SIKH. \ N
will destroy them all. The Khalsa shall extend and wreak vengeance on its enemies.' The Guru was unable to convince his mother or his Sikhs of the wisdom of the course he was following. He then hit on a plan by which they should be con- vinced that the overtures made to him had been treacherously intended.
The Guru sent for Raja Ajmer Chand's Brahman envoy, and told him he would evacuate Anandpur if the allied armies would first allow the removal of his property. He asked for pack-bullocks for the purpose. These with the necessary sacks were readily supplied him. The Hindus swore on the salagram and the Muhammadans on the Quran, that they would not deceive him or molest his servants de- parting with his property. The Guru then ordered his treasurer to collect all the old shoes, worn-out clothes, bones of dead animals, broken utensils, horse dung, and similar offal that could be found in the Anandpur bazar, and load the sacks there- with. On each sack was to be placed a piece of brocade to make it appear that the contents were valuable. To the bullocks' horns were attached torches, so that the excellence of the cloth with which the sacks were covered, and also the depar- ture of the bullocks might not escape the observation of the enemy. It was arranged that the bullocks with their loads were to start in the dead of night. Naturally, the brilliancy of the procession did not escape the enemy's notice, and they rejoiced hke a parched field on receiving rain. Six thousand of them were in ambush to plunder the supposed property of the Guru. The Sikhs on discovering this discharged their cannon and caused great destruction among the serried ranks of the Hindus and Muhammadans. The sacks were, however, all seized by the enemy, and carefully guarded until morning, as it was then too late to examine their contents. It was only on the morrow the enemy discovered the Guru's strata-
LIFE OF GURU GOBIND SINGH 179
gem, and painfully realized the fact that they had committed perjury for the sake of the sweepings of the Anandpur market-place ! The Guru availed himself of the incident to demonstrate his own fore- thought and the treachery of the enemy. He told his troops that everything they had endured had been by the will of God, and he quoted Guru Nanak — ' Happiness is a disease, the remedy for which is unhappiness.'
At last came an autograph letter from the Emperor to the Guru — ' I have sworn on the Quran not to harm thee. If I do, may I not find a place in God's court hereafter ! Cease warfare and come to me. If thou desire not to come hither, then go whither- soever thou pleasest.' The Emperor's envoy added on his own account, ' O Guru, all who go to the Emperor's court praise thee. On that account the Emperor feeleth certain that an interview with thee will add to his happiness. He hath sworn by Muhammad and called God to witness that he will not harm thee. The hill rajas have also sworn by the cow and called their idols to witness, that they will allow thee safe conduct. Bear not in mind any- thing that hath occurred. The attack on thine oxen was not prompted by any raja. The attackers have been generally punished, and the ringleaders are in prison. No one now, O true Guru, dareth do thee harm, wherefore evacuate the fort, at any rate for the present, and come with me to the Emperor. Thou may est afterwards do what thou pleasest.* The Guru on hearing this said, ' You are all liars, and therefore all your empire and your glory shall depart. You all took oaths before this and then perjured yourselves. Your troops, whose business it was to fight, have become robbers, and therefore you shall all be damned.'
The Sikhs went again to the Guru's mother to complain of his refusal to listen to reason. Upon this she told him that if he did not leave Anandpur,
N2
i8o THE SIKH RELIGION
he would be deserted by his Sikhs and even by his family, and he would be then left alone to the mercy of the hostile armies. Some Sikhs also made a direct representation to him, and pleaded that through hunger they were unable to endure any longer the fatigue of the siege and the brunt of war. And if they were now in their weak and emaciated condition to make an effort to force their way through the enemy's ranks, they would all be inevi- tably massacred. They therefore advised capitulation.
The Guru on hearing these representations said to his Sikhs, ' My brethren, they who leave the garrison now will all be killed, and I do not desire to be held responsible. Wherefore give me a statement in writing that you have totally renounced me, and then you may act as you please. But if, on the other hand, you wish to abide by my advice, I will support you, and the immortal God will extend His protecting arm over us all. Adopt whatever alter- native you please.' On hearing this the Sikhs and the Guru's mother hesitated. Her son was dear to her, but so was her own life. She resolved, however, that she would not separate from him. The Sikhs too felt that having vowed never to leave the Guru, they could not abandon him or make a formal declaration that he was not their Guru, and they were not his Sikhs.
