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 City
of Amritsar was founded by the Fourth
Guru, Guru Ramdas ji. Guru Ramdas ji
were born in the house of Hari Das,
on September 24, 1534 at Lahore., named
as Jetha. He was married to the younger
daughter of the third Guru Guru Amardas
ji, named Bibi Bhani, and had three
sons- Prithia, Mahadev and Arjun Dev.
He sent out many of his devout disciples
called masands or, the Guru's agents,
to all over Punjab and even to Afghanistan
to spread the gospel and also to collect
the offerings of the devotees which
he neeed more than ever not only to
run the community Kitchen Langar, but
also to complete the excavation of the
second tank (later called Amritsar)
and to expand the activites of the city
of Ramdaspur (or Amritsar as it was
later called) which he had himself founded
in the life-time of the third Guru.
Guru Ramdas ji were guru for short
period of seven years. Before departing
from this world, he made his youngest
son, Arjan Dev as the next Guru. Guru
Arjan Dev ji got Golden Temple completed.
Guru Arjan Dev ji's biggest achievement
was to compile Adi Granth (now Guru
Granth Sahib) by Collecting the banis
of all Gurus before him and Installing
Adi Granth at Golden Temp. Bhai Budha
ji were made the first granthi of Golden
Temple. Thus Golden Temple became the
center of Sikh activities., and Amritsar
a Sikh city. With time several other
communities settled at Amritsar. Guru
Arjan Dev ji were executed at Lahore
on the order of Jehangir the Mughal
emperor of India, when Guru ji refused
to convert to Islam. The next Guru Guru
Hargobind ji fortified Amritsar and
got constructed Akal Takht. Akal Takht
became the center for political aspirations
of Sikhs. Sikhs got together at Golden
Temple at Diwali, Visakhi, at all the
festivals. Gurmattas , or orders for
all Sikhs from Gurus were passed from
Akal Takht. Amritsar became a Vatican
or a Mecca of Sikhs. City of Amritsar
was attacked and Golden Temple was razed
to ground several times. Always, at
least 5-15 Sikhs or more died defending
it against the armies of Mughals, Nadir
Shah, Ahmad Shah Abdali, Zaman Shah,
Government of India, etc.
City of Amritsar was first attacked
by the imperial forces of Emperor Shahjahan
of India. In the year 1628 A.D., Shahjehan
was on a hunting expedition nearby and
a white hawk, presented to him by the
Shah of Iran, flew into the Guru Hargobind
ji's camp at Amritsar in pursuit of
a duck. The Guru flew a hawk of his
own which seized the duck and on the
emperor's hawk joining in the seizure,
the Sikhs caught them both. There was
a brief altercation between Sikhs and
Mughals, several Mughals lost their
lives and retreated. Emperor was enraged
on this insolence and show of authority
by the Guru's followers, he sent his
general Mukhlis Khan along with 7000
troops to attack City of Amritsar. The
Guru offered prayers to the God and
assembled his forces of about 1000 men
in a fortress, called Lohgarh. Since
Sikhs did not had any cannons and very
few muskets, they deployed cannons made
out of hollow trees to throw stones
at imperial army. Imperial forces reached
Amritsar at dead of night and were engaged
in a furious battle. Many heroes were
killed on both sides, including Shams
Khan, Sultan Beg, two well known generals
in Mughal army, and Singha, Mohan and
Gopala, valiant warriors on the Guru's
side. Bidhi Chand and Paindhe Khan also
fought recklessly. Guru himself engaged
in battle all around the fort. After
several days, Mukhlis Khan challenged
Guru Hargobind to a single combat. The
Guru galloped quickly to his side and
shouted at him, " you strike first,
so that you have no regrets. In my house,
this also is the rule. We do not invite
the battle, nor strike the first blow."
Mukhlis Khan waived his sword twice
with great Skill at Guru's person, but
everytime missed his aim. The Guru gave
him no further oppurtunity and struck
him with such masterly skill that his
was cleaved in two. Mughal forces retreated
and first battle of Amritsar was won
by Sikhs defending the city. Mughals
took their anger on the Gurudwara at
Tarn Taran, and filled Baoli , (water
storage tank) by earth which was constructd
by Guru Arjan Dev ji.
