The Ādi Granth, or the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs (1877) · 25

' The history of the later Sikh Quriis from Har-G6vin,d to Govhid Singh is involved in a great deal of obscurity, as the Sikh accounts are so frequently contradictory and dictated by prejudice or Iiatred against the Muhamniadans. This part of their liistory requires as yet a careful, critical sifting, as the Sikhs themselves hftve no idea of historical truth.

' From this tradition it noidd follow, that Aijnn had really died of ill treatment, as the Dabistan reports, and not by drowning in the Ravi. This is also more or less conBrnicd by Aijuu"s tomb, erected at Lahore; for if Arjun's corpse had not been found, how could a tomb have been erected over it.'

Ixxxiv SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF THE OTHER SIKH GURUS. HAR-GOVIND.

lie appropriated to himself the pay clue to the soldiers in advance, in consequence of which and on account of the mulct imposed upon his father Arjun, the Emperor Jahangir sent him to the fort of Gualiar, where he remained imprisoned for twelve years. At last the Emperor released him, being moved by pity. The Sikh tradition is quite silent on this point; and his imprison- ment at Gualiar, which it restricts to forty days, is ascribed to quite different reasons, as we have seen above.

After the death of Jah'ingTr (1628) Har-govind entered the service of the Emperor Shiih- jahan, but he seems soon to have left his service and to have taken up a reckless course of life again. Shuh-Jahau sent troops against him, who took llamdaspur and plundered the Guru's property. Thence he fled to Kartarpur, where he soon had a serious encounter with the Pathan Paindah Ehan.' According to the Sikh tradition Paiudah Khau was living with the Guru in his tent (he is even said to have been his foster brother). One day a Sikh brought a sword, a hawk and a beautiful dress as presents to the Guru, which he bestowed on Paindah Khan, who gave them again away to his son-in-law. When the Guru heard this, he became angry with Prdndah Khan and expostulated with him about it. Paindah Khan denied it at first, but was convicted, whereupon he was beaten by some Sikhs present and turned out of the tent.

Paindah Khan got the ear of the Mugul authorities, and as he was considered a fit instrument to strike a blow at the dreaded Guru, troops were entrusted to him, with whom he besieged Har-govind at Kartarpur. A severe struggle ensued, in which the Imperial troops were vanquished and Paindah Khan himself slain by the Guru.

Encom-aged by this victory he moved to Bhagvara in the vicinity of Lahore. He seized some horses belonging to the Emperor, but being pursued he fled to the hills. He took up his abode at Kiratpur (near Auandpur), in the house of his eldest son Gur-ditta, who was living there with Baba Budha,^ and some time after, having given the throne of the Guruship to his grandson Har-rai, he died there a.d. 1638, the 10th of March. ^

Guru Har-govind has given quite a different appearance to the Sikh community. The peaceful Faqirs were changed into soldiers and the Guru's camp resounded with the din of war; the rosary was laid aside and the sword buckled on. As the Guru's expeditions were nearly always directed against the Muhammadans and the extortionate provincial authorities, we need not wonder, that his popularity fast increased with the ill-treated Hindu rural population; every fugitive or oppressed man took refuge in his camp, where he was sure to be welcomed without being much troubled about loligion, and the charms of a vagrant life and the hope of booty attracted numbers of warlike Jats, who willingly acknowledged him as their Guru, the more so as lie allowed his followers to cat all kinds of flesh, that of the cow excepted. The home of the Sikhs was now the camp, where the heterogeneous elements, by close contact, and stimulated by the same hopes and fears, soon welded together into a new community. The expeditions and fights however were as yet on a small scale and partook more of a local character, and were therefore hardly ever noticed by the authorities, who were either too shortsighted and indolent or too powerless to stop eftectually the concourse of such a turbulent and dangerous crowd.

' III Giirnmklii written "Lf^lift- 'm'SIT tj-iT) a notorious freebooter in the Panjab, who had become a disciple of Har-govhid. He got therefore the honorary title of 'Srr^T (father Budha).