When the Turks and the rajas heard from the imperial envoy of the failure of his negotiations, they decided to send the Guru's mother an embassy with a request that she and her grandchildren should abandon the fort. This was in the hope that when the Guru found himself alone he would follow them. The envoy first proceeded to the Guru and endeavoured to persuade him to evacuate. The Guru replied that he could not rely on any promise made by the idolatrous rajas or the hypocritical Muhammadans. He then expatiated on the villanies and inherent turpitude of Aurangzeb — a man who
LIFE OF GURU GOBIND SINGH i8i
had no regard for an oath, and whose god was money, as was apparent from his persecution of the King of Golkanda, against whom his operations were now directed.
The envoy seeing there was no hope from the Guru then proceeded to the Guru's mother, and employed all his arguments to convince her that it was expedient for the Guru and his Sikhs to leave Anandpur — ' O lady, save thyself and all thy family. What will it avail thee to remain here; and if thou depart what harm will it do thee ? The Guru's Sikhs are everywhere ready to receive thee, and, whithersoever thou decidest to go, thou mayest abide in happiness. This city will still be thy property, but leave it now and end the quarrel. Hundreds of thousands are waiting to behold thee. Explain matters to thy son and persuade him to obey thee. If not, then prepare to go thyself, and he will follow thee of his own accord. If thou Hsten not to this advice, great sufferings will result.' The Guru's mother promised to use all her efforts to persuade her son, and said she would place confidence in the oaths of the Turks and the hill rajas.
The Sikhs, sore stricken with hunger, supported the envoy's representation. ' O true Guru, knowing us to be thine own, grant us the gift of life. If thou agree not to this, let us retire to some forest where the Turks cannot reach us. Here shut up in this fort many have died, and many more will die. No food can come to us from outside, and we have now been fighting for a long time. O great king, how can we who are famished with hunger continue to do battle. Accept our advice. Obhge us not to renounce thee, and expel us not from thy faith. If thou adhere to thine own resolve, we must part company, for life is dear to every one, and what will a dying man not do ? Nay, we pray thee to assist thy sect and save our lives.'
The Guru replied, * My brethren, waver not. I only desire your welfare. You know not that these people are deceivers and design to do us evil. If you hold out a little longer as you have done, you shall have food to your hearths content. I ask you to wait only three weeks.* When the Sikhs refused to wait so long, the Guru asked them to wait at least for five days, and the great God would send them succour.^ The Sikhs refused to wait even a single day, and said it was impossible for them to do so in their dire distress. The Guru repeated his request, and said that the enemy would then retire, and they should all be happy. If his Sikhs were to leave now they would inevitably be killed. ' As a child,' continued the Guru, ' on seeing fire, trieth to grasp it while his parents restrain him, so, O dear Khalsa, you are rushing to your destruction, while I am endeavouring to save you.'
The Sikhs replied, ' O great king, we cannot be in a worse plight outside the city than we are within. We shall all die of hunger here, and if we sally forth we may escape and kill some of the enemy. We cannot remain with thee an instant longer.' These arguments were recommended for adoption by the Guru's mother — ' My son, be not obstinate. It is best to leave the fort and save thy people. The Turks and the rajas will give thee solemn oaths of safe conduct, and what more can they do ? Now is the time, my son ; thou shalt not again have this opportunity. If the enemy come and take the fort by storm, what wilt thou do ? Thy Sikhs are dying of hunger, and they will all soon be dead.'
