Lohgarh - Khalsa Rajdhani, Lohgarh fort - Lohgarh Trust, S. Daljeet Singh Bajwa [early reader books .txt] 📗

travel from one village to another and fulfil the needs of the people of that area. They would enquire about the needs of the people and would try to arrange those things. Thus they became petty peddlers. Hundreds of Vanjaras engaged in such activities. As they would bring the goods needed by people, they became a necessity for the people, especially in the villages which were far away from the major road routes. As a result, people would wait for them. Though, now, they did not trade in the form of large caravans, and did not move to long routes, but people still used to call them Vanjaras. Most of them were Rajputs and Khatris. With the passage of time, even idioms and proverbs became associated with the Vanjaras.

Like Vanjaras, the number of Sikligars associated with weapon manufacturing for Lakhi Rai Vanjara, Guru Sahibs and Banda Singh too was very large hence they too had no chance to get job or assignment at one place. They too began wandering from place to place in the search for livelihood. Many of them travelled upto Kumaon, Rajputana and Martha lands with the hope of getting work of manufacturing of weapons. But, no Raja, Peshwa, Chowdhry or Zamindar made arrangements, of setting up industry of weapon manufacturing, for them. One of the reasons was that the Sikligars were turban-wearing Sikhs (having uncut hair and beards). They refused to cut hair. In such a state they had to live in small tents, camps and huts, and, they earned their livelihood (basic needs) by manufacturing petty household things like kniyes, swords, bowls, buckets etc. They would halt near a village or town and fulfil the needs of the local residents. When they did not get good number of customers, they would proceed to next areas. Thus, they lived the life of gypsies.

This is the reason that Vanjaras and Sikligar are found in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand and even in some areas of Karnatka.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 17

 

Contribution of Banda Singh Bahadur

 

 

 

Banda Singh was not just a great general of army; he was a ‘miracle’ because he exercised wonders. He created a people-oriented revolution on the land of five rivers, known as the Punjab. He laid the foundation of freedom of not only of the Punjab but also of the whole sub-continent of South Asia from the seven hundred years’ old slavery of the foreign rulers. It was he who shook Empire of the Mughals. He was such a great military general as shattered the false belief that the Mughal empire was ever-powerful, permanent and unchallengeable. So long as he was alive, three Emperors, more than a dozen governors and more than two hundred small rulers, generals, police-chiefs, feudals, plus countless jehadis could not have a peaceful sleep, even for a day. More than one hundred thousand royal soldiers (more than two-third of total imperial army) were engaged in operations to defeat him.

During this struggle, thirty to forty thousand Sikhs died, but in spite of such a big number of casualties, the Sikhs continued their struggle for freedom. Even after the martyrdom of Banda Singh, the Mughals could not have a peaceful reign in the Punjab. The fall of the authority of the Mughal power, which had started in the Punjab, now began spreading to other areas too. With the passage of time, the Sikhs had become the decisive force not only in the Punjab but also in areas of Rajputana, the hills and even parts of the Hindustan (the present provinces of U.P., M.P. , Bihar etc, then, was known as Hindustan). All this was an extension due to achievements of Banda Singh.

On the other hand, if we analyse the circumstances in which Banda Singh launched his struggle to uproot Mughals, he deserves to be given

 

 

still more credit. Ratan Singh Bhangu claims that Guru’s wives opposed him, Ajit Singh Palit collaborated with the Mughal and the so-called Tat Khalsa joined the Mughal side. In such circumstances, what Banda Singh achieved was remarkable; his period can well be called the most pro- people revolutionary period of the Sikh history, and, may be the world history.

Banda Singh wrote with his own blood the lesson of freedom but mentally slave, impotent and coward people could not learn it properly. It was only the Sikh nation which, at one time, learnt this lesson by heart, and, after making thousands of sacrifices they achieved their freedom and established nationhood of the Sikhs and the Punjabis, under the Sikh Misls.

Banda Singh taught the Sikhs the value of freedom; having known about the difference between a ruler and the ruled, the Sikh nation refused to accept slavery or even supremacy of the others. Banda Singh gave the Sikhs their own currency, their seal of sovereignty, and, provided the Sikhs with a new calendar of their own too. Banda Singh was the first person in the world history who brought an end to the feudal system and introduced egalitarian system (though it was again finished by Maharaja Ranjit Singh).

