Sikh Evolution to Revolution

Sikh flag Flying high at ‘’Red fort’’ Delhi, seat of the mighty Mughal Empire, March 1783

Copyright © 2024 Mohindra S Chowdhry

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Cover artwork with kind courtesy of

Mr. Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa,

DC Nawashhr, IAS, Punjab, India.

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Dedication

Sikh Evolution to Revolution is dedicated to brave Sikh women. They were the real spirit of the Sikh evolution, who kept the torch burning and carried the Sikh Revolution to its apex. From Kitchen to the plough, on to the battlefield and from the womb, the cubs trained as lions and lionesses for the next generations of ‘Saint Soldiers’.

They were the ones who fulfilled the prophecies of the 10th Nanak Guru Gobind Singh, my sparrow will hunt down the mighty Hawk. It was true then, it is true now and will be true in the future, as long as they follow the path paved by Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Nanak.

Campbell observed and wrote about his experience:

‘Women are a good deal to the front in Punjab countries. They are capital workers, sometimes not without education and often insist upon a voice in the family businesses. There was no infanticide among the Jats. For in truth a Jat girl was a valuable possession, useful to her possessors, and readily paid for when taken in marriage. I cannot conceive why anyone should want to do away with such women.

A Jat girl was considered strong physically and mentally, in courage and bravery on a par with the man/husband. Those qualities found were common among the Khataranes and the Punjabi girls, especially those who were baptised Sikh females. The baptism electrified them and converted the future generations into the pride of Lions and Lionesses. No evolution can convert into a revolution without the full cooperation and participation of women; in fact, they are the ones to provide continuity (Guru Nanak).

Rebellion against tyranny is obedience to God.

Benjamin Franklin.

Contents

Preface

Introduction

1.Guru Gobind Singh

2.Baba Banda Singh Bahadur

3.1716 Onwards: The Sikhs in Hideouts Lay the Foundations of Triumph

4.Guerrilla Warfare in the Early Eighteenth Century

5.Misls of Southern Punjab

6.Sikh Misls in North and West Punjab

7.The Sikh Women

8.Death of an Idea

Preface

Punjab is the most fertile land on earth and it had become a pastime to invade it, for most of the neighbouring countries from the North western borders of India. In the absence of any cohesive national spirit, the borders were neglected, as if there was no master to mind its national security. This served as an open invitation to the invaders who acted accordingly; it changed the entire Punjab into predator land. The invaders then went on to Delhi, the seat of the mighty Mughal Empire, with maximum speed, as if it were plain sailing and an easy prey. The invaders entered the country of Punjab at their free will, as and when it suited them. The foreign beggars who styled themselves as Alexanders of the East were after the loot and plunder; they became kings, while the affluent Punjabis who did not leave for the sanctuaries of mountains and the far-off hills were left destitute and the neglected poor.

Suddenly in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Nanak of the Sikhs, baptised Sikhs and infused in them a brave spirit, out of which Khalsa was born, a collective fighting force, Khalsa which was ready to stand up for human rights, not only for themselves, but others too. The Khalsa formed itself as inclusive and democratic. This baptism electrified them to challenge the mighty Mughal Empire and within less than one hundred years they uprooted the Mughals not only from Punjab but from the rest of India. Sikhs gave hope to the Panjabis. Now the spirit woke up, the future sparked and intertwined destiny and faith. Guru Gobind Singh taught the Sikhs that there is no Hope without action.

At one time, the Khalsa (Sikhs) were being hunted with a price tag on their heads; killing a Sikh on sight and plundering a Sikh’s home, were both lawful. They were being hunted down in their own homeland by foreign rulers. The Khalsa took a 360 degree turn, and the hunted turned into a hunter. The foreign hunter, after being on top for more than eight hundred years, was now being suddenly hunted, and never regained his title back from the real Lions. This confused the old hunters; the Sikhs cut off their claws and broke their teeth and only the growl was left at which Sikhs used to laugh and occasionally played with them as a cat would with a mouse, in the form of guerrilla warfare; a favourite among Sikh revolutionaries which rendered the invaders completely helpless and utterly frustrated. Khalsa hit and run, come back to hit again, this was their battle strategy, and by not giving battle to the enemy at their terms, proved fatal and disordered the enemy; the hunted became a hunter. The Khalsa believed that

‘There is no hope; it is only what you do’. This was and is the most important directing principle of Sikhism.

