The Sikhs, even when in trouble, continued to stick to their ideal high Sikh character. Because of their excellent behavior, even their adversaries held them in great respect. A Muslim writer, Nur Mohd, who had personal experience with the Sikhs, wrote:

They never attack a coward nor do they peruse a fugitive. They do not maltreat any woman, even of the enemy nor do they rob her ‘money or ornaments, they treat them with respect and address all of them as “Buriya” which means a respectable old lady. These “dogs” do not commit any adultery or theft. They do not even befriend such people. Their behavior on the whole is “not appreciable”.

Possessed with hatred and ill feeling for Sikhs because of their being non-Muslims, Nur Mohd’s writing in Persian about their behavior misspells them as “sag” which means a dog. However, the actual behavior described by him reveals the high Sikh character both in war and peace, He himself later suggests, “These people should not be called dogs but lions”. Regarding their fighting skills he writes:

They swoop like a lion and fly away like a hawk. Those who want 10 learn the art of fighting they should see them in a battle, their bodies are made like rocks. Each one is strong enough to be equal to ‘more than fifty soldiers. If they quickly retreat, do not think they have been defeated. It is merely a fighting tactic to deceive the enemy.

Nadar Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali, the great Afghans who repeatedly looted Delhi, found themselves helpless when facing the Sikhs. They (Sikhs) would tease them and harass them when they (invaders) returned to their country with the looted goods and women through Punjab, Only a Score of Sikhs would ambush their caravan, release the women amen prisoners and escort them to their homes, They would keep the arms and horses looted from the invaders, for their next fight with the latter, In 1757, Taimur, the son of Abdali, was relieved of all his wealth & women heaved his own life by sheer luck.

In 1761 Sikhs were very aggressive & did the commendable job of getting 20,000 Delhi Women free from Abdali who would have sold them in his country each for a few coins. Such was the usual “farewell” which was given by the ‘Sikhs every time an invader returned from Delhi,

Earlier in 1739, Nadar Shah irritated & annoyed by the Sikhs and made to feel small for his inability to defeat them asked his Subedar at Lahore many questions about these ‘Brigands’. He replied, “They are naked fakirs who visit Amritsar twice a year for a bath in the sacred pool & get rejuvenated. They live in forests and have no homes other than the saddles, after carefully listening to the Sub cedar, he observed, “keep an eye on them, they seem to me the potential rulers of this Country.

Sikhs were successful in their tactics because the people in general were on their side and their well wishes. They gladly provided food & shelter to the Sikhs and nursed their wounded even at the risk of the wrath of the rulers. Even Muslims, co-religiousists of the rulers had changed their hearts and given up the anti-Sikh feeling propagated by the rulers,

In total contrast to the treatment meted out to the Sikhs, they did not kill any Afghan prisoner. When in 1758 some soldiers were made prisoners, they were brought to Amritsar and made to clean the sacred pool around the Golden Temple. These soldiers had filled the pool with debris and dead animals on the orders of Abdali.

When Khalsa took over Lahore in 1765, they showed due regards to all the citizens, many of them ‘were Muslims, Nobody was looted or ill-treated, A few months occupation removed the anti-Sikh feelings created by Mughals, Afghans and Mullahs for their own narrow political advantage, Muslims in the countryside had already started associating with the Sikhs. They were considered as fellow Punjabis rather than anti-Muslims and in fiddles, On the other hand, Afghans were considered as foreign invaders rather than defenders of the faith, Sikhs instead of being called robbers as they were labeled by the rulers, were respected as freedom fighters to restore their rights as citizens of the state.

‘On re-occupation of Lahore in 1966 by Abdali; local Muslims advised him to offer the Governorship of Lahore to Sikhs in his own interest and those of the citizens, ‘Abdali invited the Sikhs by sending them a special tray of dry fruit of his country. Lehna Singh politely declined the offer by telling his envoy that high quality fruit are ‘meant for royal family only. He is a mere peasant living on simple food, Actual reason was that the Sikhs did not want to accept an offer from a foreigner to rule their ‘own country,

When Abdali left, governor of Lahore knew well that he could not count on cooperation even from Muslim resident. They had frankly told him that they were happy with the Sikhs and could welcome them by opening the gate of the city at night. They advised him to settle with Sikhs some pension for himself and hand over the rule of Lahore to Sikhs instead of being killed by them.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 23, 1986