Torture of Sikh Women & kids by Mughals.
Brutality of ISIS is the copy of what Mughals did with Sikhs of Punjab [Warning: graphic images]
Stockton, California: The
history of Sikhism is closely associated with the history of Punjab and the
socio-political situation in medieval India. Sikhs distinction was further
enhanced by the establishment of the Khalsa, by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
Sikhism was created by Guru Nanak, a religious leader and a social reformer
during the fifteenth century in the Punjab region. The religious practice was
formalized by Guru Gobind Singh on 13 April 1699. The latter baptized five
persons from different social backgrounds to form
Khalsa.
The Mughal Empire was
founded by Babur, a Central Asian ruler who was descended from the Turko-Mongol
conqueror Timur on his father’s side and from Chagatai, the second son of the
Mongol ruler Genghis Khan, on his mother’s side. Ousted from his ancestral
domains in Central Asia, Babur turned to India to satisfy his ambitions. He
established himself in Kabul and then pushed steadily southward into India from
Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass. Babur’s forces occupied much of northern
India after his victory at Panipat in 1526. Generally Sikhism has had amicable
relations with other religions. However, during the Mughal rule of India
(1556–1707), the emerging religion had strained relation with the ruling
Mughals. Prominent Sikh Gurus were martyred by Mughals for opposing some Mughal
emperors’ persecution of Sikhs and Hindus. Subsequently, Sikhism militarized to
oppose Mughal hegemony and ended their rule in India.
ISIS and Mughals
What ISIS is doing is
the exact copy of what Mughals did against Sikh Gurus and followers of Sikhism
from 15th century to 18th century. Mughal Empire wanted whole India to be
converted to Islam religion. Hindus started converting to Muslim because of
fear. Watching hundreds of thousands conversion and the fear for their own life,
Hindu religious leaders came and asked for help from Sikh Gurus and his
followers. Sikh Gurus stepped up to protect freedom of religion (which was
unheard on any corner of the world at that time) and Mughals started the same
brutal war crime against Sikhs is exactly what Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
(ISIS) is doing today in 21st century.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji
Guru Arjan Devi ji was
put on hot plate by mughals and they poured hot sand on top of Sikh
Guru.
The Mughal emperor
Jahangir wrote in his autobiography Tuzk-e-Jahangiri that too many people were
becoming persuaded by Guru Arjan’s teachings and if he did not become a Muslim
the Sikh Panth had to be extinguished. HE ordered the Guru’s execution A
contemporary Jesuit account, written in early 17th century by Spanish Jesuit
missionary into the Mughal court Father Jerome Xavier (1542–1605), who was in
Lahore at the time, records that the Sikhs managed to get Jahangir to commute
the death sentence to a heavy fine, for which a rich individual, possibly a
Sikh, stood as guarantor. The Guru however refused to let a fine be paid for him
and even refused when a longtime friend of his, Sufi Sai Mian Mir, tried
interceding on his behalf. Jahangir tortured Guru Arjan in the hopes of
extracting the money, but the Guru refused to give the fine and was
executed.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji
Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib
ji before Beheading by Mughals
The Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb ordered Hindu temples to be destroyed and that idol worship was to be
stopped. He had a temple converted into a Mosque and slaughtered a cow inside
it. He also had Hindus sacked from their government jobs and employed Muslims
instead. Aurangzeb also ordered Gurdwaras to be destroyed, and he expelled many
missionaries from the main cities. Despite some resistance after many years of
persecution, people were being forced to take up Islam. Aurangzeb, being clever,
decided if he could convert the revered Brahmin Pandits of Kashmir that millions
of followers would then easily be converted. Threatened with conversion or
death, the Pandits overcome by panic, came in a delegation to Chakk Nanaki,
Pargana Kahlur and requested Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s help. Hearing the serious
nature of the conversation, Guru Ji’s 9 year old son Gobind Rai Ji told his
father what the problem was. The Guru told his son of the Pandits dilemma and
said that it would take a holy man literally laying down his life to intercede.
Gobind Rai responded “Who would be better than you to defend the poor Brahmins”.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji decided to stand up for the right of freedom of worship and
told the delegation to tell Aurangzeb that if he could convert Guru Tegh Bahadur
they would gladly convert.
Four days later Guru
Tegh Bahadur ji was arrested, along with some of his followers, Bhai Dayala,
Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das by Nur Muhammad Khan.
After Mati Das, Dyal
Das and Sati Das were tortured and executed on three consecutive days, Guru Tegh
Bahadur was beheaded at Chandni Chowk in 1675. Guru Tegh Bahadur is popularly
known as “Hind Di Chadar” i.e. “The Shield of India”, in reference to his
popular image as sacrificing his life for the protection of religious freedom in
India.
Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das & Bhai Dayala
Bhai Sati Das was
wrapped up in cotton wool, set alight and was roasted alive. He remained calm
and peaceful and kept uttering Waheguru, waheguru, waheguru (Sikh meditation).
His martyrdom is remembered by the Sikhs in their daily prayers. This happened
on 24 November 1675, on the same day as Bhai Mati Das was
executed.
Sawed, Burned and
Boiled Alive – Bhai Dayala, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati
Das.
Mati Das while
standing erect was tied between two posts. He was asked if he had any parting
words, to which Mati Das answered, “I request only that my head be turned toward
my Guru as I am executed.” Two executioners placed a double-handed saw on his
head. Mati Das serenely uttered “Ek Onkar” and started reciting the Japji Sahib,
the great morning prayer of the Sikhs. He was sawn in half from head to loins.
It is said that even as the body was being sawn into two, the Japji continued to
reverberate from each part until it was all over.
Qazi pronounced his
religious order that Bhai
Dayala must either accept
Islam or be prepared to embrace death by being boiled in a Cauldron. Bhai Dayal
was asked for a final time if he would leave his faith and embrace Islam. Bhai
sahib defiantly and consistently answered, “No!” to the qazi’s repeated
requests. This infuriated the qazi who pronunced his immediate torture and
death. The executioners sat Bhai Sahib in the cauldron of water under which a
large fire was lit. Slowly the water was let warm; then it was hot; soon it was
too hot and then it was boiling. Bhai Dayala continued to his last breath to
recite Sikh prayers.
Bhai Taru Singh
Ji
After a short period of
imprisonment and torture, Bhai Taru Singh ji was brought by Mughals before
Lahore Governor Zakariya Khan and given the choice of converting to Islam or
being executed. Taru Singh calmly asked, “Why must I become a Mussalman (a
Muslim person)? Do not the Mussalmans ever die?” Upon his refusal, and in a
public display, Bhai Taru Singh’s scalp was cut away from his skull with a sharp
knife to prevent his hair from ever growing back. Bahi Taru Singh ji was left to
bleed to his death by Mughals.
Mass torture and persecution of Sikhs
Zakariya Khan was the
Mughal governor of Lahore, now in Pakistan. He had taken part in the Mughal
Empire’s operations against the Sikh leader Banda Singh Bahadur. After the
capture of Banda Singh and his companions in December 1715, he escorted the
prisoners to Delhi, rounding up Sikhs that he could find in villages along the
route. As he reached the Mughal capital, the caravan comprised seven hundred
bullock carts full of severed heads and over seven hundred captives. He ordered
village officials to capture Sikhs and hand them over for execution. A graded
scale of rewards was laid down – a blanket for cutting off a Sikh’s hair; ten
rupees for information about the whereabouts of a Sikh; fifty rupees for a Sikh
scalp. Plunder of Sikh homes was made lawful; giving shelter to Sikhs or
withholding information about their movements was made a capital
offense.
From top left: Mughal
army returning with Sikh heads on spike to claim reward. Top right: Sikhs
getting butchered for refusing to convert to Islam. Bottom Left: Mughal ruler
giving rewards for killing Sikhs. Bottom right: Non-Soldier Muslims (Mughals
Sympathizer) killing Sikhs .
Zakariya Khan’s police,
consisting of nearly 20,000 men especially recruited for this purpose, scoured
the countryside and brought back hundreds of Sikhs in chains. Prominent Sikhs
including the revered Bhai Mani Singh and Bhai Tariff Singh were, after the
severest of torments, publicly beheaded at the Nakhas, the horse-market of
Lahore, renamed by Sikhs “Shahidganj” in honour of the martyrs. Yet Zakariya
Khan remained unsuccessful in his object of vanquishing the Sikhs. He died at
Lahore on 1 July 1745 a dispirited man, bequeathing to his sons and successors
chaos and confusion.
Torture on Sikh Women & Kids
The Sikh women held as prisoners in Mir Mannu’s Jail (1748-1753)
who endured the pain of having their children murdered and made into garlands
around their necks but did not sacrifice their faith. During 18th century Sikh
women were arrested and endured torture in Mir Mannu’s Jail in Lahore, they
chanted: “ਮਨੂੰ ਸਾਡੀ ਦਾਤਰੀ ਅਸੀਂ ਮਨੂੰ ਦੇ ਸੋਏ || ਜਿਉਂ ਜਿਉਂ ਮਨੂੰ ਵਢਦਾ ਅਸੀਂ ਦੂਣ ਸਵਾਏ
ਹੋਏ || (We are the grass, and Mannu the sickle (grass-cutting blade); The more
he cuts us, the more we grow.)”Share this:
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Posted by: "Dr. Jagan Kaul"
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