The history abounds with stories of powerful men behaving badly. It’s a unfortunate yet predictable spectacle witnessed for thousands of years of human history across the globe— those in positions of power can’t help but help themselves to the help. Power corrupts even the best of us. But there’s an antidote - spiritual wisdom. Often spiritual wisdom had to step forward and confront the brutality of the powerful oppressor and heal the pain of the oppressed.
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| Plunder of India in Medieval Times |
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| Confronting Intolerance with Spiritual Wisdom |
Religious Intolerance vs. Spiritual Wisdom
The depravity and brutality of religious zealots was confronted with spiritual wisdom at its best. First Guru Nanak lamented the depraved brutality of Babur, then Guru Arjan was executed under the command of Jahangir for uniting the people in the name of one creator, Guru Teg Bahadur stepped in front of oppressive Aurangzeb in saving religious freedom of Kashmiri Pundits, and when all peaceful means did not succeed against the Mughal empire's orgy of destruction and oppression, Guru Gobind Singh picked up his Kripan - the sword of mercy.
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| Th Mighty Mughal Empire of Delhi |
Because the Gurus loved God, they loved God’s creation. Because they cared about the whole of the human being, the Gurus positioned themselves as champions of the weak and the marginalized, and acted in a way that today we would call “speaking truth to power.”
This duel between spirituality and blind depravity of power continued for generations and ended with the demise of the powerful Mughal empire that had ruled India for over 300 years. lets look back at pages of history
The Beginning
Zahir-ud-Dīn Babur (1483-1530) was a Muslim ruler of little known Farghana, Uzbekistan from Central Asia who founded the Mughal dynasty of India. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother. With this rag-tag force of helmeted, mail-clad warriors, Babur began his career of plunder. In 1504, he made himself master of Kabul and then plundered Khurasan. His next temptation was India with its famed wealth.
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| Zahiruddin Babur of Farghana |
In his first invasion, Babar came as far as Peshawar. The following year he crossed the Indus and, conquering Sialkot without resistance, marched on Saidpur (now Eminabad, 15 km southeast of Gujranwala in West Punjab) which suffered the worst fury of the invading guest. The town was taken by assault, the garrison was put to the sword and the inhabitants carried into captivity. He ordered that everyone be butchered and healthy young males and females be taken back to Kabul as slaves to be sold in the Central Asian slave markets.
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| Gurdwara Chakki Sahib where Guru Nanak was imprisoned |
Guru Nanak witnessed the orgy of plunder, rape, and pillage. He lamented about this suffering in his hymns known as Babur Vani enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib:
Lord, Thou takest Khurasan under Thy wing,
but yielded India to the invader's wrath.
Yet thou takest no blame;
And sendest the Mughal as the messenger of death.
When there was such suffering, killing,
such shrieking in pain,
Didst not Thou, O God, feel pity?
Next, Babur turned to Lahore - its ruler Daulat Khan Lodhi fled towards the south and Babur entered the city, where he not only slaughtered every deserting soldier, but entered every house, burning bazaars as they went along. Four whole days and nights were spent looting and killing, and, as was Mongol tradition, raping any woman they could lay their hands on, and after the act slitting their throats, because the woman had been ‘shamed’. Once Lahore was emptied it was set on fire. The destruction was complete.
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| The Destruction of Lahore |
Guru Nanak felt the pain of the people and wrote:
[Babar] leading a wedding-array of sin hath descended from Kabul and demandeth by force the bride, O Lalo.
Decency and righteousness have vanished, and falsehood struts abroad, O Lalo.
Gone are the days of Qazis and Brahmans, Satan now conducts the nuptials, O Lalo.
...
They sing paeans of blood, O Nanak, and by blood, not saffron, ointment is made, O Lalo.
In this city of corpses, Nanak proclaimeth God's praises, and uttereth this true saying:
The Lord who created men and put them to their tasks watcheth them from His seclusion.
True is that Lord, true His verdict, and true is the justice He dealeth.
As her body's vesture is torn to shreds, India shall remember my words.
In seventy-eight they come, in ninety seven shall depart; another man of destiny shall arise.
Nanak pronounceth words of truth, Truth he uttereth; truth the time calls for."
The Middle - Shifting from Left to the Right
After Babur, the Mughals and Afghans were busy chasing eachother, enabling Guru Angad to establish the basic structure of Sikhism. Babur's grandson Akbar deployed a more tolerant approach and moved away from radial Islam. He was heavily influenced by the third Guru Amardas and prescribed a secular religious order called Deen-e-Ilahi and peace returned to Punjab and India. His order was known during its time as Tawḥīd-i-Ilāhī ("Divine Monotheism", lit. 'Oneness of God')that resonated well with the Sikh philosophy.
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| The Left: Deen-e-Ilahi Order of Akbar |
Unfortunately, this beautiful concept died with the death of Akbar. His son and successor Jahangir leaned on the Islamic clergy for support. The clash between Sikh and Islamic culture was inevitable and Jahangir ordered the execution of peaceful fifth Guru Arjan who was leading the effort to unite the people by laying the foundation of Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar with Muslim Sufi saint Hazrat Mian Mir.
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| The Right: Jahangir with Islamic Clerics |
This is what Emperor Jahangir had written in his diary the "Tuzuk-i-Jahagiri" ("Memoirs of Jahangir"):
- "In Goindwal, which is on the river Biyah (Beas), there was a Hindu named Arjan, in the garments of sainthood and sanctity, so much so that he had captured many of the simple-hearted of the Hindus, and even of the ignorant and foolish followers of Islam, by his ways and manners, and they had loudly sounded the drum of his holiness. They called him Guru, and from all sides stupid people crowded to worship and manifest complete faith in him. For three or four generations (of spiritual successors) they had kept this shop warm. Many times it occurred to me to put a stop to this vain affair or to bring him into the assembly of the people of Islam."
