In 1959, the Punjab State Government imposed a ban on the slogan PUNJABI SUBAJINDABAD.This was just simply not only a political act, but an attempt tointimidate, supress and frighten the Sikhs, their religion and their language.The then PM of India Pandit Nehru not only wanted to bring forward and establish his own puppet- Sr Partap Singh Kairon, but was also ready tosacrifice his current puppet Chief Minister of the Punjab, Bhim Sen Sachar,while ensuring the Sikhs were handled aggressively ; also banned the slogan of the Punjabi language via the state government.This was a direct challenge to the Sikh Panth as the Punjabi language had become associated with their religion.If the Sikhs had allowed such steps to pass through without rising to its challenge, then the Sikhs would have been crushed certainly for many years tocome, if not forever.Their religion and culture and the beautiful contents of their Guru Messages - Guru Granth sahib lost forever to the future generations.The talk was that Sikh identity would be finished by the end of the 20th century, by crushing their language. The Sikh Panth/ community had just lost millions not too long ago in 1947, both in lives and property and stock,and was uprooted from it own homelands to the west very recently; therefore was still going through a very sensitive period, whereby a powerful show of force by the unfriendly government could have easily intimidated the community.But as Sikhs beleive in the Sikh Bola- Power and the saying Rakha Aap Akal Akalian da- the defender of the Akalis is the supreme Lord himself-the martialSikhs, instead of bowing to the threats , rose to the challenge with renewed vigour, energy and a brave hope of dignity.Sikhs have been blessed with such rising energy and positive mind by guru Nanak ji Guru Gobind Singh Ji themselves.Guru Hargobind Singh ji had spearheaded theSikh fighting spirit and rooted it well for generatiosn of Suikhs to come andlive accordingly.The Sikh history was entrenched in the spirit of forty Sikhs fighting forty thousands of the enemy,and emerging victoriously; therefore was a community not to take things lying down.It had glorious recent history of having uprooted the once powerful Mogul kingdom, rising from absolutely nothing, but five men who gave their heads in the first instance to their Guru at Anandpur sahib in 1699.Its principles to fight against tyranny and injustice were enshrined into it's daily supplication prayers,the ARDAS that were conducted daily across it's thousands ofGurduaras and Sikh homes, a reminder of their history written beautifully in trhe golden lettering of blood.The Sikhs are a community of valiant soldiers and saints and had no such word as defeat known in their dictionaries or psyche ; nor is there anyother known community with a paralell history of sacrifice, like the Sikhs.This is the story of one such part of the Skh history, where humanity, honesty,vigour , patience,sacrifice, generousity and humilation of Sikhs was tested bythe corrupted state.The Morcha or struggle of 1955 was a grand part of the Sikh history and it was instrumental in making the Punjabi language state as we know today.This morcha culminated with the CM Bhim Sen Sachar appearing before the Akal Takhat on the10th of November, 1955,to apologise and repent and for the dreadful act ofinvasion of the Harmander sahib on the 4th of July , 1955 led by the notorious uniformed gangster and hindu extremist minded Ashvini Kumar.Following this Bhim Sen Sachar lost his Ministership, and Partap Singh Kairon- another notorious congressman became the CM of the Punjab.Some may not be aware that although,it was mainly the Punjab Police that desecrated the Harmander sahib on the 4/71955, an army flag march also wasconducted in the vicinity; and in 1984 the army was used to attack theHarmander sahib.In the land of democracy, the tyrany and cruelity that was conducted by thepolice in 1955 was unmatched yet then.But with great bounds of patience the peaceful Sikhs tolerated the police excess and abuse inflicted upon them both physically and mentally.12,000 Sikhs were arrested and jailed.It should also benoted that for the first and last time of the 112 members of the SGPC 111 were arrested and jailed at the same time.In fact any reasonable Sikh leader and and voice of the Sikhs was arrested in thrown into jail.This was the largest and biggest Morcha the Sikhs had to launch post 1947.There was fire and zeal in every Sikh child, man, woman, old and young to bepart of this morcha and go to jail for the cause eof the mother tongue.Some bigwig Sikh names like , Giani Kartar Singh;Hukam Singh, Gian Singh Rarewala, Gopal Singh Khalsa,Umrao Singh Jalandhar and many others were not spared the arrest and humilation by the Police.Despite such abuse by the policethe Sikhs did not falter from their cause and dedication to the mother tongue.What a travesty when we look at today's Sikh leadership.
There was also an apparent conspiracy at the centre whereby Nehru and Partap SinghKairon, with their cahoot Udham Singh Nagoke, instigated Darshan Singh Pherumaan to launch in retaliation another morcha against the Akalis and Sikhs.Fortunately this attempted conspiracy did not materialised and failed very miserabaly.The 1955 Morcha tested the Sikh psyche to it fullest and every extreme, but nevertheless it emerged as a greatest single victory of the panth.
Gurcharan Singh, Kulim.London
Monday, 16 August 2010
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
I have been very concerned that recently the Sikh Malaysians came into the news for the very wrong reasons.An Indian police officer from Patiala, Punjab made claims that Indian Sikh separatists have established a base in Malaysia.A base can only be established if there is support from a local community.One or two people who may escaped from eleswhere for all sorts of reasons cannot established a "base" as I understand.A base needs to have numbers and support.Despite continous calls from our police the Indians have not come up with the evidence they should be providing.
I have read from Human right reports there were many tortourous events and transgressions of human rights that took place against Indian separatist, thus many escaped to foreign countries for refuge.One can understand that, and some may passed through Malaysia on their way elsewhere and perhaps one or two may have settled here.No body knows that, these are simply assumptions.
As a Malaysian, this is MY country and I have NO interest in the politics of another.But I also feel strongly that the Indian claim is simply to malign and bring into disrepute the loyal and hard working Sikh community of Malaysia, and drag them into the dirty politics of India , with which we have no connection or interests.This is becomming more apparent as the continued failure of the Indians to provide with concrete evidence of their claims.
The Indian propoganda machinary has brought into disrepute various Indian communities in many other parts of the world, now they have turned their eye towards the Sikh Malaysians.
I would call upon the Indian Police to provide their evidence of any Sikh Malaysian involvement, failing that, apologise to the community at once, and stop involving the good name of our communities and our beautiful country in their dirty propoganda.
A very Malaysian to the core,
Gurcharan Singh, Kulim
Chigwell, London
I have read from Human right reports there were many tortourous events and transgressions of human rights that took place against Indian separatist, thus many escaped to foreign countries for refuge.One can understand that, and some may passed through Malaysia on their way elsewhere and perhaps one or two may have settled here.No body knows that, these are simply assumptions.
As a Malaysian, this is MY country and I have NO interest in the politics of another.But I also feel strongly that the Indian claim is simply to malign and bring into disrepute the loyal and hard working Sikh community of Malaysia, and drag them into the dirty politics of India , with which we have no connection or interests.This is becomming more apparent as the continued failure of the Indians to provide with concrete evidence of their claims.
The Indian propoganda machinary has brought into disrepute various Indian communities in many other parts of the world, now they have turned their eye towards the Sikh Malaysians.
I would call upon the Indian Police to provide their evidence of any Sikh Malaysian involvement, failing that, apologise to the community at once, and stop involving the good name of our communities and our beautiful country in their dirty propoganda.
A very Malaysian to the core,
Gurcharan Singh, Kulim
Chigwell, London
Friday, 30 July 2010
Sikh Troops Invited to Hydrabad
It is said speculation fuels the joys of life and even politics.But, speculating history distorts history and education of future generations.That is a point where repetitive sad irony begins for any history of any race.The current debate over the Nizam of Hydrabad and the Army of Maharajah Ranjit Singh has created more speculation than usual; with individuals who have not read correctly making uneducated conclusions and creating a thousand more speculative conclusions and not having the ettiquette to come straight and apologise for meaningless statements.