The Guru replied, ' O mother dear, thou knowest not the Turks and the hill rajas. I have already shown thee their deceit, but yet thou art not satisfied. Thou desirest to save thy family, but how will the
LIFE OF GURU GOBIND SINGH 183
enemy allow you all to pass ? Thou thinkest what is good is evil, and what is evil is good.' The Guru then turning to the Sikhs said, * My brethren, they who desire to go may now renounce me and depart.' On hearing this the Guru's mother was greatly dis- tressed, and rose and sat apart to give vent to her grief. The Sikhs went and sat around her. The Guru's wives then came forth and joined the sorrow- ing group. The Guru's mother, wiping away her tears, broke silence — * The Guru deemeth it not proper to leave the fort. O holy Guru Nanak, dispel my sorrow, assist us now, and give my son right understanding that he may protect his people ! I have given him much advice, but he heedeth it not. Even if the Sikhs renounce him and depart, he telleth them they shall all be killed. What he saith is never uttered in vain, and of this I have abundant proof. Yet if we remain in Anandpur, the enemy will soon come and put us all to death.'
The Sikhs began to reflect — ' We have spent all our lives in the Guru's service. How can we leave him now ? It is he who assisteth us both here and hereafter. He asketh us to remain with "him for five days more. What will happen in five days? We shall only lose our lives in vain. We will cer- tainly go forth. It is better to fight and die than to starve. We will not formally renounce the Guru. Were we to do so, we should incur great obloquy, and the seed of Sikhism would perish.' After much reflection and hesitation, however, the Sikhs changed their minds and said, * It is better for us to break with him, and write a document to the effect that he is no more our Guru and we are no more his Sikhs. If we again meet him alive, we shall induce him to pardon us.'
The allied armies too, hearing that the Guru's mother was in favour of evacuating the fort, lost no time in their negotiations. They called a Saiyid (or reputed descendant of Ali the Prophet's son-in-
iS4 THE SIKH RELIGION
law), and a Brahman, both of whom were to swear, on behalf of the allied armies, solemn oaths of safe conduct for the Guru should he evacuate Anandpur. The likeness of a cow was made in flour, a salagram and a knife were placed in front of it, and these articles were sent to the Guru with a letter to the effect that whoever meditated evil against him, should be deemed a cow-killer or the worst form of assassin. All the Hindu chiefs put their seals to this letter.
The Saiyid took the Emperor's letter and the Quran on his head and, accompanied by several Muhammadan officers, proceeded to the Guru. The Guru refused to listen to them. They then went to Mata Gujari and repeated their representations. They asked her to leave Anandpur, in which case her son would assuredly follow. She was, however, unable to prevail on him. Gulab Rai and Sham Singh (Sham Das), grandsons of Suraj Mai addressed the Guru and advised him to obey his mother. The Guru still proved obdurate. Upon this his mother prepared to depart with her two youngest grandsons, Jujhar Singh and Fatah Singh. On seeing the Guru's mother take her departure, the Sikhs began to waver in their allegiance to the Guru. Paper, pens, and ink were produced for those who wished to write letters of renunciation, and in the end only forty Sikhs decided to remain with their religious Chief and share his fortunes. The Guru told them that they too might desert him. They refused, and said that, if they did so, the service they had already performed for him would prove unavailing. They would either remain within the fort or force their way out as the Guru directed. The Guru then knew that the seed of his religion would germinate and flourish. He kept the deeds of renunciation, and also took from the envoys the documents they had brought. He then dismissed them and requested to be left alone.
LIFE OF GURU GOBIND SINGH 185
When the Guru found himself alone, he set fire to his tents and other inflammable articles. What was non-inflammable he buried in the earth. He now finally determined to leave Anandpur, and gave orders to his men that they were all to march at night and during the darkness proceed to the east as far as their strength would allow them. When the Guru's mother, wives, and two youngest children had set out, the Guru went to visit his father's shrine and entrusted it to one Gurbakhsh, a holy Udasi, telling him that he should never suffer dis- tress as long as he remained its custodian.
When the Guru was ready to depart, Day a Singh and Ude Singh walked in front of him, the second batch of baptized Sikhs on his left, Muhakam Singh and Sahib Singh on his right. His sons Ajit Singh and Zorawar Singh followed with bows and arrows. Then came Bhai Himmat Singh carrying ammunition and matchlocks. Gulab Rai, Sham Singh, and other friends and relations of the Guru accompanied him. The rest of the Guru's servants and camp followers, about five hundred in all, brought up the rear.
