Saheed Bota Singh and Garja Singh
Chanchal Manohar Singh
SHAHEED BABA BOTA SINGH JI AND SHAHEED BABA GARJA SINGH JI WHO WERE MARTYRED ON JULY 27, 1739 (287 YEARS AGO) Shaheed Baba Bota Singh Ji and Shaheed Baba Garja Singh Ji through their martyrdom propagated as follows: Khalsa will remain ever alive II Oppression they will always fight II The first half of the 18th Century was very harsh for the Sikhs who were continuously persecuted by the Mughal Government. They made unparalleled sacrifice during this period. Especially after the martyrdom of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Ji on June 9, 1716 the Mughal Government decided to finish the very name of the Sikhs from Punjab, the land of their birth. During 1726-1745 Zakriya Khan also known as Khan Bahadur Zakriya Khan gave legal permission to loot and rob houses of any Sikh. Rather handsome cash awards were given to the person who killed a Sikh or even informed about the whereabouts of a Sikh. There was bounty for the head of a Sikh. This forced the Sikhs to leave their houses and pass their days in inaccessible places in the hills in the north, deserts in the South or the dense bushes along the rivers. Baba Bota Singh Ji was born in a Sandhu Jat family in village Bharana, District Amritsar and his associate Baba Garja Singh Ji was born in a Ranghreta family. These two valorous Sikhs were martyred on July 27, 1739 near Sarai Nur Di which fell on the Lahore – Delhi Highway. For several years they received octroi from the travellers who passed on that road. They had fixed prices for different modes i.e., one ‘aanna’ out of the sixteen 2 aannas in a rupee for a cart and one ‘paisa’ i.e., one out of 64 paisas in a rupee for a donkey which was a sign of their sovereignty in that area. Zakriya Khan also known as Khan Bahadur Zakriya Khan was the Mughal Governor of Subhas (provinces) Lahore and Multan. Thousands of Sikhs were martyred in Punjab during his regime. He was bent upon extinguishing the very name of a Sikh in Punjab. The land of birth of Sikhs. Sometimes he even proclaimed that all the Sikhs in Punjab have been extinguished. There are two versions as to how Baba Bota Singh Ji and Baba Garja Singh Ji were caught. One version is that one day Baba Bota Singh Ji and Baba Garja Singh Ji who were staunch Sikhs were seen by two Zamindars who were hiding on Lahore-Delhi highway in bushes near Tarn Taran. At that time there was a common practice among the Sikhs to hide themselves in the bushes during the day and at night go to Sri Darbar Sahib and have a dip in the Sarovar (holy pool) surrounding Sri Darbar Sahib when the guards were asleep. One of the Zamindars said it seems that there are two Sikhs hidden in the bushes here. The other said they cannot be Sikhs because if they were Sikhs why they would conceal themselves and this finally ended in catching these two brave Sikhs. The other version which is more commonly cited by the historians is that on their way to Sri Darbar Sahib they had hidden themselves in the bushes in an inaccessible place along the Tarn Taran – Amritsar road. On that way some Mughal guards were passing. One of the guards said that the Governor has killed all the Sikhs and none was left alive. Baba Bota Singh Ji and Baba Garja Singh Ji overheard their conversation and were flared up to hear that talk between the guards and decided to take a position on the main highway to let the Governor know that all Sikhs have not been killed. Thus they took a position in a dilapidated inn (Sarai) named Sarai Nur Din. Baba Bota Singh Ji wrote a letter addressed to Zakriya Khan and through a traveller who was passing on that road sent it to Zakriya Khan in Lahore. It was a reaction to the conversation of the guards. In this letter he wrote that Zakriya Khan was a coward and an incapable person who claimed that all the Sikhs have been killed. In this letter Baba Bota Singh Ji wrote as follows: ਮੈਂ ਹਾਂ ਸ ਿੰ ਘ ਬੋਤਾ।। ਲਾਹੌਰ-ਸ ਿੱ ਲੀ ੜਕ ’ਤੇ ਖੜੋਤਾ।। ਲੈ ਕੇ ਹਿੱਥ ਸ ਿੱ ਚ ੋ ਟਾ।। Chithi Likhi Singh Bota: Hath hai Sota Vich Rah Khalota Anna laye Gadde nu paisa laye khota Akho Bhabi Khano nu Yun akhe Singh Bota: 3 Sota means a slick. This means that he was standing on the road with a club in his hand on the main road and he charges one ‘aana’ for a cart and one ‘paisa’ for a donkey as octroi. At that time one rupee was equal to 16 annas and 64 paisas were equal to one rupee. Baba Bota Singh Ji was charging octroi from the travellers which was a mark of his sovereignty in that area. Baba Bota Singh Ji burlesqued his wife using her popular name as ‘Bhabhi’ i.e., brother’s wife, with whom he can take liberties. It is quite possible that he called the Governor Zakriya Khan also called ‘Khan’ Bahadur as his ‘Bhabhi’. Reading this letter Zakriya Khan was flared up and dispatched a contingent of 100 horses under the command of Jalal Din to locate and arrest Baba Bota Singh Ji and bring him to Lahore. On July 27, 1739 this contingent located the two brave Sikhs Baba Bota Singh Ji and Baba Garja Singh Ji in Sarai Nur Din. They asked Baba Bota Singh Ji and Baba Garja Singh Ji to surrender and accompany them to Lahore, promising to secure them the Governor’s pardon. Baba Bota Singh Ji and Baba Garja Singh Ji spurned their offer. They knew fully well that Zakriya Khan will give tortures and then have them killed and that he will not pardon him. Thus, on July 27, 1939 this huge army killed the two valorous Sikhs who fell fighting valiantly against heavy odds. Through their martyrdom they proved that: Khalsa will remain ever alive II Oppression they will always fight II Because of their bravery and steadfastness the Sikh community will continue to pay obeisance to Baba Bota Singh Ji and Baba Garja Singh Ji till the end of the world. In their sacred memory Gurdwara Baba Bota Singh Ji Shaheed has been established in Mani Chowk, Katra Ahluwalia, Amritsar Cantt, Punjab. Jai Jaikar Shaheedan Di! REFERENCES 1. 2. Bhagat Lachman Singh, Sikh Martyrs, Madras, 1928 Chhibar, Kesar Singh Bansavlinamma Dasan Patshahian Ka, Chandigarh 1972 3. 4. 5. Bhangoo, Ratan Singh Prachin Panth Prakash, Amritsar 1914 The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism published by Punjabi University, Patiala, Vol I, 1995 Nabha, Bhai Kahn Singh Mahan Kosh, first published in 1930. It is the first Punjabi Encyclopedia which contains 4181 pages and more than 70,000 words PICTURES 4 1. Shaheed Baba Bota Singh Ji and Shaheed Baba Garja Singh Ji 2. 3. Gurdwara Baba Bota Singh Ji Shaheed, Moni Chowk, Katra Ahluwalia, Amritsar Cantt, Punjab Diorama Sculptural Monument of Baba Bota Singh Ji and Baba Garja Singh Ji engaged in combat against the Mughals at Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Tega Singh Ji in Chand Purana, Bagha Purana, Distt. Moga, Punjab Dr. Amrit Kaur Retd. Professor Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab India Email: amritkaurchd40@gmail.com