Aurangzeb installed him-self as the Bap Emperor of India in 1657. To achieve his aim he had annihilated almost all his family “Opposition. Immediately after _Consolidating his power he embarked on a policy of religious Persecutions.” He set upon the Process of islamization of India. He levied unethical religious taxes against Hindus and shut their temples and places of learning. The Brahmins were his primary ” target He had been convinced by  his clergies that once the Brahmins accepted Islam the others  would follow The Brahmins particularly the inhabitants of Kashmir looked for some dynamic leadership to fight this subversion.

  Gur Tegh Bahadur (1621 ,1675) the ninth Guru was on the throne of Sikh Religion started by Guru Nanak (1469-1539). The Brahmins of Kashmir approached Guru Tegh Bahadur for his guidance to combat the atrocities committed by the Mughal Emperor.

 At the time of their meeting Gumi Tegh Bahadurs nine years old son Gobind Rai was sitting beside him. As Guru Tegh Bahadur went into a deep state of “contemplation the young son asked the reason of his repose Gur Tegh Bahadur said that this matter… is of vital importance. The world is grieved by the Oppression…No brave man is now to be found who is willing to Sacrifice his life to free the earth from the burden of Aurangzeb’s Policy of subjugation of Hindus.

Young Gobind Rai replied: “for that purpose who is more worthy than thou who art at once generous and brave. And Guru Tegh Bahadur consented to sacrifice his life. After entrusting Guru Ship to Gobind Rai he preceded towards Delhi the scat of Mughal Empire. He offered his life and died for the freedom of conscience and conviction of people belonging to a faith other than his own} contrary to the Hinduism the Guru Tegh Bahadur and his predecessors had expounded belief in monotheism universal brotherhood (casteless society) and had denied the worship of Idols.

The spirit of Sacrifice was kindled into the heart of Gobind Rai.

When Guru Tegh Bahadur was in the interment of Aurangzeb he foresaw the beginning of his ecclesiastic journey. To test his sons courage and capability to carry on the mission he wrote to. him:

“My strength is exhausted | am in chains and I can make not any efforts.

“Say Nanak God alone is now my refuge. He will help me as he did his Saints.”

In reply young Guru Gobind Rai wrote: “i have regained my Power MY bonds are broken and all options are open unto me

“Nanak everything is in think hands. It is only you who can assist himself.” (Eng. Tr.  S. S. Manmohan Singh) The spirit of courage was already built up in the tender heart of Guru Gobind Rai.

Hundreds of people had gathered around the place where Guru Tegh Bahadur was martyred in Delhi. The executioner had abandoned the body in the open None of: the people came forward openly to claim the body to perform religious rights. Even the ardent disciples withdrew unrecognized Taking advantage of the stormy weather which followed the execution; two persons covertly took the body of Guru Tegh Bahadur for cremation.

This act of cowardice fomented in Gobind Rai an urge to endow his people with an indiscreet identity.

With these criteria of courage sacrifice and quest for unique identify Guru Gobind Rai initiated the 10th pontification of the Sikh Religion. He wanted to instill these in the down trodden masses. He coveted to uplift their moral to combat the evil forces of injustice tyranny and despondency. During all those years he was changing his spiritual and temporal awareness and augmenting his literary debuts he had Contemplating on the plans to implant these.

He was 33 years old when he had divine inspiration to actuate his designs. Every year at the time of Vaisakhi (in the month of April) thousands of devotes used to come to Anandpur to pay their obeisance and seek the Gurus blessings. In 1699 months before the Baisakhi Day Guru Gobind Rai Sent special edicts to the congregants far and wide that year the Vaisakhi was going to be a unique affair. He asked them not to Cut their hair and come to the place with full beards and unshorn hair under the turbans. On the Vaisakhi day March 30 1699 hundreds of thousands of people gathered around his divine temporal seat at Anandpur. The Guru addressed the audience “with the most stirring oration on saving religion and his divine mission.” After the exciting discourse he flashed his unsheathed sword and said that every great deed preceded by equally great sacrifice and he demanded one head for oblation. After “some trepidation one person offered himself. The Guru took him inside a tent. A little later he reappeared with the sword dripping

With blood and asked for another head. One by one four more Nest devotees offered their heads. Every time the Guru took one Person inside the tent he came out with bloodied sword in his hand. Thinking Guru to have gone berserk the congregants started to disperse But at the end the Guru emerged with all the five dressed piously in white He baptized the five men in a new and unique ceremony called pahul and told the people that they were his own image; Guru would be there wherever Five Baptized Sikhs would together be He called them Panj Pyare the Five Beloved Ones. Then the Guru asked those Five Baptized Sikhs to baptize the Guru himself and proclaimed that the Panj Pyare would be the embodiment of the Guru himself and pronounced:

“Where there are Panj  Pyare there am I When the Five meet they are the holiest of the holy.”

And all those who get baptized by the Five Beloved Ones will be infused with the spirit of Courage and Sacrifice. With this he created the Order of Khalsa the Pure Ones and out of Sikh Religion the Sikh Nation was born. At the same time to give the Khalsa a unique indisputable and distinct identity he prescribed five symbols. These symbols are popularly known as Five Ks; Kesh— un shorn hair Kangha—the comb Karra—the iron bangle Kirpan— the sword and Kachehra—the underwear. “These Five Ks would be the emblems of purity and courage and identifiable among thousands of people; a Sikh could never hide under cowardice.

The political tyranny was not the only circumstance that was degenerating the peoples moral. The discriminatory class distinction promoted by Brahmins and Mullas was equally responsible for the degradation. The Guru wanted to eliminate the anomalies caused by the caste system. The constitution of the Panj Pyare was the living example of his dream; both the high and low castes were amalgamated into one. Among those Panj Pyares there was one Khatri shopkeeper one Jat-agriculturist one Chambal washer-man one Kahar-water carrier and a Nai-barbar.

He designated the surname of Singh-lion to every Sikh and himself became Guru Gobind Singh.

With an indiscreet identity Guru Gobind Singh put all the Sikhs on one platform of Courage Sacrifice and Equality. Thus the Sikh Religion was placed under the protection of Sikh Nation and endowed the distinction of Khalsa Panth on Vaisakhi day March 30 1699.

 Reference; History of the Sikhs by Khushwant Singh; History of the Sikhs by Dr .H.R. Gupta; A History of the Sikh People by Dr. Gopal Singh; A Short History of the Sikhs by Teja Singh and Dr.Ganda Singh; History of the Sikh Religion by M.A.Macaulifte; History of the Sikhs by Khazan Singh; Tawarikh Guru Khalsa (IN) by Giani Gian Singh (Pb.); Kalgidhar Chamatkar by Bhai Vir Singh (Pb.).

 by: Pritpal Singh Bindra

Article extracted from this publication >> April 8, 1994