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 Guru
Hargobind was sixth in the spiritual descent form
Guru Nanak, was born the only son of Guru Arjan
and Mata Ganga on Har Vadi 7, 1652 BK / 19 June
1595 at Vadali, now called Vadali Guru, a village
near Amritsar. As a child, he escaped being poisoned
by a jealoous uncle and being bitten by a cobra
thrown in his way. He also survived a virulent attack
of smallpox and grew up into a tall and handsome
youth. His contribution to Sikhism and Sikhs can
be summed up in one phrase i.e. "making them
Saints and Soldiers".
He received his early education and training at
the hands of two revered Sikhs of that time Bhai
Gurdas and Baba Buddha. The former taught him the
religious texts and the latter the manly arts of
swordsmanship and archery. He was barely 11 years
of age when his father, Guru Arjan, was martyred
in Lahore. Guru Arjan had on Jeth vadz 25 1663 Bikrami
May 1606 nominated him his successor and, according
to the Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, sent him instruction
"to ascend the throne fully armed, and have
armed men, as many as you can, to accompany you."
For the ceremonies of succession which took place
on 26 Har 1663 Bk/24 May 1606, Guru Hargobind chose
himself a warrior's equipment. He sat on a seat
he had had erected in front of the holy Harimandar,
with two swords on his person, declaring one to
he the symbol of the spiritual and the other that
of his temporal investiture. Hukamnamas were issued
to sangats on Har vadz 2,1663 Bk/ 12 June 1606 to
come with offerings of arms and horses. Guru Hargobind
maintained a retinue of fifty-two armed Sikhs. Many
more came to offer him their services, and several
of them were provided with horses and weapons. Manly
sports became popular and bards such as 'Abdulla
and Nattha were engaged to recite heroic poetry.
 Guru
Hargobind combined with soldierly demeanour a compassionate
disposition and carried out his spiritual office
in keeping with the custom of his predecessors.
"He," as says the Mahima Prakash, "arose
three hours before daybreak and sat in seclusion,
to concentrate on the Divine. Then he dressed himself
and repaired to the presence of the Holy Book and
began to recite it silently. None entered to interrupt
him. None could fathom the depth of his spiritual
absorption. "
Reports about the splendid style of Guru Hargobind
led Emperor Jahngir to pass orders for his detention
in the Fort of Gwalior. According to the Dabistan-i-Mazahib,
the charge levelled against him was that he had
not paid the fine imposed on his father. For how
long he remained in the Fort cannot be stated with
certainty. From forty days to twelve years, in Dabistan-i-Mazahib,
several different periods of time are mentioned.
It seems that Guru Hargobind remained in the Fort
for a few months during 1617-19 whereafter he was
required to stay in the royal camp under surveillance
for some time. During his detention in Gwalior,
Sikhs made trips to the city in batches to see him
and, when disallowed to enter the Fort, they proffered
obeisance from outside its walls and returned. As
time came for Guru Hargobind to be released from
the Fort, he came out on the condition that all
other detenues were freed, too. He led fifty-two
prisoners out of the Fort. Bandichhor? (Liberator
Benign) is the title by which he is remembered to
this day. When at last Guru Hargobind reached Amritsar
Sikhs illuminated the town. The anniversary of the
event is still celebrated at Harimandar, the Golden
Temple, with Lights and fireworks.
Emperor Jahangir from now on continued to be conciliatory
and, according to Sikh tradition, he delivered to
Guru Hargobind Chandu Shah, who took part of the
responsibility far the execution of Guru Arjan and
for his own incarceration. Chandu Shah met with
a violent end at the hands of the Sikhs. On his
lands, also made over to him, Guru Hargobind founded
a new town Which came to be known as Sri Hargobindpur.
As the work commenced, Bhagvan Das, a local landlord,
objected and attacked the Sikhs with a party of
his men. Bhagvan Das was killed in the skirmish.
His son, Ratan Chand, and Chandu Shah's son, Karam
Chand, sought help from the Mughal faujdar of Jalandhar
who sent a body of troops against Guru Hargobind.
They were repulsed in the battle that ensued. Both
these actions were fought in the vicinity of Ruhela,
the first on 28 Assu 1678 Bk/28 September 1621 and
the second on 3 Kattak 1678 Bk/4 October 1621. At
Sri Hargobindpur, the Guru built along with the
dharamsala a mosque for the Muslims.
