Chapter 17

THE BIRTH OF THE KHALSA

Aurangzeb was angered both by the kings’ initial refusal to pay tribute and by the defeat of the Mughal forces in battle. He was not satisfied by the settlement that had been reached and wanted the defeat avenged, and the kings punished. This was the only way to reassert the authority and supremacy of the Mughals. His son Muazzim, who later became emperor Bahadur Shah I, headed the campaign against the kings. The prince was assisted by General Mirza Beg, a very experienced and able soldier.

Though the prince fought a series of battles against the kings, he left the Guru alone. He realized that when he became emperor, it would be useful to have the support of the ever-increasing number of the Guru’s followers, and this support he could easily get by keeping peace with the Guru.

The Guru welcomed this period of peace, but was also aware that the situation was extremely fluid and could change at any time. So he used these intervening years to strengthen his position. He bought the land around Anandpur and built a chain of four strong forts: Anandpur, Keshgarh, Lohgarh, and Fatehgarh. These fortresses safeguarded Anandpur and also gave the Guru control over most of the area between the Sutlej and the Yamuna. The Guru prepared for war in many other ways too. Every evening the Sikhs gathered and listened to inspirational songs which praised the brave acts of soldiers and warriors, who had fought against tyranny and oppression and had given their lives fighting for a right cause. Anandpur took on the ambience of a military cantonment.

During this period of peace, the Guru also continued the spiritual and literary activity that he had started at Paonta. His fifty-two poets wrote beautiful poetry. Some of this great poetry has come down to us. Among the better known works of this period are:

Gur Sobha by Saina Pat which gives details of the Guru’s life and stewardship; Bhagat Ratnavali by Bhai Mani Singh, who was later executed in Lahore in 1738; and of course the beautiful poems of Bhai Nand Lal, who had once been one of the chief poets at Aurangzeb’s court. The poets also translated the Upanishads and other great works of classical literature.

The writings of the Gurus were full of references to the Hindu religious texts and to Hindu mythology and this required an understanding of the Hindu religious texts. For this they required teachers who could teach Sanskrit and the finer points of the Hindu religion. The Guru sent some of his disciples to Pundit Raghu Nath for this purpose, but the pundit refused to accept these Sikhs as his students because they belonged to the low castes.

The Guru realized that he would have to create a group of Sanskrit scholars within the Sikhs and, with this in mind he sent five of his disciples to Banaras. They were Karam Singh, Ganda Singh, Vir Singh, Saina Singh, and Ram Singh. As was the custom among students at that time, they gave up all worldly pleasures and worldly attachments and spent all their time studying Sanskrit literature. On the completion of their studies, when they returned to Anandpur, the Guru gave them the title of ‘Nirmala’ i.e. the pure ones. They founded a sect which exists even today. Their followers are called Nirmalas, and they do not marry, wear white clothes, and are strict vegetarians. They begin their studies with Sanskrit and the Vedas and then use their knowledge to help people to understand the teachings of the Sikh Gurus. Harjas, a Khatri from Lahore, who was a very devout follower of the Gurus, came every year to visit the Guru. When the Guru was eleven years old, Harjas approached Mata Gujri and offered his daughter Jeeto’s hand, in marriage, to the Guru. Mata Gujri was impressed by Harjas’ faith and his humility and accepted the offer. The Guru bowed to his mother’s wishes and in 1677, Guru Gobind and Bibi Jeeto were married. Jeeto made an ideal wife for the Guru. But as the years went by, Bibi Jeeto’s face sometimes took on a look of sadness and the Guru knew that this was because God had not blessed them with a child. When seven years had gone by, Mata Gujri was sure that Jeeto would never bear a child, and felt that the Guru should marry again. She thought of Sundari, daughter of Ram Saran from Lahore, as a suitable bride. But the Guru initially refused.

Mata Gujri however longed for a grandchild. She knew that no purpose would be served by any further discussion at this point and she held her peace.

That evening, when the Guru returned to his home, it was a strange Jeeto who came to him. She was dressed in very simple clothes and came into his presence with her head bowed. She stood in the doorway, as if waiting for his instructions. ‘What is this Jeeto? Why do you behave so strangely?, he asked.

‘Tell me, what it is you want. You know you only have to ask and, if it is in my power, it will be yours,’ he added.

