Tegh Bahadur (1621—1675) was the ninth in a line often enlightened Sikh masters. Born to Guru Hargobind (the sixth guru), Tegh Bahadur received training in the arts of warfare and spiritual studies. A warrior, householder, teacher, diplomat, and philanthropist, he was deeply involved in the affairs of the world and admired for his charitable efforts. In addition to his considerable travels across India as a teacher and his legendary renunciation (Tegh means "renunciation"), he is also remembered for building wells and setting up community kitchens for the poor—good works still practiced by Sikhs today.
TEGH BAHADUR HELPS HIS HINDU BROTHERS
"We have come to see Tegh Bahadur on an urgent matter," Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt, the leader of a delegation of Hindu priests, anxiously spoke to a Sikh guard. "Kind Sir, please tell your guru that we request an audience with him."
"Wait here, and I will ask my master if he will see you," the guard replied, wondering what could have caused this group of elderly priests to make the long and dangerous journey from their home in Kashmir to the seat of Sikh power in the city of Anandpur Sahib.
As the guard disappeared into the compound, Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt cast a prayer heavenward, for Tegh Bahadur was their last hope.
"He will see you," said the guard returning, and led the delegation into the guru's private quarters.
"Welcome, My Brothers. Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt! It is good to see you again. What brings you to Anandpur Sahib?"
Regal in bearing and calm in demeanor, the guru of the Sikhs was a lion of a man. With an aquiline nose, a noble forehead, and majestic eyes, his chiseled face expressed an adamantine will. Though over fifty years of age, he retained a youthful vigor that came from a life devoted to austerities and the practice of swordsmanship. A man who was his own master, he had conquered many outer and inner foes.
"The depredations of Aurangzeb grow worse by the day." Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt sounded defeated. Little more needed to be said about the Muslim emperor Aurangzeb, for he was notorious for his many atrocities, among them the killing of his brothers and the imprisonment of his father so he could usurp the throne. Since his ascension, he had stripped his Hindu subjects of their religious freedoms and property rights, and then decreed that their temples, schools, and statues be destroyed.
"Aurangzeb has given us an ultimatum: Convert to Islam or die." Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt struggled to conceal his fear. "You are revered throughout the country for protecting all those who ask for help. It is our hour of need, and there is no one else to whom we can turn."
A funereal quiet fell over the group as they considered Aurangzeb s sadistic stroke of logic. If the influential Brahmins of Kashmir, especially Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt, converted to Islam, the rest of India could be easily forced to follow their example. And if the Brahmins, who were the custodians of the Hindu faith, resisted, they could conveniently be put to death.
"I have struggled and campaigned against the fiend for many years." Tegh Bahadur's voice was like thunder. "He now seeks to break the back of our country with this insidious edict."
As he spoke a young boy of nine burst into the room, his peals of laughter breaking the pall that hung over the group. The boy jumped into Tegh Bahadur's lap and threw his arms around his neck.
"Meet my son, Gobind Rai." Tegh Bahadur rubbed his beard against the boy's face, making him squirm with pleasure. Holding his son close to his chest, he pondered. "Aurangzeb cannot touch me in the stronghold of Anandpur Sahib. I could pass my days here unmolested with my family and watch my son grow into manhood. But is this the example I want to set for Gobind Rai? Is this how the leader of the Sikhs should act? A coward shirking his duty! This is an insult to our martial traditions and faith. And what of my friend Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt and the Hindu priests? If this moment passes by in inaction, thousands will perish by Aurangzeb's sword. Oh, Lord! Where lies my duty? To look after my people and perpetuate my religion or fight for the liberty of all of India even though we Sikhs are imperiled."
Treating his son like the young warrior he was, Tegh Bahadur then explained to Gobind Rai why Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt had requested an audience. "This is quite a dilemma. What is your advice, my son?"
"You are braver than Aurangzeb, and I am sure that if you help these Brahmins, God will look after me," Gobind Rai confidently replied.