Let me share some references over the subject in discussion, where I stand my ground and maintain categorically that is a beautifully illustrative illusion to claim and for many to believe that the Nizam of Hydrabad invited the Army of Maharajah Ranjit Singh- Shere- ee- Punjab to' put down rebellions in Hydrabad', South India.
It becomes a deeper conspiracy to then pass this on , considering that the Army of the Sikh state would have marched on a long and ardous journey through BRITISH INDIA;whose armies had closed the borders of the Sikh Raj from east of Satluj for as far as it was considered safe for them to do so.They had not only feared but were anxiously uncertain of the capability of the mighty power of the Sikh Raj and had taken every action to weaken, check and undermine the Sikh Raj, while Ranjit Singh Ji was still alive; would then allow a powerful force of their adversary to march through their territory; into a state[Hydrabad] where they had just snatched away the last relics of independance from Nizam Mir Akbar Ali Khan Sikander Jah Asaf Jah ll and make it an improvised british dependancy; after Munir -ul-Mulk had led anti british wave and hostility against the east India company's influence in the state.
It was during these times the Karora, a Minister of Hydrabad, a Chandu Lal came to the attention of the British and effectively was encouraged to excercise his power.Even when another Nizam tried to excercise his own power, Chandu lal effectively sidelined him.But like the Mughal army, Hydrabad's army was not centralised.It consisted of Arab units, African, Pathan and Rohillas and other Muslims.
The Arabs were a troublesome lot and had often open fights in the streets of Hydrabad where much bloodshed was let loose.They also terrorised the countryside and farmers if their wages ever fell in arrears.
Chandu Lal was aware of his precarious position in these circumstances, and driven by the need for an effective counterpoise to the Arabs and doubtful of the religious loyalty of the Muslim troops in general, Chandu Lal placed his faith in the men drawn from the thriving Sikh colonies of Hazoor Sahib.His own army consisted of over a thousand nihangs- traditional Sikh warriors.
Later,more Sikhs arrived from the Punjab into Hazoor sahib for one reason or another and many who were or had served in the armies of the Sikh misls etc found employment with Chandu Lal.Chandu also encouraged them to join the regular forces of Hydrabad.As such there came to exist a Sikh unit known as Jamiat- I -Sikhan.Soon many more thriving colonies of these Sikhs came to exist around Hydrabad and Nanded.
Sandwiched by the British,Maharajah Ranjit Singh was at a loss of what course of action he should pursue also wanted to understand their military style and art of administration made contact with Chandu Lal, who was a sahajdahri Sikh himself.He sent a Goor Singh, with a letter to Chandu Lal.However, Chandu Lal knew what could happen if he operated without the agreement of the British,therefor he sought advice from the British at Madras.
Thomas Sydenham, the British officer in charge, reported the matter to the Imperial Government.Sydenham knew Chandu Lal wanted to give the Sikh Raj a reply in such terms as may give the Lahore darbar, a favourable opinion of their[british] character and power and may incline Maharajah Ranjit Singh to court their friendship.Whatever the contents of the letter sent, it convinced Ranjit to remain faithful to his treaty obligations with the British.It was this increasing diplomatic contact between Chandu Lal and Maharajah Ranjit Singh changed the future history of Hazoor sahib.
During the 3rd Anglo Maratha war, in 1818, a British military officer stopped at Nanded,wrote that the Sikh colony in Nanded housed just about 4000 people.It had a flourishing student population and a well run teaching establishment.Talking of the Sikhs in Nanded at that time, he describes them as "tall, of elegant symmetry and in their countences alone carry an expression of superiority aand manlines far above any other tribe around them or in india I have seen so far"
At Rajoora, a town of 500 houses situated on the road from Hydrabad to Jaulnamhad had 200 Sikhs in its garrison.
According to records by 1812, a few hundered Sikhs had been drafted into the two regiments of the Russel brigade, which Raja Chandu Lal and his brother Raja Govind Baksh raised.
There was also a Sikh settlement at Amraoti, in the district of Berar;who were given land by the Raja Govind Baksh.
A Major Bevan passed through this town in 1818 found its habitants to be "a fine race of atheletic and turbanned men" and was treated to a demonstartion of their military skills.
He also notes a college existed for the sect of Sikhs.This indicates a substantial population of Sikhs existed there.
To the north of Amraoti but within the Berar province is Ellichpur under the responsibility of another relation of Chandu Lal called Rao Raja Ram.A European, who was there in 1817 could not help note that there were "Sikh soldiers in their elegant turbans and peculiar dress and armed with their chakrahs".
When Appa Sahib, ex raja of Nagpur escaped to the Punjab, Maharajah Ranjit Singh prompty asked him to leave the Sikh territory as he did not want to upset the British, but timely intervention by Akali Phoola Singh granted him protection and allowed Appa Sahib to stay with him.
In 1829, Ali Khan Nasir -ud-Daula became the Nizam and tried to curtail Raja Chandu Lal's power.But that did not last long and he was outwitted by Chandu Lal.During this time to release the state from revenue responsibilty a large number, about 25,000 men consisting of Rohilla and Arabs were released from formal service of Hydrabad state.These people irritated and disturbed by their dismissal took to causing mayhem in and around the city of Hydrabad.Many a time becomming involved in skirmishes with groups of Sikhs, who they knew harboured no love for the muslims.
It was the result of one of these clashes that sat the ball rolling for the arrival of the 1400 Sikhs plus 300 Nihangs from the Army of Maharajah Ranjit Singh into Hazoor sahib, and Hydrabad.
A mutual loathing always existed between the Arabs and Sikhs in the Nizam's employ, so a major clash was long over due.
In October, 1829 the Sikhs and the Arabs had come to blows outside Raja Chandu Lal's residence.The Raja had just managed to bring them to reconcile after strenous efforts.But two years later a far more serious fight took place at Nanded.It was triggered by a party of Arabs, who passing by the Sikh colony in may 1831;shouted their Huzzahs, or religious exclamations with so much unction and vociferous zeal as to offend the Sikhs mortally.After a prelude of mutual hard words , they came to harder blows;about 30 Arabs were lost their lives, and many more were hurt.Those who survived then went off to Hydrabad proclaiming Islam was in danger , collected all the Arabs and marched to to Raja Chandu Lal's mansion demanding he hand over all the Sikhs in the house to the insulted true faithfuls!
On refusal, they stormed the house, Chandu Lal just managed to escape,but several Sikhs were put to sword.About 50 others escaped and took up a strong position in a street and barricaded it.The Arabs rushed to it with fierce shouts,but lost 31 of their body, who tasted the blisful cup of martydom.But in the end, their repeated attacks and larger numbers carried the position, and they slaughtered all the Sikhs who could get their hands on.
According to reliable records,the Sikhs who occupied one of the gardens in the city lost a hundered men, including two jathedars, while the Arabs lost 400 men.
The British authorities vainly warned both parties to desist from fighting.The British resident general Col. Josiah Stewart anounced on behalf of the Nizam that "if they wanted to test their might, both parties should go out of the city"
Every Sikh was ordered to leave the city at once;while the Arabs were to 'remain in quiet within the walls'.The Sikhs disobeyed the command, expecting the Arabs to resume their attack at any moment.For several days , Sikhs took up arms and a strong position outside the city , awaiting for any Arab to come out.
The press took Raja Chandu to task , for his sympathies and support of the Sikhs and his connection with Nanded.Even though the Sikhs stood their ground and came off better than the Arabs, their overall numbers were low compared to the Arabs in the area.The Arabs were trying to enlist the help of other Muslims in the area by crying out Jihad against the Sikhs
A Sikh jathedar, Jassa Singh and other Pujaris of Takhat Hazoor Sahib despatched three horsemen to the Punjab with Hukamnamas from Takhat Hazoor Sahib appealing for assiatance in the crises from Maharajah Ranjit Singh, and the Sikh Maharajas of Patiala, Jind, Nabha and Kaithal.
