Saturday ( May 1) marks the 400th Prakash Purab (birth anniversary) of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of Sikhism. He is known for his supreme sacrifice and refusal to bow to tyranny and injustice.
Who was Guru Tegh Bahadur?
Guru Tegh Bahadur was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind, the sixth guru: Guru Hargobind had one daughter, Bibi Viro, and five sons: Baba Gurditta, Suraj Mal, Ani Rai, Atal Rai, and Tyaga Mal. Tyaga Mal was born in Amritsar in the early hours of 1 April 1621. He came to be known by the name Tegh Bahadur (Mighty of the Sword), given to him by Guru Hargobind after he had shown his valor in a battle against the Mughals.[11]
Amritsar at that time was the center of the Sikh faith. As the seat of the Sikh Gurus, and with its connection to Sikhs in far-flung areas of the country through the chains of Masands or missionaries, it had developed the characteristics of the state capital.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was brought up in Sikh culture and trained in archery and horsemanship. He was also taught the old classics such as the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Puranas. He preferred prolonged spells of seclusion and contemplation. Tegh Bahadur was married on 3 February 1633 to Mata Gujri.
Guru Tegh Bahadur sacrificed his life for the sake of people who did not even belong to his community. Every year on November 24, Sikhs celebrate Shaheedi Divas to remember Guru Tegh Bahadur and the day is observed as his Martyrdom Day.
The youngest son of Guru Hargobind, he was publicly killed in 1675 on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi for refusing to convert to Islam.
In Sikhism, his sacrifice is remembered with great reverence. In the words of Noel King of the University of California, “Guru Teg Bahadur’s martyrdom was the first-ever martyrdom for human rights in the world.”
Aurangzeb wanted to convert India into an Islamic nation, hence forcing the Hindus to convert to Islam else be ready to be executed. A delegation of 500 Kashmiri Pandits led by Pandit Kripa Ram went to seek help from Guru Tegh Bahadur at Anandpur Sahib ji.
On the insistence of his son who would eventually be known as Guru Gobind Singh, the ninth guru travelled to Delhi to dissuade Aurangzeb from this religious imposition. He sacrificed his life to protect religion, human values, ideals and principles. Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk marks the place of his execution.