^ There is a great diversity about tlie date of Har-govind's death. The year given is that commonly recorded by the Siklis. In the Dabistfui the year 1C45 is mentioned, corresponding to the Hijiab 1055. MuHsin Fani says (II. 281), Hint he saw Har-grn'iiid in the year of tlie Hijrah 1053 ( = 1013) at Klratpnr. We do not know how to reconcile these two dates, which difler by seven years. Perhaps there is a mistake in the Arabic ciphers uf the Dabistfiu.

SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF THE OTHER SIKH GURUS. HAR-EAI. HAR-KISAN. Ixxxv

That a Guru like Har-gorind had no time nor taste for meditation and the composition of religious poetry need hardly be remarked; not a single verse of his is therefore to be found in the Granth.

Har-govind had five sons, Gur-ditta, Atall, Teg-bahadur, Ani-rai and Surat-mall. TOg- bahadur was from youth up of a contemplative mind and did not care for anything; like a madman he is said to have observed deep silence; ' the four other brothers were worldly-minded and continually quarrelling amongst themselves about the succession in the Guruship. Their father was therefore greatly perplexed to whom he should give the throne of the Guruship and could not make up his mind. They say, that one day at Kiratpur the little son of Gur-ditta came to his grandfather and seated himself on his lap; when the Guru began to fondle him, Har-rai took off the turban of his grandfather and put it on his own head. The Guru, who was not much pleased with his own sons, on seeing this rejoiced, and thought within himself that he would give the throne to this boy; by doing so the mouths of all the brothers would be shut and a stop put to their mutual jealousy. Having reflected on this he called together the society (of the disciples), put a cocoa-nut and five Paisas before Har-rai and bowed his head before him, saying: "brother Sikhs, the Lord himself has put the turban of the Gurusliip on the head of this boy, now no one has anything more to say about it; whoever is ray disciple, he shall consider Har-rai as his Guru, he will become a great, perfect saint." The society was much pleased with this decision of the Guru, they bowed their heads before Har-rai, and also the four brothers {i.e. the sons of the Guru) remained silent,- as none of them had the power to wrest the Guruship from him. Har-rai was, according to all accounts, a wise and sensible man, and of a more peaceful disposition of mind than his grandfather had been.

When P|ra Shikoh, the brother of Aurang-zeb, came to the Panjab in order to make war against his brother, he sought the alliance of Guru Har-rai, who joined him with his Sikhs. But when Dara had been beaten and kiUed, the Guru prudently withdrew from the scene of war and retreated to Kiratpur, sending at the same lime his eldest son Eam-rai with an apology to Aurang-zeb, who received him kindly, but retained him as a hostage at his court, thereby securing the peace of the Panjab. This whole incident of the joining of the Guru in the rebellion of Prince Dara is totally passed over by the Sikh tradition, neither is the mission of Ram-rrd to the court of Pilll mentioned.

Har-rai seems to have had neither inclination nor calling for poetry; no single verse of his is therefore found in the Granth. He died in peace and tranquillity at Kiratpur a.d. 1060,^ having nominated his younger son Har-kisan his successor in the Guruship.

Guru Har-rai had two sons, Ram-rai and Har-kisan. It is said that the Guru was displeased with his eldest son, because he made disciples of his own and worked miracles. When he had therefore one day gone away to visit his own disciples, Har-rai declared his younger son his successor in the Guruship before all the societies (of the disciples). When Eam-rai heard of this,

' The Sikba de raj di vithia (p. 39) says of him: ^TTffV'W t ^5 ^VTOTU crftf^ TT- ' Some say, that Gur-ditta had died already l)cfore liis father; but this is l)y no means certain. He died at Kiratpur, where a splendid tomb was built to liini.

' The date of his death differs considerably. Some give the yciir 1(J01, some 1003, aud some lOOJ.