The messengers arrived at the court of Shere -EE- Punjab at Lahore in June 1831 and informed of the Sikh Arab collision.They also communicated that the Arabs who greatly outnumbered the Sikhs were trying to provoke the local Muslims and might 'injure the sanctity of the sacred Gurduaras'.
Ranjit Singh directed his Vakeel- agent, based at Ludhiana, Lala Kishan Chand to contact Capt.Wade, the British political agent and impress strongly upon him that sanctity of the Gurduara Abchal Nager must be protected , and also ask the Nizam to ensure its safety and allow Sikhs to conduct their religious rites in peace and safety.
Maharajah sahib also instructed "if Capt Wade was not available, to the go straight to the Governer General of India."
Chandu was forced into temporarily ejecting the Hazoori Sikhs from Hydrabad; and was fearful also about loosing his own Sikh body guards.But on learning about the concerns of the Lahore Darbar, Chandu formulated a plan that would ensure both his and the security of the Takhat Hazoor Sahib.Accordingly, in the name of the Nizam of Hydrabad, Chandu requested the induction of the troops from Lahore into Hydrabad army, ostensibly to counter act the unrelenting Arab and Rohilla menace.He proposed that once the immediate troubles had subsided, they could be employed to protect the Sikh colony at Nanded and rebuild the takhat.
The first part of the agreement was agreed by the Brtish government in India through Josiah Stewart.Maharajah Ranjit Singh had met the governor general William Bentinck at Ropar in 1831 to reaffirm the long standing friendship betwen the two nations.Maharajah sahib raised the issue of the Takhat at Nanded.The Governor general agreed that a small contigent of troops should be allowed to defend the takhat.
To open the negotiations, Chandu Lal sent costly gifts to the Lahore darbar in the name of the Nizam.Fine jewellary and diamonds and a chandani - a canopy used over the Guru Granth sahib was sent among many others.
Before sending the Lahori troops to Hydrabad, many conditions had to be met;including their numbers, pay and land for their residence, and their duties primarily to defend the Gurduaras and Sikh colonies and NOT to return to Punjab unless recalled by the darbar.A forces of 1400 plus 300 Akali Nihangs of the Akal Regiment was assembled hastily under the command of Chanda Singh.The Lahori troops sat of from Lahore in 1832.
On arrival at Hydrabad they were stationed by Chandu Lal at Mir Alam Tank near the heart of the city.An area of 200 acres was allocated to them.Colonies sprung up at Anantgiri, Rambagh, Kishanbagh and Attapur.Many families were also housed in the large gardens of Chandu Lal's house.The Nizam's Government helped build a Gurduara at Gowliguda.
Once settled the deras were mobilised.Each of the 14 districts of Hydrabad had a dera.Their presence offered a sembelance of peace in the nizams realm.They then started helping in collection revenues for the public purse.Their large presence compelled Chandu Lal to create a special administrative office called Mahikama I Sikhan- or department of Sikhs.Through Chandu they also won the Nizam's favour and aquired the privilege of purchasing and inheriting property in the state and of joining government service in other departments;later many of the Sikhs enrolled into the state army.
This is a very different story from the Army of Ranjit Singh "going to the aid of the Nizam of Hydrabad" headlines as speculated by some.
Gurcharan Singh, Kulim
London
Let me share some references over the subject in discussion, where I stand my ground and maintain categorically that is a beautifully illustrative illusion to claim and for many to believe that the Nizam of Hydrabad invited the Army of Maharajah Ranjit Singh- Shere- ee- Punjab to' put down rebellions in Hydrabad', South India.
It becomes a deeper conspiracy to then pass this on , considering that the Army of the Sikh state would have marched on a long and ardous journey through BRITISH INDIA;whose armies had closed the borders of the Sikh Raj from east of Satluj for as far as it was considered safe for them to do so.They had not only feared but were anxiously uncertain of the capability of the mighty power of the Sikh Raj and had taken every action to weaken, check and undermine the Sikh Raj, while Ranjit Singh Ji was still alive; would then allow a powerful force of their adversary to march through their territory; into a state[Hydrabad] where they had just snatched away the last relics of independance from Nizam Mir Akbar Ali Khan Sikander Jah Asaf Jah ll and make it an improvised british dependancy; after Munir -ul-Mulk had led anti british wave and hostility against the east India company's influence in the state.
It was during these times the Karora, a Minister of Hydrabad, a Chandu Lal came to the attention of the British and effectively was encouraged to excercise his power.Even when another Nizam tried to excercise his own power, Chandu lal effectively sidelined him.But like the Mughal army, Hydrabad's army was not centralised.It consisted of Arab units, African, Pathan and Rohillas and other Muslims.
The Arabs were a troublesome lot and had often open fights in the streets of Hydrabad where much bloodshed was let loose.They also terrorised the countryside and farmers if their wages ever fell in arrears.
Chandu Lal was aware of his precarious position in these circumstances, and driven by the need for an effective counterpoise to the Arabs and doubtful of the religious loyalty of the Muslim troops in general, Chandu Lal placed his faith in the men drawn from the thriving Sikh colonies of Hazoor Sahib.His own army consisted of over a thousand nihangs- traditional Sikh warriors.
Later,more Sikhs arrived from the Punjab into Hazoor sahib for one reason or another and many who were or had served in the armies of the Sikh misls etc found employment with Chandu Lal.Chandu also encouraged them to join the regular forces of Hydrabad.As such there came to exist a Sikh unit known as Jamiat- I -Sikhan.Soon many more thriving colonies of these Sikhs came to exist around Hydrabad and Nanded.
Sandwiched by the British,Maharajah Ranjit Singh was at a loss of what course of action he should pursue also wanted to understand their military style and art of administration made contact with Chandu Lal, who was a sahajdahri Sikh himself.He sent a Goor Singh, with a letter to Chandu Lal.However, Chandu Lal knew what could happen if he operated without the agreement of the British,therefor he sought advice from the British at Madras.
Thomas Sydenham, the British officer in charge, reported the matter to the Imperial Government.Sydenham knew Chandu Lal wanted to give the Sikh Raj a reply in such terms as may give the Lahore darbar, a favourable opinion of their[british] character and power and may incline Maharajah Ranjit Singh to court their friendship.Whatever the contents of the letter sent, it convinced Ranjit to remain faithful to his treaty obligations with the British.It was this increasing diplomatic contact between Chandu Lal and Maharajah Ranjit Singh changed the future history of Hazoor sahib.
During the 3rd Anglo Maratha war, in 1818, a British military officer stopped at Nanded,wrote that the Sikh colony in Nanded housed just about 4000 people.It had a flourishing student population and a well run teaching establishment.Talking of the Sikhs in Nanded at that time, he describes them as "tall, of elegant symmetry and in their countences alone carry an expression of superiority aand manlines far above any other tribe around them or in india I have seen so far"
At Rajoora, a town of 500 houses situated on the road from Hydrabad to Jaulnamhad had 200 Sikhs in its garrison.
According to records by 1812, a few hundered Sikhs had been drafted into the two regiments of the Russel brigade, which Raja Chandu Lal and his brother Raja Govind Baksh raised.
There was also a Sikh settlement at Amraoti, in the district of Berar;who were given land by the Raja Govind Baksh.
A Major Bevan passed through this town in 1818 found its habitants to be "a fine race of atheletic and turbanned men" and was treated to a demonstartion of their military skills.
He also notes a college existed for the sect of Sikhs.This indicates a substantial population of Sikhs existed there.
To the north of Amraoti but within the Berar province is Ellichpur under the responsibility of another relation of Chandu Lal called Rao Raja Ram.A European, who was there in 1817 could not help note that there were "Sikh soldiers in their elegant turbans and peculiar dress and armed with their chakrahs".