Banda Singh also taught the Sikhs the lessons of power of organisation and leadership; he played as a hero and taught others to be so. He exhibited how one can brave the most savage torture and embrace martyrdom for one’s faith; perhaps, in the whole of history, no other general had to face such a torturous death.

He taught the real way of living like a true Sikh; he adhered to the Sikh values throughout his life; in a life span of just 45 years, he was a Sikh only for less than eight years; and all this time he lived as a true and a model Sikh; and he embraced death/martyrdom like a true Sikh.

He was a miracle on this earth; and he created a unique phenomenon in history.

In the history of the Sikhs, Banda Singh’s name will shine with glory only next to the Gurus. All the achievements of the succeeding generations of the Sikhs owe their existence to Banda Singh’s

 

 

 

 

 

224     u   Lohgarh : The World’s Largest Fort

 

contribution. It was he who, through his martyrdom, gave his blood for the transfusion, resuscitation and survival of the Sikh nation!

Banda Singh and Islam

Some Muslim writers have tried to portray Banda Singh as a cruel general or an anti-Islamic. It is a sheer misconception and a blatant lie. It is evident from the history that Banda Singh did not kill even a single innocent Muslim; he punished only the tyrants or those who fought against him. Remember, ordinary Muslims themselves were victims of the atrocities of the Muslim rulers (Sayyads, Pathans and Mughals) and other aristocracy. There are several references in history that ordinary Muslims rather supported Banda Singh; in Samana, Sadhaura, Buria, Kalanaur and several other areas the local Muslims helped Banda Singh and even joined his rank and file.

Secondly, whenever Banda Singh freed any territory, he did not demolish any Muslim religious place. This is evident from the scores of mosques, tombs and other such structures of those days which are still intact; one can see a large number of such old mosques and tombs at Samana, Fatehgarh Sahib (erstwhile old Sarhind city), Sadhaura and many other places. On the other hand, the Muslim rulers (Mughals and Afghan, both) had attacked, plundered and destroyed Darbar Sahib and other Sikh shrines several times and filled the sarovars (tanks) with debris, animal bones, filth and garbage.

An interesting entry in the Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mualla dated 28th April 1711 refers to the enrollment of five thousand Muslims in Banda Singh’s army at Kalanaur. According to this entry Banda Singh always used Ji (a suffix, which is addressed of respect) for all the Sikhs and Muslims alike and he never uttered even a single word against Islam or its religious leaders; (on the other hand the Mughal rules always used words of disdain for the Sikhs and usually referred to them as infidels, thieves, dogs etc.).

Banda Singh’s justice was alike for the Sikhs and the Muslims. Once, when a Sikh officer usurped the property of a Muslim, Banda Singh immediately punished that Sikh.1 Banda Singh had issued strict

 

 

instructions against injustice. On the other hand, the Muslim rulers always committed atrocities on the Sikhs; they raised, many a times, jehad (holy war) against the Sikhs to wipe them out. Bahadur Shah had issued orders to kill all the Sikhs indiscriminately; one such order had been issued on the 10th of December 1710, and, repeated time and again. Thus, to call Banda Singh as anti-Islam is a grave injustice to Banda Singh and is rape of history.

 

 

 

Endnotes

This justice-loving nature of Banda Singh finds mention in Kesar Singh Chhiber’s book Bansavalinama Dasan Patsahian Da, stanzas 43-45.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix

 

 

 

The Emperors, Princes, Muslim generals, Muslim jehadis who fought against the Sikhs

Emperors: Bahadur Shah, Jahandar Shah, Farukhsiyar.

Princes: Rafi-us-Shan, Azimushan, Jahan Shah, Khuzishta Akhtar, Azz-ud-Din.