The tales of such daring adventures began to shape the character of the Panjabi nation which attracted the young generation, especially between the ages of 16 to 25 years, who were so eager to join this revolution, many even sold off their possessions to join. Then they could own a horse, a matchlock, a sword, a spear or even a sickle but above all they had full faith in Guru Gobind Singh’s teachings and they all swarmed to join the revolution. Young men began to join the Khalsa and were told to grow beards and hair and train themselves to ride, learn swordsmanship with archery. Unill they were perfect in the art of warfare, ready to share in the campaigns, they served in the Sikh camps in every capacity and were treated equal in status, which cemented the bond of Sikh brotherhood.

Budha Dal consisted of six Misls. They operated from the rivers Beas to Ganga. Their main aim was to strike at Delhi (the seat of the Mughal Empire). In total there were about 50,000 men. They attacked the province of Delhi and Ganga Doab some four times a year. This was a regular occurrence from 1764 to 1803. One Dictator of the Mughal Empire and hero of the third battle of Panipat, Najib-ud-daulah, was so humiliated by them, he submitted his resignation of his office and without waiting for its acceptance retired to Najibabad and died a few months later in October 1770. His son Zabita Khan saved himself by publically embracing Sikhism under the name of Dharam Singh in 1777. Zabita’s son Bhambu Khan and his mother remained Sikh pensioners from 1788 to 1803.

Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor, offered Baghel Singh the leadership of Ganga Doab, but he declined to do so and instead was happy to build Gurdwaras in Delhi, while in charge of Delhi for nine months. It was common knowledge that if the Sikhs accepted the Mughal emperor’s offer, there was nothing standing in between the Sikhs and the Mughal crown, but this revolution was not all about the Sikhs or the Crown.

Taruna Dal comprised of five Misls. This Dal operated from the river Beas to the Indus, inhabited mostly by a Muslim brotherhood. This area of western Punjab and Kashmir was predominately Muslim well before Sikhism began to take its roots. These prehistoric warring clans were in alignment with invaders most of the time, either Durranis or Afghan invaders. Ahmad Shah Abdali was very successful against the Marathas. He was successful only once against the Sikhs and to me that was not even a decisive victory. During his next two invasions he remained defensive. During his next three invasions, because of the Sikhs he could not even cross the river Jehlum. He was helpless against the Sikhs, even secretly afraid, but acted as mighty since they say that, ‘a snake must always pretend to be poisonous’. After his death in 1772, this also stopped.

His son Timur Shah Abdali attacked Punjab five times. He did capture Multan from the Sikhs but he was never able to reach Lahore. His son Shah Zaman attacked four times and twice reached Lahore. Entire Muslim India and Hindu Rajasthan celebrated and hailed him as a liberator since all of them were extremely tired of the Mughal’s tyrannical rule. The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II offered him money and princesses. They could not meet due to the fact that Mughals were powerless to travel beyond Panipat and the Shah Zaman beyond Amritsar. The Phulkian states did not join the Sikh War of Independence. They remained loyal both to Delhi and the invaders from the north (Kandahar-Kabul) but only occasionally helped the Sikh movement, of which they themselves were the product. Yet, they got all the help from the Sikh brotherhood in the expansion of their power and territories.

The Sikh revolution, inspired by the hardcore principals of devotion to humanity and human rights, did not bind anyone to conversion, but they were bound by strict rules of behaviour, as if they were ‘Saints’, and the Sikh armies under the Misls were labelled as ‘Sant Sepohy’. During the period of Misl rule in Punjab (from the Indus to Ganges) most of the Islamic laws were retained, as operated by the Mughals and the Afghans, and hardly any death sentences were awarded to anybody, which of course was followed by Ranjit Singh much later on.

Of the people who rose on the ruins of the Mughals, the Sikhs were the most daring and distinguished. Their struggle against the enemies of their faith and the country Punjab was marked by their overwhelming capacity to fight, with astonishing energy and stubborn perseverance, unprecedented sacrifices, and unquestioning faith in their destination. And all predicted and instilled by Guru Gobind Singh and the brilliancy.

The Punjabi character is the result of Aryan migration, which dates back to almost 5000 years this genetic base was also spiced by other nomadic tribes from trans-central Asia. But it is very sad that we Sikhs have not been able to get rid off an abnormal degree of individual spirit of freedom, which is inherent in the Khalsa brotherhood. The spirit of faction among us is the inheritance from tribal instinct. The combination of those two factors changed the Sikh Misls into warring factions among themselves especially when they were not threatened by the foreign invaders or the enemies of their faith.