What the child said went straight to the father's heart. A soothing balm of peace stilled his inner tumult, and he knew what course of action he had to take. A great power poured through Tegh Bahadur when he spoke next. "The only way that Aurangzeb will understand the futility of his schemes is if one man true to his convictions is willing to lay down his life in resistance and by doing so show that all his brothers are ready to do the same. Pandit Kirpa Datt, you tell Aurangzeb that you will convert to Islam under one condition: He convert me first."
Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt bowed in awe at a man who would dare to defy the merciless tyrant. The delegation then left Anandpur Sahib to convey Tegh Bahadur's challenge to Aurangzeb.
Clouds of foreboding gathered as Tegh Bahadur prepared to travel to Delhi to meet his nemesis. He gave instructions to his disciples that Gobind Rai be installed as the next Sikh guru should he not return. The faith the boy demonstrated the day the Brahmins came made Tegh Bahadur certain that his son would one day be a great leader.
On the eve of his departure, he addressed his flock. "My friends! Today I set out to tell Aurangzeb that all people— Sikhs, Hindus, or Muslims—have the right to pray to God as they see fit. I am ready to go alone on this mission fraught with danger, but I invite any man who feels as I do to come with me."
Three men stepped forward: Mati Das, Dyala, and Sati Das. "We will go with you, Guru, for we believe in this cause."
"Reflect on what I say," Tegh Bahadur said as a final message to his followers. "To not fight for what is right because of self-interest and attachment invites great evil. When we walk through the portals of this life into the next, we go alone to be judged by our deeds. None then can answer for our actions—neither parents, children, nor friends—only ourselves. Unflinchingly adhere to Dharma no matter the price, and you will be sanctified."
Under an ashen sky, the Sikh guru and his three trusted companions set out for Delhi. As soon as they left the protected environs of Anandpur Sahib, they were ambushed by a legion of soldiers and brought in chains to the court of the dreaded Mughal emperor.
"So this is the guru of the Sikhs. Bring him to my feet." Aurangzeb walked around his manacled prisoner several times, as if trying to understand the man who had dared to challenge him. "I would like to make you an offer, Bahadur. Convert to Islam, and you shall be a governor with power over vast dominions. Together we can rule over an empire the likes of which the world has yet to see. What do you say?"
"Are you trying to purchase my faith?" Tegh Bahadur responded. "Let us not waste time. You will never convert me to Islam. Accept this truth, and repeal your edict against the Hindus."
"I find your willingness to stand in place of the cowards of Kashmir quite extraordinary. It is a shame, for you could have been an invaluable ally. At any rate, these Hindus sit in front of idols performing ridiculous rituals, yet their gods do not help them. It is a false religion. Do you not agree?" Aurangzeb wanted to draw out the one man who did not fear him.
"I may disagree with a man's beliefs, but I would give my life for his right to pray as he sees fit." The guru looked at the emperor and spoke deliberately. "Only those who have hurt others are the ones who practice a false religion."
The court gasped. Aurangzeb laughed. "I can see why you are the leader of your people. You fearlessly speak your mind. It is said that you are a holy man, too. Perform a miracle for me right now, and I will set you free," Aurangzeb baited.
"Miracles are gifts from God given to those of deep faith. They are not for the curious. If I were to perform one for you on command, I would be no better than a street-corner magician who hawks his tricks for a few rupees. I shall not oblige you."
"How sad!" Aurangzeb's lip curled in contempt. "I ask one last time: Why did you decide to risk your life to help these Hindu pagans?"
"Stop one man from worshiping as he pleases, and it is only a matter of time before we are all in the same bondage. As a son of God, it is my duty to resist this evil."
"Enough of your lectures!" shouted the emperor. "Torture him until he agrees to convert or pleads for death!"
Soldiers pounced on Tegh Bahadur and his followers and dragged them to Kowali prison, a hellish pit from which no one emerged alive. For six days the soldiers subjected them to the most unspeakable tortures until they realized they could break their prisoners' bones but not their spirits. When they ran out of ways to inflict pain, the guards pulled Tegh Bahadur and his companions by the hair and into the street. Before them stood Aurangzeb on a platform with five hooded men.
