Lest We Forget During This Week Guru Gobind Singh Ji Was Forced To Lave Sri Anadpur Sahib With His Family And As A Consequence Guru Ji Lost His Four

[KOOKAR]

Adapted from Purakh Bhagwant Roop Guru Gobind Singh Ji by Principal Satbir Singh Ji

Guru Gobind Singh Ji fought 14 battles against the Moghul forces to uphold righteousness. Guru Ji's last battle of Sri anandpur Sahib has had an everlasting impact upon the evolution of Sikh history.

Emperor Aurangzeb realised that several of his Royal Commanders such as General Sayyad Khan and several others had become ardent devotees of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The emperor sent a a combined battalion of the Nawabs of Lahore, Sarhind, Jammu and Multan to attack Sri Anandpur Sahib. Emperor Aurangzeb sent an order that Guru Gobind Singh Ji was seeking revenge for his father's martyrdom and was therefore planning a rebellion as well as encouraging others to do so. Aurangzeb ordered the Nawab of Sirhind to capture alive Guru Ji or to bring back his decapitated head.

Historian Macauliffe says that Aurangzeb sent an envoy to invite Guru Gobind Singh Ji to meet him.

“ This earth belongs to one supreme Lord. You and I have one aim. You believe in one creator God and so do I. Please come and meet .When you come to meet me I will give you a saint's welcome. God has given me this Kingdom”.

To which Guru Gobind Singh Ji's replied;”Brother, the supreme Lord who has given you this Kingdom has also sent me on this earth to uphold righteousness and promulgate dharma. God gave you this kIngdom to adminster justice to the citizens. However, you did not do so. You don't treat the citizens as God's creation. How can you and I meet”.

The Nawab of Sirhind invited the following Hill rajas: Raja Amir Chand (Bilaspur) Ghumand Chand (Kangrrha), Bir Singh Jaspal and Kulu, Kairall Mandi, Jammu, Noorpur, Chamba, Guler and rulers of Sri Nagar togethe to combine with the Mughal army collectively and then to attack Sri Anandpur sahib. Rangarrh and Gujjarh also joined forces. Juberdast Khan and Wajir Khan of Sirhind took a battalion of several thousands and was joined by Jummu.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji strengthened his forces and chose several generals to stop the Royal Forces. Both sides exchanged arrows and gun fire continously.

The Mughals faced heavy losses and were aware that if the battle continued victory would be impossible. The Mughal army decided to besiege the fort of Sri Anandpur Sahib so heavily that the sikhs could not leave the fort and their food and water rations would soon be exhausted.. Food and water rations of the sikhs were soon running out. Sikhs in groups of four would leave the fort of Anandpur Sahib in search of food and water but they were never to return.The situation became so desperate that the Sikhs had to live on whatever was left in the fort of Sri Anandpur Sahib. They would survive on a handful of chick peas and even these became scarce. The favourite elephant of Guru Ji, Parsadi eventually died of hunger. Guru Ji's much loved horse Da and Bidar were also suffering from hunger and had to be put down.

The Sikhs decided to attack the camp of the Mughal armies to steal their rations of food and water.One night, a large army of Sikhs attacked the camp of the Mughals but the Mughals further strengthened the siege. Thousands of Mughals lost their lives.

The Mughals then sent two envoys, one Sayyed and one Brahmin, who swore on the Koran and Geeta and promised that If Guru Ji and his Sikhs left the fort of Sri Anandpur Sahib, no harm would come to them. Guru Gobind Singh Ji through his intuition was aware of the Mughals plans but put the Mughals to test by sending carts of old and worn clothes, bones and carcasses of old animals and covered these by precious and expensive clothes.The carts had only left the fort of Sri Anandpur Sahib when the Mughals looted the carts.

The citizens of Anandpur Sahib were pleading with Guru Gobind Singh Ji to leave Sri Anandpur Sahib as the Emperor had personally sworn on the Koran that no harm would come to Guru Ji if He left the city of Anandpur Sahihb.

