SRI GURU HARGOBIND SAHIB (Painting)
Chanchal Manohar Singh
PAYING OBEISANCE TO SRI GURU HARGOBIND SAHIB:
THE BANDICHHOR GURU (LIBERATOR BENIGN)
ON HIS 431st BIRTH ANNIVERSARY (JUNE 30, 2026)
Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib (1595-1644) the Sixth Guru (prophet teacher) of the Sikhs
was the only son of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the Fifth Guru of the Sikhs and Mata Ganga
Ji. He was born on Har Vadi 7, 1652 Bikrimi i.e. June 19, 1595 at Vadali (now called
Vadali Guru) about 7 kms west of Amritsar, District Amritsar, Punjab.
Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji was married to Mata Ganga Ji daughter of Bhai Krishan Chand
Ji in 1589. Until 1594 they had no children. Thus in 1594 Mata Ganga Ji went to Baba
Buddha Ji to seek his blessing for a child. She went in a splendid style in a horse
driven carriage (rath) dressed like a rich woman along with her sewadarnis and carried
with her some expensive foods. Baba Buddha Ji did not give any blessing. On return
when she told the whole thing to Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji he told her that when you go to
meet a saint you should go as a simple person and not go in a royal style. Therefore,
second time she went bare-foot to meet Baba Buddha Ji. She took with her missi roties
and lassi prepared with her own hands and one onion. She carried these things on her
head. Baba Buddha Ji was pleased and ate that simple food and while crushing the
onion with his fist he prophesied that a very courageous son will be born who will crush
the enemies of the Nanak’s house just as I have crushed the onion with my hand. (This
incident is depicted in a picture at the end). The prophesy became true.
With the passage of time Mata Ganga Ji gave birth to a son on June 19, 1595 who
was named Hargobind Ji. Hargobind Ji’s childhood was wrought with miseries
because his praternal uncle, Prithi Chand, who had not been given the Guruship by
Sri Guru Ram Das Ji, grand-father of Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib, wanted to take
vengeance on his father i.e. Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Thus, Prithi Chand made many
attempts to kill the child Hargobind Ji during his infancy. Prithi Chand gave Rs. 200 to
a mid-wife named Phatto and sent her to their house after applying poison on her
breasts. This woman tried to forcibly feed the child. Her intention was that when the
child would get fed from her poisonous breasts, he will instantly die. But this attempt
on his life was rebuffed and under fright Phatto revealed her design.
Then Prithi Chand sent a snake charmer to their house with a poisonous snake with
the aim of killing him. The snake charmer freed the snake out of the pataari (cage
made of bamboo sticks) near the child Hargobind Ji. Just before the snake was ready
to bite him he took hold of the snake and killed him by pressing his head. The puzzled
and frightened snake charmer narrated the design of Prithi Chand.
The third attempt of Prithi Chand to kill him was through his care-taker named Roopa
who mixed poison in curd and tried forcibly to make him eat the curd. Hargobind Ji
gave a loud shriek at which the alarmed parents rushed to the spot. When that curd
was given to a dog, the dog died instantly. The care-taker accepted his sin and
immediately died of a severe pain in his stomach. By the time Hargobind Ji was about
5 years of age, Prithi Chand contacted the uncle of one of his play mates named Nand
Ram. Nand Ram was directed to give poisoned sweets to him but this attack on his
life was also foiled.
During his childhood, Hargobind Ji was taught the religious texts as well as martial
arts including swordsmanship and archery. Bhai Gurdas Ji taught him the religious
texts and Baba Buddha ji taught him manly arts of swordsmanship and archery He
was barely 11 years of age when on May 30, 1606 his father Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji
was martyred under the orders of Emperor Jahangir. It may be added that Emperor
Jahangir had become uncomfortable at the ever-increasing following of Sri Guru Arjan
Dev Ji and on the pretext that Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji had helped his rebellious son he
ordered his execution. Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji was taken to Lahore where he was asked
to court Islam or death. Firm in his faith of not changing his religion and upholding the
right of a person to follow the religion of his own choice he refused to get converted to
Islam.
Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji was subjected to various types of physical torture. He was made
to sit on a red-hot iron sheet with fire burning under it and hot sand was poured on
him. Still refusing to change his religion he was put in a large deg (pot) of boiling water.
Finally, he was taken to Ravi river. A dip in the river's water was more than the blistered
body could bear. Engrossed in meditation, on May 30, 1606 he left for his heavenly
abode. Five days before his martyrdom i.e. on May 25, 1606 Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji
had nominated Hargobind Ji as his successor and also sent instructions to him to
assume Guruship "fully armed, and have armed men, as many as you can, to
accompany you." He also instructed that, “there were difficult times ahead', 'the evil
powers were all set to snatch the basic rights of men”, ‘he had carried on the work of
liberation of people in a peaceful manner, but now the times have changed', 'to bear
any more tortures at the hands of Mughals will be as fruitless as lying down before a
wild, horny animal expecting him to change his animal nature', 'time is coming that
good and evil powers will take cudgels against each other', 'so get ready for it, wear
the weapons and motivate the Sikhs to do the same.”
