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BHAI Dalla Singh was (later
Dall Singh) a Siddhu Jatt and chaudhari
or landlord of Talvandi Sabo, enthusiastically
received Guru Gobind Singh when he arrived
there with his entourage early in 1706,
and attended diligently to the needs
and comforts of the daily-growing sangat.
According to Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri
Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, Dalla maintained
a private army of several hundred warriors
of whom he was very proud. He more than
once commiserated with Guru Gobind Singh
on the events that had overtaken him,
boastfully adding that had the Guru
called him for help he would have joined
him with his bold warriors and that
he (the Guru) would have been saved
much of the travail. Guru Gobind Singh
every time dismissed the topic saying,
"God's will must prevail, It is
useless to brood over the past."
Bhai Dal singh would often boast the
bravery of Jutts., vis-a-vis other communities.
once as Dalla was repeating his boast,
two artisans of Lahore came and presented
the Guru with two costly muzzle-loading
guns. The Guru asked Bhai Dalla to provide
a couple of his men as targets for him
to test the range and striking power
of the weapons. The strange demand stunned
Dalla and put his men out of their wits,
and none of them came forward. The Guru
there upon invited two Ranghreta Sikhs,
father and son, who happened to be busy
tying their turbans near by. They both
came running, turbans in hand, each
trying to be in front of the other in
order to be the first to face the bullet.
Bhai Dalla, astonished at the Sikh's
spirit of sacrifice, was ashamed and
learnt to be humble. He understood that
the brotherhood of Khalsa was much much
braver than his jutts. He took the initiation
of the Khalsa, receiving the name of
Dal Singh. A small domed shrine within
the precincts of Takht Damdama Sahib
at Talwandi Sabo honours Dal Singh's
memory to this day. A sword and shield
and a few other articles claimed to
have been bestowed upon him by Guru
Gobind Singh are preserved in the descendant
family as sacred relics.
Copyright © Harbans Singh "The
encyclopedia of Sikhism. "
Santokh Singh, Bhai, Sri Gur Pratap
Suraj Granth. Amritsar, 1923
Gian Singh, Giani, Twarikh Guru Khalsa.
Patiala, 1970
Sukha Singh, Bhai, Gurbilas Dasvin Patshah.
Lahore, 1912
Macauliffe, Max Arthur, The Sikh Religion.
Oxford, 1909
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