Chapter XXIII
The Guru marched by Kiratpur and thence to Nir- moh. While at Nirmoh he gave Gulab Rai and Sham Singh a letter to the Raja of Sirmaur, which contained a request that he would give them a village to abide in. From Nirmoh the Guru and his party proceeded to Ropar. When the allied troops attacked the rear guard under Ajit Singh, Ude Singh asked and obtained permission to reUeve him. The enemy surrounded and killed the daunt- less Ude Singh, the hero of many a desperate battle, the bravest of the Guru's brave warriors, believing that he was the Guru himself.
The Guru sat down on the margin of a stream
called Sarsa to await the issue of the conflict. When Ajit Singh delayed coming, the Guru sent Jiwan Singh to fetch him. Jiwan Singh was killed in the endeavour. Before arriving at Ropar, the Guru met his mother and two youngest children, and exhorted them to proceed quickly on their journey. A Sikh who resided in Dihli also met the Guru on the way, and asked if he could perform any service for him. The Guru said that he might take his family to Dihli. The Sikh said he had a relation in Ropar who would keep the Guru's family there for the present. The Guru's mother met a Brahman, a native of Kheri near Sarhind, and discharged cook of the Guru, who offered to entertain her party, and she decided to take her grandsons with her and accept his shelter and protection. Her daughters- in-law remained at Ropar for the night, and next day set out for Dihh under the trusty Sikh's pro- tection.
The allied forces continued to harass the Guru's retreat. He left some of his men at Ropar to arrest their progress, and went himself with thirty-five chosen Sikhs towards Chamkaur. On the way at a place called Baru Majara he received information that a fresh contingent of the imperial army was close at hand to capture him. In no wise dismayed he continued his journey towards Chamkaur. On arriving near that town he took refuge in a garden, and was joined by five of the Sikhs he had left at Ropar. AH the others had been slain.
The Guru sent to a J at agriculturist to ask him for a place of rest. The J at tried to put him off with excuses, but the Guru placed him under arrest for the moment. He then took the Jat's house, and turned it into a miniature fort where he took shelter with his men. The allied forces could find no trace of him, and were much distressed at his disappearance. But the troops marching from Dihh discovered the Guru's residence and
LIFE OF GURU GOBIND SINGH 187
proceeded thither. The united forces now con- centrated their attack on the Guru and were joined by his ancient enemies the Ranghars and Gujars.
The Guru then addressed his men, ' You would not Hsten to my advice to remain in Anandpur. When you took your departure, you did not calcu- late that this time of peril would ever arrive. You trusted to the oaths of Muhammadans on the Quran and of the hillmen on their gods and cows, and this is the result. There is no opportunity now of employing the traditional means of dealing with enemies. We can only defend ourselves. There are hundreds of thousands against us. Die not the death of jackals, but fight bravely as you have hitherto done, and avenge the deceit practised by those great sinners. The more you strive, the greater shall be your reward. If you fall fighting you shall meet me as martyrs in heaven. If you conquer you shall obtain sovereignty, and in either case your lot shall be envied by mortals.*
Having thus addressed his Sikhs, the Guru appointed eight men to guard each of the four walls of his extemporized fort. Kotha Singh and Madan Singh held the door, he himself, his two sons, Daya Singh and Sant Singh the top story. AHm Singh and Man Singh were appointed sentinels. Thus was made up the number of forty who accom- panied the Guru. Five Sikhs went forth to contend with the enemy. After fighting with great bravery they were killed. Then Khazan Singh, Dan Singh, and Dhyan Singh went forth, and after kilUng several of the enemy, were killed themselves. The brave Muhakam Singh, following the example of his fellows, went forth and fell pierced by scores of bullets.
While the Guru was lauding Muhakam Singh's valour, and saying that he should be emancipated, Himmat Singh, who was one of the first Sikhs bap- tized, asked permission to go forth to repel the
enemy. When he was slain the second batch of five Sikhs baptized by the Guru went forth, and sold their lives dearly. Ishar Singh and Deva Singh were the next to contend with the Muhammadans. While these were alive and fought, the enemy thought they were endowed with supernatural power.