Sixth Guru-Guru Hargobind Ji (1595-1644)
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| Introduction Guru Nanak Dev Guru Angad Dev Guru Amar Das Guru Ram Das Guru Arjan Dev Guru Har Rai Guru Harkishan Guru Tegh Bahadur Guru Gobind Singh |
Guru Hargobind was born at Wadali village in June 1595 and was the only child of Guru Arjan Dev. He was invested with the Guruship on May 25, 1606 just days before his fathers martyrdom. From a young age he was educated in the sciences, sports and religion as his father had insisted. Baba Buddha was responsible for overseeing the Guru's religious teachings. During the Guruship ceremony Guru Hargobind respectfully declined to wear the Seli (woolen cord worn on the head) which had been passed down on each successive Guru since Guru Nanak. Instead the Guru asked for a sword. Baba Buddha, never having handled a sword before, placed it on the wrong side of the Guru. Guru Hargobind noticing this, asked for another sword saying "I'll wear two swords, a sword of shakti (power) and a sword of bhakti (meditation)." Henceforth the Guru would always carry two swords to symbolize his dual role of holding secular power (Miri) and spiritual authority (Piri). Soon after his ascension to Guruship in 1606, Guru Hargobind laid the foundation of a new temple at Amritsar; the Akal Takht. The Akal Takht was built facing Harmandir Sahib (the Golden Temple). Guru Hargobind had a throne built, and would administer Sikh affairs from here. The temporal nature of the Akal Takht balanced the spiritual nature of the Golden Temple, emphasizing the dual concepts of Miri and Piri introduced by the Guru. Guru Hargobind donned the royal regalia of a King and was known by the Sikhs as Sacha Padshah (The True King).
Guru Hargobind knew that the Sikh's would no longer take their freedom for granted, he undertook to steel his Sikhs against tyranny and oppression. The Guru now gave instructions to the Masands and to all the other Sikhs that they should make offerings in the future of horses and weapons rather than just money. The Hindus had become so weak that they could not contemplate any kind of resistance to the rulers of the date. The Sikhs did not believe in self-denial alone; they grew increasingly aware of the need for assertion also. They wielded arms and lived an active life, reared horses, rode on them, and racing and hunting became their pastimes. Guru Hargobind encouraged Sikhs in physical activity and weapons training as well as prayers. Soon an army of one thousand horses was raised. The spiritual side was not neglected. Guru Hargobind would rise long before the day dawned and after his bath in the holy tank, would go into meditation.
Jehangir on hearing reports summoned Guru Hargobind. Guru Hargobind then set out for Delhi accompanied by three hundred horses. When Jehangir met Guru Hargobind, he was quickly won over by the young Gurus charm and holiness. When Jehangir found out that Guru Hargobind was a great lover of sports, he invited the Guru to accompany him on a tiger hunt. During the chase the Emperor was attacked by a ferocious tiger. The attendants accompanying the royal party lost their nerve and their horses and elephants panicked. Guru Hargobind rushed his horse and pulling out his sword, he engaged the killed the dangerous tiger single handed. Jehangir was full of gratitude towards the Guru for risking his life. Jehangir became so fond of the Guru that he asked him to accompany him on a number of visits. O
In 1613 a son was born called Gurditta. In 1617 another son was born, Suraj Mal. In 1618 a third son, Ani Rai was born and in 1620 Atul Rai was born. Finally in 1622 the last and fifth son, Tegh Bahadur was born. During the life of Guru Hargobind some of the most influential Sikhs of the time passed away. Baba Buddha passed away in 1631 at Ramdas, Bhai Gurdas in 1636 at Goindwal and Baba Sri Chand at Kiratpur in 1629. The mughal emperor Jahangir was out hunting one day in the vacinity of Amritsar. A favorite hunting hawk of the emperors flew into the camp of Guru Hargobind who was also hunting. When the emperors soldiers came to reclaim the hawk, a brief skirmish ensued and the hawk was not returned. Jahangir was so enraged that he sent an army of 7000 cavalry under the command of his general Mukhlis Khan to recover both the hawk and capture the Guru for his insolence. In the ensuing battle the Gurus forces emerged victorious after the Guru killed Mukhlis Khan in single combat with his sword. This battle took place in 1634. This battle marked a turning point as the Sikhs now turned militant under mughal persecution. After the battle Guru Hargobind left Amritsar never to return.
The Guru shifted to Kartarpur and went on to build the city of Hargobindpur on the banks of the river Beas. The most accurate eye witness account of Guru Hargobind's life appears in the Dabistan-i-Mazahib written by the Muslim Mohsin Fani. In this he writes about the Sikhs, "The Guru believes in one God. His followers put not faith in idol worship. They never pray or practice austerities like the Hindus. They believe not in their incarnations, or places of pilgrimage nor the Sanskrit language which the Hindus deem to be the language of the gods. They believe that all the Gurus are the same as Nanak. The Sikhs are not restricted in the matter of eating and drinking." Soon the Guru received the shocking news of the death of his eldest son Baba Gurditta who passed away at age 24. Guru Hargobind started training his grandson Har Rai the other son of Baba Gurditta as his natural successor. The Gurus own sons; Gurditta had passed away, Suraj Mal and Ani Rai were too worldly while Tegh Bahadur preferred solitude and meditation. Har Rai was a pious young man and Guru Hargobind proceeded to train him in the use of arms as well as spiritual matters. At the age of fourteen Har Rai was ordained by Guru Hargobind as the seventh Sikh Guru. Guru Hargobind bowed before Guru Har Rai as his successor. Soon thereafter Guru Hargobind passed away in 1644 having in his lifetime transforming the Sikhs into soldier-saints.