|
 Matab
Singh or Mahtab singh was eighteenth-century
Sikh warrior and martyr. He was born
the son of Hara Singh, a Jatt Sikh of
Bhangu clan of the village of Mirankot,
8 km north of Amritsar. He grew up amidst
the most ruthless persecution Sikhs
suffered under the later Mughals, and
like many another spirited youth joined
one of the small guerilla bands into
which they had organized themselves
after the capture and execution, in
1716, of Banda Singh Bahadur. Nadir
shah's invasion, while it violently
shook the already crumbling ediface
of the Mughal empire, so emboldened
the Sikhs that they attacked and robbed
even the invader's rear on his way back.
Zakriya Khan, the governor of Lahore
district from 1726 to 1745, further
intensified his campaign against Sikhs,
forcing them to seek safety in hills
and deserts beyond the central Punjab.
Mahtab Singh, entrusting his family
to the care of a village elder, Nattha,
a Khaira Jatt, went, according to his
grandson, Ratan Singh Bhangu, the author
of Prachin Panth Prakash, to jaipur
in Rajasthan, where he took up employment
under the local ruler. It was at Jaipur
that Mahtab singh learnt how Masse Khan
Ranghar, the new kotwal of Amritsar,
had occupied the holy Harimandir.
In October, 1738 A.D., Qazi Abdul Razak
was killed in an encounter with Singhs.
Zakaria Khan, Governor of Lahore Suba
of Mughals, knew that Sikhs would always
try to visit their fountain of Truth—
the Golden Temple. The choudhry of Mandiala
was one Mir Musalul Khan, commonly known
as Massa Ranghar (Ranghars are those
muslims who are born out of parentage
of Hindu and Muslim parents). In 1740,
Zakaria Khan assigned this man the task
of watching around Amritsar for Sikh
devotees. His guard was augmented by
governmcnt soldiers. Massa needed no
further prompting from the authorities.
He placed his cot in the centre of the
temple, and set about desecrating it
to his heart's fill. Street girls danced
before him while he dined and wined
in the holiest of the Sikh shrines.
Massa Ranghar turned Harminder Sahib
into a dance hall and started holding
parties there. By his orders all the
Sikhs of Amritsar were hounded and killed.
There would always be one or two Sikhs
in hiding near the temple, waiting for
nightfall, when they could steal in
for a dip in the tank. Sardar Bulakha
Singh happened to be around when Massa
was in occupation. After this he began
looting and harassing Hindus, accusing
them to be sympathetic with Sikhs. The
house of Tej Ram was looted on his orders.
Tej ram and Bulakah Singh hurried away
with this painful secret and headed
straight for Bikaner, where they unburdened
themselves before the band of Sardar
Sham Singh. The leader of that squad
Sham Singh said in the congregation,
"Is there a Singh who will cut
and bring Massa Ranghar's head here?"
From the assembly of Sikhs stood up
one Mehtab Singh of Meerankot, who declared
his resolve to go and kill Massa or
be killed himself. Another very brave
man Sukha Singh of Mari Kamboki also
stood up and asked permission of Sardar
Sham Singh to accompany Mehtab Singh.
The whole gathering said their ardaas
for the success of the mission, and
the two rode away in the hot month of
August to be disguised as two landlords
bringing the revenue into Amritsar.
They reached Damdama Sahib by evening.
On the next morning, 11 August, 1740,
before starting from Damdama sahib,
they disguised themselves as Muslims
of Patti and filled two sacks with the
pieces of broken eartherwares and loaded
them on the backs of their horses. They
had hung their hair loose behind their
necks (as the Pathans do). Entering
Harminder Sahib they tethered their
horses to the berry tree and went inside
with the sacks on their shoulders. They
saw that Massa Ranghar was sitting on
a bed smoking hubble bubble (hookah),
prostitutes were dancing and wine was
flowing freely. They placed the sacks
under the bed and said, "We have
come to pay the revenue." When
Massa Ranghar bent to feel the sacks,
Mehtab Singh cut his head in a flash
and put it in a sack after empting it
of the potsherds. Sukha Singh made short
work of the company of Massa Ranghar.
Having finished their work with the
speed of lightening, the Singhs mounted
their horses and were out of sight in
no time. By evening both the Singhs
reached Damdama Sahib. The next day
they presented Massa Ranghar's head
on a spear to their leader at Budha
Johar. The gathering congratulated them
and ordered that the head be consigned
to the flames.
 Aqil
Dass Jandiala, the government informer
told the Governer, "Sukha Singh
and Mehtab Singh are the persons who
have taken away Massa Ranghar's head.
They are living in Bikaner. Sukha Singh
is not married. Mehtab Singh's wife
and seven years old Son, Rai Singh are
living at Mirankot whom he has left
in the care of Natha Khaira, the headman
of village before going." Hearing
this, the Governer said to Commander
Nur Din, "Take the army to Mirankot
immediately and bring Mehtab Singh here.
If he is not there bring his son with
you." At the demand of the Commander,
Natha Khaira did not hand over Rai singh
to him but preferred to fight and attain
martyrdom along with his son, nephew
and two servants to save his friend's
son. During the skirmish Rai singh was
badly wounded and left for dead but
he later recovered. Natha Khaira and
his son attained martyrdom. There was
no trace of Mahtab Singh. Later on Rai
Singh's son Bhai Rattan Singh wrote
Panth Parkash. Five years later, on
receiving the news of the arrest of
Bhai Taru Singh he surrendered himself
voluntarily to die by his side. With
the orders of the Governer of Lahore,
he was tortured, broken on the wheel
and thus martyred in June 1745 A.D.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Copyright © Harbans Singh "The
encyclopedia of Sikhism."
Santok singh Jagdev of Sikh missionary
society "Bed-Time stories -7"
|
