Sri Guru Hargobind Ji

1. Sri Guru
Hargobind Ji
(19 June 1595-03 March 1644

2. Disclaimer
In Sikh faith worshiping idols and pictures of Sikh Guru’s is not practiced as we believe
that the God is Unborn, Uncreated, Beyond Incarnation (ਅਜੂਨੀ). We believe in the
Shabad* of the Gurbani enshrined in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji our present Guru.
----------------------------------------
1. Shabad* - Creator / Order of creator obtained by Guru / Religion.
(page 131 of Gurmat Martand by Bhai Sahib Bhai Khan Singh Nabha)
2. The pictures used in this book are unverified pictures.

3. Sri Guru Hargobind Ji
• Sri Guru Hargobind Ji (19 June 1595 - 3 March 1644) was born at Guru Ki Wadali , Distt
Amritsar. His father was Guru Arjan Dev Ji and Mother Mata Ganga ji.
• He was married to Mata Damodari Ji daughter of Sri Narayan Das of Dalla and Mata Nanki Ji
daughter of Sri Harichand Ji of Babe Bakale and Mata Mahadevi daughter of Sri Daya Ram
of Jandiala.
• Son/ Daughters: Baba Gurdita Ji ( Dheer Mal, (Guru) Har Rai Ji , Suraj Mal Ji, Ani Rai Ji,
Baba Atall Ji, (Guru) Teg Bhadar Ji and Bibi Veero Ji .
• He had a long tenure as Guru, lasting 37 years, 9 months and 3 days.

4. Sri Guru Hargobind Ji
• As a child he suffered from
smallpox and survived a
poisoning attempt by an uncle.
• In another attempt on his life as a
child, a cobra was thrown at him.
• He studied religious texts from
Bhai Gurdas Ji and trained in
swordsmanship and archery from
Baba Buddha Ji.

5. On 25th May 1606 Guru Arjan nominated his son Sri
Hargobind Ji as his successor. Shortly afterwards, Guru Arjan
was offered his arrested at Lahore. He was tortured and
killed by the Mogul Emperor Jehangir.
Guru Hargobind's succession ceremony took place on 24th
June 1606. He was barely eleven years old when he became
Sikhs 6th Guru.
As ordered by Guru Arjan Dev Ji, he put on two swords, one
indicating his spiritual authority (PIRI) and the other, his
temporal authority (MIRI).
He thus for the first time initiated military tradition in the
Sikh faith to resist religious persecution, protect people’s
freedom and independence to practice religion by choice.
He transformed Sikhs to be Saints and Soldier
Sri Guru Hargobind Ji
30th May 1606

6. He gave call to Sikhs to arm themself
• The young Hargobind Sahib took the seat of his father with two sords girded round his
waist. One to symbolize spiritual power and other temporal power. (MIRI & PIRI).
• He wore the emblem of royalty on his turban. He made it known to Sikhs that he want
youth to come forward to fight tyrant rule of Mughals. He asked his followers to bring
Arms and Horses instead of any other offerings.
• He trained a body of soldiers in military training and encouraged hunting to be fearless
and good fighters. He always led hid men from front.
• He later constructed Sri Akal Takhat (The Throne of the Almighty) in 1609, Loh Garh Fort
(1609) and Dera Sahib, Lahore.
• He established new townships naming them Kiratpur Sahib, Maraz, Hargobindpur, Kaul
Sar, Bibek Sar and Sri Gur Sar.

7. Akal Takhat Sahib.
• He led Sikhism during the most difficult time in the Sikhism history when Mughal rulers
had unleashed their terror by killing Guru Arjun Dev Ji.
• He was an excellent military leader, religious leaders and a nation builder.
• He constructed Akal Takhat a seat of power in front of Harmandir Sahib. The Akal Takhat
symbolized Sikhs political power and Sri Harmandir Sahib symbolizes spirituality.
• He encouraged Dhadi’s to sing Veer Ras songs (Varan) to motivate people toward a life
of self respect.
• At Akal Takhat Guru Hargobind ji listened to the problems and resolved their social
issues. With in a short span of time all Hindus, Muslim and Guru Nanak’s followers
came to Guru ji to get Justice. They all believed that he was true lord ( Sacha Patshah).
• He The shape of Gumbad of Akal Takhat is raised which represent self-respect and
Gumbad of Sri Harmandir is subdued representing humility.