In 1628 the city of Amritsar witnessed the first
onslaught on it by the Mughals. Shah Jahan, who
succeded his father in 1627 knew that Sikhism had
undergone a metamorphosis under Guru Hargobind,
the only son of the martyred fifth Guru. This according
to the Bhatt Vahi Multan Sindis, was fought on Baisakh
17,1691 Bk/14 April 1634. He had donned two swords
of Miri (temporal) and Piri (spiritual), had raised
an Akal Takht (1609), built Lohgarh (fortress),
collected arms,3 recruited Pathan mercenaries under
Paindeh Khan and was giving military training to
his followers. On a pretext of getting a royal hawk
released from the Guru an expedition of 7,000 strong
under Ghulam Rasul Khan Panj Hazari and Mukhlis
Khan, Deputy Nazim, was sent. Guru Hargobind would
not have liked to make the holy place a battle-ground
and had enjoined that "the Harimandir is specially
devoted to God's service. It should never be defiled
with any impurity of the human body ". He was
busy making preparations for the wedding of his
daughter Bibi Viro. The combat with royal forces
took place at Gumtala, then a suburb of Amritsar.
Guru Bilas Patshahi Chhevin 4 gives a vivid account
of the encounter, the feats of valour displayed
by Bidhia, Jetha, and Piraga each at the head of
100 villagers from Kambowal, who at the moment had
arrived to pay homage to the Sixth Guru. The royal
troops suffered heavy casualities, including those
of Mukhlis Khan the commander of the Mughal army,
Maula Bux, son of Qutb-ud-Din, a Qazi of Lahore
and Zaffar Beg, a commander. Ghulam Rasul Khan fled.
Those thirteen killed on the Guru's side were Bhais
Nand, Jait, Piraga, Tota, Tiloka, Sain Das, Paira,
Bhagtu, Ananta, Nihala, Takhtu, Mohan and Gopal.5
They died in the defence of the city, the temple
and the Guru.
Soon oon afterwards Guru Hargobind left Amritsar,
this time taking with him the holy Granth Sahib
seated in the Harimandar. The first long halt was
at Darauh, near Moga, in present-day Faridkot district.
From there Gura Hargobind sent the Granth Sahib
with the family to Kartarpur. He himself sojourned
in the Malva, visiting his Sikhs and confronting,
on 16 December 1634, the Mughal troops in yet another
battle, this time at Lahira, near Mehraj, now in
Bathinda district. Another armed clash took place
at Kartarpur on 29-30 Baisakh 1692 Bk/26-27 April
1635, when Guru Hargobind's own erstwhile Pathan
follower, Painda Khan, led out a Mughal force against
him. According to Teja Singh and Ganda Singh Guru
Hargobind had won four battles, but as his purpose
had always been only defensive.
Guru Hargobind finally retired to Kiratpur where
he spent the remaining nine years of his life in
peace. The town was of the Guru's own creation and
had existed since Baba Sri Chand had, according
to the evidence of the Bhatt Vahis, broken ground
at his request, on Baisakh suds Puranmashl 1683
Bk/l May 1626. The site had been gifted by Raja
Kalyan Chand of Kahlur, one of the chieftains who
had won their reprieve at Gwalior through Guru Hargobind's
intercession. Kiratpur now became the centre of
the Sikh faith. Sikhs came here from all parts to
see the Guru. Guru Hargobind gave most of his time
to religious devotions. Contact was maintained with
sangats in farflung places, and old warriors like
Bidhi Chand were sent out as preachers. For Sikhs
the roles of saint and soldier had become mutually
complementary. About the Guru himself, Bhai Gurdas
wrote: "Great hero is Guru Hargobind. He is
the vanquisher of armies, but his heart is full
of love and charity." This synthesis of the
heroic and the spiritual was Guru Hargobind's distinctive
contribution to the evolution of Sikh society.
Guru Hargobind had travelled extensively in the
Punjab spreading the word of Guru Nanak. He had
also visited places such as Nanakmata and Srinagar
in Garhval (where the famous Maratha saint Samarth
Ramdas met him) in the cast and Kashmir in the north.
The journey to Kashmir was made in 1620 in the company
of Emperor Jahangir, and Srinagar, Baramula, Uri
and Poonchh were among the places visited. Gurdwaras
in these and in many places in the Punjab and outside
honour the memory of Guru Hargobind.
Guru Hargobind, like all of his predecessors, lived
a married life. He had six children — five
sons and a daughter. Gurditta, Ant Rai and the daughter
Bibi Viro, Suraj Mall, Atal Rai and Teg Bahadur.
Two of his sons, Baba Gurditta and Atal Rai, died
in his lifetime . Guru Hargobind passed away on
Chet 5,1701 Bk/3 March 1644 at Kiratpur.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Copyright © Harbans Singh "The encyclopedia
of Sikhism."
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