‘It is in your power, my Guru. Give me your promise that you will accept Mata Gujri’s proposal,’ said Jeeto.

The Guru was stunned and could not find words to express his surprise.

‘So be it,’ he said. Thus, the Guru got married a second time. Sundari came to Anandpur with all her innocence and her simple child-like heart. From the beginning she turned to Jeeto for everything that troubled her, and the two shared a good relationship. In the same year, Ramu from Rohtas, another devout follower of the Guru, came to see him with a very special request. Ramu had a daughter named Sahib Devan who was deeply religious and led a simple and pious life. She was a follower of the Guru and spent her time in singing his hymns and bringing his teachings to people who had not read or heard of them. She had pledged herself as a bride to Guru Gobind and swore that she would marry no one else. Faced with this problem, Ramu came to see the Guru and begged of him to accept his daughter’s hand in marriage. The Guru was polite but firm. He explained that he already had two wives, both of whom he loved dearly, and had no wish to marry again. By doing this he would be doing a great injustice not only to his wives, but also to the girl Sahib Devan, as he could not possibly give her the love and attention that a husband should give to a wife. Ramu said that Sahib Devan would be content even with this; all she wished for was to remain in the Guru’s household, and would lay no claim to any conjugal rights.

The Guru did not accept this suggestion. But Ramu and Sahib Devan approached first Mata Gujri, and then Bibi Jeeto and Sundari in turn. To each they repeated their strange request. The ladies were impressed and moved by the girl’s great devotion to the Guru and they used their influence and persuaded the Guru to accept Sahib Devan into the household. He agreed on the condition that she would not make any conjugal claims on him.

So Sahib Devan became the Guru’s third ‘wife’. But she was his wife only in name. She remained a virgin all her life and the marriage is described by historians as the kuara dola (literally meaning virgin’s palanquin). She was quite happy with this as she wanted only to serve the Guru and his sangat, to be near the Guru and to bring help to those in pain and need.

A year after her marriage, a son was born to Sundari in 1687 and was named Ajit. When Ajit was four years old, God finally gave Jeeto her first child, in 1691, a boy whom she named Jujhar. Two more sons were born to her: Zorawar in 1696 (or 1697), and Fateh in 1699. But till her death in 1701, Ajit remained her favourite child.

All through his stay in Paonta, and then during these years in Anandpur, the Guru had studied the growth and development of the Sikh religion. He studied not only the teachings of the Gurus but also the entire history of the movement. He compared the Sikh movement as it was when Guru Nanak had started it, with what it had become in his own time. He felt that a great deal of disunity had arisen among the followers, and there was also a decline in the purity and strength of his followers, and in their attitude towards their religion. He thought about this a great deal and finally realized that there were two main reasons for this. One was the functioning of the masands and the other was the disputes that often arose when a new Guru was appointed.

The masands had first been appointed to help the Guru in the task of administration. The Gurus’ following had grown so large that administration could no longer be carried out from just one centre by the Guru alone and the masands worked honestly and looked after the welfare of all the Sikhs in their area and helped the poor and the needy. They collected all the offerings that people made to the Guru and brought them to the centre. But over the years, many of the masands became corrupt and began to function independently. They kept a large part of the offerings for themselves and became rich landlords. Some of them even had small private armies.

The death of a Guru had often led to a division among the Sikhs because claimants to the gaddi who did not succeed often set up their own deras and gathered large followings. Guru Gobind Singh had, before him, the examples of Datu, Prithi Chand, Dhirmal, Meharban (the elder brother of Guru Arjan Dev), and Ram Rai. While at Anandpur, the Guru tried solving these two problems.

He sent out a hukamnama and invited all the masands to come to Anandpur. Once they were all there, he announced that the order was being abolished once and for all. He had collected charges against various masands. These charges were read out and the masands were given a chance to explain their actions. Those who were found guilty of corruption and misuse of power were dealt with very severely. In this way the sangat was finally freed from the cruel and tyrannical power of the masands and the people were now directly linked with Anandpur and to their Guru.

