Guru Tegh Bahadur was born on 1st, April, 1621 He was the youngest son of Gur Har Gobind Ji the sixth Guru and his wife Nanaki. He grew up with his other brothers and he was very close to Baba Atal. He got his basic education from Guru Har Gobind and a devout Sikh Baba Budha Ji. Baba Budha Ji gave him his own experiences of the spiritual life as he was closely associated with all the Sikh Gurus since Guru Nanak. Bhai Gurdas taught him poetry and Sikh philosophy; from Bhai Bidi Chand he learned how to ride a horse and use the sword and also learned the use of other arms. In childhood he was known as “Tyag Mal (The Master of Renunciation).
He was different kind of boy from the very childhood. He was eager to help others. Once while passing by when he saw a poor naked boy looking at his beautiful dress he immediately took his shirt off and gave it to the poor boy and went home to get new shirt for himself when his mother asked him what happened to his shirt. He replied “I gave my shirt to that boy because nobody else was going to give him a dress but I can get another one from you”.
He would accompany his father on hunting expeditions. In the fourth battle at Kartar pur which was fought by Gur Har Gobind he took part showed great feats of swordsmanship. After the battle his father started calling him Teg Bahadur (Hew of the Sword).
He got married at the age of 13 to Gujari daughter of Lal Chand of Kartarpur (District Jullundur). When he moved to Kartarpur with his father there was change in his behaviour. He started meditating more and staying alone He did not show any interest in the worldly affairs So when Guru Har Gobinds end came near he appointed his grandson Har Raias the seventh Guru Dhirmal started fighting. Teg Bahadur left Kartarpur for Bakala a village in Amritsar District along with his wife Gujari mother Nanaki and brotherinlaw Kirpal. He was in his twenties there. At Bakala he lived with his maternal grandparents and spent most of the time in meditation For hours he would sit in the nearby forest alone to be with nature and God He lived a of detachment for about twenty years. Eighth Guru Har Krishan died in Delhi before dying he indicated that his successor will be found in Bakala On hearing this news many imposters came and settled in Bakala and started claiming themselves as the Gurus. Most prominent among them was Dhirmal older brother of Guru Har Rai Sikhs came from all over to pay homage to the new Guru but they were disappointed as there were so many of them claiming to be the real Guru. Among those Sikhs there was a shipping merchant Makhan Shah. While on business trip his ship was caught in a storm. At that time he prayed to the Almighty for the safety of this life and his goods. He promised that he will make an offering of 500 gold coins as a tribute if he reached safely. When his ship landed safely at the nearest port he came to Delhi to pay homage. He was sad to know that Guru Har Krishan had passed away and came to know that the new Guru was in Bakala he went to Bakala. When he saw so many Gurus he thought that his Guru only knows what he promised so he started putting two gold coins in front of each of the imposters. Finally when he was gier toll their posters he asked is there any other holy man in this town. One of the boys directed him to Teg Bahadurs house. He came there and put two gold coins there too. When he was ready to leave TEg Bahadur asked him “God bless you. You pledged five hundred coins to the Gurus mission. Though the Guru does not need anything but it is expected from a Sikhs to fulfill his promise”. Makhan Singh was very happy. He paid 500 coins in offering and went to the top of a roof and shouted loud that he had discovered the true Successor of Guru Nanak.
When Dhirmal came to know about this he was very upset and angered. He was getting good offerings because he was the closest relative of the 6th and 7th Gurus and also he had the original copy of the Granth Sahib. He saw his business collapsing. He felt all this was happening because of Teg Bahadur. So he planned to kill Teg Bahadur. For this purpose he sent one of his men named Sihan who fired at the Guru Guru was wounded slightly and Gurus house” was looted. When Makhan Shah came to know about this he attacked Dhirmals camp got all the Gurus belongings and also copy of the Granth Sahib and arrested Sihan and brought him in front of Gurus presence Sihan realized What he had done was not right and he was pardoned He told the Sikhs to return the copy of Granth Sahib back to Dhirmal. He told his Sikhs: “will want my Sikhs to inscribe the instructions of” the Granth Sahib on their mind and soul and not permit them to believe in a particular copy of the Granth Sahib or any other symbol conferring any special privilege on its custodions.
After assuming Guruship he went to Amritsar to visit Harmandet Sahib But its doors were closed upon him by the Sodhi custodians (Har ji grandson of Prithi Chand and son of Meharban). Guru Ji bathed in the holy tank and rested a while on a spot nearby now called DamDama Sahib (Resting place). After spending some time in Malwa Guru Ji came back to Keratpur. Atmosphere there was still far from settled. He founded a new city called Chak Nanaki (now called Anandpur Sahib) in 1665 A.D. near Keratpur on the site of an old village Makhowal in the former state of Kablur (Bilaspur).
After a while in the same year he left on a missionary tour accompanied by his mother wife and faithful Sikhs. Wherever he went he preached his Sikhs to live an honest life to share with the poor and help rehabilitate the drug addicts. It was quite a change from the life of detachment which he lived before assuming Guruship.