A similar instinct was inherited by Ranjit Singh who is discussed in the second half of the book. He rose to power in the later part of the eighteenth century. As soon as the danger from foreign aggressors diminished from the North West, he turned against the Sikh Misls who had helped him to succeed in the first place, and had placed him in that mighty position. He soon wiped out the centuries old Sikh nobility within a short period of time and styled himself a monarch, thus killing off any new revolutionary idea of democratic federation, instead reversing the clock back to a hereditary system based on the divine rights of the king. In his kingdom, only Ahluwalias were saved by the British, the rest all were mown down like hay, with crooked manipulations. This was not only an error but an unfortunate blunder. The old guards were true Sikhs and they would have been the pillars of a Sikh Federation, or call it a Sikh state, based on democratic principles, which was not alien to Sikh brotherhood. The new nobility created by the Maharaja had nothing to do with Sikhism.

Banda Singh Bahadur built the first Sikh state in four years from Ravi to Ganga, but in only six months the Sikhs themselves are responsible for its destruction. Baghel Singh Karora Singhia controlled Delhi for nine months, the Emperor’s three offers to assist him further fell on deaf ears and the Sikhs refused.

The Misls ruled over the whole of Punjab, Jammu, Himachal, Ganga Doab and Haryana, Ranjit Singh ruled over 40 years but only in six years, Sikhs themselves destroyed through anarchy and internal rivalries. Today, Sikhs reside in almost every Democratic country in the world and now there is another chance to educate them to reach the top, through hard work and perseverance, which are inherent qualities, and with full faith in their destiny, the entire Globe is their oyster.

Punjab was the birthplace of our ancestors; our Punjab is the entire Globe. Sikhism is based on Democratic principles. Whilst my readers are encouraged to make up their own minds, my narrative is guided by my views and there is always room for discussion. This is my story, based on my research.

Introduction

The seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were a time of revolutionary ferment. This story is about the Punjab, in the north west of the Indian subcontinent, but the ideas and desires emanating from the Sikh gurus and their peoples were the same as those stirring the

Haitians, as they overthrew those who enslaved them, and the colonists of the U.S. in their struggle for representation, and the dispossessed of France who struggled against the arrogance of those who ruled them. So this may be a local story, but it is of universal significance. And it is topical, it is relevant today. The struggle against those who would impoverish their neighbour, who would disenfranchise them, who would end their lives for profit, continues today in every corner of the world.

Let me first tell you about Punjab, what a wonderfully rich area it was, but how cruelly used by men of violence in the century before Guru Nanak appeared. I don’t have to describe the Punjab in detail to my readers; this has been done before by many great authors, but suffice it to say that the Punjab is a distinct geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in the north of the Indian subcontinent, blessed with those most important of natural resources, plentiful water and good soils. You probably know that the Punjab was divided by the British between India and Pakistan in 1947, but if we look at it as a whole, as it has been for millennia, then I can tell you that today it has a population of about 140 million people and an area of 250 thousand square kilometres, twice the size of England.

Sikhs had recently appeared on the Indian continent in the normal course of a faith-based evolution. What is interesting is that the Sikhs appeared at the same time as Babur crossed the Khyber Pass from Afghanistan and invaded the Punjab, and the Mughal Empire was created. As time ticked by, the Sikhs and their Guides (their Gurus) made the course corrections and adjustments of evolutionary revolution as befitted their historical, political and social environment. Baba Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, and originally from very humble surroundings, began to spread his message of love with God; God is always present and there is only one God. You do not need extensive ceremonies to remember him. There is one God for all of creation and everyone is equal. Sikhism began in a tiny village of the Punjab in the fifteenth century, yet the twenty-first century finds it on the global stage. This progress has been achieved through concerted efforts, through sacrifices, martyrdom, opposition to tyranny and to forced conversions and standing up for basic human rights and equality. This is allied with a belief in the brotherhood of man and the resolve not to oppose any particular religion, especially Islam.

Some writers have argued that in the past, the Hindu religion, with its passive approach, made people weak, while the rulers participated in expensive religious rituals. Perhaps they neglected their state duties and instead of protecting their country and people, they ignored state security completely, diverting all available energy to building expensive temples, leaving themselves devoid of any cohesive plans to defend the country from the hordes at north western borders. Thus the Hindus were undermined and weakened over a prolonged period in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. When faced with life’s problems they retired into the jungles, up into the hills, into religious temples while renouncing the world. This was an open invitation for the invaders from the North West, greedy and aggressive neighbours. The result was not good for India; the Hindus were defeated almost every time from an aspirant invader. There is saying in Punjabi, when a

Pigeon sees a cat,

The pigeon closes its eyes,

Cat cannot see him,

Easy meal for a Cat.