On the plea of his Sikhs and citizens, Guru Gobind Singh Ji left the Fort of Sri Anandpur Sahib on 19^th December 1704; never to return to his much loved city. The consequences were the loss of ; Guru Gobind Singh Ji's four princely sons, Five beloved Sikhs, fourty beloved Mukta sikhs and many other Sikhs lost their lives. Guru Ji's valuable gnrath vidiya sagar which weighed 9 mans was lost to the river Sirsa

The Battle of Chamkaur Sahib

Guru Ji left the city of Anandpur Sahib on the night of 19^th December 1704.Guru Ji accompanied by his four sons, five beloved ones, Mata Gujri Ji, Mata Sundri Ji accompanied by other singhs and Guru Ji left first and were followed by other groups of Sikhs.When the Mughal army army became awre of the Guru's departure many Mughal regiments attacked Guru Ji. A fierce battel enraed n the banks of the river sirsa. The River Sirsa was flooded due to the rainy season. Bhai Uday Singh who had beheaded Raja Kesri Chand held back the Mughal army but was outnumbered and hence achieved martyrdom. Bhai Jiwan Singh, the Sikh who smuggled the beheaded head of Guru Tegh Bahadhur ji from Mughal custody, held back the Mughal forces until he met a brave death.

On the banks of the river Sirsa, Guru Gobind Singh Ji's family was divided into 3 parts:Guru Sahib's elder Sahibzadas Baba Ajit Singh, Baba Zorawar Singh and other singhs crossed the River Sirsa and reached Roparh. Mata Sundar Ji, Mata Sahib Devan accompanied by Bhai Mani Singh Ji reached Hardwar and then went to Delhi.Mata Gujri Ji, Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Baba Fateh Singh Ji stayed at the hut of Kumi Mashki.

20^th Dec 1704 Guru Ji spent at Roparh. The Mughal army spent the whole night chasing Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

21^st Dec 1704 Guru Gobind Singh Ji stayed at Roprah and was gurded by the Pathan of Koth Nihung Singh,

Night of 21^st Dec 1704 Guru Gobind Singh Ji leaves for Chamkaur Sahib Farmer Bhudhi Chand explains that the raw fort of Chamkaur would offer more protection tyhn the plains of Roparh.Guru Gobind Singh Ji had stayed at the fortress during his earlier visit to Kurukshetra.

The dusk of 22 December 1704 heralded an unparallelled battle in thehistory of war. On one side were 40 hungry , tired and thirsty Sikhs nd the enemy were 100000 men...Naab Wazir Khan announced that if Guru Gobind Singh Ji and his men surrendered themselves no harm would come to them.Guru Ji showered the enemy with a fire of arrows and the Mughals too responded in a similar manner. But the Mughalswere unsuccessful in crossing the wall of Chamkaur Fort.

The Mughals despatched one General Nahar Khan who used a adder to climb upto the fort's wall and as He attempted to climb the wall guru Gobind Singh ji blessed him wiith an arrow.

Ghani Khan and Khwaza Mahmood too met their deaths at the hands of the Guru.

Guru Ji and his Sikhs showered the advancing army with bullets, guns and arrows.Swords clashed with swords.Thousands breathed their last on the bloody battlefiield.

The Nawab of sirhind, Nawab wazir khan planned to enter the fort of Chamkaur in one go. The Nawab ordered his Generals Hadayt Khan, Ismael Khan, Fuladh Khan, Sultan Khan, Asman Khan, Jahan Khan, Khaleel Khan and Booreh Khan to advance towards the fort.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji dispatchedear odson Baba Ajit Singh Ji together with Bhai Mohkam Singh, Bhai Ishar Singh, Bhai Lall Singh,Bhai Nand Singh, Bhai Kesar Singh, Bhai Deva Singh, Bhai Keertee Singh and Bhai mehar Singh.

translated by kookar ji