Guru Arjan Dev: Martyr to
the cause of secularism

By Joginder Singh Bedi

AMONG the writers of Sikh history, Gokul Chand Narang, Local Self-Government Minister in the undivided Punjab, is frequently quoted during discussions, debates or seminars on vital issues relating to the present-day religio-political scenario of Punjab. It is a matter of pride that Narang, on whom the title of ‘Sir’ was conferred by the British Government for his administrative calibre, figured more prominently as an historian for his thesis Transformation of Sikhism. The thesis compiled and written by him with a foreword penned by Sir Jogendra Singh, KCSI, is available in the shape of a rare book, which has been termed by the critics as a repository of authentic information on the life and times of the Sikh Gurus, the execution of the Sikhs by the Mughal rulers, confederation of the Sikh misls, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Gurdwara Reform Movement and the Regional Formula. The book is so informative that one is compelled to read it time and again.

Despite the fact that Transformation of Sikhism is one of the masterworks on Sikh history, it has many a dark exceptions. For instance, Narang has failed to elaborate that an era of execution of Sikh Gurus began with the martyrdom of the fifth Guru, Arjan Dev.Thereafter,the eighth Guru, Teg Bahadur, was tortured to death in Delhi, followed by the execution of the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh at Sirhind. To say that the period of torture and execution of the Sikh men, women and children began in the 18th century eclipses the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev wherefrom the transformation in Sikhism began, resulting in the adoption of the miri and piri (temporal and spiritual way of life) by the Guru’s son, Guru Hargobind.

Gokul Chand Narang like many other prominent historians, including Sujan Rai Bhandari, Ghulam Hassan, Syed MuhammedLatif and Hari Ram Gupta, has apparently overlooked the significance of Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom and while dealing with the subject has dwelt upon at length on other minor issues of the time.

History has it that the execution of Guru Arjan Dev at Lahore on May 30, 1606, was so torturous that it proved to be the first nail in the coffin of the vast Mughal empire. The Guru was executed mainly because he stood for the freedom of religion and equality of man.

As to the reasons of the execution of Guru Arjan Dev, there is absolutely no doubt that the enmity of Prithi Chand, brother of the Guru, towards him as well as the pledge taken by Chandu Shah of Lahore to avenge the so-called insult meted out to him by the Guru for declining the offer of the wedding of his daughter with the Guru’s son added fuel to the fire of fanaticism burning in the heart of Emperor Jehangir. Emperor’s biography Tuzk-I-Jehangiri stands testimony to the main cause -- religious bigotry-- behind such an execution. This main cause can be elaborated in these precise words:

"As a matter of fact, the Sikhs had made great advance under the supervision of Guru Arjan Dev. The power and prestige of the Sikhs increased and they became an important factor on the political and religious scene of the region. Besides, a large number of Muslims became the devotees of the Guru. All this led to the emergence of a large number of the Guru’s enemies. During the reign of Emperor Akbar, the enemies of the Guru could not cause any harm to him, but with the installation of Jehangir on the throne, the politico-religious situation changed rapidly. Since Sikhism was becoming very popular day by day due to the secular outlook of Guru Arjan Dev, Jehangir was determined to extirpate this sect. This attitude of the Emperor provided the Guru’s enemies with chances to harass him. Ultimately, all this resulted in the execution of the Guru."

Guru Arjan Dev appeared on the scene at a time when the Sikhs had asserted their individuality under the guidance of his predecessor, Guru Amar Das. He excelled in piety, spirituality and all the gifts required for strengthening the foundation of Sikhism —a sect of peaceful disciples founded by Guru Nanak Dev.

Guru Arjan Dev must be remembered as a prophet of secularism. The most remarkable step which he took in this direction was the compilation of the Adi Granth. Immediately after ascending the gurgaddi, he felt the necessity of placing some sort of a Bible in the hands of his followers. He procured the works of the first three Gurus from Mohan, son of the third Guru. To these were added the writings of his father, Guru Ram Das, and his own works together with selections from the writings of certain chosen bhaktas and panegyrics of some poets and minstrels known as bhatts.

The language of the Adi Granth is a mixture of various Aryan languages. The Adi Granth contains some stanzas, the languages of which is very much like Sanskrit, such as the contributions by Jai Deva, the renowned author of Gita Govinda. One stanza or two are in pure Persian, which though full of meaning can have no pretensions to linguistic excellence. The works of Nam Dev and Trilocha, who belonged to the Deccan, bear a strong stamp of Marathi. The main body of the Granth is, however, composed in pure Hindi. The script is, however, Gurmukhi.

To analyse the contents of the Adi Granth is to analyse Sikhism as it existed before modifications introduced by the last Guru. The various parts which form the body of the Granth are as follows: Japji Sahib of Guru Nanak Dev, a devotional piece recited with the morning prayer; So Dar (that door) consisting of extracts from the body of the book, recited with the evening prayer; and So Purkh (that Supreme Being), also recited with the evening prayer. Sohila (song of praise) is recited when going to bed. The body of the book is classified according to the ragas, types of stanzas. The bhog — the epilogue or the conclusion — consists of miscellaneous matter containing pieces by the Gurus, Kabir and Farid and the panegyrics of the Brahmin bards.

Since the main part of the book contains hymns in praise of the Supreme Being and the Guru, the very nature of the contents of the Adi Granth could not yield to any rigid classification based upon a community. The teachings of the Gurus and their doctrines are scattered all over the Granth and can be gathered only by a careful study of the whole volume. The Adi Granth serves not only as a code of the sacred law but also of the secular law. The work of compilation of this holy book took many years of Guru Arjan Dev’s life.

Since the time of the third Guru, Amar Das, there had been a strong feeling among the Sikhs that they should have their own seats of religion and pilgrimage. Consequently, a baoli (a well with a pucca staircase reaching down to the water surface) was constructed at Goindwal in Amritsar district under the supervision of Guru Amar Das. The water of this well was consecrated, and since then a wash in it has been regarded as an action of great spiritual significance. Guru Ram Das and Guru Arjan Dev evinced keen interest in building new religious centres for their followers. Guru Ram Das, who ascended the gurgaddi immediately after Guru Amar Das, founded the town of Chak Ram Das, which subsequently got its present name, Amritsar — the tank of nectar.

The work on this tank, commenced by Guru Ram Das, was completed under Guru Arjan Dev, who added to the sanctity and splendour of the place by building the Harmandar Sahib (Temple of God) in the midst of the great tank. The finest example of secularism set by the Guru was that the foundation stone of the temple was laid by a Muslim divine, Mian Mir of Lahore.

Thereafter, Amritsar became the capital of the infant commonwealth that the genius of Guru Arjan Dev was gradually and peacefully building up. Guru Arjan Dev spread the message of peace and goodwill in the interior of Majha, the middle land which extends from the Ravi to the Beas and is the home of agriculturists. With a view to catering to their multiple needs, the Guru founded the town of Tarn Taran where he built another magnificent temple with a large tank. The light radiating from Amritsar and Tarn Taran inculcated in the peasantry the spirit of discipline, dedication and, above all, secularism. This way, the Guru carried forward the mission of Guru Nanak Dev.

Trade and commerce flourished in the times of Guru Arjan Dev. He encouraged his disciples to visit other countries for trade.

This was a significant step taken by the Guru as it was calculated to encourage adventure and enterprise among the people. With this objective in view, he also sent a large number of his followers to Turkey to purchase horses for sale in India. During his period, occupations like banking, horse-trading, carpentry and embroidery received great impetus. Since then Amritsar has been enjoying a very high position as a centre of trade and commerce.