The fighting spirit had died, the future seemed to be a dead end, the ancient stories of Hindu bravado and valour were nothing but forgotten history. Tough Rajputs, bravest of the brave, fought heroically, but were repulsed having lost to the invaders. They found shelter in the desert of Rajasthan and in the Himalayas. There is no reason to believe that the invaders were stronger or that they were made of iron while the Hindus were made of clay, the simple fact was that the Hindus were not united, they only fought for individual glory, they never came together to fight as one body.

Punjab had the longest periods of Muslim invasions and rule. About 450 years before Nanak, Punjab had become an important part of the Muslim state which extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific. From the end of the 10th century up to Nanak’s times, India endured almost sixty invasions from the North West, around one every eight years. The main highway to Delhi and Ganga Valley passes through Punjab, the greatest impact fell on Punjabi people and Punjabi soil. The invaders were systematically cruel, ruling through fear and showing no mercy to anyone, even their own Muslim Brotherhood.

Around eighty years after the death of Prophet Mohammad, the entire area of Afghanistan, Baluchistan, North-west frontier provinces, West Punjab, Sind and Bangla Desh, which had formerly been Buddhist, had become Muslim.

Muslims believed that they would convert the rest of India, but the wit, wisdom and vitality of Brahmans saved the Hindus. Over a period of eight hundred years the Muslims employed many strategies, tactics and incentives with very little success. All those stories about Muslim vindictive atrocities used for conversion do not sit well with me; surely something is missing from this version of history. Eight hundred years seems enough time to accomplish a task to which one is seriously dedicated. To my mind the invaders would have done better had they gained educated Hindu cooperation in running revenue and other civil service departments. Most of the Indian converts were from the lower caste, lacking in education, but capable of performing reasonably well in the lower police and military ranks.

Other civilizations such as the Grecian, Egyptian and Roman, had limited life-spans, but Hindus endured, they did not vanish despite centuries of aggression. This may be due to the inherent and invigorating power of Hinduism. Hinduism still lives in the spirit, mind and heart of those who separated from Hindustan (India) long ago and formed their own countries. It lives in the form of culture and customs, invisible but still there and deep rooted.

Timur Invades 1398-1399

Timur, from central Asia, invaded India 70 years before Nanak was born. He crossed the river Indus at Attock in September 1398. Attock is where military and trade routes through the Khyber Pass and into Afghanistan cross the Indus. Alexander the Great and Nader Shah also crossed the Indus at or about this spot in their respective invasions of India. Timur marched alongside the river Jhelum and crossed Chenab at Multan, which was plundered and burned to ruins. Dipalpur, Pakpattan, Bhatner, Sirsa, Fatahabad and Hissar were ruined. They say no Hindu was left standing. Men were taken prisoners and sold as slaves, women raped and used for menial jobs, others were beheaded and some were taken away. The towns of Samana, Kaithal and Panipat suffered the same fate. Near Delhi (Loni) nearly one hundred thousand Hindu men, women and children were kept as prisoners and then cold bloodedly butchered. Timur proudly claimed every soldier of his killed at least 50 to hundred 100 Hindus of Haryana. Meerut, Muzzaffarnagar, Hardwar, Saharanpur, Jagadhari, Jawalamukhi, Kangra and Jammu were all razed to the ground before he turned back in March 1399. (Tuzuk-i-e-timuri, E & D, 111, 389-477)

Jasrath, Ali and Faulad (1400-1450)

After Timur left India, there was no peace to be had in Punjab for fifty years as three most dangerous and notorious leaders created havoc. Jasrath Khokhar of Jehlum was the terror of west Punjab. He was bold enough to attack Timur’s troops. He was captured and taken to Samarkand by Timur but he escaped, returned to Punjab, wreaked havoc yet again and brought the country to ruins just as Timur had done. The big cities such as Lahore, Dipalpur, Kalanaur, Jallandhar, and Sarhind lay destroyed and empty. Jasrath was murdered by one of his wives in 1424. Mubarak Shah was the ruler at Delhi from 1421 to 1434. His biographer, Yahiya of Sarhind, in Tarikh-e-Mubarakshahi, writes that Lahore was ruined to such an extent that it had become purely an abode of owls. Sheikh Ali of Kabul followed Jasrath’s footsteps. For ten years he continuously sacked areas as far as the Jullundur Doab. This affected the lives of every person residing in this area and perhaps beyond. Faulad Turkbachacha of Bhatinda established himself at Sarhind and sacked the entire cis-sutlej region, according to W.H.McLeod (‘Guru Nanak and the Sikh Religion, 4’). This devastation was later remedied by the two Lodi Kings, Bahlol Lodi (1451-1489) and Sikandar Lodi (1489-1517).