He laid the foundation of Sri Akal Takht Sahib on June 15, 1606 and completed its
construction with the help of Baba Buddha Ji and Bhai Gurdas Ji in one day. As
constructed by him, it was only a platform of mud and masonry and on June 24, 1606
his installation as Guru was performed at this place. Complying with the instructions
of his father-Guru, for the ceremony of succession he dressed himself like a warrior
and sat on this seat i.e. Akal Takht Sahib that he had erected, wearing two swords
‘piri’ and ‘miri’ declaring one to be the symbol of spirituality and the other that of his
temporal investiture. Akal Takht Sahib serves as a military defense as well as a centre
for justice.
As mentioned earlier Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib followed the instructions of his father
/ Guru and established Akal Sena. On June 15, 1606 Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib
founded Akal Sena, the first standing Sikh military force to protect righteousness and
to defined the Sikh Panth and to protect the Sikh against Mughal oppression and
tyranny. The Sena was equipped with cavalry, artillery and standard bearers and
fought four successful defensive battles. He kept himself surrounded by 52 soldiers.
He constructed Fort Lohgarh in Amritsar. He started issuing Hukamnamas was to
Sikhs.
Emperor Jahangir who reigned from 1605 until his death in 1627 became suspicious
and fearful of the activities of Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib. Guru Sahib’s (i) siting on Akal
Takht Sahib wearing two swords ‘Miri’ and ‘Piri’ (ii) asking the bards to recite heroic
deeds (iii) keeping a band of 52 armed Sikhs with him (iv) construction of Fort Lohgarh
in Armitsar and (v) asking all his followers to bring horses and swords as a gift and
giving these to those Sikhs who did not have then. In this way he received 700 horses.
Although he was only 11 years of age when he assumed Guruship his activities gave
a reflection of a warrior who could become a threat to the Mughal rule and take
revenge for his father’s martyrdom. Jahangir was frightened by his splendid style and
his activities. He ordered that he be imprisoned in the Fort of Gwalior in Madhya
Pradesh after levelling the charge that he had not paid the fine levied on his father.
Following the martyrdom of his father, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs Sri Guru Arjan Dev
Ji by Mughal Emperor Jahangir he recognized the urgent need for martial defense. As
mentioned earlier he established Akal Sena and built a defensive Fort of Lohgarh in
Amritsar.
When he was leaving for Gwalior Baba Buddha Ji said that when you are gone the
Sikhs will become very sad. You please tell us some method by which we can have
your darshan “(holy glimpse)”. Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib told Baba Buddha Ji that
every evening after the recitation of Raharasi Sahib, the main evening prayer of the
Sikhs, the Sikh Sangat should go around the holy precincts in the clock-wise direction
singing hymns and at the end should assemble in front of Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar
and recite ardas (prayer). During ardas the Sikhs who are firm in their faith will have
my darshan. Thus after Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib left for Gwalior the tradition of
Chaunki Sahib i.e. after recitation of Raharasi Sahib going around the holy precincts
singing hymns and at the end reciting ardas in front of Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar was
started. This tradition of Chaunki Sahib is still prevalent not only in Sri Darbar Sahib
but in all other Gurdwara Sahibs also.
In 1609, on his way to Delhi to meet Emperor Jahangir, he stayed overnight at Ambala
City which is situated on the National Highway at a distance and 190 kms from Delhi
and 48 kms from Chandigarh. At this place in his sacred memory Gurdwara Sri Manji
(Baoli) Sahib has been established. At this place villagers of a nearby village
Khurampur Majri complained to him about scarcity of drinking water. He asked the
Sikhs of that area to help the villagers in digging a baoli and thus he constricted a baoli
(well with steps) and that is why this Gurdwara Sahib is named Gurdwara Manji (Baoli)
Sahab. At that time, at the place of his stay only a platform was built. On his return
from Gwalior Jail three years later he was happy to see the baoli. But later on over the
years the baoli because of disuse was filled with debris.
During his detention in Gwalior the Sikhs in the form of jathas visited Gwalior to have
his darshan and on being disallowed to enter the fort they paid obeisance to him
outside the walls of the fort and returned. When the time came for his release he put
the condition that all other prisoners in the jail be released along with him. Thus he
freed fifty-two prisoners and came to be called Bandichhor (Liberator Benign) Guru.
There is no consensus among the historians about the period of his detention in the
Jail which varies from forty days to 12 years. Having an over-view of the views of
different historians the present writer believes that it was in 1612 that Sri Guru
Hargobind Sahib was detained for three years.
On his arrival from Gwalior in Amritsar, the whole city was illuminated and since then
this day is celebrated in the form of Diwali wherein all Sikhs illuminate their houses.
From this time onwards Jahangir had a reconciliatory attitude towards Sri Guru
Hargobind Sahib. Jahangir also handed over to him Chandu Shah who was partly
responsible for inflicting physical torture and then executing his father Sri Guru Arjan
Dev Ji. To avenge the execution of their Guru, the Sikhs killed Chandu Shah.