The Guru’s followers came to him for two reasons. One was to seek help and guidance in questions about religion and about spiritual matters. The other was to seek his advice regarding their day-to-day problems. It had been well established that the Granth contained all the religious and spiritual advice that any Sikh might need and it was only a matter of studying the sacred text carefully and the answer would be found. In their day-to-day lives, the Punjabis had for many generations been taking their problems to the Panchayat. The Guru felt that if the Panchayat could be modified a little it would be able to help his followers the way the Guru had been able to help his followers. So between the Granth and the elected representatives of the community, the panth, the function of the Guru could continue to be performed even in the absence of a living Guru. The Granth would perform the spiritual function, and as such would be the spiritual Guru, while the panth would perform the day-to-day functions and would be the secular Guru. So the Guru decided to end the line of personal Gurus and invest the Guruship in the Granth Sahib. In this way the Guruship would rest in something permanent, something which was sacred and above all dispute. He waited for a suitable moment to announce this decision to his followers.

Guru Gobind realized that Baisakhi would be an ideal day on which he could give new life to the faith. For the festival in 1699 he sent out a hukamnama to his followers very early in the year, asking them to make every effort to be present in Anandpur on Baisakhi day. As Baisakhi drew near, the visitors started pouring in: everyone knew that there was something very special about this Baisakhi. So in addition to the normal excitement and joy, there was also a feeling of expectancy.

On the morning of the main day of the fair, March 30 1699, Guru Gobind rose early as usual. After his prayers and meditation, he returned to his room. When he came again before the huge sangat of more than eighty thousand, he came wearing the clothes he wore when he rode into battle, he came fully armed. He was greeted with great joy and reverence by all his followers. Then they all sat quietly waiting for him to begin his discourse. Instead he got to his feet and drew his sword and the steel flashed in the light of the morning sun.

‘This is the moment of truth. You are all my devoted followers. Which of my followers is ready to give up his life for me? I need a head that I can offer in sacrifice,’ the Guru asked. The Sikhs were stunned. Never before had a Guru asked his followers to make such a sacrifice.

Finally, Daya Ram, a Khatri from Lahore, responded to the call.

The Guru led him to a tent which had been erected nearby. The sangat sat in silence. They heard the swish of the Guru’s sword as it flashed through the air and then the thud of a head falling to the ground. The Guru returned; his sword covered with blood and his eyes flashing with a strange excitement.

‘I need another head,’ he said in the same thundering voice. This time, Dharam Das, a Jat from Hastinapur came forward.

Once more the Guru led his Sikh into the tent. Once more the sangat heard the swish of the sword. Some people were so frightened that they fled. Some went to Mata Gujri and begged her to stop her son in this seeming madness.

Three more times the Guru repeated his call and three more times brave and faithful Sikhs rose to answer the call. They were Mohkam Chand of Dwarka, Himmat of Jagannath, and Sahib Chand of Bidar. With each sacrifice, more and more of the congregation fled. They had come to celebrate the festival of Baisakhi and now their Guru was ‘butchering’ them in the most cruel and blood-thirsty manner. It was best to leave Anandpur and return to their homes before any harm came to them.

A few minutes after the fifth sacrifice, the Guru returned from the tent with the five Sikhs behind him, now dressed in beautiful new robes. For a moment the sangat could not understand what had happened. The Guru had been testing his disciples. Each time they had seen the fresh blood on the Guru’s sword, it had been the blood of a sacrificial goat. Each time they had heard the sound of a falling head, it had been the head of a goat falling to the ground.

The Guru introduced his five faithful followers as ‘Panj Pyare’ or the Five Beloved Ones. He said that by offering themselves up for sacrifice, the five had passed the final test. He said that these five would form the heart of the Khalsa – the new order that he was going to start.

The Guru now took a bowl of steel in which he put pure clean water and stirred the water with his double-edged dagger. By a fortunate coincidence, at this precise moment, Mata Sahib Devan came to the Guru with a container of batashas or sugar crystals, as an offering.

Sahib Devan put the batashas into the bowl, and the Guru stirred the water with his dagger till they were dissolved. While he was doing this, the Guru recited hymns both from the Granth Sahib and of his own composition. Then he baptized the five Sikhs by pouring the holy water or amrit onto their palms. After this, he asked them to drink in turn from a common bowl to emphasize that there was no distinction of caste between them.