The story of the Sikhs begins!

Guru Nanak lived from 1469-1539. During these 70 years he saw five different rulers, from Bahlol Lodi to Humayun, the second Mughal king. Ibrahim Lodi, son of Sikandar Lodi, succeeded to the throne of north India in 1517. He was cruel to both Hindus and the Muslims, which sickened Daulat Lodi of Punjab, who no longer wanted to be Ibrahim’s ally. This was the reason behind Daulat’s invitation to Babur the Mughal, asking him to invade India and bring an end the Lodi rule. Babur’s first invasion was in 1518, when he took Kohat, Banghash and Bannu in the North West.

His second invasion in 1519 saw him crossing the Indus at Nilab, 80 Kms. south of Attock and concentrating his effort in Sindh. He seized Bajaur, Jehlum, Bhera, Khushab and Chiniot the salt range (see Tuzk-e-Babri, 4, 231). Babur’s third Invasion, 1520-21, came to the notice of Baba Nanak. Baba Nanak had visited the holy places of Baghdad, Mecca and Medina, been recognised as a holy saint and given the title Haji, a great honour for a Hindu. Over the winter 1520-21 he returned, travelling through Khurasan, Afghanistan, Hirat, Kandhar, Ghazni, Kabul, Jalalabad, Khaibar Pass, Peshawar and Attock. During his travels he realised that Babur the Mughal was getting ready to attack India again. By this time he was well known and equally esteemed by both Hindus and Muslims. He stopped at Hasan Abdal where people were eager to pay their respects. A historic Gurdwara has been established at this holy city in memory of his visit. This place is also known as ‘Panja Sahib’, because an imprint of his hand remains on a stone there. He travelled through Jhelum, Gujrat and Wazirabad, stopping at Sayyadpur,to meet one of his very good friends, Bhi Lalo. Bhi Lalo told him about the brutality of the Lodis, their officials and other Pathans.

Guru Nanak told Bhi Lalo the Lodi domination would soon be at an end, as Babur the Mughal was coming to root out the dynasty. Guru Nanak was still at Sayyadpur when Babur attacked.

Babur had already occupied Sind Sagar Doab during a previous invasion, now he took Gujrat and Sialkot in the Chaj and Rachna Doabs, stopping at Sayyadpur on his way to Lahore.

The City of Sayyadpur was predominantly inhabited by Hindu land owners and traders. In an attempt to save their honour, property and lives, the inhabitants offered considerable resistance. Angered, Babur ordered a general massacre to teach all who resisted him a lesson. Such wrath was often used to demonstrate the futility of resistance and encourage life saving early surrender. A general slaughter didn’t only eliminate people; animals including horses and cattle were slaughtered too. Religion, gender and age were no safeguard, Hindus, Muslims and members of other religions of all ages and both gender were killed indiscriminately, whether or not they supported the invader. The fear of such ferocity went before them, even the mightiest surrendered and rulers who believed they had great protection around their countries surrendered unconditionally. Pyramids of dead bodies were erected at important points in the big towns. It’s possible that slaughters of such scale did ultimately save life since it created fear

But back to our narrative. Sayyadpur, which was later on renamed Eminabad, was plundered and burnt down, older people who did not resist were set to grind grain and cook for his soldiers, the younger women were reduced to slavery. Guru Nanak and Lalo were forced to carry the loot on their heads to the army camp and then put to grind the corn in a jail (ref. Gurbachan Singh Talib, Guru Nanak, 1969, 91). Babur treated people extremely miserably especially the women folk, their heads were shaven and dirt was thrown on them. They had to wear dirty clothes and beg on the road sides without shelter or protection from predators. Some of them were lost forever. Women of all origins were raped indiscriminately. This broke the heart of Baba Nanak. However neither Ibrahim Lodi, emperor of north India, nor Daulat khan Lodi, Governor of Lahore, interfered. Daulat Khan was planning to become emperor himself with help of Babur. He sent secret messages to Babur, prompting him to attack and plunder India and help Daulat Khan to secure the Throne of Delhi. After establishing himself in West Punjab, Babur returned to Kabul.

The First Guru of Sikhs meets the First Mughal King, the future Emperor of India

While Guru Nanak was in the jail at Eminabad, Babur’s officials noticed something special about him, his reputation as Haji also gave him added esteem. They informed Babur about Nanak and advised him to meet this Devine personality. A meeting was arranged. Babur was always keen to meet holy saints and cherished moments of Divine exchanges. During the meeting, Baba Nanak told Babur that he was not a just king; he was cruel to his people when a king’s duty is to safeguard his people and act like a father to his children. It was probably a very long time since anybody dared to talk to him in such a bold manner. Babur admired such a fearless unselfish, direct address. They discussed God, how the universe works and the way nature operates. Baba Nanak maintained there is only one God, all humanity stems from Him, He was always there, will always be there. God lives in every human being, as He is in every creation.