"Bahadur, I have grown weary waiting for you to convert, so I am going to help you make your decision more quickly." The tyrant's dark eyes were filled with venom. "Bring me the first prisoner! Bahadur! Will you convert to Islam? If you do, I will spare your friend's life."
"Do not ask this of my guru. I would rather die," Mati Das answered. '
"Then so be it."
Guards pulled Mati Das to his feet and tied each of his arms to a pole. A hooded executioner descended from the platform with a saw in his hand, its sharp metal teeth glinting in the sunlight. He placed it on Mati Das's head and began to saw him in half. Blood ran down his face, but still the Sikh warrior was silent. A few seconds later, his soul fled his body.
"Bring me the second prisoner," Aurangzeb barked. "Bahadur, will you convert to Islam?"
Before Tegh Bahadur could speak, Dyala mumbled through broken teeth, "I choose death!"
"Throw him into the cauldron!" Aurangzeb ordered.
Three hooded men lifted Dyala up and tossed him into the liquid inferno. Though his skin peeled away, the Sikh warrior did not scream. The clumps of hair and flesh that floated to the surface told that Dyala's life had come to an end.
"Bahadur, there are thousands of ways to kill a man, but there are only two of you left. Bring me the third prisoner!" Aurangzeb fumed. "Answer me quickly, for I grow bored of this tedium: Do you choose to convert, or are you as stupid as your friends?"
"I choose death," Sati Das declared.
Sati Das was wrapped in cotton, which was then ignited by a torch. A horrific blaze leapt toward the sky. Sati Das staggered forward, then sideways, and finally fell to the ground without so much as a sigh.
"Bahadur, you were quite courageous when it was the others' turn to die. Tomorrow we will see if you will be as brave when it is your life," Aurangzeb sneered and left.
The guru of the Sikhs was thrown back into the lightless dungeon. In the dark, the phantasmagoria of the ghastly deaths of his companions played before his eyes. Aurangzeb's taunts that their deaths had been meaningless rent his heart, and he bitterly condemned himself for asking his friends to accompany him to Delhi. A chasm of doubt opened before him, and he agonized if he should have remained in Anandpur Sahib with his wife and son to wage war another day instead of dying a futile death at the hands of such a man as Aurangzeb.
When day dawned and the guards came for Tegh Bahadur, they found him kneeling, rapt in prayer. Sensing an unworldly power in the room, they were afraid to enter, ashamed by their own profanity.
Tegh Bahadur stretched out his hands. "I am ready." The guards bound him and brought him out.
Thousands of people lined the streets. They had come to see if the guru of the Sikhs was willing to give his life for his beliefs and, by his example, inspire all of India with the courage to resist evil.
Unbowed and radiant, Tegh Bahadur strode like a victor to the place of his execution. All who looked into his eyes saw the great light of God burning therein.
"Tegh Bahadur, you stand here today accused of refusing to denounce Sikhism and Hinduism as false religions," the executioner read from a scroll. "However, the emperor Aurangzeb in his great compassion has decided to grant you clemency if you will convert to the true faith of Islam. What say you?"
A hush fell over the crowd as they awaited his answer. Then Tegh Bahadur spoke: "I will give up my head, but will not forsake my faith or those whom I have undertaken to protect."
"People of India, you have heard this man refuse the emperor's generous pardon," the executioner intoned. "Justice must now run its course."
Tegh Bahadur placed his head on the block. Turning his eyes heavenward, he placed his soul in the safekeeping of the Lord. There came a sickening swoosh, and the ninth guru of the Sikhs was beheaded.
When Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt heard of Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom, he broke down and cried. "Tegh Bahadur! My friend! You have sacrificed your life for our sake. It is a rare man who is willing to die for his own faith. But has there ever been one who forfeited his life for another's?"
Teg Bahadur’s death was not in vain. His son raised an army, and the Sikhs, along with the Rajputs, took up arms against the Mughals. Their rebellion weakened Aurangzeb’s hold on India and marked the beginning of the demise of the Mughal Empire.
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