By Jagmohan Singh Barhok
On His 347th Martyrdom
The Sikh history is full of deeds of bravery and valor. Indeed, the Sikhs are proud of their bravery, purity & straightforwardness & generosity. The sacrifices made by the Sikh Gurus speaks volumes of their Supreme & unparalleled sacrifice & standing by the Sikh tenets never to surrender before the might of the powerful tyrant rulers.
Guru Tegh Bahadur ,the 9th of the 10 Sikh Gurus, and the father of Shri Guru Gobind Singh can well be exemplified as saviour of the then Hindus when the Mughals were ruling the roost and a tyrant ruler was ruling the country.
Originally named Tyag Mal (Master of Renunciation) Guru Sahib spent his childhood at Amritsar. He learnt Gurmukhi, Hindi, Sanskrit and Indian religious philosophy along with archery & fencing . His followers renamed him as Guru Tegh Bahadur after he showed exceptional swordsmanship during the Battle of Kartarpur . His sword wielding ability made the rival foe lick the dust. It was sort of an honor.
In May 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was approached by the Hindu Pandits from the Kashmir region, seeking the Guru’s intercession against the forced conversions of Hindus to Islam by the Mughal rulers of India. For supporting the Hindu Pandits by resisting these forced conversions, and for himself refusing to convert to Islam, Guru Teg Bahadur Ji was publicly executed by beheading in Delhi on the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb. Today, Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib stand at the sites of beheading and cremation of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s body. His three followers – Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, and Bhai Dyal Das were also executed. Bestowed with the title #’Hind di Chaadar’.