He mentions another reason for his hatred for Guru Arjun for blessing his rebel son Khusro who was appointed as the designated successor by Emperor Akbar:
"At last when Khusrau passed along this road this insignificant fellow proposed to wait upon him. Khusrau happened to halt at the place where he was, and he came out and did homage to him. He behaved to Khusrau in certain special ways, and made on his forehead a finger-mark in saffron, which the Hinduwan (the people of India) call qashqa, (Tilak) and is considered propitious. When this came to my ears and I clearly understood his folly, I ordered them to produce him and handed over his houses, dwelling-places, and children to Murtaza Khan, and having confiscated his property commanded that he should be put to death."
Guru Arjan was arrested on false case of tax evasion and tortured to death near the Lahore fort. Guru's son Guru Hargobind was imprisoned in Gwalior fort for fourteen years under Jahangir's order.
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| Infamous Lal Haweli of Mochi Gate, Lahore |
The political cycle took a positive turn when Jahangir was succeeded by his son Shahjahan who was of a liberal mindset. Guru Hargobind reestablished the structure of Sikhism and added a military wing for self protection.
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| The Response: Coronation of Guru Hargobind Rai |
The End
This was a short term peace in Punjab as the political cycle took another turn and the radical islamic zealots regained power in Delhi court with the ascension of Aurangzeb as the Mughal emperor. Aurangzeb executed his elder brother Dara Shikoh who was of liberal mindset. He resented the shelter given to Dara Shikoh by Guru Har Rai as he was fleeing from Delhi.
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| Guru Har Rai welcoming Dara Shikoh |
Aurangzeb summoned the Guru to Delhi to explain himself, The Guru sent his son Ram Rai who was intimidated by the Mughal power and changed the verse of Sri Guru Granth Sahib refuting the argument between cremation and burial:
"Upon death the ashes of Moslem find their way into the potter's clod,
Pots and bricks are made out of them, they cry out as they're fired."
After the passing away of Guru Har Rai from suspected poisoning, Ram Rai was denied the title and instead his younger brother Guru Harkrishan became the 8th Guru of the Sikhs. The young Guru forgave the atrocities of Mughals and healed the people of Delhi suffering from an outbreak of small pox at the invitation of Raja Jai Sigh of Jaipur. Gurdwara Bangla Sahib stands at the place where Guru Harkrishan and Sikhs served the people suffering from small pox abandoned on the streets of Delhi by their families.
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| Abandoned Small Pox Victims in Delhi - 17th century |
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| Indian PM Modi at Gurdwara Rakabganj |
The worse was still to come as Aurangzeb's oppression continued unopposed and destruction of Indian spirituality, culture, music, and heritage was demolished one after the other. Guru Gobind Singh made a call to the Sikhs and created the order of Khalsa, the spiritual warrior on the Vaisakhi of 1699 at Anandpur Sahib.
"When all other methods fail, it is righteous to pick up the sword in your hand"
Guru Gobind Singh declared war against the Mughals with the drum beats of Ranjit Nagara from the fort of Anandpur Sahib, Aurangzeb was alarmed and dispatched a large army of Mughals and Rajputs to attack Anandpur Sahib. After months of siege, Mughals failed to conquer the fort. The cunning Auranzeb sent message written on Quran that all hostilities will cease if Guru leaves the fort. Upon departure, the Guru and the Sikhs were ambushed by the Mughals. Sikhs won this battle but Guru's family got separated resulting in the death of his four sons at the hands of Mughals.
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| Chamkaur Garhi |
This was the moment when the tide turned against the Mughals. Blessed by the Tenth Guru, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur ransacked the Mughal establishments on Northern India - from Punjab, Himachal, Haryana, and Western UP.
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| Statue of Banda Singh Bahadur at Chapar Chiri Battlefield |
Sikhs grew in power over time and the mighty Mughal empire begin to crumble. The last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was dethroned by the British with active help of Sikhs. The heads of his two princes were served to the Sikhs by General Hodson thus ending the almost 350 years of dynastic rule over India.
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| Bahadur Shah Zafar after Arrest |
in 2006, a descendant of former Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar has said that she will go to Punjab to seek forgiveness in Sikh shrines there. “My life has changed after I had visited the Golden Temple in 2004 to seek forgiveness for the atrocities committed by my ancestors – the Mughal Emperors on Sikh gurus,” said Sultana Begum, the great grand daughter-in-law of Bahadur Shah Zafar. Sultana Begum has been living a life of penury on the pavements of Kolkata.
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| Sultana Begum Mughal at Amritsar - Timescontent.com |
History shows that the power and wealth comes and goes but the human nature doesn't learn from past mistakes. Whenever power crazy rulers inflict atrocities on innocent people, the spiritual wisdom sets up a shield to protect and heal the wounds of public.
The prophecy of Guru Nanak finally came TRUE when Guru Gobind Singh's Khalsa liberated Punjab ans established self-rule from Lahore:
... another man of destiny shall arise.
Nanak pronounceth words of truth, Truth he uttereth; truth the time calls for."
Based on previously published articles:
- https://www.dawn.com/news/1450276
- https://www.discoversikhism.com/sikh_gurus/guru_nanak_babars_invasion.html
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