Although on the surface Jahangir seemed to have a reconciliatory attitude towards the
Sikhs he was still afraid of the military power of Guru Sahib. A few clashes took place
between Sikhs and Mughals. The first two clashes were near Ruhela now known as
Sri Hargobindpur is District Gurdaspur of Punjab on September 28, 1621 and October
4, 1621 where Guru Sahib later built a dharamsal and a mosque for the Muslims. The
Sikh forces defeated the Mughal forces. After their victory Guru Sahib fortified the town
and built both a dharamgal and a mosque to promote religious tolerance.
The third clash of the Sikhs with Mughals took place at Amritsar which took place in
December, 1634. These battles were fought not for territorial jurisdiction but for petty
issues. The battle of Sri Hargobindpur was fought because Guru Sahib wanted to
establish the town on the ruins of an old village of Ruhela. He was checking the local
claimants who sought the help of Abdullah Khan the Mughal Governor of Jallandhar.
The third clash with the Mughals was at Amritsar, in which Mukhlis Khan was the
Mughal General and the Sikh army was commanded by Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib.
The battle was triggered by a dispute over a hunting hawk and 7000 Mughals attacked
the Sikhs for a royal hawk. The Sikhs won the battle. It was a resistance against
both Mughal and Afghan soldiers. It marked a major turning point in Sikh history
symbolizing a major formidable transition of the Sikh Community into a military
force to resist persecution.
After the conquest in 1764 when Khalsa distributed territories among the various misls
Ambala was given to S. Mahan Singh of Nishanwalia Misl. He established the
Gurdwara Sahib. The old Baoli is still there and that is why the Gurdwara Sahib is
called Gurdwara Sri Manji (Baoli) Sahib. This laid the foundation of Khalsa Raj. Guru
Sahib strategically led his forces to victory successfully defending the city and killing
Mukhlis Khan in personal combat.
Still another battle with Mughals took place at Lahira near Mehraj in Bathinda District
of Punjab in 1634 between Mughal Empire and the Sikhs led by Guru Sahib himself
the Sikh forces. The Sikhs were victorious. The Mughal army was led by Lala Beg and
Qamar Beg Guru Sahib himself was the commander of the Sikh army which used
guerilla tactics. Both of the Mughal Commanders were slain in the action.
During 26-27 April, 1635 still another armed clash with Mughals took place at Kartarpur
in district Jallandhar of Punjab in which Teg Mall Ji fought fiercely and Sri Guru
Hargobind Sahib named him Tegh Bahadur Ji instead of Teg Mall Ji. In all these
clashes Guru Sahib emerged as a brave person.Tension was steadily escalated especially
because of his establishment of a sovereign like Court Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
After these battles Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib retired to Kiratpur Sahib in Ropar district
of Punjab. He spent the last nine years of his life at this place. This site had been given
to him as a gift by Raja Kalyan Chand of Kahlur, one of the 52 hilly area chieftains who
had been freed by him from Gwalior Jail. A chronicle states that he kept 700 cavaliers
and 60 artillery with him.
This period of his life he spent in spreading the message of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
He sent Sikh warriors as preachers to far off places in India. In addition to extensive
tours of Punjab he visited Pehowa in Kurukshetra district of Haryana; Nanakmata, in
Uttarakhand, Srinagar (in Garhval) and Haridwar in Uttrakhand. He also visited
Srinagar, Baramula, Singhpura (in district Baramula), Punchh and Uri, 55 kms
southwest of Baramula on the old route to the valley via Rawalpindi and Murri in
Jammu and Kashmir. In the sacred memory of Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Gurdwara
Sahibs have been established at all these places.
In the sacred memory of his visits, shrines have been constructed at each of the places
that he visited. He had six children-five sons Baba Gurditta Ji, Suraj Mall Ji, Ani Rai Ji,
Atal Rai Ji and Tegh Bahadur Ji and one daughter Bibi Viro Ji. Two of his sons Baba
Gurditta Ji and Atal Rai Ji died during his life-time. Before he left for his heavenly
abode on March 3, 1644 at Kiratpur Sahib he passed on the Guruship to Har Rai
Sahib, the son of Baba Gurditta Ji.
A Gurdwara Sahib named Gurdwara Teer Saib exists in Kiratpur Sahib, from where
he shot an arrow and said that he should be cremated at the place where the teer falls.
At this place his cremation took place and where now is situated Gurdwara Patalpuri
Sahib.
Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib synthesised the heroic and the spiritual powers within him
and acted according to the then existing demands of the Sikh society. He was called
Sachcha Patshah (True Emperor) by the Sikhs. Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib will be
always remembered as a brave warrior as well as for his benignancy.
The birth anniversaries of Sikh Gurus are celebrated according to the lunar month and
not Gregorian Calendar which became prevalent all over the world in October, 1582
and as such every year his birth anniversary is celebrated on a different date.
This year i.e in 2026 Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib’s 431st Birth Anniversary was
celebrated on June 30 by the Sikh community all over the world.
DHAN DHAN SRI GURU HARGOBIND SAHIB!
Dr. Amrit Kaur Retd. Professor, Punjabi University, Patiala Punjab,
Email: amritkaurchd40@gmail.com