Muslim Governors and Generals who Fought Against the Sikhs

Wazir Khan (Sarhind), Munaim Khan (Khan Khana) and his sons Mahabat Khan and Zaman Khan, Islam Bahadur (Mir Aatish), Hamid-Ud-Khan (Gurj bardar), Sarfraz Khan Bahadur (Behroz Khan) and his son Saif-Ulla-Khan, Ahitman Khan and his son Lutf-Ulla-Khan, Mohammed Amin Khan (Governor Moradabad, later Second Bakhshi, i.e. deputy army chief) and his son Qamar-Ud-Din Khan (later Prime minister), Zulfiqar Khan (Bakhshi-Ul-Mulk), Kokaltash Khan Bahadur, Khawaza Hassan Khan, Shakrulla Khan, Ibrahim Khan (Mir Aatish), Sarbrah Khan (Kotwal Delhi), Sayyad Abdullah Khan (Governor Allahabad), his brother Sayyad Hussain Ali Khan and Sayyad Wajih-Ud-Khan (of Bara), Rustam Dil Khan and his brother Sultan Kuli Khan, Abdus Samad Khan (Governor Jammu and Lahore) and his son Zakaria Khan (Governor Lahore), Chugatta Khan, Shah Niwaz Khan, Afrasiyab Khan, Shafshikan Khan, Firoz Khan Mewati (Governor Sarhind), Zain-Ud-Din Ahmad Khan (Governor Sikanderabad, Merrut and later Sarhind), Mohammed Rustam Ghazi Khan (Governor Sarhind), Hakim Moitmad-Ul-Mulk, Rehman Yar Khan, Ata Ulla Khan, Fateh Ulla Khan, Mohtam Khan, Rai Araian, Jani Khan, Fidvi Khan, Abdul Karir Khan, Aqidat Khan (son of Amir Khan), Mohammed Ali Khan (Bakhshi Jahandar Khan), Abu-Ul-Qasim (deputy Governor Sarhind), Mohammed Baqa (Governor Fatehabad), Mohammed Amin (Faujdar Rajauri), Jalal Khan (army chief Rohtak), Saif-Ud-Din Ahmed Khan

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix      u  227

 

(Faujdar Gujrat), Azhar Khan (Faujdar Wazirabad), Iradatmand Khan (Faujdar Eimanabad), Nur Mohammed Khan (Faujdar Aurangabad and Pasrur), Sheikh Mohammed Dayam (Faujdar Batala), Sohrab Khan (Faujdar Kalanaur), Arif Begh Khan (deputy Governor Lahore), Sultan Khan (Faujdar Jammu), Sadat Khan (Governor Kashmir), Mohammed Ali Khan (deputy Governor Kashmir), Jalal Khan (army chief Jalalabad), his son Dindar Khan, grandsons Ghulam Mohammed Baniara and Pir Mohammed Khan, his nephew Ghulam Mohammed Khan and general Sadat Khan; Mohammed Ali Khan (Faujdar Saharanpur) and his nephews Pir Khan and Jamal Khan, Qadam-Ud-Din (Faujdar Kapuri), Usman Khan (chief Sadhaura), Sher Mohammed Khan (chief Malerkotla), his brother Khizar Khan and nephews Ali Khan and Mohammed Bakhsh; Nizamul Mulk Asad Khan (Delhi), Afzal Khan, Khan Bahadur Shamsher Khan, Abdullah Khan (generals of Delhi), Shamas Khan, (Faujdar Sultanpur), Bayizid Khan alias Kutub-Ud-Din Kheshgi (Faujdar of Jammu), Isa Khan (son of Daulat Muin), Isa Khan Manjh, Uma Khan (Faujdar Kasur), Saif Khan (Faujdar Sultanpur), Usman Khan Karawal, Nusrat Khan, Sayyad Hassan Khan, Zorawar Khan, Ranbaz Khan, Sher Khan, Sheikh-Ul-Hind Sheikh Ahmad (Batala), Sohrab Khan (Kalanaur), Inam Khan general, Sadat Khan (Kotla), Ashraf Khan (chief Hariana), Khawaja Sultan (mace- bearer), Sayyad Azmatulla Khan (Faujdar Rajauri), Hoshdar Khan (Faujdar Jalandhar Doab), Mughal Begh Khan, Durlab Khan, Abdul Samad Khan and Inayat Khan (generals from Talwan, Jalandhar), Inam Khan Walashahi, Mirza Shah Niwaz, Daulat Begh Khan, Saleh Khan, Fateh- Ulla-Khan, Mohammed Aslam (Vakil Ghazi Khan), Firoz Jang Khan, Maulavi Muradulla, Abdul Qadar, Mehfooz Khan, Mohammed Khan, Abu-Ul-Mulk, (nephew Zain Khan Governor Sarhind), Khwaja Mukarram (Faujdar