Ixxxvi SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF THE OTHER SIKH GURUS. TEG-BAHADUR.

he was much vexed; he said before the Sikhs, that Har-kisan was still a minor, on whom the small-pox had not yet broken out, if he should get through the small-pox, then he might take the Guruship.

According to one tradition (as given in the Sikha de raj d! vithia, p. 43) Guru Har-kisan was summoned to the court of Dilll in the following way. Aurang-zeb one day asked his courtiers, who amongst the Faqirs of Baba Nanak was now the best? They answered, that now a young lad, by name Har-kisan, was reported to be their leader, who already in his youth was a perfect Faqir. Thereupon the Emperor ordered that they should quickly bring hira to Dilll, as he wished to see him. One Khatri, who was a Divan (minister) of the Emperor and one of the disciples of the Guru, offered himself to bring Har-kisan. He went to Klratpur and communicated to the Guru the wish of the Emperor, who set out with the messenger and with many disciples in a Palkl for DiUi. Here the matter is represented as if Aurang-zeb desired to see the Guru out of curiosity, whereas we know from other sources, that this was by no means the case.

Eam-rfii, the elder brother of Har-kisan, was detained as hostage at the court of Aurang-zeb, and was apparently not on a good footing with his father, and therefore was passed over. When Eam-rai heard of the death of his father and that his younger brother had been installed as Guru, he complained to the Emperor and asked for his decision. Aurang-zeb was very glad to have an opportunity of interfering, and summoned the young Har-kisau to his court, who reluctantly obeyed.

Whilst staying at DillT, Har-kisan was attacked by the small-pox, so that he was unable to appear at court. When the Guru became very weak, the disciples asked him whom they should acknowledge as Guru after him? It is said, that after some reflection he put five Paisas and a cocoa-nut on the ground, and having bowed his head said to the disciples: "Go, your Guru is in the village of Bakala (Tl^T?ET)> n^ar Anandpur." He died in 1664. No verse of his is contained in the Granth.

In the disturbances which followed the death of Har-kisan, E'lm-rrii was disavowed by all parties. He went therefore to the hills and settled at Dehradun ($'U^T75^).' where he started a sect of his own, and collected many disciples. He still lived in the times of Guru Govind Singh and frequently quarrelled with him. He taught his disciples not to bow the head before any one but himself, and not to worship any god or goddess but himself. His disciples were called " Iirim-ralG " (BTHHTS^S)! ^f^l- were afterwards excommunicated by Guru Govind Singh.

It is reported that Itam-rai, for the sake of one of his disciples, underwent in a deep cave a very severe course of austerities {y\J[ *Kf3iKTT); when the breath had risen to the tenth gate, the disciples, who were near him, knew that the Guru had died, and they burnt his body after the manner of the Hindus. They erected there a tomb (HHT^) ^id called it TT^THrfff 'Rl 5odl; hence that hilly country received the name of Dehradun; there every year a great Mela is held, where many holy personages assemble,

After the death of Har-kisan, dissensions arose among the Sikhs as to the succession in the Guruship. A company of disciples went to Bakala, in order to pay their reverence to Teg- baluidur as their Guru. But Teg-bahadur at first refused to accept the Guruship: for the SudliTs thereabout had set up a Guru of their own, and Erim-rai also was raising claims to the succession.

' ^vTHT signifies a shrine and ^^ [s./.) a valley between two mountains, literally therefore: the shrine- valleij.

SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF THE OTHER SIKH GUErS. TEG-EAHADrR. Ixxxvii

At last Teg-bahadur was prevailed upon, chiefly by the entreaties of his mother, to take upon himself the burden of the Guruship, and he was soon generally acknowledged as the head of the community.

Teg-bahadur left then Bakala, where he had lived in seclusion, and removed to Makhoval (*ITfcf^T?5). which is near Kiratpur, on the banks of the Satluj; this place was afterwards called Anandpur, as being the residence of the Guru.