This is the 350th year of the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru. Martyrdom is a sacred word, and martyrs are revered across communities. However, Guru Tegh Bahadur’s is a unique instance of voluntarily seeking martyrdom for a cause that was proximate to others. No doubt, for many, Guru Tegh Bahadur is the initiator of the idea of human rights, in particular, the right of all people to follow their own religious beliefs.
Kashmiri Pandits, who were being converted by the Mughals, approached the Sikh Guru in Anandpur Sahib, and he travelled more than 300 km to Delhi and stood in Chandni Chowk offering his head, unwilling to bow to the unjust acts of forcible conversion or perform miracles to prove that he was a man of God. He was martyred on November 11, 1675. Gurudwara Sis Ganj stands at that spot.
The wrath of God created a storm that allowed Bhai Lakhi Das to take his body to Raisina village and cremate it by burning his own house. Gurudwara Rakab Ganj stands at that site today. His head was spirited to Anandpur Sahib by Bhai Jaita and cremated there by his son, Guru Gobind Singh, the next and last Sikh Guru.
This was the second time that a Sikh Guru attained martyrdom. The fourth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev, who built Harminder Sahib and compiled the Adi Granth, was martyred by being boiled in hot water in 1606. And, we must not forget the indomitable courage and steadfastness to the right of religious belief of Mata Gujri, Guru Tegh Bahadur’s wife. After seeing her husband martyred in 1704, she bore witness to her four grandsons, sons of Guru Gobind Singh, also attaining martyrdom. Two of the Sahibzadas, Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh, were killed in battle, but the youngest two, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, aged just nine and seven years, were bricked, alive in a wall, staying true to the faith.
During his life, Guru Tegh Bahadur displayed exemplary courage as a principled and fearless warrior travelling through the country, especially its eastern parts, including Assam and Dhaka. He was also an able negotiator, helping iron out differences among warring rajas in north India and Assam. His son, Gobind Singh, was born when the family was in Patna. Guru Tegh Bahadur was also an avid follower of music and composed 15 ragas and 116 hymns that are included in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. He also founded the holy city of Anandpur Sahib, which is the birthplace of the Khalsa. For Sikhs, he is the giver of spiritual treasures that underscore empathy, joy, balance and God’s grace. His martyrdom was pivotal in giving the Sikhs a unique and distinct identity as upholders of fundamental human rights for all.
The writer is former Ambassador of India to the EU and Nepal
