At Anandpur the besiegers several times assured the Guru on most solemn oaths that no harm would be done to him and his pany if they evacuated the fort and left the city. These oaths and assurances of theirs were later supplemented and confirmed by Aurangzeb in an autograph letter addressed to the Guru. At last the untold sufferings of his Khalsa and the solemn assurances of the enemies moved the Guru to evacuate the fort and leave the city it was at this time that some Sikhs were forced by the hardships of the long siege to sign a bedawa or disclaimer a formal declaration that he was not their Guru and they were not his Sikhs. He evacuated the city on December 20, 1704.
AS soon however as he came out the allied armies casting to the winds their solemn oaths on the cow and the Quran fell upon him near the Sarsa stream. Fierce fighting followed in the darkness and the rain when the day dawned on the site of the slaughter the Guru was found still calm and unperturbed. He held the morning diwan or religious service just as usual In the midst of the booming of guns and the hissing of arrows the Guru sang the praises of God and prayed for the good of all In the ensuing confusion the Gurus luggage including some very Precious manuscripts was washed away in the district of Ambala That was on December 211704. His wife Mata Sundri mother of his four sons and his virgin wife Mata Sahib Kaur mother of the Khalsa passed a night at Ropar in the house of a devoted Sikh. On the morrow they left for Delhi accompanied by a trusty Sikh.
His two younger sons Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh-and his mother Mata Gujri took shelter with 6 Brahman who was an ex-servant of theirs His name was Gangu. That mean fellow betrayed them to the nearest Mughal official at Morinda. The latter arrested them and sent them on to Wazir Khan Governor of Sarhind. Wazir Khan imprisoned them in a tower. This happened on Dec24, 1704.
With threats of torture and death on the one hand and allurements of rank wealth and pleasure on the other Wazir Khan tried to make the two little children embrace Islam But they refused to yield. Under his orders backed by the Court Qazi they were tortured bricked up alive and then beheaded on Dec.27,1704 On hearing the news of her grandsons manyrdom Mata Gujri blessed them thanked God for His having granted them the strength to die for their faith and followed them to the Eternal Home.
The imperial armies in their thousands pursued the Guru to Chamkaur. On reaching there he occupied a mud house belonging to a Jat. It was located on an eminence and had the form of a fortress The Mughal armies arrived soon thereafter surrounded the village and launched a series of attacks on the mud-walled fortress. Under orders from Aurangzeb himself artillery from Sarhind was also brought up for the attack The Sikhs faced the repeated attacks of the imperial army with wonderful courage and endurance The Gurus two sons aged 18 and 14 and three of his Beloved Five Bhai Sahib Singh Mukham Singh and Himmat Singh-laid down their lives while fighting against the imperial hordes Out of the 40 Sikhs who had accompanied the Guru to Chamkaur only cight were left with him. They persuaded the Gun to go away and save himself. Three Sikhs Bhais Daya Singh Dharm Singh and Man Singh were chosen to accompany him. All this happened on Dec221704. The five Sikhs who stayed on the fortress kept on the fight with unabated courage and determination. They were at last overpowered and killed by the imperial hordes.
On learning that the Guru had escaped Wazir Khan gave orders to his army that the Guru be pursued relentlessly and taken alive or dead after great hardships and many hair-breadth escapes helped and served by his Sikh and Muslim devotees the Guru reached Dina. It was while staying at Dina that the Guru wrote his famous letter to Aurangzeb known as Zafarnama or the Epistle of Victory We shall deal with it later.
From Dina the Guru marched on and reached in the vicinity of the place now called Muktsar News was brought to him that Wazir Khans forces were pursuing him and were about to close on him. He collected his men and turned on his pursuers. The 40 Majha Sikhs who among others had desired the Guru at Anandpur and when had later repented of their weakness had comeback determined to lay down their lies for him. They pitched themselves between the imperial army and the Guru. Their object was to give the Guru time to prepare for the coming encounter. The Mughal army came up soon after.
At the site of the place since called Muktsar or the Poo! of Salvation the Guru fought his last battle against the Mughal forces on May §1705. The fighting was as hard as before but this time the royal forces were defeated. Among his own slain the Guru found those 40 men of Majha. He was greatly moved at the sight of them. At the request of their leader Bhai Mahan Singh who though mortally wounded was yet alive the Guru tore the disclaimer which they had signed. Pleased with their sacrifice the Guru called them Muktsar or the Saved Ones in their honor the place was named Muktsar. After this defeat Wazir Khan gave up pursuing or molesting the Guru.
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