8. Akal Takhat - 1609

9. Development of Sikh powers and
arrest of Guru Hargobind Ji
• Increasing popularity of Guru Hargobind Ji in the north India right up to Kashmir made
Jehangir nervous. Murtaja Khan, Nawab of Lahore, reported Guru Ji had constructed
Akal Takhat Sahib (The Throne of the Almighty), at Amritsar and was holding court to
hear the vows of people and delivering justice to the people of all religions who accept
his verdicts happily.
• He also reported that the Guru was strengthening his army to take revenge of his
father's torture and killing by the Mughals. When Jahangir heard all about this, he sent
Wazir Khan and Guncha Beg to Amritsar to arrest Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji.
• Wazir Khan was an admirer of Guru Hargobind. He rather than arresting him requested
Guru Ji to accompany them to Delhi as the emperor Jahangir wanted to meet him.
• Guru Ji accompanied them to Delhi. Here, Jehangir said Guru Hargobind is responsible
for not paying penalty imposed on his father Guru Arjun Dev. He ordered his
imprisonment in the Gwalior Fort.

10. Historians’ views on the arrest of Guru Ji
• Principal Satbir Singh in his book “Our History Part I” (1970) refers to Mohsan Fani’s
writing who says “some irrelevant reasons were found and Guru was wrongly charged
on those accounts to arrest him”.
• JD Cunningham writeing about the reasons says that Guru had given a direct challenge
to Mughals by defying many orders which Mughals had imposed on Hindus. These
could be listed Keeping arms, constructed Akal Takhat (The Throne of the Almighty),
Keping a regular army, horses and holding regular darbar to give justice to people.
• SM Latiff has also given similar views on reasons of Guru’s arrest. He added that
Jehangir was jealous of Guru’s Splendor and State. His increasing popularity in the
north right up to Kashmir made him nervous.
• Mr HS Pain, Mecalf and Kaningam also give the similar reasons of his arrest and added
that the development of forts and cities was an act of defiance against Mughals by the
Guru.

11. In captivity at Gwalior
He remained in the captivity of Jehangir for over one year at Gwalior fort along with
many other political prisoners who were mostly Kings from Rajputana and northern hill
states. Those kings were charged with revolting against the Mughal rulers.
• After the news of arrest of Guru at Gwalior reached Sikhs in Punjab, Sikhs started
protest marches in a small groups (Chonki) and came to Gwalior, they took a circle of
fort to seek Guru’s blessings and return. This was viewed as a signal of mass protest
and sign of unrest among the Guru Ji’s followers. This was threatening to Mughal
rulers.
• A large number of Muslim’s also advised Jehangir to release Guru Ji. Wajir Khan and
Sain Miya Meer ji met Jahangir and asked to release Guru.Jahangir had to order
release of Guru Ji due to increasing public opinion.
• On hearing his release, Guru Ji refused to be released alone and demanded that all
the political prisoners who were the Kings and Princes of Rajputana's and Hill states
to be released along him.

12. Bandi Chor Guru
• On the insistence of Guru Hargobind, Jahangir ordered
released all 52 Kings mostly from Rajputana and from Hill
states in 1612.
• He laid a condition that who so ever can hold Guru’s robe
will be released.
• Guru Ji got a new robe stitched having 52 long strands to
be held by imprisoned Kings. All of them held on their
strand and walked out of fort with Guru Hargobind Ji.
• When Guru Ji reached Amritsar, the people lit up the
whole city with thousands of candles, lights and lamps like
they had never done before.
• The day is also a remembrance of the greatness of Guru
Hargobind Ji who liberated all the political prisoners in the
captivity of Jehangir.

13. Period after return to Amritsar Sahib
• After his release, Guru Hargobind resumed his martial activities a little more discreetly.
• He raised his private army by recruiting Pathan mercenaries and training the sturdier of
his followers.
• The guru Ji soon had eight hundred horses in his stables, three hundred troopers on the
horse back and Sixty men with arms always in his service at any given time.
• During these 15 years time between his release and death of Jehangir in 1627, he had
friendly relation with Jehangir. In this period, he travelled extensively in Punjab, UP and
Kashmir and consolidated his spiritual and temporal hold on the people of North India.

14. Sikhs dedicating their life in service of Guru Ji

15. Guru Ji with his Sikhs

16. Shah Jahan became emperor of India after Jehangir in 1627
• Shah Jahan became emperor of India after the death of Jehangir in 1627. During the
reign of Shah Jahan, Guru ji’s relations with the Mughals became bitter.
• Shah Jahan was intolerant king and had destroyed the Sikh baoli at Lahore.
• In the year 1628, Shah Jahan's hunting party plundered some of Guru Hargobind's
property, which triggered the first armed conflict between the Mughals and Sikhs.
• Guru Hargobind Ji fought four battles with the Mughal armies of Shah Jahan. The
details of these are in the following slides.