Baba Atal Rai was son of Guru Hargobind
ji. It is said that he started performing
miracles which displeased Guru. Baba
Atal took the reproof so much to his
heart that he soon died. This led to
great sorrow and lamentation in the
family, but the Guru said, "Atal
has become, like his name, immortal,
for he has obeyed the will of God willingly.
He will be the guardian-angel of the
city of Amritsar and no one will turn
away from his door hungry or empty-handed."
A nine-storeyed structure called Bunga
of Baba Atal was also erected later
(1778-1784) to commemorate this nine-year
wonder of a child and to this day the
poor are constantly fed, night and day,
and this beautiful shrine chiselled
in cool marble. Guru Hargobind engaged
Mughals several other times but never
had to defend Amritsar or Golden Temple
again. Then, Amritsar was not attacked
until after Banda Singh Bahadur around
1720's.
In 1726, New governor of Punjab was
appointed by Mughals, named Zakriya
Khan. He was determined to kill all
the sikhs. He gave orders that the Sikhs
be hunted out wherever they be. A price
was put on the head of each Sikh. Sikhs
were captured and brought to horse market
at Lahore i.e.,Nakhas where they were
killed, Sikhs called this market Shahidganj,
or place of the martyrs. This carnage
continued for several years. Diwan Lakhpat
Rai was general of Zakriya Khan, he
was continuously pursuing Sikhs. In
one such engagement in 1735, his nephew
Jaspat Rai was killed. Lakhpat rai enraged
in anger took possession of the City
of Amritsar, which was divided among
several Sikh families. Bhai Mani Singh
ji, head granthi of Golden Temple, the
pious and learned custodian of Golden
Temple was arrested by Lakhpat Rai and
brought to Lahore, where he was given
an option to convert to Islam or die.
His bodily parts were cut one after
another, but he refused to convert.
Sikhs took revenge next year when Nadir
Shah invaded India, Sikhs plundered
Lahore and its sorroundings. Nadir Shah
fought Mughal army at Karnal and easily
won this battle. Emperor of India surrendered
most of his treasury as well as the
Koh-i-noor diamond, the largest of them
all. Still, Nadir Shah moved to plunder
Delhi, about 150,000 souls were mercilessly
butchered in the city of Delhi. It is
estimated that the total loot was 70-80
crore of rupees. While this confusion
was going on, Sikhs build a mud-fortress
on the North-west of Amritsar on the
banks of Ravi, in the midst of thick
forests, for refuge and retreat at the
time of need. When Nadir Shah forces
were marching back, Sikhs attacked them
deploying Guerilla warfare of tactics
and harassed the forces all the way
along. Jassa singh ahluwalia got freed
about 2000-3000 Hindu girls whom Afghanis
were taking to their Harms in Afghanistan.
Nadir Shah made Zakriya khan his governor
and asked him to totally destroy Sikhs.
Zakriya Khan made Massa Ranghar, incharge
of Amritsar. Massa Ranghar took Amritsar
after brief fight where about 10 Sikhs
were martyred defending Darbar Sahib.
He banned Sikhs to take a bath in Golden
Temple, as well as visit it. He made
Golden Temple his palace and sorroundings
around it to a stable.
At this time Sikhs would generally
gallop on their horses, take a bath
in pool and with lightining run away.
Mehtab Singh of Mirankot, decided to
take a revenge of this descretion of
golden Temple, he and his accomplice
Sukha Singh killed Massa Ranghar in
August of 1740. The Sikhs, as we have
seen, were fighting for their life,
with backs to the wall. Their very existence
was at stake. Haunted like wild beasts
over the hills, as in the forests and
plains, they had hardly any refuge to
seek. Suddenly a new factor was introduced
into the body-politic of Punjab. Instead
of being confined to the Sikh Mughal
fight, the incessant invsions of Ahmad
Shah Abdali, ruler of Afghanistan, brought
the Sikhs in conflict with the Afghans.
Ahmad Shah abdali invaded India ten
times in twenty years (1748-1768). The
Punjab saw during this period the change
of 13 governors, from Mir Muin-ul-mulk
(Mir Mannu) to Gujar singh Bhangi. Ahmad
shah however was defeated in his first
invasion., Mir Mannu was responsible
for Mughal victory and was thus awarded
governorship of Punjab. Sikhs had occupied
Amritsar during this period and cleaned
Golden Temple and its sanctity restored.
