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Banda Singh Bahadur Commemorations


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Kaljug

So what has your research let you to belive in regards to Banda Bahadur Singh

That he was not infallible, but that in the end he achieved shaheedi living in Guru Ji's hukam.

See Prachin Panth Prakash regarding the battle between the Bandai Khalsa and Tat Khalsa for more info regarding the changes that Banda Bahadur wanted to make at one point to the Khalsa maryada.

K.

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I thought he was slandered in early sikh litterature due to him not being a jatt lol

Anything is possible, but it doesn't matter - Banda Bahadur was still a greater Soorbir Shastardhari Singh then most of us will ever be, even if he was not infallible. The point I was really trying to make was that our ideas of what Sikhi is are sometimes different to what is actually the case (or what is written in historical texts), and that all Sikhs should make an effort to read our history.

K.

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That he was not infallible, but that in the end he achieved shaheedi living in Guru Ji's hukam.

See Prachin Panth Prakash regarding the battle between the Bandai Khalsa and Tat Khalsa for more info regarding the changes that Banda Bahadur wanted to make at one point to the Khalsa maryada.

K.

You're lucky that Bijla bloke from SS isn't a moderator here. You'd get banned for daring to say something like that! lol

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As far I have heard and read, his changes to maryada was not that great and maybe we should see them from an historical point of view and contextualize his changes. Turning the Bana color to red could have been for military purposes so that it would be easier for his fauj to go to punjab without getting spotted on the way and killed before reaching sarhind.

His minted coins talks about the Gurus not himself so I have a hard time believing he claimed to be a Guru after Maharaj

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That he was not infallible, but that in the end he achieved shaheedi living in Guru Ji's hukam.

See Prachin Panth Prakash regarding the battle between the Bandai Khalsa and Tat Khalsa for more info regarding the changes that Banda Bahadur wanted to make at one point to the Khalsa maryada.

K.

Baba Banda Singh Bahadur did make suggestions, but once the Khalsa did not agree to those suggestions he humbly submited to the hukam of the Khalsa. He was a pious Gursikh. While being the most powerful man in north India at the time, yet he never crowned himself as a king, all his victories were in the name of Guru Gobind Singh Jee. He died like a true Shaheed of the Khalsa. According to Sant Hari Singh Randhavevale, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur is a leader amongst Shaheed Singh Fauj. Panth Prakash is a good primary source of Sikh history, but it does have it’s historical limitations as it was written atleast 125 years after Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, it is not infallible like Dhur Kee Bani. Please read Ganda Singh’s book on Baba Banda Singh Bahadur which is based on contemporary Persian sources written by men who actually lived during the times of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur and even saw this pious blessed Gursikh first hand.

Edited by Mithar
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Maybe we should open a new thread to take a look at all the historical sources concerning Banda Bahadur?

Thanks for the book recommendation, Mithar ji, I will definitely look it up.

K.

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Talking of Baba Banda Bahadur, I was sent an invite to the below, for anyone in Punjab, please make an effort to go and support our amazing brothers at Punjab Digital Library. Ta.

In the series of tercentenary celebrations of the victory of Baba Banda Singh Bahadar over Sirhind, Panjab Digital Library, the leading NGO in the field of digitization of Panjab Heritage, in collaboration with Government Museum and Art Gallery Chandigarh, is coming up with a seminar-cum-exhibition on the topic 'Khalsa Raj: Banda, Battles and Body Politic'. The seminar will take place on Monday the 24th May 2010 at 1030 HRS at the auditorium of the Museum that will be presided by S. Avtar Singh, President SGPC and he will also inaugurate the exhibition that begins on 24th May 2010 1313 HRS and will continue till Friday the 28th May 2010. Exhibition will be open for visitors during 1100 HRS and 1900 HRS on the aforesaid days.

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Are there any sikh sources that claim that Banda Singh Bahadur claimed Guruship for himself?

Some sources are given in this SikhSangat thread:

http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?/topic/52868-anti-banda-singh-bahadur-views/

Edit: note that some of the info on Banda SIngh Bahadur is contradictory, so it best to read ALL the sources quoted in the link above and make your own mind up.

K.

Edited by Kaljug
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Does'nt the persian sources say he slaughtered innocent muslim women and children and called himself Guru?

Those sources would want to exaggerate though wouldn't they. They do however clearly mention taking away captured Sikh women and children as slaves though.

Besides, if theoretically some people did what you are saying, it wasn't necessarily on Banda Singh's orders. There was a wide open floodgate of resentment towards the ruling classes at that time by common people.

Yes, we are digressing.

Here is a piece of research I did last year on the topic. Feel free to continue the debate on these matters on it if you like. I find the subject fascinating myself and this forum is confident enough to allow a proper exploration of it unlike others.

http://www.sikhawareness.com//index.php?showtopic=11332&st=0&p=98459&fromsearch=1&#entry98459

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He did make changes. Fateh darshan was introduced instead of waheguru ji ka khalsa, waheguru ji ki fateh.

His faction was caleld bandai khalsa. There was fight between his faction head ( After his death) and tat khalsa in front of akal takhat where bandai head was killed.

