Veer Bal Diwas: Recalling the ‘supreme sacrifice’ of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons

In January 2022, the Centre announced that December 26 would be observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ to mark the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s younger sons.

What led to the attack on Anandpur Sahib?

Guru Gobind Singh was raising an army, which caused some concerns among the neighbouring kings. In 1699, the Guru had established the Khalsa, and the hill kings and the Mughals had perceived this as a threat. The hill kings had engaged in several battles with the Sikhs in the last decade of the 17th century but had been unable to dislodge them from Anandpur Sahib.

The fateful attack of 1704 was led by Mughals, Bilaspur King Bheem Chand and Handuria King Raja Hari Chand. They cordoned off Anandpur Sahib with the support from armies of Sirhind, Lahore, Jalandhar, Malerkotla and Saharnpur. Supplies to Anandpur Sahib were cut off for several months.

It is said that the hill kings took an oath on the cow, and Mughal governors took an oath on the Quran, after which both sides reached an agreement that there would be no war if Guru Gobind Singh left Anadpur Sahib.

According to the history published by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Guru Gobind Singh left Anadpur Sahib on December 20, 1704. However, their opponents violated their oath and the Guru and his followers were attacked near the river Sarsa, at a distance of about 25 kilometres from Anandpur Sahib.

Battle on the banks of Sarsa

The river is said to have been witnessing floods at the time. Many Sikh soldiers were swept away while attempting to cross the cold waters. In the chaos, Guru Gobind Singh’s family was separated, scattering in three directions. His wife Mata Sahib Kaur and companion Bhai Mani Singh went towards Malwa. The Guru, his two eldest sons, and 40 other Sikhs moved toward Chamkaur Sahib. Mata Gujar Kaur and the two younger sons started a journey that ended in Sirhind, located 35 km away from Chamkaur Sahib.

Today, Gurdwara Parivaar Vichhora Sahib stands on the spot where the battle of Sarsa took place and the family was separated.

Guru Gobind Singh and his band of followers were soon surrounded in a castle at Chamkaur Sahib, where they had taken refuge. The historic battle of Chamkaur was fought here, where a small number of Sikhs took on the huge army of the Mughals and the hill kings. Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh both sacrificed their lives in this battle on December 22.

What happened to the Chhote Sahibzade

Sahibzada Zorwar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh, along with their grandmother, were staying in village Kheri at the house of one Gangu, who had served as a cook for the family.

Gangu, tempted by the gold ornaments and coins Mata Gujari was carrying and the reward announced by the Mughal governor, handed over the children and their grandmother to Sarhind’s Nawab Wazir Khan.

The three – the 81-year-old Mata Gujari ji, and the two Sahibzade aged 7 and 9 – were imprisoned in the Thanda Burj (cold tower), which had a river flowing next to it and was bitterly cold.

When the children were presented in court, they were offered riches and gifts and told to convert to Islam. They were told their father and elder brothers had been killed in the war. The Sahibzade refused to convert or to bow to Wazir Khan.

After efforts to make them give up their religion failed, Wazir Khan decided that the boys would be bricked alive. There was resistance to this from some Muslim courtiers, like Nawab Sher Khan, who said it was against Islam to sentence two children to death.

However, Wazir Khan prevailed. It is said that even as a wall was being erected around them, the Sahibzada stood unflinching. Two executioners then slit their throats, killing the younger, Sahibzada Fateh Singh, first. On the same day, Mata Gujari died of shock.

A few years later, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur avenged the execution of the Sahibzade, by attacking, capturing Sarhand and executing Wazir Khan.