Babur had never met anyone like Nanak before, and he completely surrendered to him. After the meeting Babur said Nanak was free to go and he, Babur, would give Nanak anything he asked for. Baba Nanak replied there was nothing he wanted from Babur, the offer of freedom for him alone was unacceptable. Curious, Babur asked, Why my holy Sir? Baba Nanak replied, first, free those innocents you have put in prison. He made no distinction between Hindus, Muslims, men, women or children. Then restore their possessions which have been taken unlawfully. Sikh historical records tell us Babur granted Baba Nanak’s wishes.

This meeting between the first Guru of Sikhism and the First future Mughal emperor established a fearless, confrontational style for Sikhism to carry forward, viz: Sikhism was ready to raise its voice against injustice in an age when most people behaved sycophantically to their superiors, and especially towards an autocratic Emperor.

Sikh Gurus began to play a positive role in mainstream community and politics, where their presence mattered. Because of this positive policy Sikhism made progress without much opposition. This direct connection with the future Emperor elevated Baba Nanak, people began to focus on him and listen to what he was preaching about Sikhism. The Sikh Gurus so impressed the Mughal hierarchy, including the emperors, that they paid special attention to them. Thus, the doctrines of the Sikh faith, which paralleled Islam in many ways, influenced the way of life and proved beneficial to the state.

In 1524, Babur came to India again, reaching Lahore without any real opposition. He annexed Punjab as far as Satluj. Mir Abdul Aziz was appointed Governor of Punjab, Sialkot was given to Khusarau Gokultash, and Babur returned to Kabul. Because of further political unrest, Babur attacked India again in 1526. He defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the Emperor of northern India, in the first battle of Panipat, and took the throne of Delhi. He was the first ruler of the Mughal dynasty.

So began Sikhism’s love-hate relationship with the Mughal rulers of India. Sikhism was not established to oppose any particular religion, political ideology or to set up a complete new philosophy of any kind, Sikhism asserted that all humanity is equal and we are all born equal, which brought it into conflict with the oppressors of the people. Sikhs believe in one God, but they do not disrespect other religions, instead they perceive the parallels between them.

There is only one God and He lives in our hearts

No one is superior to the others by Birth

No caste is better than the other

You are judged by what you do, not what you say.

Think well, do good, give good and receive good.

God is present in every creation.

During the reign of Ibrahim Lodi (defeated by Babur in 1526), society was completely corrupt. Guru Nanak writes: ‘ there is no one who receiveth or giveth no bribe. The king administers justice only when his palm is greased (Macauliffe, 1, 5). He adds:

Sin is the king, Greed the minister, Falsehood the mint master,

And Lust the deputy to take counsel with.

They sit and confer together,

The blind subjects, out of ignorance, pay homage like dead men

(Rag Asa, Adi Granth, 36)

On the fall of Lodi Kingdom, Guru Nanak wrote: -

A Kingdom that was a jewel, was wasted by the dogs

No one will mourn their passing.

Praise, praise be to God who bringeth people together and divideth them also

(Ref. K.M. Ashraf, life and conditions of the people of the Hindustan, 23).

Social Conditions during the 16th Century

During the period of Nanak, and the Lodi/ Mughal era, social conditions did not differ greatly from those of centuries past. There was very little progress. Hindu society was based on four classes, Brahmans for learning, Kshariyas for defence, Vaishas for trade and commerce requiring some education and also for providing physically strong people into agriculture, Shudras for all lesser manual work. When these divisions were first conceived they ensured everybody knew his place and they enabled the community to work in harmony. Over hundreds of years the system failed to change or adapt, imprisoning caste members in their allotted place.

This rigid adherence to the caste system made the Hindus an increasingly orthodox people. Even their Muslim masters were considered mlechhas (untouchables) and completely boycotted in social events and daily life as far as possible. Preserving their religion and caste system demanded a way of life without the prospect of change or advancement.

