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Images: details from the painting, "The Battle of Bhangani", by Kirpal Singh. [Courtesy: Ishar Singh - Mahinder Kaur Collection.]

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Guru Gobind Singh and The Sword of Righteousness:
Part II

SARBPREET SINGH

 

 

 

Continued from yesterday …



PART II


We turn again to Max Arthur Macauliffe’s work, The Sikh Religion, Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors:

The Guru set about extending Paunta and beautifying it with gardens and pleasure grounds. One day as he was sitting in his garden, he received an invitation from Raja Fatah Shah of Srinagar to his daughter's marriage with the son of Raja Bhim Chand of Bilaspur.

The Guru declined the invitation on the ground that Bhim Chand was at enmity with him and a disturbance might result were the two to meet. The Guru, however, promised to send his finance minister with some troops to represent him. He accordingly gave orders to Diwan Nand Chand to hold himself in readiness and at the same time to provide a necklace of the value of one lakh and a quarter of rupees as a marriage present for Raja Fatah Shah's daughter.


Raj a Bhim Chand, Raja Kesari Chand, Raja Gopal, Raja Hari Chand, and the Rajas of Kangra, Mandi, and Suket, proceeded in great state to Srinagar. On their way they halted on the margin of the Jamna not far from Paunta.

There Raja Bhim Chand heard that the Guru with his forces was encamped at the ferry of Rajghat four miles distant, and had made preparations to obstruct his progress. Bhim Chand accordingly considered what was to be done under the circumstances. He knew the Guru to be very brave, and he also knew the enmity he bore him. If Raja Bhim Chand went straight on, he would have to contend with the Guru's troops; and if he went by a circuitous route to another ferry, he could not arrive in time for the wedding.


Bhim Chand decided to send his prime minister to the Guru to represent that his son's marriage was about to be celebrated, and it was no time for a clash of arms which would turn joy into sorrow. The prime minister received instructions to present all this in the form of a respectful request to the Guru. If it failed, he was then to inform him of the names of the rajas who were with the marriage procession.

It was thus hoped that, even if the Guru rejected the respectful request, he would hesitate to attack so many powerful chiefs.

When the hill rajas' envoy reached the Guru he said, 'O true Guru, Raja Bhim Chand with the hill rajas hath come with his son's marriage procession, and they request thy permission to pass. They ordered me to entreat thee with clasped hands to consider this as the marriage of thine own son.'


The Guru replied, ‘O envoy, there is no reliance to be placed on these false hill rajas. While uttering sweet words, they harbour enmity in their hearts. Therefore tell them from me that they may come this way if they are brave; but, if they are cowards, they may take another route, in which case I will not molest them. Raja Bhim Chand threatened to come and attack me at Anandpur. I will myself proceed thither when I have vanquished him.’

When the Guru's determination was communicated to Raja Bhim Chand and the other hill chiefs, there ensued a long discussion as to the best course of action. It was at last decided that the bridegroom should be sent with a few high officials to request the Guru to allow him safe conduct for the purpose of his marriage, and that the rest of the marriage procession should go to Srinagar by a circuitous route.


Bhim Chand vowed that after the celebration of the marriage he would take revenge on the Guru for his conduct, and bring Raja Fatah Shah to dislodge him from his position.

When Raja Bhim Chand' s son with his escort reached the Guru, he said, ‘O true Guru, thy name is cherisher of those who seek thy protection, and I do so now. Had my father thought that thou wert likely to molest me, he would never have sent me hither. As I am his son, so I am now thine. I am altogether at thy mercy.' The Guru compassionated the youth, and at once allowed him to proceed to Srinagar for the due performance of his marriage rites.

When Raja Bhim Chand and the other hill chiefs arrived, Nand Chand was anxious to present the Guru's wedding gift and leave Srinagar as early as possible. The herald in attendance proclaimed : 'Guru Gobind Rai, who is seated on Guru Nanak's throne, hath presented jewelry to the value of a lakh and a quarter of rupees as dowry to Fatah Shah's daughter.'


Raja Bhim Chand on hearing this became enraged and said, 'Witness all ye people. My kurm (son’s father-in-law) is friendly to the Guru, and taketh a marriage present from him, though he is an enemy of mine. I must therefore refuse to accept Fatah Shah's daughter for my son.'

The Raja of Kangra said to the speaker, It is not well to act in haste. Send thy minister to Raja Fatah Shah, and ask him if he will take the initiative in a war with the Guru. If so, he is one of us, and we will conclude the alliance with him. If, however, he refuse to attack the Guru, then we will not accept his daughter.'


On this Raja Kesari Chand and Raja Bhim Chand's minister went to Raja Fatah Shah, told him all the circumstances, and said that if he did not go to war with the Guru, he should be considered an enemy not only of Raja Bhim Chand, but of all the hill chiefs. Raja Fatah Shah was much perplexed on receiving this message, and saw that trouble awaited him on every side.

He replied, 'It is a great sin to fight with a man who obviously manifesteth his friendship. The Guru is my greatest friend. How shall I engage in a conflict with him without reason? Raja Bhim Chand is at enmity with the Guru without any just cause. If one man make a request and another cannot comply, what ground of enmity is that? Come with me, and I will make peace between the Guru and Raja Bhim Chand.'