Giani Gian singh gives details of his last days when tat khalsa broke with him. He writes that in hi last days he was acting more like a looter who came out of hills and then went back.

But he remained loyal to sikhi and met martyrdom.

Edited by singh2
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i would never have thought that anyone on SA would refer to SS as a source :o)

Singh2 wrote

His faction was caleld bandai khalsa. There was fight between his faction head ( After his death) and tat khalsa in front of akal takhat where bandai head was killed.

Did they call themselves Bandai Khalsa or did 'the others' call them bandai khalsa?

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Anyone know if and where Giani Gian Singh's work on the last days of Banda Singh is available online.

A pointer would be much appreciated.

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Anyone know if and where Giani Gian Singh's work on the last days of Banda Singh is available online.

A pointer would be much appreciated.

It should be noted that Giani Gian Singh's works were written nearly 2 centuries after Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, and it seems he has like the author of Pracheen Panth Prakash also shown him in the same light.

Personally I think it all comes down to 2 factors that Sikh historians demonised Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. One is meat, Since Baba Banda SIngh Bahadur was very much against meat eating. The other factor I will not state otherwise it can open a whole new can of worms.

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Nirmala Sadhu/Baba, Giani Gian Singh was hardly going to demonise Banda Bahadur over 'meat' issue was he...?

We can't pick and choose which parts of Sikh ithihaas is wrong or right based on our own limited and biased buddhi.

As far as I know Amardeep, its only the Persian sources that claim Banda Bahadur to be Guru (in their confusion).

There was clearly a faction between Tat Khalsa (Nihang Singhs) and Bandai Khalsa (name given to Banda Bahadurs fauj after his demise), for reasons involving Salutation changes, baana change and vaishnaav diet, but that doesn't take away the mind blowing victories Banda Bahadur achieved changing grihisht low caste common folk into the most feared Warriors in the land. It also doesn't take away the unspeakable events that he endured leading up to his own inspirational shaheedi.

As for the accounts of the attrocities that were commited, maybe they were, maybe they were not, from the Mughal perspective - it could very well be pure propoganda, something which has not changed for millenia and is very much part of war correspondance today. However, attrocities mentioned in our ithihaas need to be viewed a little more seriously... and perhaps some soldiers of the fauj during that time did get over zealous and commit crimes, every army has its bad apples.

Dhan dhan Gurbakhs Singh Ji.

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Giani Gian singh gives details of his last days when tat khalsa broke with him. He writes that in hi last days he was acting more like a looter who came out of hills and then went back.

gian singh isnt the be all and end all of sikh history. Banda Singh's last days were spent in hunger and watching his men die from hunger. yet a writer who probably never experienced 1% of the hardship BSB did calls him a looter. this gian singh is also the one who called nihangs murderers as well.

also the persian sources called all religious leaders "guru". Banda Singh Bahadur was called as the Guru of the Sikhs, but in the respect of him being the head of their spiritual order.

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I also read the persian sources as if they confused him to be a new Guru since he was the leader of the fauj. Thats why i was interested to know if sikh sources mention anything about Banda Singh ji claiming Guruship.

Mithar ji please tell us your theory.

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gian singh isnt the be all and end all of sikh history. Banda Singh's last days were spent in hunger and watching his men die from hunger. yet a writer who probably never experienced 1% of the hardship BSB did calls him a looter

That is before Banda Bahadar was surrounded in Gurdas nangal.

The fact cann't be ignored that he had formed his sect Bandai Khalsa in the end.That led to a hukamanama against him from Mata sunder kaur ji.

Edited by singh2
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Banda singh Bahadar had started acting like a Guru in his later days. When he was seated there was chaur sahib being waved over his head. He was even giving charan pahul.

That is how Bandai khalsa came into existence. Guru sahib had sent five sikhs as panj piaras with him and he was to act under their patraonage.These five singhs like Baba Binod singh ji were trusted followers of Guru sahib.

Followers of khalsa did not like this and that is how Mata Sundari ji issued Hukamnama asking khalsa to severe ties with Banda.

There was show down between bandai khalsa and Tat khalsa inside harmandir sahib when Banda was seated there.

That is how tat khalsa parted ways with him.It is a fact of history.One should give him credit for his service for khalsa panth in the beginning and end when he accepted martyrdom.

Edited by singh2
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That is how Bandai khalsa came into existence. Guru sahib had sent five sikhs as panj piaras with him and he was to act under their patraonage.These five singhs like Baba Binod singh ji were trusted followers of Guru sahib.

Bhai Binod Singh parted ways with Baba Banda Singh in Gurdas Nangal, so this would mean that when BSB left Darbar Sahib Bhai Binod Singh went with him. Also there is a sakhi of Bhai Baaj Singh being executed with BSB in delhi, so Baaj Singh would have left Darbar Sahib with him as well. Bandai Khalsa came into existence after BSB, and having a chaur waved over you in not a sign of Guruhip. There are paintings of Mah. Ranjit Singh darbar where he is having chaur waved over him. That chaur waving is a non-issue.

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