Baba Jee’s Shaheedee truly fits the Bahadur title given to him. Looking back at his life we see many achievements. There are two very different pictures painted by historians of him. You have views on both extremes with our enemies adding their bit to make the picture more distorted but if we are honest then the truth falls in between both these two extremes.
Today is not a day to look back at some of Baba Jee’s shortcomings so I will try not to go there, we know these were inevitable as he was only human.
Everything Guru Jee does has a meaning, so we should look back and think what does Guru Jee want us to take away from Baba Jee’s life.
One point which is undeniable is that clearly something went wrong in his lifetime. The Raaj that the Khalsa should have had did not last long, why?
My personal view is that Guru Jee wanted to show his Sikhs that no matter how important or great an individual can become he still can not lead the Khalsa on his own. The khalsa can not have an individual leader. This role does not exist. It is neither beneficial for the person in that role nor is it for the whole of the Khalsa.
It is human nature to look to some physical person to guide and lead them. Historians have quoted on this frequently that the community lacked a genuine leader at times to unite them. Our enemies have even played on this and made stories about waiting for a leader.
If we are honest with ourselves then I believe if Banda Singh was more successful for a longer period then surely he would have become a Guru like figure. Even know it is hard to imagine why some one will not be attracted to him. This is why Guru Jee chose him and gave him the most impossible of tasks to fulfil. Imagine how difficult of task it must be to stay humble with so much attention and then have the will power to not use his ridhia sidhia. How does one control those primal desires in this environment? You can do it but the conditions and rules to live by would have to be tough. If Baba Banda Singh Bahadur could not do this then who could? This is why Guru Jee has given the Panch system and this is why I believe when Khalsa Raaj truly comes it will be under the Five and not the one.
History has made it quite clear that the parting with Baba Binod Singh signalled the end for Banda Singh Bahadur. When it came down to fighting the enemy he just gave himself up. Why did he do this? He was neither fatally wounded nor did he expect any leniency from the enemy then why did Banda Singh Bahadur not give his Shaheedee on the battlefield. He even called out to his followers not to fight but they didn’t listen to him this time and tried to make fight of it.
ਅਬ ਹਮ ਤੁਰਕਨ ਸਿਰ ਦੇਵੈਂ, ਸੁਟ ਦੇਵੋ ਹਥਿਆਰ I
My Guess is that he realised his mistakes while under the siege by the enemy. He thought that it was best to settle his account in this world rather than the next world. The mention of settling his hisab kitab(account) was quoted when Mohamed Amin Khan asked why do you think this is happening.
Guru Jee being the way he is always keep the laaj of his bhagats even after they make mistakes because that is nature of Guru Jee’s Dyal.
Guru Jee truly kept laaj of his bhagat, after all this is his play and he gave Baba Banda Singh a glorious sending off in history.
After forcefully putting the heart of his 4 year old son in Baba Jee’s mouth, A blade was pierced into the eye of Baba Banda Singh. The eye was removed. Then the same was done on the other eye. His left leg was then cut off. Both of his arms were then cut off one after the other. Then his right leg was cut off. Hot rods were then used on the remaining body and then the rest of the body was cut into pieces.
Baba Banda Singh Bahadur kept his dharam to the last breath with Guru Jee’s Kirpa and this is why the Khalsa Panth will always remember him.
Today is not a day to look back at some of Baba Jee’s shortcomings so I will try not to go there, we know these were inevitable as he was only human.
Everything Guru Jee does has a meaning, so we should look back and think what does Guru Jee want us to take away from Baba Jee’s life.
One point which is undeniable is that clearly something went wrong in his lifetime. The Raaj that the Khalsa should have had did not last long, why?
My personal view is that Guru Jee wanted to show his Sikhs that no matter how important or great an individual can become he still can not lead the Khalsa on his own. The khalsa can not have an individual leader. This role does not exist. It is neither beneficial for the person in that role nor is it for the whole of the Khalsa.
It is human nature to look to some physical person to guide and lead them. Historians have quoted on this frequently that the community lacked a genuine leader at times to unite them. Our enemies have even played on this and made stories about waiting for a leader.
If we are honest with ourselves then I believe if Banda Singh was more successful for a longer period then surely he would have become a Guru like figure. Even know it is hard to imagine why some one will not be attracted to him. This is why Guru Jee chose him and gave him the most impossible of tasks to fulfil. Imagine how difficult of task it must be to stay humble with so much attention and then have the will power to not use his ridhia sidhia. How does one control those primal desires in this environment? You can do it but the conditions and rules to live by would have to be tough. If Baba Banda Singh Bahadur could not do this then who could? This is why Guru Jee has given the Panch system and this is why I believe when Khalsa Raaj truly comes it will be under the Five and not the one.
History has made it quite clear that the parting with Baba Binod Singh signalled the end for Banda Singh Bahadur. When it came down to fighting the enemy he just gave himself up. Why did he do this? He was neither fatally wounded nor did he expect any leniency from the enemy then why did Banda Singh Bahadur not give his Shaheedee on the battlefield. He even called out to his followers not to fight but they didn’t listen to him this time and tried to make fight of it.
ਅਬ ਹਮ ਤੁਰਕਨ ਸਿਰ ਦੇਵੈਂ, ਸੁਟ ਦੇਵੋ ਹਥਿਆਰ I
My Guess is that he realised his mistakes while under the siege by the enemy. He thought that it was best to settle his account in this world rather than the next world. The mention of settling his hisab kitab(account) was quoted when Mohamed Amin Khan asked why do you think this is happening.
Guru Jee being the way he is always keep the laaj of his bhagats even after they make mistakes because that is nature of Guru Jee’s Dyal.