When Raja Bhim Chand was informed of this he caused the drum of departure to be beaten. When his horses were saddled and all preparation made he sent his minister with an ultimatum to Fatah Shah,  ‘Raja Bhim Chand now breaks off his son's marriage with thy daughter. On this account thou shalt suffer much obloquy. The Guru is here to-day and gone to-morrow. Thou hast no kinship to break with him, so why break with thine affianced relations?'


Fatah Shah was weakly overcome by this representation, and promised to act as Raja Bhim Chand desired. Raja Bhim Chand, who was already on horseback, alighted on hearing Fatah Shah's change of determination and went to him. Fatah Shah then renewed his promise to act according to Bhim Chand' s wishes and join him in making war on the Guru.

*   *   *   *   *

Thus was the stage set for Gobind Rai’s first battle.

The battle was fought at village Bhangani, eight miles north of Paonta, on the banks of Giri, a tributary of river Jamuna. The Guru moved from Paonta to Bhangani and occupied an elevated position. The river Giri, a tributary of Jamuna, flowed about a hundred feet below. Near the embankment of the river there was some flat land where the actual battle was fought.

The Guru commanded a ragtag army of volunteers, which included relatives and close associates, whose names feature in his description of the battle. He had in his employ five hundred Pathan mercenaries who reneged and joined the enemy; these were the ‘Khans’ whose names are mentioned in his account.

In the words of the Afghan mercenaries, after their defection, quoted by Macauliffe, only a few of the Guru’s followers had any experience in battle: ‘These are his five cousins, his uncle Kripal, Diwan Nand Chand, and Bhai Daya Ram. The others who are with him are the dregs of the populace, and know not even how to handle a sword’.

Sango Shah, Mahi Chand and Jeet Mal were the Guru’s valiant cousins and Kirpal Chand, his maternal uncle.

Some of the prominent Hill Rajas allied with Bhim Chand and Fateh Chand, who are mentioned in Guru Gobind Singh’s account, were Kirpal of Katoch, Gopal of Guler (or Guleria), Hari Chand of Hindur and Kesari Chand of Jaswal. Of these Hari Chand, in particular, was a formidable warrior, and he took a heavy toll on the Guru’s forces until the Guru himself dispatched him.

The Guru won a great and improbable victory humbling the proud Rajput kings and their Pathan allies, all of whom had been warriors for generations. In addition to the few battle-hardened men he had, unlikely heroes made their mark again that day.

Again from Macauliffe’s book:

Ram Singh, a mechanic from Banaras, had made a cannon for the Guru from which balls were discharged with great effect during this battle. People on seeing the impression made on the enemy concluded that the Guru was destined to be victorious.

There came a confectioner named Lai Chand to the spot on which the Guru stood directing the battle. He said, 'I feel greatly tempted to join in the fray, but I have never learned how to handle warlike weapons.'

The Guru replied, 'If thou desire to fight, take and mount a horse.' The confectioner did so. Then the Guru gave him a sword and shield. He inquired how they were to be held. The Guru told him to take the sword in his right hand and the shield in his left. The Guru's soldiers laughed at the confectioner's ignorance and said, ‘Well done! Our Guru and great King wants to kill hawks with sparrows.'


The confectioner ran his horse into the Pathan army. Bhikan Khan on seeing him said to his friend Mir Khan, 'See, here comes an Arora. He hath been all day weighing flour and salt, and now the Guru hath given him a sword and shield. Take his arms and his horse, and then slay him.'

Upon this Mir Khan pounced on him like a hawk on a sparrow. When Mir Khan drew his sword the confectioner warded it off with his shield. Then meditating on the Guru he aimed a return blow at Mir Khan which separated his head from his body.

When the mahant (a religious leader) Kripal Das approached and challenged Haiyat Khan (a Pathan chief), the latter saw that he had no warlike weapon and consequently retreated from him, scorning to attack a defenceless man. The onlookers were amused and said, ' How can that faqir (holy man) contend with a Pathan?'


The mahant, however, continued to challenge Haiyat Khan. As when a snake is escaping into its hole it will come forth if its tail be trodden on and attack the aggressor, so Haiyat Khan, who had been retiring before the mahant, now advanced against him goaded by his taunts. He aimed a blow of his sword at the mahant, which the latter received on his club, when lo! Haiyat Khan's sword fell to pieces. The mahant then addressed him, 'Now hold thy ground and defend thyself from me.'

The mahant rose on his stirrups, and wielding his club with both hands struck Haiyat Khan with such force on the head that his skull broke, and his brains issued forth and stained the battle-field.


*   *   *   *   *

Thus did the army of confectioners, mechanics, merchants and mendicants prevail. Thus was the steel that became the Khalsa on that fateful day that was to come, thirteen years hence, forged.

The Battle of Bhangani was over.

A new chapter in Guru Gobind Rai’s life had begun.


CONCLUDED

January 14, 2014
 

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Part II"









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