When Appa Sahib, ex raja of Nagpur escaped to the Punjab, Maharajah Ranjit Singh prompty asked him to leave the Sikh territory as he did not want to upset the British, but timely intervention by Akali Phoola Singh granted him protection and allowed Appa Sahib to stay with him.
In 1829, Ali Khan Nasir -ud-Daula became the Nizam and tried to curtail Raja Chandu Lal's power.But that did not last long and he was outwitted by Chandu Lal.During this time to release the state from revenue responsibilty a large number, about 25,000 men consisting of Rohilla and Arabs were released from formal service of Hydrabad state.These people irritated and disturbed by their dismissal took to causing mayhem in and around the city of Hydrabad.Many a time becomming involved in skirmishes with groups of Sikhs, who they knew harboured no love for the muslims.
It was the result of one of these clashes that sat the ball rolling for the arrival of the 1400 Sikhs plus 300 Nihangs from the Army of Maharajah Ranjit Singh into Hazoor sahib, and Hydrabad.
A mutual loathing always existed between the Arabs and Sikhs in the Nizam's employ, so a major clash was long over due.
In October, 1829 the Sikhs and the Arabs had come to blows outside Raja Chandu Lal's residence.The Raja had just managed to bring them to reconcile after strenous efforts.But two years later a far more serious fight took place at Nanded.It was triggered by a party of Arabs, who passing by the Sikh colony in may 1831;shouted their Huzzahs, or religious exclamations with so much unction and vociferous zeal as to offend the Sikhs mortally.After a prelude of mutual hard words , they came to harder blows;about 30 Arabs were lost their lives, and many more were hurt.Those who survived then went off to Hydrabad proclaiming Islam was in danger , collected all the Arabs and marched to to Raja Chandu Lal's mansion demanding he hand over all the Sikhs in the house to the insulted true faithfuls!
On refusal, they stormed the house, Chandu Lal just managed to escape,but several Sikhs were put to sword.About 50 others escaped and took up a strong position in a street and barricaded it.The Arabs rushed to it with fierce shouts,but lost 31 of their body, who tasted the blisful cup of martydom.But in the end, their repeated attacks and larger numbers carried the position, and they slaughtered all the Sikhs who could get their hands on.
According to reliable records,the Sikhs who occupied one of the gardens in the city lost a hundered men, including two jathedars, while the Arabs lost 400 men.
The British authorities vainly warned both parties to desist from fighting.The British resident general Col. Josiah Stewart anounced on behalf of the Nizam that "if they wanted to test their might, both parties should go out of the city"
Every Sikh was ordered to leave the city at once;while the Arabs were to 'remain in quiet within the walls'.The Sikhs disobeyed the command, expecting the Arabs to resume their attack at any moment.For several days , Sikhs took up arms and a strong position outside the city , awaiting for any Arab to come out.
The press took Raja Chandu to task , for his sympathies and support of the Sikhs and his connection with Nanded.Even though the Sikhs stood their ground and came off better than the Arabs, their overall numbers were low compared to the Arabs in the area.The Arabs were trying to enlist the help of other Muslims in the area by crying out Jihad against the Sikhs
A Sikh jathedar, Jassa Singh and other Pujaris of Takhat Hazoor Sahib despatched three horsemen to the Punjab with Hukamnamas from Takhat Hazoor Sahib appealing for assiatance in the crises from Maharajah Ranjit Singh, and the Sikh Maharajas of Patiala, Jind, Nabha and Kaithal.
The messengers arrived at the court of Shere -EE- Punjab at Lahore in June 1831 and informed of the Sikh Arab collision.They also communicated that the Arabs who greatly outnumbered the Sikhs were trying to provoke the local Muslims and might 'injure the sanctity of the sacred Gurduaras'.
Ranjit Singh directed his Vakeel- agent, based at Ludhiana, Lala Kishan Chand to contact Capt.Wade, the British political agent and impress strongly upon him that sanctity of the Gurduara Abchal Nager must be protected , and also ask the Nizam to ensure its safety and allow Sikhs to conduct their religious rites in peace and safety.
Maharajah sahib also instructed "if Capt Wade was not available, to the go straight to the Governer General of India."
Chandu was forced into temporarily ejecting the Hazoori Sikhs from Hydrabad; and was fearful also about loosing his own Sikh body guards.But on learning about the concerns of the Lahore Darbar, Chandu formulated a plan that would ensure both his and the security of the Takhat Hazoor Sahib.Accordingly, in the name of the Nizam of Hydrabad, Chandu requested the induction of the troops from Lahore into Hydrabad army, ostensibly to counter act the unrelenting Arab and Rohilla menace.He proposed that once the immediate troubles had subsided, they could be employed to protect the Sikh colony at Nanded and rebuild the takhat.
The first part of the agreement was agreed by the Brtish government in India through Josiah Stewart.Maharajah Ranjit Singh had met the governor general William Bentinck at Ropar in 1831 to reaffirm the long standing friendship betwen the two nations.Maharajah sahib raised the issue of the Takhat at Nanded.The Governor general agreed that a small contigent of troops should be allowed to defend the takhat.
To open the negotiations, Chandu Lal sent costly gifts to the Lahore darbar in the name of the Nizam.Fine jewellary and diamonds and a chandani - a canopy used over the Guru Granth sahib was sent among many others.
Before sending the Lahori troops to Hydrabad, many conditions had to be met;including their numbers, pay and land for their residence, and their duties primarily to defend the Gurduaras and Sikh colonies and NOT to return to Punjab unless recalled by the darbar.A forces of 1400 plus 300 Akali Nihangs of the Akal Regiment was assembled hastily under the command of Chanda Singh.The Lahori troops sat of from Lahore in 1832.
On arrival at Hydrabad they were stationed by Chandu Lal at Mir Alam Tank near the heart of the city.An area of 200 acres was allocated to them.Colonies sprung up at Anantgiri, Rambagh, Kishanbagh and Attapur.Many families were also housed in the large gardens of Chandu Lal's house.The Nizam's Government helped build a Gurduara at Gowliguda.
Once settled the deras were mobilised.Each of the 14 districts of Hydrabad had a dera.Their presence offered a sembelance of peace in the nizams realm.They then started helping in collection revenues for the public purse.Their large presence compelled Chandu Lal to create a special administrative office called Mahikama I Sikhan- or department of Sikhs.Through Chandu they also won the Nizam's favour and aquired the privilege of purchasing and inheriting property in the state and of joining government service in other departments;later many of the Sikhs enrolled into the state army.
This is a very different story from the Army of Ranjit Singh "going to the aid of the Nizam of Hydrabad" headlines as speculated by some.
Gurcharan Singh, Kulim
London
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
The Controversy of the Dasam Granth
This article is not intended to start another revolving controversy that seems to rock and roll the Sikh Panth from time to time. I hope this is read and seen as a source of information and understanding for Sikhs [and non Sikhs ] born abroad and have lived most of their lives out of India and have not had close contact with the Punjab;hence have very little little learning and understanding of the book called dasam granth. What, how and why the issues of dasam granth often bring unparalleled unrest among the Sikhs, whenever they surface.
I have felt this was very necessary, as I have noted in the debates over the nets in the last few years, almost all of the debate is monopolised by those who were born in India or have recently migrated from India.I note participation from more Sikhs like me is lacking because of the lack of proper knowledge of the dasam granth in lands of our birth. I hope those Sikhs like me born abroad will find this helpful and informative. Finally, on my recent visit to Australia and Malaysia many people engaged me on this issue and asked why such controversy rages in the panth for almost the whole of last century.
How did the name Dasam Granth and its existence come about? Why and how do the contents in the dasam granth relate to Guru Gobind Singh ji? Are all the contents of the Dasam Granth authored by Guru Gobind Singh Ji or are there also in the contents writings of his contemporaries and other poets, some of whose names are unknown now. Or are many of the collections in the book also written by people who were no part of the Sikh faith and philosophy.