He visited Bagar territory (currently Haryana) Kurukeshiera Agra Priyag (modern Allahabad) In Priyag his wife conceived a child. From there he went to Banaras then proceeding to Gaya and from there to Patna. He reached Patna in May 1666; He preached the Gospel of Nanak all through advising the people against caste system and superstitions and told them to believe in one God. After Guru Nanak no other Guru had visited these places. So he induced fresh blood in the movement started by Guru Nanak in this part of India Leaving his family at Patna under the care of one of his devout Sikhs Bhai Dyal Das he left for Kamrup (Assam) via Dacca (Bangla Desh). In Decca he stayed for a while and was given a Royal reception. He was in Dacca when he received the good news from Patna that a son (Gobind Rai) was born on Dec. 22, 1666. Then he proceded to Assam. There he intervened in a quarrel between Raja of Kamrup and Raja Ram Singh. The latter was sent by Aurangzeb to settle dispute with Raja of Kamup. Thus a war was prevented and dispute was settled by peaceful negotiations. After visiting Dacca and Assam he came back to Jagan Nath Puri in 1670. After staying for a couple of weeks there he came back to Patna and saw his son for the first time. Gobind Rai was four years old at that time. After spending a few months in Patna and resting a while Teg Bahadur returned to Punjab. He reached Anandpur Sahib in Feb. 1672. Bhai Dyal Das broughting the family to Anandpur Sahib a few months later.
Things were changed a lot in Punjab People were scared of the ruler. Aurangzeb was firmly in power after putting his father and sister in prison and killing all his brothers and their families He was hated even by the true Muslims. To cover this up he started spreading Islam by every mean. Soon (Muslim priest) Mull as started praising him. He ordered the destruction of the Hindu Temples and started converting into Mosques. He put heavy taxes on non-Muslims he gave monetary prizes to hecniont Muslim sic embraced Islam. He tortured and killed who did not accept Islam. He did not hesitate to kill even the Muslim saints like Sarmad who did not agree with his way of thinking. The Emperor did not miss a single day prayer (Namaz) and did not leave a single brother of is alive. He made mockery of god and religion for his personals. Iftikar Khan was appointed Governor of Kashmir he was a bigoted and cruel administrator. He started converting Brahmins to Islam; those who resisted were tortured to death. He knew if he could convert a handful of Brahmins in to the fold of Islam low caste Hindus would follow automatically. About 500 Brahmins came to Anandpur to Guru Teg Bahadur for his help. Pandit Kirpa Ram was their leader. After listening to their story Guru Teg Bahadur told them that they should convey to the king that if he could convert Teg Bahadur to Islam they would follow the suit but if he failed to convert him persecution must be stopped. King was happy to hear that. He summoned Teg Bahadur to Delhi. Guru Ji left Anandpur Sahib saying good bye to everybody and knowing well that he would not be returning to Anandpur Sahib. On his way to Delhi he kept on preaching Nanaks message of universal brotherhood and against the injustice of the rulers towards their subjects. He was arrested in Agra and was brought to Delhi under heavy guards Aurangzeb first tied to persuade him to accept Islam but Guru appealed to him that he should give up his policy of repression and forced conversions. When Aurangzeb saw that Guru would not accept his offer he started putting his followers to death by torture. Guru Ji was put in an iron age. He was asked to show miracles which he refused Bhai Sati Das was burnt alive after wrapping in the cotton and then pouring hot oil on that and then lighting a match to it Bhai Matidas was sawed into two pieces (at the place where fountain is now in Chandni Chowa) and Bhai Dyala was boiled to death in water. Finally Guru Teg Bahadurs head was cut off by the sword of JalaJudin of Samana by the order of Qazi Abdul Wahhab Borah This happened on Nov. 11, 1675. On the spot stands Gurdwara Sis Ganj now. His body was left to be eaten by vultures and dogs. No Sikh dared to come forward A great storm came; during that his head was picked up by one of his followers Bhai Jaita a calico printed He took it to Anandpur Bhai Udha appealed to Bhai Lakhi who was a government contractor to lift up Gurus body After unloading his carts in Red Fort he moved his convey to Chandni Chowq and lifted Gurus body and brought it to his home in Rakab Ganj and cremated it by burning his house and all other belongings. At that spots and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj (near Parliament House).
After the storm subsided everybody including Aurangzeb himself was astonished about the disappearance of the body. They thought it was a miracle Indeed it was a miracle of the courage and dedication of the Sikhs.
This sacrifice was different as Guru Teg Bahadur sacrificed himself for another religion in which he did not even believe. But he believed in freedom of speech and religion.
Guru Gobind Singh wrote in Bachitar Natak about his father’s sacrifice in a verse as follow:
“My father sacrificed his life to protect the religion of the Hindus their sacred thread and their front al mark. In this Dark Kali Age he performed his supreme act of sacrifice for the sake of Dharma He gave up his head without a sigh on his lips he surrendered his life. But not his resolve. Casting off his bodily vesture on the head of the King of Delhi he departed 10 the Kingdom of God. None who came into this world performed such glorious deed as he.
Teg Bahadur is gone this world cried “Alas Alas”! The heaven Kings with halle’ ujans. Jai Jai victory to Dharma. Welcoming his return home. The Angels sing “The victor comes home. The victor comes home.
Thus a great life came to an end at the age of 54. He wrote 115 shabads which are included in the Granth Sahib. He appointed his son as the successor.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 5, 1986
