350 years of the Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom

A unique conflation of conviction, courage, and compassion led the head of a faith to give up his life advocating for the right of others to practise their faith. As we commemorate 350 years of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom, we must understand more about him, his life, and his teachings.

Born in 1621 at Amritsar, he was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind and Mata Nanki. Gurdwara Guru Ka Mahal in Amritsar marks his birthplace. Tyag Mal, as he was known then, spent many years in Amritsar with his elder brothers Gurditta, Ani Rai, Atal Rai, Suraj Mal, and their sister, Viro.

One can easily imagine their childhood steeped in the Sikh ethos, since not only were they the children of the sixth Guru, but also the grandchildren of Guru Arjan Dev and Mata Ganga, with many cousins in the same age group. In time, the eldest, Gurditta, would become known for his scholarship as well as for being a formidable warrior who slayed a Mughal General in battle and later led the Udasi tradition (founded by Guru Nanak’s eldest son, Sri Chand), all before the age of 24, when he passed away.

The doctrine of Miri-Piri, established by his father, Guru Hargobind, shaped them. It is natural to expect that both traditional scholarship, which included a study of religious and literary texts (by Bhai Gurdas), and martial skills, such as archery and horsemanship (by Baba Buddha), were imparted to the siblings.

As was the tradition, Tyag Mal was married at a young age to Gujri, the daughter of Bhai Lal Chand of Kartarpur, in 1632. In the Battle of Kartarpur in 1635, Tyag Mal fought alongside his father and brothers against the forces of Painde Khan, a governor of Emperor Shah Jahan. His prowess earned him the sobriquet Tegh Bahadur (also spelt Bahadar).

Kiratpur became the next headquarters for the sixth Guru and his family’s home. Here, Tegh Bahadur spent nine years with his father, learning from scriptures, absorbing the teachings of the Guru and meditating.

Guru Hargobind, before his passing, asked his wife Mata Nanki, son Tegh Bahadur, and daughter-in-law Gujri to move to Bakala, which was Mata Nanki’s ancestral village. Bakala is located 40 km from Amritsar. At the time, Tegh Bahadur was 23. He attended to his worldly duties and meditated extensively.

Spiritual journeys

Entrusted with the responsibility of spreading Guru Nanak’s teachings by his father’s successor, Guru Har Rai, Tegh Bahadur travelled through what is now known as the Malwa region of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, meeting and guiding Sikhs. He was accompanied by his mother, wife, and some important Sikhs on this journey, which started in 1656 and lasted four years.

Many are familiar with the ‘Baba Bakala’ story. Guru Har Krishan, the eighth Guru, had pronounced his successor with the words “Baba Bakale” before he passed on. Sikhs looked for his successor at Bakala but found that there were many claimants. Of course, they were pretenders, but the question was, how to identify the real Guru? After approximately four months of confusion, a trader named Bhai Makhan Shah arrived in the town. While on a perilous sea voyage, he had vowed to present the Guru with 100 gold coins in case he survived the journey, and had come to Bakala to fulfil his promise.

He went around giving a token to various people, which they all readily accepted and blessed him. At the prompting of someone, he went to the person who was not claiming to be Guru, leading a pious life away from the cacophony. He met Tegh Bahadur, presented him with the token, only to be gently reminded that he was falling short of what he had promised. “Guru ladheo re,” he shouted, “I have found the Guru.” Later, a delegation of Sikhs from Delhi arrived in Bakala and Guru Tegh Bahadur was anointed.

The ninth Guru focused on spreading the teachings of his predecessors, and travelled extensively. He first concentrated on Punjab and, after buying land around the village of Makhowal, established Chak Nanki, named after his mother, which later came to be known as Anandpur.

The Guru had a special connection with the sangat of Patna. Acceding to their request, he set out east again from Chak Nanki, accompanied by a delegation of prominent Sikhs — including Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das, whose names are etched in the Sikh ethos — and his family. He attracted large crowds, which sparked unwanted attention from the imperial Mughal authorities. However, so widespread was his appeal that even those who were asked to censure him found ways to help him. The Guru reached Assam and Dhaka during this journey, and his son, Gobind Rai, was born in Patna in December 1666.

Bani Mahala 9

Guru Tegh Bahadur’s 57 slokas and 59 shabads are enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib. The late Prof Harbans Singh summed it up well: “Guru Tegh Bahadur’s entire bani is one sustained meditation on the human state. In image after image, it illustrates its imperfections and limitations. It reflects on the shackles that bind man and obstruct his moral and spiritual understanding. It is full of concern about his condition and indicates the way to amelioration.”