17. 1st battle of Gumtala, Amritsar -1929
• Guru Ji with Sikhs were hunting in the area. Mughals army was also around, Sikhs
captured Shahi Baj (eagle) and refused to give it back to them. Mukhlis Khan
approached Shah Jhan and apprised him of rebelling Sikhs under Guru Ji.
• Shah Jahan send 7000 fighters under the command of Gulam Rasool.Guru Ji was not
ready for fight as he was busy due to wedding of daughter (Bibi Veero) wedding. But
when it became unavoidable to accept challenge of Mughals.
• Mukhlik Khan send proposal to Guru Ji to leave the place and withdraw from the battlre
ground. When this was refused, he gave open challenge to Guru ji for one-to-one fight.
• Guru ji gave him first chance of attack , He was unsuccessful, On return attack Guru ji
first blow killed him .
• This was first war won by Sikhs. After this there was open rebellion by Sikhs against
Mogul ruler. Sikhs also tasted victory which boosted their moral.
• This is the site where Khalsa College, Amritsar is situated now.

18. Guru Ji Killed Mukhlis Khan

19. 2nd battle was fought in 1630 at Hargobind Pura
• Ratan Chand's son Bhagwan Das concocted a story and narrated to Abdulla Khan
faujdar of Jallandhar that his father was killed by Guru Hargobind Ji.
• Abdulla Khan without verifying facts attacked Guru Ji who was then at Sri
Hargobindpur.
• In this battle Baba Gurditta Ji and Sikhs fought with Mughals. Guru Ji killed both Ratan
Chand and Abdulla Khan.
• After the battle son of Abdulla Khan approached Shah Jhan for help. Shah Jhan refused
to help him and confiscated Jagirs in the name of Abdulla Khan since he did not took his
permission for tis unnecessary battle.

20. 3rd battle was fought in 1631 at Nathana- Mehraj
• The 3rd battle was fought in 1631 at Nathana- Mehraj in Malwa region when two of
the most precious horses that a Sikh had brought as an offering for the Guru were
snatched from him on the way by Lala Beg on the order of Inyat Ulla Khan, The
Nawab of Lahore Mogul.
• The Guru deputed a Robinhood type of Sikh, Bidhi Chand, to rescue these horses
which he did by a clever device. This resulted in a major conflict and the Guru was
attacked by a strong contingent of the Moghal forces led by Lala Beg and Inyat Ulla
Khan at Nathana- Mehraj. Both were killed in this battle by Guru Ji. This battle was
one of the most furiously fought between the two sides. There were about 1200
casualties from both sides.
• Rai Jodha from this region helped Guru Ji in this battle. Guru ji constructed “Guru
Sar” pond in the memory of this victory.

21. Bhai Bidi Chand brought back horses for the Guru Ji

22. Death of Baba Buddha Ji (1631)
• He is the most respected Sikh from the time of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. He was born in 1506 in the
village of Kathu Nangal, in Amritsar in a Jat sikh family. He was one of the earliest Sikhs of Guru
Nanak, and performed the formal coronation ceremonies of the five Sikh gurus who succeeded
Guru Nanak; Guru Angad , Guru Amardas , Guru Ramdas , Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Hargobind.
• On installation of the Adi Granth, a compilation of Sikh scripture, at Sri Harimandir Sahib on August
16th, 1604, Bhai Buddha was appointed the first Granthi by Guru Arjan Dev Ji.
• On May 30th, 1606 after the martyrdom of Guru Arjun, Guru Hargobind ordered the construction of
the Akal Thakhat and entrusted the responsibility of its construction to Baba Buddha and Bhai
Gurdas Ji.
• After a lifetime of following the Sikh Gurus, Baba Buddha died at the age of 124 years in 1631 at
the village of Jhanda Ramdas, on the banks of the Ravi river.
• Guru Hargobind was at his bedside and he himself carried his body for his funeral.

23. Painde Khan and the 4th battle of Kartarpur (1634)
• Painda Khan accompanied a Sikh Sangat came to Amritsar on the occasion of Diwali to see Guru ji. The
Guru, pleased with the manly demeanour of Painda Khan, engaged him to be trained as a soldier. Painda
Khan grew up into a brave, hefty warrior and showed his mettle fighting against the imperial troops
at Amritsar(1629).
• Guru always treated him with special consideration. He was a trusted soldier in his army. As the Guru
arrived at Kartarpur after the battle of Mehraj in December 1634, Painda Khan presented himself and, to
quote Bhai Santokh Singh in "Sri Gur Pratdp Suraj Granth", spoke boastfully: "Had I been there I would not
have let the Guru go forward and expose himself to danger, nor would have Bhai Jetha died."
• He became arrogant and was thus kept away from major tasks. He was so ragged with his changed
position from most trusted to being side-lined that he turned against his patron and joined the Mughal
faujadar of Jalandhar, he in the battle of Kartarpur fighting against Guru Ji attacked him. Painda Khan fell
to Guru Hargobind's sword on the final day. The battle according to Bhatt Vahi Multani Sindhi, raged for
three days, from 26 to 28 April 1634.
• The Gurbilas Chhevin Pdtshdhi records that, as Painda lay dying, the Guru told him to recite the kalimah,
the Muhammadan confession of faith, shading with his shield his face from the scorching sun.

