by Turlock Singh Sandhu

Punjab and infact the whole of North India was very disturbed and was undergoing great social unrest before the coming of Guru Nanak Dev Jee. India had been subject to a number of invasions by Muslims from Central Asia special Ghazni and Turkestan. The hordes of Monghols passed through Punjab on the way and ravaged the rich countryside. They converted local population to Muslim and oppressed the Hindu population. The Hindus were themselves caste ridden, disunited and demoralized the Brahmins exploited the other classes and by their dogmatic rules did not permit any progress in society. Knowledge Or right to it became the exclusive prerogative of the Brahmins. Other classes were discouraged, nay disallowed from scriptures or any branch of learning like science, literature, mathematics, Artisans were Considered low class and suppressed, It suited the Brahmins to have these people poor, unlettered and therefore retrogressive. The people therefore willingly took to Islam to escape from Hindu classicism and the Muslim invasions acted like a catalyst to their aspirations. However the invaders had no Jove lost for the poor new converts and only exploited them.

Government official were corrupt and greedy. There were no laws on police to protect the people. Whatever troops existed, they were owned by local federal lords and were only used to oppress the common folk. This made a lot of people miserable. They were confused about religion, they were poor.

They had no one to protect them or guide them. Their rulers, whose duty was to look after them were weak, corrupt and tyrannical,. Invasions continued in succession, It almost became an annual affair for the raiders from the north and northwest to descend upon the plains of India, loot plunder and go back with captured goods and slaves. During these invasions thousands of people were slaughtered and homes burnt.

The state of Punjab was very pathetic and people were so unhappy, they felt that they were in hell. This was the state of things before the birth of Guru Nanak, who arrived to provide secure, relief and balm to the wounded moral fibre of India.

Article extracted from this publication >>  April 23, 1993