Alberuni’s observations about Hindu society made in the tenth century were available during Nanak’s time. Alberuni wrote: ‘According to their belief, there is no other country on earth but theirs, no other race of man but theirs and no created beings besides them have any knowledge or science whatsoever. Had they travelled and mixed with other nations, they might have thought and developed differently, for their ancestors were not as narrow- minded as the present generation. Knowledge of the Veda, the Hindu holy book, is dictated by the caste system. Brahamins have the superior position, they teach Veda to the Kshariyas. Kshariyas may learn from the Veda but are not allowed to teach it. The Vaisya and Sudra are not allowed to hear it, pronounce the words or recite it. If such a thing can be proved against them, the Brahmins drag him before the magistrate, and he is punished by having his tongue cut off ‘.

The Brahmans were the scholars in Hindu society. Alberuni reports the scholars declined to discuss literature or science with him because he was considered low class. Anything he touched was cast away without any attempt to purify and recover it. ‘Hindus eat singly, one by one on a table cloth of dung’. This is in reference to Chuka in the kitchen, which was plastered with cow- dung every morning. The men adopted womanly dress and behaviour, they wore jewellery, removed their turbans which they then tied round themselves as a Dhoti (loin cloth). They threw away their trousers, grew long nails, made their lips red by chewing the betel-leaves and nuts with lime, used cosmetics, earrings, arm-rings, golden seal rings even on toes of the feet. They married young and the marriages were arranged by the parents. Husband and wife could only be separated by death. In those days there was no divorce system, if a husband died first, the wife would often sacrifice her life by way of ‘suttee’. Widows were not allowed to remarry and expected to lead a life of misery. It was usual for a child to inherit his mother’s caste, therefore her place in life. It was obligatory to give alms every day, which led to temples amassing great wealth and made them a constant attraction to plundering invaders.

It could be said that a false sense of superiority led to India’s seclusion and isolation. The combination of a lack of patriotism and nationalism, absolute neglect of the country’s frontiers and passes, enormous accumulation of wealth in temples, and the increasingly effeminate character of the male population, reduced India to complacent inertia. Guru Nanak says the Muslim rulers and emperors were under pressure to get rid of idol worshippers, imposing a life of disgrace on those they couldn’t destroy, so their lives became a great burden. Sheikh Hamadani tells us there were many activities forbidden to Hindus, such as

•Building new temples

•Repairing old temples.

•Dressing like Muslims.

•Adopting Muslim Names.

•Riding horses with saddles and bridles.

•Possessing weapons such as swords and arrows for either defence or offence.

•Wearing rings and seals on their fingers.

•Selling or drinking intoxicating liquor openly

•Making changes to their old ways of dressing so that they are not easily recognised.

•Preaching their religion among Muslims.

•Building houses in Muslim neighbourhoods.

•Mourning their dead loudly

•Keeping Muslim servants or slaves.

•They must accept and not object to: -

•Muslim travellers staying at their temples.

•Keeping Muslim guests in their homes for three days.

•Their own people converting to Islam. Such people should not be despised.

•Hindus must: Show respect to Muslims.

•Allow Muslims to attend any of their own meetings or functions.

•If the Hindus did not obey these instructions, Muslims were free to seize members of their family and their property, and even to kill them.

(Tazkirat-ul-Muluk, de Bary, sources of Indian Tradition, 489-490)

The withdrawal of Government backing affected Hindu intellectual progression, this, in turn, curbed their literary creative capacity. Their elimination from political and administrative life paralysed their organisational and administrative abilities. Thus, the majority were driven to exist at the low end of the job market, becoming grass cutters, drawers of water and wood cutters. Muslim rule and its effect on Hindus were devastating, yet it was not an unusual relationship between a ruler and slave. However, the Sikh Gurus stood up and demanded justice and human rights for all. The position of women, which we cover in chapter four, was even worse.

Economic Conditions

We still have the record of Babur’s observations when he took over the throne of India (Ref. Leydon, Erskine & King, Memoirs of Babur, 11, 207-208, Tuzuk-i-e-Baburi, E&D, 4-5).

Five hundred years of unjust rule had brought the population to the breadline, the entire country was poor. There was no development of cities, towns or villages. The population was static instead of growing. Babur also remarked he found the people ugly. The jungles were heaven for outlaws and robbers. The plains were covered with thick brushwood. There was a general air of decay and deterioration. The Dutch traveller De Laet, writing in 1631, says that Lahore was just a village during the period of Pathan Kings. He says despite the fact that various rulers had established police posts the road from Lahore to Kabul was infested with Pathan outlaws, travellers were frequently robbed and no one was safe. Outlaws attacked and looted the city of Kabul in 1611 (Ref. The Empire of the Great Mogol, a translation of De Laaet’s Description of India and fragments of Indian history, translated by J.s. Hoyland, and annotated by S.N.Banerjee. 51, 55).