Mir Mannu stormed the fort of Ram Rauni,
outside Amritsar and captured it. But
his forces were halted from further
advance by Ahmad Shah Abdali invasion
again in the same year of 1748. Mir
Mannu surrendered to Abdali and thus
averting a disaster for Punjab and Delhi.
Now he became Governor of Abdali ruling
from Kabul. He continued his atrocities
against Sikhs. Several Sikh infants
were butchered, their mothers put to
torture. On Nov 2, 1753, Mannu Died
a miserable death. He was out hunting
when his horse bolted at the sight of
a vulture and threw the rider off his
seat. However, his foot got caught in
the stirrup, and he was dragged for
some distance before he could be rescued.
He breathed his last two days later
in severa pain. Next Governor Mahmud
Shah, did not engaged Sikhs at all for
several years. In April 1755, Abdali
attacked again and won. when he was
returning with lot of booty and slaves,
Sikhs attacked him and got freed most
of slaves and snatched his booty. In
1757 he sent his son Tamur to punish
Sikhs. Abdali's other general attacked
Amritsar. He was surprised to see only
Ten Sikhs defending Golden Temple. Golden
Temple was razed to ground, pool was
filled with the blood of cows and later
levelled with dirt. Baba Deep Singh
and his Jatha of 5000 Sikhs attacked
60,000+ durranis stationsed at Amritsar
and attained martyrdom. Then Abdali
burnt the Gurudwara at Kartarpur, and
Jalandhar. Abdali left for Kabul leaving
Punjab to his general, Tamur Khan. Sikhs
got together and attacked Tamur Khan
at around Jalandhar with help of Adina
Beg Khan. Tamur's army was defeated.
All their captains were killed and Afghan
baggage and camp looted. All the artillery
left behind by Abdali was seized. Sikhs
invaded Lahore and captured it. Sikhs
took about 5000 Afghani prisoners to
Amritsar and made them clean Golden
Temple and its pool. Golden Temple was
constructed again.
Ahmad shah Abdali invaded India in
1759 for Fifth time specifically to
punish Marathas. Marathas abandoned
their posts in the tracts of Malwa part
of Punjab. Abdali defeated Marathas
and retreated to Kabul with lots of
booty, Sikhs again snatched most of
his booty from his baggage train. Now,
Sikhs were virtually rulers of the area
between river Ganga and river Indus.
A new system was introduced under which
each of these misals was asked to register
their territory at Akal Takht . Jassa
Singh Ahluwalia operating out of Akal
Takht at Golden Temple wrote down several
documents about what part of Punjabi
area belongs to which misl, etc. It
is said that horse riders of misals
would leave one of their belongings
in each village to justify that village
is under their protection., and later
register it with Jassa Singh Ahluwalia.
In jan of 1764, Ahmad Shah attacked
again. This time to punish Sikhs. Sikhs
fled with their valuable belongings.
Sikhs had left Golden Temple in charge
of Bhai Gurbax Singh with 30 Soldiers
and had evacuated Amritsar along with
all of their valuables. Bhai Gurbax
Singh ji along with 30 Singhs gave a
taste of Battle to Durrani (abdali)
forces but singhs could not hold against
60,000. Abdali was amazed by seeing
that only thirty Sikhs were defending
Golden Temple again. He levelled the
pool and blew up Golden Temple. His
allies like the Nawab of Malerkotla
helped him when his forces and Abdali
forces sorrounded the main body of Sikhs,
who were going to Barnala, about 30,000+
women and old men were killed in a single
day by Abdali and his allies. Sikhs
to day call this carnage, Wadda Ghalughara.
Once Ahmad Shah Abdali left, he was
never to return to Punjab again.
The Sikh Misls got constructed Darbar
Sahib and restored its sancity in 1764
A.D. which was not disturbed until 1984
when Indian Army attacked and killed
several thousand Sikhs and pilgrims
on the same day of martyrdom of Guru
Arjan Dev ji, Guru who had got Golden
Temple constructed. This time again
Indian army saw substantial number of
Sikhs defending Golden Temple, led by
Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindernwale.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Copyright © Dr. Gopal Singh "A
History of Sikh People"
Santok singh Jagdev of Sikh missionary
society "Bed-Time stories"
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