The freedom of faith

[1]

J.S. Neki [1]

Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621-1675), the ninth of the 10 gurus of the Sikhs, has always been remembered for sacrificing his life for the freedom of faith.
Guru Tegh Bahadur’s original name was Tyag Mal. However, during the two battles fought against the Mughal forces that had invaded his village, he showed such dexterous swordsmanship that his father conferred on him the title “Tegh Bahadur”.
He was enthroned as the Guru in 1665. After that he travelled to Bengal and Assam during 1666-70. His son, Gobind Rai, who later became his successor as the 10th guru, was born in Calcutta in 1666.
Meanwhile, oppression of non-Muslims by the Mughal rulers was accelerated in northwestern India. Emperor Aurangzeb made the decision to begin his tirade for the conversion of Hindus with the Pundits of Kashmir; hoping that if he succeeds, other Hindus will automatically embrace Islam.
Senior Pundits of Kashmir decided to go to Amarnath and pray to Lord Shiva to protect them. However, the priest of the cave-temple there told them that in a dream Lord Shiva had told him that only Guru Tegh Bahadur can protect them. So a delegation of Pundits called on the Guru with their tale of woes. It is reported that the Guru became thoughtful and said, “The situation demands that a highly pious man will have to lay down his life to stem the tide of oppression.” The Pundits were in a fix as to who should volunteer to lay down his life, when at that crucial moment the Guru’s nine-year-old son, Gobind Rai, happened to come there and said, “Dear father, who else can be more pious than you?” That made the decision easy for everyone. The Pundits relaxed.
Guru Tegh Bahadur ceremoniously installed Gobind Rai as the next guru and set out to awaken people and prepare them not to submit easily to the ruler’s design and resist him tooth and nail.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was taken into custody along with his two companions, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dayala, and incarcerated in Bassi Pathanan for four months, after which the Guru and his companions were taken to Delhi in iron cages. There, the Guru’s companions were tortured to death in front of the Guru. They hoped that this will change the Guru’s resolve. But the Guru was as steadfast as ever.
Since he would not yield, he was executed in Chandni Chowk, Delhi, where Gurdwara Sis Ganj now stands in his memory. After executing him it was declared that none should dare to remove the Guru’s remains. However, a strong dust-storm broke out shortly after that. In the melee caused by it, a young Ranghreta Sikh took away the Guru’s head to Anandpur Sahib to hand it over to Guru Gobind Rai. The rest of the remains were carted away by Lakhi Shah Vanjara who placed them in his own hut on the outskirts of the city. Then he set fire to his hut, thus giving the Guru’s headless body a decent cremation. Gurdwara Rakab Ganj stands at that spot.

J.S. Neki, a psychiatrist of international repute, is Professor of Eminence in Religious Studies at Punjabi University, Patiala.