Is it right to offer the same respect to the dasam granth as Guru Granth Sahib and allow the dasam granth to be rested on a podium or manji sahib as an equal to the Guru Of the Sikhs-Guru Granth Sahib? Considering that ONLY the Guru Granth Sahib was declared a GURU by the Tenth Master himself. Is it right then to pay spiritual respect , with head bowed, and conduct paath pooja of the dasam granth , as seen in recent times in the UK. Some people have carried out an "akhand paath" of Dasam Granth.Do such acts adhere to the recognised Sikh maryada?Are these people right in doing what they are doing?
In the controversial dasam granth or book , which writings are truly related to Sikh teachings and Gurbani of the Sikh Gurus and which are simply for pleasurable reading to enhance some knowledge and bring about meaningful discussion for the individual- are among the many questions that often arise and are asked by people caught in its controversies.
But for many abroad, this is a subject often of no interest or understanding simply because they know so little or have no knowledge about its back ground or origins.I aim to bring that understanding and knowledge so that every one reading can get a basic understanding of why this controversy rages in the Panth and why hairs are split between opposing groups, and the prime message of Guru Gobind Singh is often forgotten and bypassed in their zeal to score points over the opponent becomes the religious norm.
In my opinion,given the current developments of academic knowledge,understanding and education of Sikhs worldwide and their most needful missing component -unity, it is imperative that such irresponsibly unecessary controversies are closed for ever.
It is the duty of every Sikh to understand the issue and move towards a collective corrective direction over the dasam granth , so as not to allow opportunists to rock the peace and unity of the Sikh panth from time to time,seriously unsettling the community and raising unwarranted questions about the principles of the Gurbani and maryada.
Why must it be a duty for every Sikh to understand the controversy ?It is necessary for Sikhs to understand the controversy as the frequent resurgence of this subject causes great disruption and divides the panth every now and then.It has along with derawaad and unjustified rituals in the community misguidedly entrenched the belief in many parts of the community that it is equal to Guru Granth sahib;which has caused great confusion among the Sikhs, and very much misleads the Sikhs religious belief in the one Guru Granth sahib.
Although over the last three decades many authors agree that many of the writings in the dasam granth are neither related to Sikh teachings nor it is Gurbani of the Sikh Guru.That it simply should be regarded as additional knowledge for all.However, it has also become a point of contention that creates a very tense controversy from lack of research/knowledge/understanding and the many vested interests of parties that survive and consolidate their power base by keeping this issue alight.
It is important to understand the background history and origins of this controversial granth, in a simple language.I hope it will also asisst readers to decide and conclude with clarity- what is really the Bani of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and what is not the bani in the dasam granth.Some have called to name the non- bani portions of the dasam granth as 'kachi bani', I do not think such moves are wise, as they create a lot of confusion, if not now, in later Sikh history.Labelling Gurbani as Kachi or otherwise does not hold water, as Gurbani cannot be kachi or pakki.It simply is Gurbani or not Gurbani.The use of such poor phrases and definitions in Punjabi is one of the roots causes of many misunderstandings among Sikhs relating to Sikh issues.
The martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji along with three other Sikhs by the Moghuls left a permanent, though painful, but a strong impression upon the psyche of the child Guru Govind Rai.An impression that unlike in normal cirumstances was to grant him the boon to defy against all odds, militarily and spiritually. Abuse of power by the moghuls made Guru Gobind Singh Ji ensure he was to not only become militarily capable but also spiritually and religiously challenging towards the misdeeds of the tyranny by the Moghuls.Literature of heroic deeds and weapons of self defence became his allies and were promoted.He also had an interest to read the historical tales of the hindu vedic avtaars, the heroics of the devtas- holymen against the rakshaks- demons, which he found in the then existing hindu mythological tales.Irrespective of what one says, he appears to have found such reading helpful in his preparation to strike against the root of the evility of the Moghul rule, that was bent on committing excessive tyranny in the name of religion against those who did not ascribe or agree with them.
As he matured and became a teenager, he was determined to recreate similar heroic literature, in a language that would be easy for the ordinary person to read and understand.This would also facilitate for the simple people to understand that the power of the Guru Ji was equivalent and more than that of the devtas that the ordinary people had come to understand and revere in their folklore stories.It was necessary to prepare the people to recognise that the message Guru Gobind Singh had brought was no ordinary message,but one that had the powers and backing of the Almighty.Using examples of such heros from mythology and appropriate messages he needed to create the trust and power of the subdued person in his personal ability to challenge and overthrow the demons of the moghul empire.An example of this approach is seen in the bachitter natak,where he has linked his back ground to the historical heros, to recreate such heros from down trodden people of the time.
To create an effective literature as Guru Gobind Singh Ji desired and had perhaps planned for, it required one to be not only sensational but perceptive with great conception and empiricism.To have all the above qualities to generate a greatly inspiring literature, requires uninterupted time and lastly a peaceful place where all these skills could be put to work without outside disturbances.But Guru Gobind Singh Ji had very little of such peaceful opportunities and times in the Punjab of the day.
Initially,Guru Gobind Singh lived at Anandpur sahib in relative peace; then at Paonta Sahib for four years; then back at Anandpur sahib;where constant harrasment from the hill rajas and conflicts with them arose.In between these conflicts, he found some time for his literary and hunting hobbies.It is a well known fact that he had soon gathered an entrouge of 52 poets of repute at his darbar; and conducted daily discourse of Gurbani and discussions with the people.
It cannot be ruled out that he asked some of his darbari poets to collect and collate old historical literature from sanskrit, braj, farsi, kalinga and other languages and re- write it in the simple language of the people to promote an awareness.Some of the more prominent stories were talked about,analytically criticised and reffered to by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in his discourses in the sangat.An example here is the shandd 863/64 in the latter half of the Chaubis Avtaar-relating to ram avtaar "...Pae gahe jab te tumre.... ".
This preserved piece of historical literature was reffered to as Samund Sagar in the writings of Kesar Singh Chibber in the Bansawali-nama written in 1769.In 1776, Sarup Das Bhalla finds same commonality over the same piece in his book Mahima Parkash when he refers to it as Vidya Sagar Granth.It is important to understand that all the literature that was collected and collated in writing and orally in the darbar of Guru Gobind Singh Ji was lost in 1705,when Guru Gobind Singh left Anandpur sahib;the moghul forces entered Anandpur sahib and are believed to have destroyed all.Some was also lost at the crossing of river Sirsa.
In 1708, before his worldly departure, Guru Gobind Singh clearly ordained the Sikhs to entrust their future in the Guru Granth Sahib and seek guidance only from their Shabad Guru- Guru Granth sahib and no one else.Guru Granth Sahib was the Shabad Guru and Master of the Sikhs, no one else.
But the real life leadership of the Sikh Panth in that period fell upon Mata Sundari Ji,Bibi Sahib Kaur, and the old but not ancient patriarch- a contemporary of Guru Gobind Singh, Bhai Mani Singh Ji.
It appears from the history that for the next decade or so, in very uncertain and unsettled times,no attention was paid to the writings of the Vidya Sagar or any other literature relating to Guru Gobind Singh Ji or his own writings.
However,it appears by 1733, Bhai Mani Singh through great personal effort managed to salvage and collect from here and there about 14 to 15 different pieces of writings relating to Guru Gobind Singh ji's period.But it is also very clear from history that there is absolutely no evidence if all these were collected into ONE book or granth form in the same period.Among the collection was bachitter natak;chandi charitter ;ram avtaar; krishan avtaar etc.However, the whole collection was known simply as bachitter natak granth; although as said there is no evidence if these were binded into a granth at that point of history
In 1740, six years after Bhai Mani Singh's shahidi, a very messy controversy arose over the issue of binding a granth from the collection of Bhai Mani Singh Ji.Who is originally responsible for binding this book,later to become known as the dasam granth, no records exist.The manner in which it is said the issue was "resolved " at Damdama Sahib by Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh, calls for a very serious evaluation of the whole issue by any intelligent thinking Sikh, even to this day.It can argued that the solution arrived at by Bhai Mehtab Singh and Sukha Singh was far from satisfactory- thus we see debates and disturbingly divided opposition among Sikhs to this day, over the alledged dasam granth
After this incident of the binded granth- the centre of serious controversial disruption in the Panth in 1740- the binded granth was addressed as Dasam Patshah da Granth.Subsequent copies were made and appeared of this granth, with some alteration of the writings, additions were made to some stories in it and some stories changed by those making the copies, some of which are named and some unamed.Some shandds were also interefered with here and there as it perhaps suited the writers objectives.