24. Bandi Chor Guru asking Painde Khan to remember
Allah who will help ihim

25. Move to Kiratpur Sahib
• The Mughal’s after loosing the 4th battle at Kartarpur were now aware of rising military
power of Sikhs. They were looking for more opportunities to eliminated the resistance.
Guru Ji decided to keep himself and Sikhs away from the wars and to devote more time for
religious activity decided to move form this region to a peaceful location at Kiratpur Sahib
in Shivalik hills away from the Mughal route from Lahore to Delhi.
• When Guru Ji’s convoy reached Palahi near Phagwara, He was informed by a Sikh Bhai
Gurdita that Ahemed Khan s/o Abdulla Khan, Wali Khan and some more prominent
Mughal darbari from Jalandhar with an army of about 5000 men have moved to attack
Guru’s convey.
• Guru Ji with Bidi Chand and about 1200 Sikhs took a position out side the village. Sikhs
attacked the approaching Mughals who were unaware of presence of Sikhs in that
location* and lost a number of men in a fierce fighting. When seeing their defeat, they ran
away from the battle ground not to come back during the rest of the passage to Kiratpur
Sahib.
* Writer of “Dubistan Majahab Kitab” was in the company of Guru sahib who has recorded
this event in his book. ( Reference-Page 594 Twarik Khalsa of Giani Gioan Singh)

26. Further rout of Guru Ji towards Kiratpur Sahib
• From Palahi he moved toward Village Jind ( Banga). Gurudwara Charan Kaul is situated in
the memory of Guru Ji’s stay.
• Next stay was at Durgapur in Nawashar Distt.
• Later they crossed Satluj and reached Village Durgapur and finally Kiratpur Sahib.
• He spent his last 10 years of his life at Kiratpur.

27. Dharam Parchar
• Guru Ji shifted his focus to Dharam Parchar. From Kiratpur Sahibhe had travelled to
Pilibhit in Utrakhand , and many placed in Malwa.
• He appointed Sikh missionaries and gave a new energy to the mission of Guru Nanak.
• Baba Siri Chand Ji son of Guru Nanak Dev ji also came to meet Guru Hargobind Ji at
Kiratpur Sahib.
• Baba Gurdita Ji aong with Almast ji, Ful Ji, Gona Ji and Balu Hasne Ji took up role of
missionaries and established Sikh sanagat at many placed.
• Bhai Bidi Chand was sent to Bengal and Bhai Gurdas Ji was sent to Kabul for Dharam
Parchar.

28. ìÅå øÕÆðÆ-÷ÅÔð ÁîÆðÆ
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ê¹¼åð ÇéôÅé ÔË, øÕÆð é ÇÔ¿çÈ é î¹ÃñîÅé ÔËÍ

30. Last 10 years at Kiratpur Sahib
• For the last ten years of his life, the Guru
passed in meditation, preaching the Gospel,
and living a very austere life.
• He insisted so much on the simple virtues of
life that he severely reprimanded his sons, Atal
Rai and Bābā Gurdittă, for performing miracles.
Both these sons died before him, as well as
another son, Ani Rai.
• He had two more, Suraj Mal and Tegh Bahadur,
he appointed his grandson, Sri Har Rai Ji s/o his
eldest son Bhai Baba Guditta’s to succeed him
as the seventh Guru.
• Guru Hargobind breathed his last at Kiratpur
Rupnagar, Punjab, on 19 March 1644.

31. Bhai Gurdas Ji
pMj ipAwly pMj pIr Ctm pIr bYTw gur BwrI] (1-48-1)
Arjn kwieAW plt kY mUrq hirgoibMd svwrI] (1-48-2)
clI pIVHI soFIAW rUp idKwvn vwro vwrI] (1-48-3)
dl BMjn gur sUrmW vf joDw bhu praupkwrI] (1-48-4)
puC`n is`K Ardws kr Cy mihlW qk drs inhwrI] (1-48-5)
Agm Agocr siqgurU boly muK qy suxhu sMswrI] (1-48-6)
kiljug pIVHI soFIAW inhcl nIn auswr KlHwrI] (1-48-7)
jug jug siqgur Dry AvqwrI ]48] (1-48-8)

32. Kiratpur Sahib

33. Dhan Dhan Sri Guru Hargobind Ji

34. References:
1. Our History – Principl Satbir Singh
2. Guru Itihas - Prof Sahib Singh
3. A story of Sikhs – Khuswant Singh
From:
Cdr Balvir Singh
737 Urban Estate Phase I, Jalandhar .
E-mail : balvir57@gmail.com