R.N. Cust describes the country near where Guru Nanak was born; saying the area of Talwandi was badly cultivated and covered with brushwood. This land was at the edge of the great jungle waste or Bar; there was much uncultivated land which occupied the vast space betwixt the Ravi and Chenab (extract from Sarjit Singh Bal, Guru Nanak in the eyes of Non-Sikhs, page 96). Babur noticed that the people were non progressive and backward, mainly occupied as revenue clerks, artisans, merchants and general workers. He also noted they were all Hindus who had learned their trade from their forefathers, generation after generation practising their inherited trade. The general public was without the charms endowed by friendly society, neither were they personally appealing. They did not mix freely. ‘They lack genius, possess no comprehension of mind, no politeness of manner, no kindness or fellow-feeling, no ingenuity or mechanical invention in planning or executing their handicraft works, no skill or knowledge in design or architecture’ ( Ref. Erskine and King, op.cit, 206-07, 241-242).

He found people in the villages completely poverty stricken. The lower classes mostly went naked apart from a loin cloth. In such a hot climate it might have been considered reasonable not to wear more than necessary, but Babur, who was from a colder climate, was shocked to see so many naked people. He did note that in the towns there were lamp lighters called divatis, perhaps showing some sort of organisation (Ref. Erskine and king, 241-242).

There was no security for either life or property. There was almost no communication between towns and villages, therefore agriculture, trade and cottage industries were restricted to serving local requirements. Money too was in short supply; therefore, trade was conducted through the barter system (Ref. Moreland, Agrarian system of Mughal India, 68-69).

When Guru Nanak was working for Daulat Khan Lodi at Sultanpur, he probably was paid in kind. It is evident that the population was small and demand not great, therefore the cost of living and the standard of living remained low. Politeness in relationships between Hindu and Muslim traders was reserved solely for business transactions. Though Hindus had lived under the Muslim rule for centuries, Hindus still regarded Muslims as untouchables.

Religious Conditions

At the time of Guru Nanak, relations between religions were difficult in the north. This is a complex situation, but, in my own view, religion on the sub-continent has been the cause of all misery through the centuries even till now. Brahmans did not teach their true religion to the Hindus, as a result of which, Hindus fell into superstition and materialism and great emphasis was given to the Caste system, the ways of eating, bathing and listening to Kathas. With more superstition than education, people began to worship various different gods, not God.

Almost every village worshipped a different deity. They worshipped cows, buffaloes, monkeys, tombs, trees, snakes and stones, often regarding these things as saviours and protectors. Every new temple had a different deity and people built their own temples at home. Superstition and ignorance prevented progress for centuries. Both people and the state ceased to focus on essential issues.

Hindus made no coherent effort to formulate a policy either to bring them out of the oppression of Islam, or adapt to Islam, before or after Nanak. When it suited the Hindu Rajputs, or other martial races, they changed sides, acting solely for themselves, not in the interests of the entire country or even for the Hindu fraternity. There was neither national affinity nor a desire to cooperate. They opposed the Islamic ideology as and when it suited them, which seems a criminal policy. Occasionally, Hindus protested against their Muslim masters, plundering and setting fire to a few Muslim owned properties but their aggression subsided when they had to face Mughal forces. The Mughals were shrewd enough to realise that the minority was ruling the extensive majority, neither side making any real effort to free themselves of each other. Sikhism adopted an entirely different stance towards the changing environment.

Guru Nanak began the task of reconciling the differing views by speaking out about ills in both Hindu and Muslim society, conditions which no one apart from Brahmans and Mullahs had opposed before. The ‘Sikh Gurus achieved a good rapport with powerful people such as the Emperor. Guru Nanak was considered a saint and, even though he included the wrongs attributed to the rulers of the day when he spoke out, nobody took offence. The majority found truth in his preaching. There again, the Mullahs and the Brahmins did whatever was needful to keep their own positions safe. The emperors eventually began to buckle under pressure from the Islamic elite, gradually society began to change, and confrontations led to a final showdown.

Sikandar Lodi was born of a Hindu mother but when he became the Emperor, he proved even harder than his father Bahlol Lodi. Sikandar killed all Hindu pilgrims gathered at Thanesar to dip in a holy sacred Tank. Abdullah, historian of Sikandar, writes, ‘He was so obsessive a Muslim that he utterly destroyed diverse places of worship of the infidels, and left not a single trace of them’. He destroyed places of worship of Mathura, the mine of heathenism, turned their Hindu places of worship and other facilities into butcher houses and all their idols were destroyed or buried. All the Hindus were told not to dress the way Muslims did. In Punjab he destroyed most famous temples such as Jawalamukhi and Kangra, the idols given