However, in all, four birs have remained the pillars and centre stage of the controversy and as a record.They are the Bhai Mani Singh Wali Bir;Motibagh wali Bir, Sangrur wali bir, and Patna sahib wali bir.None of them are similar to each other in the contents
In 1897, the Gurmat Granth Parcharak Sabha of Amritsar explored and studied about 30 - 32 such birs that were available and arrived at the conclusion that has presented us the present format of the dasam granth.They decided to standardised the dasam granth to its present 1428 pages, dividing the dasam granth into 15 chapters or headings and created one book- dasam granth.
The matter was again left really unresolved, plunging the Panth into a deeper depth of a controversial future time bomb.Currently, the Sikh Panth is effectively divided into two opposing views over the dasam granth.There are heated arguments and unease over people conducting paath pooja,bowing to the dasam granth and worst of all; lastly and the most disturbing aspect ...is sitting it as an equal to Guru Granth sahib, clearly the only shabad Guru Sikhs should trust in and believe as ordained by Guru Gobind Singh Ji himself.Some are now very misguidedly refering to it as Sri Guru Dasam Granth sahib!
Where does that leave Guru Granth Sahib- which Guru Gobind Singh Ji clearly ordained as the Guru Of The Sikhs in 1708 when he sang a self-composed hymn:
"Agya bhai Akal ki, tabhi chalayo Panth, Sabh Sikhan ko hukam hai, Guru Maneyo Granth , Guru Granth Ji manyo pargat Guran ki deh, Jo Prabhu ko milbo chahe khoj shabad mein le, Raj karega Khalsa aqi rahei na koe, Khwar hoe sabh milange bache sharan jo hoe."
Translation of the above:
"Under orders of the Immortal Being, the Panth was created. All the Sikhs are enjoined to accept the Granth as their Guru. Consider the Guru Granth as embodiment of the Gurus. Those who want to meet God, can find Him in its hymns. The pure shall rule, and impure will be no more, Those separated will unite and all the devotees shall be saved."
The message from the Guru sahib ji is very very clear, let there be no doubt about that.But comming back to the issue under discussion, one section of the community believes the whole of the dasam granth contains the writings of Guru Gobind Singh, therefore it should be revered as the "Guru".Those who toe this school of thought are mostly followers of the sant samaj- meaning all those who call themselves sadhs and sants -old deras or new deras- and their followers who are mesmerised by folklore and age old rituals. It includes sympathists who are acamedicians and litararists and have strong belief in the sant tradition, in addition and despite Guru Granth Sahib's clear message.The damdami taksaal falls into this school of thought.Their argument is that the old references to vedic history and era and puranic mythology helps those who read and communicate with Guru Granth sahib, to understand it more clearly and better.But there is no scientific evidence nor any studies to support this claim.They also claim that because all the stories in the dasam granth were collected and collated by Bhai Mani Singh Ji, therefore one should not question it's authenticity and his sincerity.
A factor which holds strong in favour of this school is the continuation of seating the dasam granth parallel to the Guru Granth Sahib at Takhats' Patna sahib and Nander sahib.Various reasons contribute to this practice although clearly contrary to the Shiromani Rehat Maryada of the Sikh panth.The SGPC has failed to persuade these two takhats to adhere to the Guru Ji's final Hukam of 'Guru Maniyo Granth'.
But the other school of thought which is formed mainly of enlightened and academic Sikhs holds a totally opposing view and does not believe that all the writings are that of Guru Gobind Singh Ji or can be attributed to him or any part of the Gurbani wholly.This school of thought accepts only 7% of the contents of the dasam granth sahib are associated with Gurbani.The rest is a collection of poetry, shabads and old folklore of various other writers and from many languages and parts of the country and has been added to mislead Sikhs and dilute the Gurbani, in the unsettled period after the demise of Bhai Mani Singh ji.A strong point for this school is that as Sikhs we believe in one Jot Of Guru Nanak- and subsequently all Gurbani ends with Nanak in Guru Granth Sahib, but this is not the case in the alleged dasam granth.Therefore, apart from a small number of writings, nothing else is the writing of Guru Gobind Singh ji.
With two such opposing views, one can see how the Sikh panth cannot arrive at any conclusive decision over the issue of the dasam granth and is torn apart often embroiled in an almost internal civil war like situation over this sensitive issue.
Below, I reproduce the contents of the dasam granth and give their break down.
No. Title Pages Total Pages % of dasam granth
1] Jaap 1-10 10 0.7%
2]Akal Ustat 11-38 28 1.9%
3]Bachitter Natak 39-73 34 2.4%
4]Chandi Charitter-1 74-99 26 1.8%
5]Chandi Charitter-2 100-119 20 1.4%
6]Var Bhagauti Ji Ki 119-127 9 0.7 %
7]Gian Parbodh 127-155 28 1.9%
8]Chaubis Avtar 155- 611 456 32%
9]Brahm Avtar 611- 635 24 1.7%
10]RudR Avtar 635-709 74 5.2%
11]Shabad,Swaiye,etc 709-711 3 0.6%
12]Shashter Nam Mala 717-808 91 6.4%
13]Chitro Pakhian 808- 1388 580 40.6%
14]Zafarnama 1389- 1394 6 0.4%
15] Hakaiitaan 1394- 1428 34 2.4%
From the above, the writings that the Sikh panth has accepted are Jaap Sahib, Akal Ustat, Bachitter Natak, some Shabads and Swaiye, [Khalsa Mahima Benti Chaupaii] and Zafarnama.The total content of the accepted material forms only about 7% , which is spread over about 100 pages in the dasam granth.
The rest of 93% material of the dasam granth has been rejected and is neither accepted as bani, nor as the writings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji or is of any relevance to Sikhs and Sikh Gurus or their teachings.
I now leave it to the readers to decide how a book that is 93% irrelevent, has engaged the Sikh panth in countless controversies, divisions and now near usurping the unquestionble Guru Granth Sahib's position, due to the misinformed section of the community.
How can a book clearly with 93% non Sikh,non Gurbani and non Guru related material be sat next to Guru Granth Sahib , or even addressed as 'guru' dasam Granth ?
All constructive feedback will be appreciated-Chaan Pardesi@aol.com
Gurcharan Singh, Kulim
London, United Kingdom
Kamuning Hills, Malaysia
I have felt this was very necessary, as I have noted in the debates over the nets in the last few years, almost all of the debate is monopolised by those who were born in India or have recently migrated from India.I note participation from more Sikhs like me is lacking because of the lack of proper knowledge of the dasam granth in lands of our birth. I hope those Sikhs like me born abroad will find this helpful and informative. Finally, on my recent visit to Australia and Malaysia many people engaged me on this issue and asked why such controversy rages in the panth for almost the whole of last century.
How did the name Dasam Granth and its existence come about? Why and how do the contents in the dasam granth relate to Guru Gobind Singh ji? Are all the contents of the Dasam Granth authored by Guru Gobind Singh Ji or are there also in the contents writings of his contemporaries and other poets, some of whose names are unknown now. Or are many of the collections in the book also written by people who were no part of the Sikh faith and philosophy.
