Who was Guru Gobind Singh?

If Guru Hargobind established the foundation of Sikh martial tradition, Guru Gobind built the structure that furthered the militarization.

Early Life

Born in 1666 in Patna, Bihar, Gobind Rai was the son of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Mata Gujari. He also had for his grandfather Guru Hargobind from whom he had a lot of similarities. Like his grandfather, he delved in intellectual pursuits, learning Persian, Arabic, Sanskrit, and Punjabi. He also enjoyed reading sciences and mythology especially the stories of the Hindu deity Candi, the destroyer of evil, that later influenced his guruship. He became a renowned and prolific poet – a talent useful for composing religious letters.

Guru Tegh, while Gobind was only 9 years old, decided to support the cause of the Kashmiri Brahmins. He joined their call for religious tolerance in the midst of increasing Mughal bigotry and persecution of religions other than Islam. He was arrested on the orders of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. On November 11, 1675, he suffered torture then execution by beheading. The execution caused great grief to the Sikh community, moreover, for Gobind who in a young age must lead a community looking into the eyes of abyss, just as his grandfather did with the execution of the 5th Guru Arjan.

Guru Gobind then escaped Anandpur for the banks of the Yamuna River where he established the town of Paonta. From here, he continued his education and groomed himself as a great guru expected from him. He managed the town embodying the ideas of miri/piri – leadership of spiritual as well as political affairs. He once again shared the same enthusiasm as Guru Hargobind, he studied the art of war and various martial arts. He formed a small army that he trained and drilled for battle. He enjoyed hunting and other sports aiming to strengthen his skills and character as a warrior. Guru Gobind also settled his house by marring Mata Jito in 1677 that bear him 3 children: Jujhar, Fateh, and Zorawar. Later one he made Mata Sundri his consort in 1684 and also Mata Sahib Kaur in 1700 who gave birth to the Guru’s youngest child Sahibzada Ajit.

Guruship

As a Guru, Gobind earned the respect of Sikhs second only to Guru Nanak. He contributed in both spiritual and military aspects of the religion. In turn for his actions, Sikhs idealized him as the Sant Sipahi or warrior saint.

He said to have composed the more than 1,000-page Dasam Granth or the Tenth Volume. He also finalized the version of the Adi Granth with the help of Mani Singh before the scripture became closed and inviolable. He also reenergized the devotion of Sikhs with the creation of the Khalsa.

The Story of the foundation of Khalsa began with the Pnaj-Piara or the Beloved Five. On April 13, 1699, the Guru asked a huge crowd with a spine-chilling question: who is willing to sacrifice his life for this faith? 1 Sikh named Daya Ram came forward and went with the Guru into a tent. Moments later, the Guru shocked the crowd by showing them his sword soaked and dripped blood. The Guru did not stop there and asked for another and came forward bravely Dharam Das. Like the first, he entered the tent and only the Guru came out with a sword bathed with fresh blood. 3 more followed: Mokham Chand, Sahib Chand, and Himmat Rai. After the horror show, the Guru made a revelation to the crowd. He revealed the 5 men alive and well and the blood came from a slaughtered goat. He praised the devotion of the men and dubbed them the Panj-Piara. He blessed them with the amrit or sweetened nectar or water, thus began the ceremony called amrit sanskar. After the blessing, he had the men bless him in the same. The Guru then declared the establishment of a new order called the Khalsa, from the Persian word khali meaning Pure. The Guru saw the traditional Masands established during the early decades of Sikhism crumble in corruption and decadence. He saw it fit to establish an order to reaffirm the commitment of the Sikhs into their faith through the Khalsa. Joining the it also meant adopting the name of Singh or Lion for men and Kaur or princess for women. Thus, Guru Gobind Rai became Guru Gobind Singh.

The establishment of the Khalsa received tremendous response from Sikhs who joined the order and devoted their lives for the Guru and the teachings of Sikhism. This also served as Guru Gobind’s further militarization of the Sikh community.

Militarization Against Persecution

Guru Gobind Singh stood against the growing persecution of Sikhs as well as other minority religion in the hands of the Mughal Empire. He continued the military legacy of his grandfather Guru Hargobind, fought in battles even in face of great personal sacrifices.

He elevated the Sikhs into a status of military preparedness. He argued that the world existed with a balance of good and evil, but once the latter began to tip the balance, the good must fight. Thus, like his grandfather once again, he called the Sikhs to a crusade against evil just as the Hindu deity Candi he read so much during his childhood. Sikh cities began to fortify themselves and men trained more and more. The spirit of Sant Sipahi once again possessed many Sikhs. In the midst of the military preparations, new orders appeared.