Guru Jee truly kept laaj of his bhagat, after all this is his play and he gave Baba Banda Singh a glorious sending off in history.
After forcefully putting the heart of his 4 year old son in Baba Jee’s mouth, A blade was pierced into the eye of Baba Banda Singh. The eye was removed. Then the same was done on the other eye. His left leg was then cut off. Both of his arms were then cut off one after the other. Then his right leg was cut off. Hot rods were then used on the remaining body and then the rest of the body was cut into pieces.
Baba Banda Singh Bahadur kept his dharam to the last breath with Guru Jee’s Kirpa and this is why the Khalsa Panth will always remember him.
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It is a shame that when we talk about our shaheeds we only tend to commemorate the well known personalities. This is not any ones fault because our history has so many Shaheeds how can we catalogue everyone. There are thousands of Shaheeds whose names are not known. Even in the events surrounding the Shaheedee of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur we have names that we don’t even know or don’t get a mention.
17 of Baba Jee’s companions were made Shaheed at the same time as Baba Banda Singh Bahadur a few months later from the Shaheedeean of the main Jatha. Baaj Singh, Raam Singh, Fateh Singh, Aalee Singh, Gulab Singh Bakshish together with Baba Jee and his son were among the 17 that were separated from the main Jatha. The reason historians have given for this is that the rulers were trying to find out the whereabouts of the treasure Baba Jee and the rest of the Jatha had hidden.
One of those 17 Singhs was Jathedaar Baaj Singh. He was one of the five Singhs sent with Baba Banda Singh Bahadur to Punjab by Guru Gobind Singh Jee. The whole of India knew of the courage of Baaj Singh. When it came down to his turn for Shaheedee the King Farukhsiyaar laughed and said “ I have heard that the Bravery of the Sikh named Baaj Singh has no match in this world, where is he? Then Baaj Singh replied “That Baaj Singh is this Nimana Sevak of Guru Jee”. Farukhsiyaar said “Where is your bravery now?” Baaj Singh replied “Take these chains off and watch the play”. Farukhsiyaar then ordered that only one of his hand cuffs be removed. Baaj Singh like his name went flying like a hawk and killed three of the enemy. This was only with one of his hand cuffs removed, imagine what he could have done if they removed the rest. If all the enemy soldiers had not got hold of Baaj Singh then Amin Khan would have been killed too.
Farukhsiyaar after seeing this had to admit that this Sikh Kaum is truly something unique and unbreakable.
17 of Baba Jee’s companions were made Shaheed at the same time as Baba Banda Singh Bahadur a few months later from the Shaheedeean of the main Jatha. Baaj Singh, Raam Singh, Fateh Singh, Aalee Singh, Gulab Singh Bakshish together with Baba Jee and his son were among the 17 that were separated from the main Jatha. The reason historians have given for this is that the rulers were trying to find out the whereabouts of the treasure Baba Jee and the rest of the Jatha had hidden.
One of those 17 Singhs was Jathedaar Baaj Singh. He was one of the five Singhs sent with Baba Banda Singh Bahadur to Punjab by Guru Gobind Singh Jee. The whole of India knew of the courage of Baaj Singh. When it came down to his turn for Shaheedee the King Farukhsiyaar laughed and said “ I have heard that the Bravery of the Sikh named Baaj Singh has no match in this world, where is he? Then Baaj Singh replied “That Baaj Singh is this Nimana Sevak of Guru Jee”. Farukhsiyaar said “Where is your bravery now?” Baaj Singh replied “Take these chains off and watch the play”. Farukhsiyaar then ordered that only one of his hand cuffs be removed. Baaj Singh like his name went flying like a hawk and killed three of the enemy. This was only with one of his hand cuffs removed, imagine what he could have done if they removed the rest. If all the enemy soldiers had not got hold of Baaj Singh then Amin Khan would have been killed too.
Farukhsiyaar after seeing this had to admit that this Sikh Kaum is truly something unique and unbreakable.
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Indeed its a shame that we the "successors" of these Mahaan Shaeeds have not lived up to our responsibility.
Punjab today is drowning in a sea of drugs and total despair because the Punjabis have deserted the Teachings of our Mahaan Dhan Dhan Guru garnth Sahib Jee and begun to follow the false and fake pakhandi baabs, dehdharee Gurus, deradaars etc and look for shortcuts..fastest way to sachkhand..fastest way to good health..riches..shaurat and etc etc and these fakes give out such short cut meidcines/purreean/thageh/tweeths/etc etc or jantar mantars to recite this tuk and thta shabad so many tiems and that wish will be fulfilled..Most Sikhs just look like Sikhs..inisde they are follwoign the Bipran kee reet, matha teking and all just ritually without love or pyaar...hoping for instant gratification..wishes fulfilled...
Our Mahaan shaheeds..even those as near as 1984 and the decade that followed gave their LIVES for the sake of OUR TOMORROW..they died for US..but we have sold them down the river.
Baba banda Singh Bahadur established the Khalsa Raaj..but still he faced internal jealousies and conflict from singhs..He died as a True Khalsa Singh of Guru gobind Singh Ji.IF not for those internal conflicts with the Tatt Khalsa Singhs, the Khalsa Raaj would have been put on a strong footing and Sikhs would have ruled Punjab for an extra 100 years...
Punjab must return to our Roots..to the teachings of Gurbani..apply these teachings in our daily lives, keep the Proper rehit as Guru Ji intended for us...we must stop following bipran reets like karva chauth fasts, holis, rakhis and etc etc..and REFORM into the Bibeki Khalsa of Banda Singh Jis time to regain our Lost Crown...
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