By Dr. Bakhshish Singh Nijjar-Sacramento, Ca. Labanas are one of the most conspicuous and brave tribes among the Sikhs. “Although generally associated with the Mahtams, the Labanas are totally distinct from that caste. They were wholly confined to the submantane districts and Kangra, but were (before the partition of India 1947) numerous in Lahore and also in Gujranwala and Ferozepur districts. They claim their descent from Chauhan Rajputs of Jaipur and Jodhpur. Some of them claim their origin from Rajhansi Rajputs and of the Sandlas gotra.
In Sikh history Labanas contribution is unique. According to the Gur Bilas of Sukha Singh, after the death of Guru Har Krishan, 22 soldiers of Bakala, claimed the right to succeed the Guru. Those selfmade Gurus forcibly took the offerings of the Sikhs, who came to find out the true Guru. At last a Sikh called Makhan Shah of the Labana tribe came from Gujrat, in Dakhan, with an offering of 500 gold Muhars, which some time previously he had vowed to make to the Guru on escaping shipwreck. In this state of confusion and uncertainty he resolved to make trial of the pretender. He visited them all, and made them offerings of two gold muhars each. None of them knew that he had brought 500. He thought of the words of Guru Arjan Sukhmani:
“Goodness shall not approach him-who called himself good.” He inquired, if there were anyone else, in Bakala, who claimed to be the Guru. He was told, there was another man popularly called Tegha, who dwelt there in silence and retirement, but had no worldly ambition. Arriving at Tegh Bahadur’s house, requested for an interview. On being ushered into the presence of the Guru, he found him in deep contemplation. Makhan Shah Labana fell at his feet and offered two gold muhars. “Where are the others, thou didst promise when thy vessel, full of merchandise was sinking? Makhan Shah was delightfully surprised, and offered the Guru 500 muhar. He then ascended a house top and waving a flag, proclaimed from there, “I have found the Guru.” On hearing this the Sikhs assembled from every quarter and with due formalities placed Guru Tegh Bahadur on the Guru’s throne.”
When in 1675 A.D. Guru Tegh Bahadur’s head flew off into the lap of a faithful Sikh, Jaita a great storm arose in Delhi which filled everyone’s eyes with dust, the Sikh unobserved by anyone took away the Guru’s head to Anandpur. A Sikh of the Labana tribe Lakhishah, went home, collected oscen and carts on which they loaded cotton and drove them in the direction of the Guru’s corpse. They hoped to elude pursuit in the dust storm, which arose after Guru’s death. The City guards were greatly troubled by the storm and had dispersed. Five Sikhs then took up the Guru’s dead body, put it on a cart and succeeded in taking it unobserved, through the crowd. The Sikh’s houses, in the Raisina village, were all thatched, so when the pyre was lighted in then, they would take fire, and in this way the Guru’s body would not be discovered. When it was duly reduced to ashes, Lakhi Shah Labana cried out that their houses had caught fire and called his neighbors to assist in extinguishing the fire. The next day they collected the Guru’s remains and buried them in a copper vessel in the earth, at a spot now known as Rakabganj.
Aurangzeb censured his staff for allowing the couriers head and body to disappear. In his general distress at what had occurred, he was not able to take his dinner. The emperor dreamt that Bhai Matidas appeared to him upturned his bed and ordered him to leave Delhi and was unable to sleep for the remainder of the night..
Thus Labanas will ever be remembered for their devotion and bravery for posterity in Sikh history.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 24, 1995