The Nihang or Akali or Nihang Akali emerged as a shock force of the Sikh army. Its foundation clouded with myths and legends. One legend states that the Nihang came as a result of dressing up. According to legend, Guru Gobind Singh’s son Fateh dressed up in blue and wore a blue dumalla, a type of turban worn by the Khalsa. When Fateh appeared wearing the clothes to his father, the Guru applauded the attire and said to have remarked that is the way soldiers of God dress themselves. Another placed the establishment of the order after a battle when the Guru made his way to Kot Kapura wearing a disguise in color blue. After reaching the village, the Guru burned the clothes, but his servant Man Singh managed to take some of the blue fabric from the burning cloth and placed it in his turban. Other Sikhs followed and called themselves as Nihang or Akali. Nihang came from a Persian word meaning alligator or sword while Akali meant immortal. The order dedicated their lives to the Guru and feared nothing even death. This earned the order a reputation of ferocity and expertise in martial arts.

Before the establishment of the Khalsa in 1699, Guru Gobind already earned experience in warfare. In 1686, he led 4,000 Sikhs against a force of a local Raja named Bhim Chand that numbered around 30,000. In 1687, he won another battle in Nadau against the local Mughal Governor of Punjab Wazir Khan. The Governor never forgave Guru Gobind and became a thorn until the Sikh leader’s death.

Battles against the Mughal further intensified after the foundation of the Khalsa. The Battle of Anandapur in 1700 almost destroyed Guru Gobind when he only had 40 soldiers remaining, but still ended with Sikh victory. They then fled the city for Chamkaur. He failed to find a lasting peace in the city when the Mughals caught up with him in 1704 and another battle ensued that forced him to flee to Muktsar. In Mukstar, the Guru managed to recruit followers for the Sikhism. Most converts came from Hindu peasantry and other caste who looked for better treatment. Eventually, another battle raged in Muktsar in 1704 that resulted to a victory, but forced the Guru to retreat to Damdama where he stayed until 1706. In 1707, he condemned Aurangzeb for his brutality and treachery through a letter written in Persian and in verses called the Zafarnamah or the Epistle of Victory.

The Sikh-Mughal War took a toll on the Guru’s family. In the battle of Anandapur, he lost his sons Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh. Both captured by the Governor of Sirhind Wazir Khan and faced a gruesome execution by being bricked alive. In the battle of Chamkaur, he lost his 2 other sons Anjit Sigh and Jujhar Singh. Nevertheless, Guru Gobind Singh pressed on with his mission.

Peace and Death

In 1707, Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb passed away leaving a power struggle and the whole Empire in decline. Gobind Singh supported Prince Mozzam sending a contingent of Sikh troops to fight for the contender in the Battle of Jajau. The Prince won who became Emperor Bahadur Shah I. Sikhs gained recognition and the Guru continued his support for the Emperor, even agreeing to join him in a campaign to Southern India. The Guru’s relation with the Emperor strike a fear towards the Governor Wazir Khan who decided to send 2 assassins to finish the Guru. In 1708, in Nander (modern day Maharashtra), the 2 assassins made their way to the Guru’s tent pretending to pilgrims. 1 assassin successfully stabbed the Guru mortally wounding him. For few days, he laid dying and so declared his successors. He declared that he was to be the last living Guru and his successor to be the scripture Adi Granth or the Guru Granth Sahib.

See also:

Guru Hargobind

Guru Nanak

Bibliography:

Websites:

"Singh, Gobind." World Religions Reference Library.” Encyclopedia.com. (April 24, 2020). https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/singh-gobind

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Gobind Singh.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed on April 25, 2020. URL: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gobind-Singh

McLeod, William Hewat. “Sikhism.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed on April 25, 2020. URL: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sikhism/Guru-Gobind-

Singh-and-the-founding-of-the-Khalsa

Singh, Khushwant "Singh, Gobind." Encyclopedia of Religion. Encyclopedia.com. (April 24, 2020). https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/singh-gobind

Others:

“Gobind Singh, Guru.” The Encyclopedia of Sikhism. Edited by H.S. Singha. New Delhi: Hemkunt Publishers (P) Ltd., 2005. 

Gandhi, Surjit Singh. History of Sikh Gurus Retold, Volume II. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd., 2007.