The Guru’s bani comes at the end of Guru Granth Sahib, just before Guru Arjan Dev’s Mundavni. Scholars widely accept that the Sloka Mahala 9 Bani was written in the last days of his life. The Guru chose to write them in Braj, and they are recited before the conclusion of any path or the recitation of Guru Granth Sahib.

In these slokas, the Guru employs a first-person introspective voice to question why the mind is led astray from remembering Ek Onkar, the One Transcendent God, and states that we are condemned to bondage by kam, krodh, moh, lobh, and hankar. It is through nam simran, when we sing praises of God and surrender to His will, that we can break free of the shackles that bind us to illusions.

Guru Tegh Bahadur set his shabads in 15 ragas. These shabads, like his slokas, teach us to be detached (virag) while attending to our worldly duties, to reflect on the impermanence of material gains, and to have the moral courage to face injustice without fear of death, which is inevitable.

Once we recognise it is inescapable, our relationship with it changes, and we seek to connect with Ek Onkar and His creations. The Guru’s bani teaches us to foster kinship with fellow humans, even as it teaches us to break free of material and transient illusions so that we can merge with the transcendental.

Martyrdom

Guru Tegh Bahadur’s growing popularity and influence were inimical to many in the Mughal empire, and there are instances when the emperor of the day was incited against him. He successfully resolved the situations with diplomacy and counted on some important well-wishers in the Mughal court, who had become more hostile after Aurangzeb ascended to the throne.

The Guru completed a long trip east with his Sikhs, meeting sangats. Historical gurdwaras mark the places where he went on this eight-year journey, after which he returned to Chak Nanki in 1673. He would spend the next two years in Malwa, preaching and consolidating the sangats in Punjab.

In 1675, a delegation arrived from Kashmir at Chak Nanki. The Kashmiri Pandits, led by Kirpa Ram, had come to the Guru because they faced immense pressure from the imperial governor of Kashmir, Iftikhar Khan, to convert to Islam.

The Guru decided to lay down his life to uphold the right of people to their beliefs, and he told the delegation to tell the Mughal emperor that if he (the Guru) converted to Islam, they would do so voluntarily. The meaning of the message was clear to everyone, and there was dismay at the Guru’s impending journey to Delhi.

In Guru Tegh Bahadur’s presence, ceremonies were carried out consecrating Gobind Rai as the 10th Guru. Then, Guru Tegh Bahadur set out from Anandpur, prayed to Akalpurkh, and took leave of his family and devoted Sikhs before embarking on what would be his final journey.

Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dyal Das, his devoted disciples, accompanied him. He was arrested on way to Delhi and subjected to much hardship and torture as he refused to accept Islam. The Guru’s companions were also given the choice of conversion or death — they were horrifically tortured and killed in a bid to put even more pressure on Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Guru Tegh Bahadur attained martyrdom at Chandni Chowk in November 1675. (The martyrdom day is being observed on November 24). A storm arose in Delhi, and under its cover, the Guru’s body and his head were picked up by Bhai Lakhi Shah and Bhai Jaita.

Gurdwara Sis Ganj stands where at the age of 54 he gave his life for the defence of dharma, faith and righteousness.

Gurdwara Rakab Ganj stands where the body was cremated by Bhai Lakhi Shah by burning his house, and Gurdwara Sis Ganj in Anandpur stands where the young Gobind Rai cremated his father’s head, after Bhai Jaita brought it from Delhi.

Freedom of conscience

The martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur transformed Sikh fundamentals. Guru Gobind Singh’s court poet Sainapati called him ‘Srishti di chadar’ (protector of humanity). Human beings’ freedom of conscience and their right to choose their spiritual destiny became central to the Sikh ethos, as did what we now call human rights.

Guru Gobind Singh set out on a path that would create the Khalsa and built a cadre of Sikhs ready to confront hegemonic forces — religious or political.

We often fall into the trap of limiting our understanding of Guru Tegh Bahadur to his martyrdom. He was humble in his demeanour and firm in his convictions. He was forgiving, even towards the person who sought to have him assassinated. He was a warrior who helped forge peace among warring factions in Assam. He founded the town of Anandpur and travelled far and wide to spread the teachings of Guru Nanak even before he became the ninth Guru. His bani gives the strength and sagacity to accept death as a part of our existence, and to focus on the Divine, to attend to our worldly duties while recognising the transitory nature of material goods.

Guru Tegh Bahadur sought to protect religious freedom. His fight was against tyranny, and against religious intolerance — a matter of concern in today’s India, indeed across the world.

We mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur within days of each other. The first and ninth Gurus, through their spiritual teachings and commitment to speaking truth to power, whether it be Babar or Aurangzeb, set an example that shows us how to live our lives.

— The writer is a journalist and author