Is it right to offer the same respect to the dasam granth as Guru Granth Sahib and allow the dasam granth to be rested on a podium or manji sahib as an equal to the Guru Of the Sikhs-Guru Granth Sahib? Considering that ONLY the Guru Granth Sahib was declared a GURU by the Tenth Master himself. Is it right then to pay spiritual respect , with head bowed, and conduct paath pooja of the dasam granth , as seen in recent times in the UK. Some people have carried out an "akhand paath" of Dasam Granth.Do such acts adhere to the recognised Sikh maryada?Are these people right in doing what they are doing?
In the controversial dasam granth or book , which writings are truly related to Sikh teachings and Gurbani of the Sikh Gurus and which are simply for pleasurable reading to enhance some knowledge and bring about meaningful discussion for the individual- are among the many questions that often arise and are asked by people caught in its controversies.
But for many abroad, this is a subject often of no interest or understanding simply because they know so little or have no knowledge about its back ground or origins.I aim to bring that understanding and knowledge so that every one reading can get a basic understanding of why this controversy rages in the Panth and why hairs are split between opposing groups, and the prime message of Guru Gobind Singh is often forgotten and bypassed in their zeal to score points over the opponent becomes the religious norm.
In my opinion,given the current developments of academic knowledge,understanding and education of Sikhs worldwide and their most needful missing component -unity, it is imperative that such irresponsibly unecessary controversies are closed for ever.
It is the duty of every Sikh to understand the issue and move towards a collective corrective direction over the dasam granth , so as not to allow opportunists to rock the peace and unity of the Sikh panth from time to time,seriously unsettling the community and raising unwarranted questions about the principles of the Gurbani and maryada.
Why must it be a duty for every Sikh to understand the controversy ?It is necessary for Sikhs to understand the controversy as the frequent resurgence of this subject causes great disruption and divides the panth every now and then.It has along with derawaad and unjustified rituals in the community misguidedly entrenched the belief in many parts of the community that it is equal to Guru Granth sahib;which has caused great confusion among the Sikhs, and very much misleads the Sikhs religious belief in the one Guru Granth sahib.
Although over the last three decades many authors agree that many of the writings in the dasam granth are neither related to Sikh teachings nor it is Gurbani of the Sikh Guru.That it simply should be regarded as additional knowledge for all.However, it has also become a point of contention that creates a very tense controversy from lack of research/knowledge/understanding and the many vested interests of parties that survive and consolidate their power base by keeping this issue alight.
It is important to understand the background history and origins of this controversial granth, in a simple language.I hope it will also asisst readers to decide and conclude with clarity- what is really the Bani of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and what is not the bani in the dasam granth.Some have called to name the non- bani portions of the dasam granth as 'kachi bani', I do not think such moves are wise, as they create a lot of confusion, if not now, in later Sikh history.Labelling Gurbani as Kachi or otherwise does not hold water, as Gurbani cannot be kachi or pakki.It simply is Gurbani or not Gurbani.The use of such poor phrases and definitions in Punjabi is one of the roots causes of many misunderstandings among Sikhs relating to Sikh issues.
The martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji along with three other Sikhs by the Moghuls left a permanent, though painful, but a strong impression upon the psyche of the child Guru Govind Rai.An impression that unlike in normal cirumstances was to grant him the boon to defy against all odds, militarily and spiritually. Abuse of power by the moghuls made Guru Gobind Singh Ji ensure he was to not only become militarily capable but also spiritually and religiously challenging towards the misdeeds of the tyranny by the Moghuls.Literature of heroic deeds and weapons of self defence became his allies and were promoted.He also had an interest to read the historical tales of the hindu vedic avtaars, the heroics of the devtas- holymen against the rakshaks- demons, which he found in the then existing hindu mythological tales.Irrespective of what one says, he appears to have found such reading helpful in his preparation to strike against the root of the evility of the Moghul rule, that was bent on committing excessive tyranny in the name of religion against those who did not ascribe or agree with them.
As he matured and became a teenager, he was determined to recreate similar heroic literature, in a language that would be easy for the ordinary person to read and understand.This would also facilitate for the simple people to understand that the power of the Guru Ji was equivalent and more than that of the devtas that the ordinary people had come to understand and revere in their folklore stories.It was necessary to prepare the people to recognise that the message Guru Gobind Singh had brought was no ordinary message,but one that had the powers and backing of the Almighty.Using examples of such heros from mythology and appropriate messages he needed to create the trust and power of the subdued person in his personal ability to challenge and overthrow the demons of the moghul empire.An example of this approach is seen in the bachitter natak,where he has linked his back ground to the historical heros, to recreate such heros from down trodden people of the time.
To create an effective literature as Guru Gobind Singh Ji desired and had perhaps planned for, it required one to be not only sensational but perceptive with great conception and empiricism.To have all the above qualities to generate a greatly inspiring literature, requires uninterupted time and lastly a peaceful place where all these skills could be put to work without outside disturbances.But Guru Gobind Singh Ji had very little of such peaceful opportunities and times in the Punjab of the day.
Initially,Guru Gobind Singh lived at Anandpur sahib in relative peace; then at Paonta Sahib for four years; then back at Anandpur sahib;where constant harrasment from the hill rajas and conflicts with them arose.In between these conflicts, he found some time for his literary and hunting hobbies.It is a well known fact that he had soon gathered an entrouge of 52 poets of repute at his darbar; and conducted daily discourse of Gurbani and discussions with the people.
It cannot be ruled out that he asked some of his darbari poets to collect and collate old historical literature from sanskrit, braj, farsi, kalinga and other languages and re- write it in the simple language of the people to promote an awareness.Some of the more prominent stories were talked about,analytically criticised and reffered to by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in his discourses in the sangat.An example here is the shandd 863/64 in the latter half of the Chaubis Avtaar-relating to ram avtaar "...Pae gahe jab te tumre.... ".
This preserved piece of historical literature was reffered to as Samund Sagar in the writings of Kesar Singh Chibber in the Bansawali-nama written in 1769.In 1776, Sarup Das Bhalla finds same commonality over the same piece in his book Mahima Parkash when he refers to it as Vidya Sagar Granth.It is important to understand that all the literature that was collected and collated in writing and orally in the darbar of Guru Gobind Singh Ji was lost in 1705,when Guru Gobind Singh left Anandpur sahib;the moghul forces entered Anandpur sahib and are believed to have destroyed all.Some was also lost at the crossing of river Sirsa.
In 1708, before his worldly departure, Guru Gobind Singh clearly ordained the Sikhs to entrust their future in the Guru Granth Sahib and seek guidance only from their Shabad Guru- Guru Granth sahib and no one else.Guru Granth Sahib was the Shabad Guru and Master of the Sikhs, no one else.
But the real life leadership of the Sikh Panth in that period fell upon Mata Sundari Ji,Bibi Sahib Kaur, and the old but not ancient patriarch- a contemporary of Guru Gobind Singh, Bhai Mani Singh Ji.
It appears from the history that for the next decade or so, in very uncertain and unsettled times,no attention was paid to the writings of the Vidya Sagar or any other literature relating to Guru Gobind Singh Ji or his own writings.
However,it appears by 1733, Bhai Mani Singh through great personal effort managed to salvage and collect from here and there about 14 to 15 different pieces of writings relating to Guru Gobind Singh ji's period.But it is also very clear from history that there is absolutely no evidence if all these were collected into ONE book or granth form in the same period.Among the collection was bachitter natak;chandi charitter ;ram avtaar; krishan avtaar etc.However, the whole collection was known simply as bachitter natak granth; although as said there is no evidence if these were binded into a granth at that point of history
In 1740, six years after Bhai Mani Singh's shahidi, a very messy controversy arose over the issue of binding a granth from the collection of Bhai Mani Singh Ji.Who is originally responsible for binding this book,later to become known as the dasam granth, no records exist.The manner in which it is said the issue was "resolved " at Damdama Sahib by Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh, calls for a very serious evaluation of the whole issue by any intelligent thinking Sikh, even to this day.It can argued that the solution arrived at by Bhai Mehtab Singh and Sukha Singh was far from satisfactory- thus we see debates and disturbingly divided opposition among Sikhs to this day, over the alledged dasam granth
After this incident of the binded granth- the centre of serious controversial disruption in the Panth in 1740- the binded granth was addressed as Dasam Patshah da Granth.Subsequent copies were made and appeared of this granth, with some alteration of the writings, additions were made to some stories in it and some stories changed by those making the copies, some of which are named and some unamed.Some shandds were also interefered with here and there as it perhaps suited the writers objectives.