By drinking the amrit, the Guru explained, the five had experienced a rebirth. They had left behind their previous family ties and now belonged to the family of the Guru. They had also left behind their previous professions which had given them their place in society. They were now all soldiers of the Guru – equal in rank, status, and occupation. They had left behind their earlier beliefs and rituals. Their father was Guru Gobind and their mother Sahib Devan and their birth-place was Anandpur. They had made a complete break with the past and made a new beginning.

The choice of the number five has a special significance. It is the same number as the number of members of the Panchayat and the Guru himself has said:

‘Where there are five, there am I; Where the five meet, they are the holiest of the holy.’

The five were given the same powers as the Guru and by through this, the Guru had taken the first step in abolishing the tradition of a living Guru.

The five Guru-Sikhs were to wear five symbols of purity. These became the symbols of the Khalsa. They were kesh – uncut hair and untrimmed beards; kara – a steel bracelet; kangha – a small comb; kachha – short, breeches-like underwear; and kirpan – a sword. The Guru at the time of the birth of the Khalsa explained the importance of the five symbols. But there is no complete record of this speech and this has led to many different interpretations as to the meaning of these symbols. When we try to explain these symbols, we must remember that the Guru’s idea of a true Khalsa was of one who was both a saint and a soldier. Long hair in India has always been associated with saintliness. It can safely be assumed that all the Gurus from Nanak onwards wore long hair and all of them (with the obvious exception of Guru Har Krishan) had untrimmed beards. Many of the Guru’s followers must also have let their hair grow long, so when Guru Gobind asked his followers to keep long hair and beards, they at once understood the significance of this. By keeping long hair and beards, they were promising that they would lead good and virtuous lives. The kangha or the comb was to make sure that the long hair was kept neat and clean. This was to emphasize the difference between the Khalsa and the Jatta Sadhus. The Jatta Sadhus kept long hair but they never combed it – they allowed it to grow thick and matted as a symbol of their renunciation of the world. The Khalsa would keep long hair but keep it neatly combed to emphasize that, though they were pledged to lead saintly lives, they had not renounced the world.

The kara and the kirpan both emphasized the martial nature of the Khalsa. The Khalsa was a soldier who would raise his sword to fight for right and defend the weak and the helpless. The kara was a thick steel bangle worn on the right wrist which gave strength to the wrist while flourishing a sword and protection against the enemy’s weapon. The steel itself was a symbol of strength. The kachha was a symbol of cleanliness and hygiene, and also a symbol of restraint in sex.

The Guru then introduced a new greeting ‘Waheguru ji da Khalsa, Waheguru ji di-fateh – The Khalsa are the chosen ones of God, victory be to our God’.

The Guru now stood before the Khalsa with folded hands and asked them to give him amrit the way he had given them the amrit. The Khalsa and the sangat were stunned by this request. ‘You are our Guru, our guide. How can we give amrit to you?’ they asked.

‘In my new order there is no high and no low,’ the Guru said. ‘There is complete equality among men, even among the Guru and his disciples.’ On being given the amrit the Guru was also given the surname ‘Singh’ and he became Guru Gobind Singh.

After this, the Guru turned and spoke to the sangat. ‘You must all follow one set of beliefs and get rid of all differences of religion. The four Hindu castes must forget all their differences and mix freely with each other. All men are equal and no man should think that he is superior or better than others. Let men of the four castes be baptized, eat from the same dishes and feel no contempt for each other.’

He told the sangat that the path of the Khalsa was not an easy one: it was a path of faith and sacrifice and strict self-discipline. He invited those of the sangat who were ready to follow this difficult path to come forward and be baptized and thousands of the Sikhs came forward and were baptized.

The news-writer of the Mughal court was present in Anandpur and he sent a detailed report to the emperor in which he says:

‘He has abolished caste and custom, old rituals, beliefs and superstitions. He has brought his followers together in one brotherhood. All men will be equal and no one will be superior or inferior to another. Men of all castes have been made to eat from the same bowl. Some orthodox men said they would never accept a religion which was opposed to the teaching of the Vedas and the Shastras. They would not renounce, at the bidding of a boy, their ancient faith which had come to them from their ancestors. But twenty thousand men and women have taken the baptism on the first day. They promised to obey him because they had the fullest faith in his divine mission.’