an Information
Technology company in Los Angeles in the early 1980’s called Computerland
Infosystems which was later renamed to NovaQuest Infosystems. The rapid
growth in personal computers in the 1980’s and the Internet in the 1990’s
allowed the company to grow rapidly under his leadership and NovaQuest
acquired WebVision, eNom, ATMLink and other such companies in the Internet
and eCommerce domain. After NovaQuest InfoSystems was sold in 2001, Zeb
remained active as a consulting CTO, Sr. Advisor and Board member in
Information Technology startups focusing on Blockchain, IoT, and Cloud
computing in the USA as well as in Pakistan.

Like his father, the late Rai Bashir Bhatti, Zeb’s passion for history and the
legacy of his great ancestor, Rai Bular Bhatti pulled him back to his hometown,
Nankana Sahib after his semi-retirement from business. He moved to Nankana
in 2008 where he recently finished building a modern Resort and Botanical
Garden on his inherited ancestral land – at the spot where Guru Nanak once
lived, played and meditated. The Resort is rightly called ‘Nankana Resort’ and is
host to many Sikh visitors from all over the world.

Zeb’s enthusiasm for ICT reaches far beyond being an entrepreneur. He has
dedicated countless hours to volunteering, mentoring and supporting students
and teaching faculty in ICT, Cyber Security, Blockchain and other disruptive
technologies. In 2019, he launched ‘Nanakshahi’ as the ‘Seva Token’ (Selfless
Service Token) on Ethereum Blockchain to provide a cryptocurrency and
mechanism for transparency and full accountability in funding and execution of
Public Service projects.

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