However, in all, four birs have remained the pillars and centre stage of the controversy and as a record.They are the Bhai Mani Singh Wali Bir;Motibagh wali Bir, Sangrur wali bir, and Patna sahib wali bir.None of them are similar to each other in the contents
In 1897, the Gurmat Granth Parcharak Sabha of Amritsar explored and studied about 30 - 32 such birs that were available and arrived at the conclusion that has presented us the present format of the dasam granth.They decided to standardised the dasam granth to its present 1428 pages, dividing the dasam granth into 15 chapters or headings and created one book- dasam granth.
The matter was again left really unresolved, plunging the Panth into a deeper depth of a controversial future time bomb.Currently, the Sikh Panth is effectively divided into two opposing views over the dasam granth.There are heated arguments and unease over people conducting paath pooja,bowing to the dasam granth and worst of all; lastly and the most disturbing aspect ...is sitting it as an equal to Guru Granth sahib, clearly the only shabad Guru Sikhs should trust in and believe as ordained by Guru Gobind Singh Ji himself.Some are now very misguidedly refering to it as Sri Guru Dasam Granth sahib!
Where does that leave Guru Granth Sahib- which Guru Gobind Singh Ji clearly ordained as the Guru Of The Sikhs in 1708 when he sang a self-composed hymn:
"Agya bhai Akal ki, tabhi chalayo Panth, Sabh Sikhan ko hukam hai, Guru Maneyo Granth , Guru Granth Ji manyo pargat Guran ki deh, Jo Prabhu ko milbo chahe khoj shabad mein le, Raj karega Khalsa aqi rahei na koe, Khwar hoe sabh milange bache sharan jo hoe."
Translation of the above:
"Under orders of the Immortal Being, the Panth was created. All the Sikhs are enjoined to accept the Granth as their Guru. Consider the Guru Granth as embodiment of the Gurus. Those who want to meet God, can find Him in its hymns. The pure shall rule, and impure will be no more, Those separated will unite and all the devotees shall be saved."
The message from the Guru sahib ji is very very clear, let there be no doubt about that.But comming back to the issue under discussion, one section of the community believes the whole of the dasam granth contains the writings of Guru Gobind Singh, therefore it should be revered as the "Guru".Those who toe this school of thought are mostly followers of the sant samaj- meaning all those who call themselves sadhs and sants -old deras or new deras- and their followers who are mesmerised by folklore and age old rituals. It includes sympathists who are acamedicians and litararists and have strong belief in the sant tradition, in addition and despite Guru Granth Sahib's clear message.The damdami taksaal falls into this school of thought.Their argument is that the old references to vedic history and era and puranic mythology helps those who read and communicate with Guru Granth sahib, to understand it more clearly and better.But there is no scientific evidence nor any studies to support this claim.They also claim that because all the stories in the dasam granth were collected and collated by Bhai Mani Singh Ji, therefore one should not question it's authenticity and his sincerity.
A factor which holds strong in favour of this school is the continuation of seating the dasam granth parallel to the Guru Granth Sahib at Takhats' Patna sahib and Nander sahib.Various reasons contribute to this practice although clearly contrary to the Shiromani Rehat Maryada of the Sikh panth.The SGPC has failed to persuade these two takhats to adhere to the Guru Ji's final Hukam of 'Guru Maniyo Granth'.
But the other school of thought which is formed mainly of enlightened and academic Sikhs holds a totally opposing view and does not believe that all the writings are that of Guru Gobind Singh Ji or can be attributed to him or any part of the Gurbani wholly.This school of thought accepts only 7% of the contents of the dasam granth sahib are associated with Gurbani.The rest is a collection of poetry, shabads and old folklore of various other writers and from many languages and parts of the country and has been added to mislead Sikhs and dilute the Gurbani, in the unsettled period after the demise of Bhai Mani Singh ji.A strong point for this school is that as Sikhs we believe in one Jot Of Guru Nanak- and subsequently all Gurbani ends with Nanak in Guru Granth Sahib, but this is not the case in the alleged dasam granth.Therefore, apart from a small number of writings, nothing else is the writing of Guru Gobind Singh ji.
With two such opposing views, one can see how the Sikh panth cannot arrive at any conclusive decision over the issue of the dasam granth and is torn apart often embroiled in an almost internal civil war like situation over this sensitive issue.
Below, I reproduce the contents of the dasam granth and give their break down.
No. Title Pages Total Pages % of dasam granth
1] Jaap 1-10 10 0.7%
2]Akal Ustat 11-38 28 1.9%
3]Bachitter Natak 39-73 34 2.4%
4]Chandi Charitter-1 74-99 26 1.8%
5]Chandi Charitter-2 100-119 20 1.4%
6]Var Bhagauti Ji Ki 119-127 9 0.7 %
7]Gian Parbodh 127-155 28 1.9%
8]Chaubis Avtar 155- 611 456 32%
9]Brahm Avtar 611- 635 24 1.7%
10]RudR Avtar 635-709 74 5.2%
11]Shabad,Swaiye,etc 709-711 3 0.6%
12]Shashter Nam Mala 717-808 91 6.4%
13]Chitro Pakhian 808- 1388 580 40.6%
14]Zafarnama 1389- 1394 6 0.4%
15] Hakaiitaan 1394- 1428 34 2.4%
From the above, the writings that the Sikh panth has accepted are Jaap Sahib, Akal Ustat, Bachitter Natak, some Shabads and Swaiye, [Khalsa Mahima Benti Chaupaii] and Zafarnama.The total content of the accepted material forms only about 7% , which is spread over about 100 pages in the dasam granth.
The rest of 93% material of the dasam granth has been rejected and is neither accepted as bani, nor as the writings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji or is of any relevance to Sikhs and Sikh Gurus or their teachings.
I now leave it to the readers to decide how a book that is 93% irrelevent, has engaged the Sikh panth in countless controversies, divisions and now near usurping the unquestionble Guru Granth Sahib's position, due to the misinformed section of the community.
How can a book clearly with 93% non Sikh,non Gurbani and non Guru related material be sat next to Guru Granth Sahib , or even addressed as 'guru' dasam Granth ?
All constructive feedback will be appreciated-Chaan Pardesi@aol.com
Gurcharan Singh, Kulim
London, United Kingdom
Kamuning Hills, Malaysia
Saturday, 6 June 2009
History of Sikh Gurduara Sahib, Kulim,Kedah, Malaysia
The man who donated the first piece of land for the Sikh Gurduara Sahib, Kulim, was a retired Sikh Police officer, who later became the first Sikh JP in the state and Malaysia, Sr.Bahaal Singh.He lived opposite the old Kulim Club House,next to the current Fire Brigade station in Jalan Asaad which was known as the Planters Club in those days, in 1900s.
It is believed the Sikh Gurduara was first sat up opposite the Fire Station, at the top of Jalan Asaad in 1914- 1918 circa.In 1929, or there about, the Gurduara was shifted to the current position along Jalan Tunku Putra,opposite the new junction with Jalan Belibis.[to continue-5/06/09]
It is believed the Sikh Gurduara was first sat up opposite the Fire Station, at the top of Jalan Asaad in 1914- 1918 circa.In 1929, or there about, the Gurduara was shifted to the current position along Jalan Tunku Putra,opposite the new junction with Jalan Belibis.[to continue-5/06/09]
Friday, 29 May 2009
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