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Martydom of Guru Arjan Sahib Ji Maharaj - Part 2


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Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa

Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

Continued From Post-1 --------------

The Emperor Akbar died soon after and was succeeded by his son

Jahangir. Akbar had nominated his grandson Khusro in supersession of his son.

Khusro claimed Punjab and Afghanistan which his father, Jahangir, was

unwilling to concede to him. Jahangir ordered Khusro's arrest but the

latter escaped and went towards Afghanistan. On his way he visited the

Guru at Tarn Taran and told him that he was

unfriended, needy, poor and had no travelling expenses. So he begged

the Guru for pecuniary assistance.

Khusro had previously visited the Guru accompanying his grandfather

Akbar and was, therefore, very well known to him. Secondly in Guru's house

everybody- friend or

foe, king or pauper, is treated equally. The Guru knew what was coming,

but seeing the plight of the prince, he gave Khusro financial help.

Khusro was, however, seized

while crossing Jehlum, by the imperial forces and was brought in chains

to his father.

Prithia continued to retain the assistance and co-operation of Sulhi

Khan against the Guru. On the pretext of collecting revenue in the

Punjab, Sulhi Khan obtained

leave from the Emperor. On his way he visited Prithia at his village

Kotha where they concocted plans for the Guru's destruction. In the

meantime, however, Prithia took

Sulhi Khan to show his brick-kilns, where Sulhi Khan met with his

accidental death by his sudden fall in the live brick-kiln.

Prithia was very much saddened at the death of his ally in evil. In

those circumstances Chandu came to his rescue and filled the gap. Chandu

wrote to Prithia to use his influence to bring his daughter's alliance

with Har Gobind. Prithia was ready to assist Chandu in his nefarious

designs against the Guru. He wrote back that the Guru who had deprived him

of his right over Guruship, was already his enemy; and he would only be

too happy to assist in meting him with adequate punishment. In his

letter he begged Chandu to use his influence with the Emperor to bring the

Guru to justice. So they both concocted a plan to induce the Emperor by

some means to visit Punjab where they would have an opportunity to

enter into some conspiracy against

the Guru.

Chandu's scheme was successful and in a short period of time the

Emperor came to Punjab. He told the Emperor that Guru Arjan was acting as his

rival in Punjab by entertaining thieves and exercising independent

authority. Upon this the Emperor sent an order to the Guru through Sulabi

Khan, the nephew of late Sulhi Khan, to abstain from such practices. On

his journey to Amritsar, Sulabi Khan confronted with some Pathans and

was killed. When Chandu heard the death of Sulabi Khan, he convinced the

Emperor that it had been done through the machinations of the Guru.

He added that he had done many such misdeeds. For example the Guru had

deprived his elder brother Prithi Chand of his rights over Guruship and

had also endeavored to deprive Hindus and Muslims of their religions.

The Emperor

immediately sent for Prithia who was overjoyed with the invitation. He

made preparations to go to the Emperor but after the dinner he got a

cramp in his stomach and died the same night.

Meharban, son of Prithia, wasted no time after the death of his father

in informing Chandu who in turn informed the Emperor that the Guru had

blessed Khusro and had

promised that he would become the Emperor. The Emperor was also

notified that the Pundits and the Qazis were enraged at the compilation of Adi

Granth which blasphemed the worship rules of the Hindus and the prayer

and fasting of the Muslims. By such accusations, Chandu induced the

Emperor to summon Guru Arjan.

Emperor Jahangir writes in his autobiography:

"In Goindwal, which is on the river Biyah (Beas), there was a Hindu

named Arjan, in the garments of sainthood and sanctity so much so, that he

had captured many of the simple- hearted of the Hindus and even the

ignorant and

foolish followers of Islam, by his ways and manners, and they had

loudly sounded the drum of his holiness. They called him Guru and from all

sides

stupid people crowded to worship and manifest complete faith in him.

For

three or four generations (of spiritual successors) they kept this shop

warm.

Many times it occurred to me to put a stop to this vain affair or to

bring him into

the assembly of the people of Islam.

At last, when Khusro passed along this road, this insignificant fellow

proposed

to wait upon him. Khusro happened to halt at the place where he was,

and he

came out and did homage to him. He behaved to Khusro in certain special

ways, and made on his forehead a finger-mark of saffron which the

Indians call

Qashqa and is considered propitious. When this came to my ears and I

fully

knew his heresies, I ordered that he should be brought into my presence

and

having handed over his houses, dwelling places, and children to Murtaza

Khan

(Sheikh Farid Bukhari) and having confiscated his property I ordered

that he

should be put to death with tortures."

The following events led to the Guru's summons by the Emperor resulting

in

martyrdom:

To begin with, it was his elder brother, Prithi Chand who devoted his

whole life to harm the Guru in every possible way. Secondly Chandu's

animosity over his daughter's non-alliance with the Guru's son, is

considered the main fuel. These men with jealousies in their hearts, concocted

the real story of Khusro to rouse the ire of Emperor Jahangir which

added fuel to the blazing fire. Along with these

circumstances Guru's increasing influence to convert crowds of Hindus

and Muslims, created a stir in the minds of the Pundits (Brahmans) and

the Qazis (Muslim priests).

The compilation of Adi Granth was considered a serious blow to other

religions.

Through all these circumstances Guru Arjan fell a victim to the bigotry

and inhumanity

of the Mohammadan Emperor.

Before his departure to Lahore, the Guru appointed his son, Har Gobind

as his successor and gave suitable instructions. He took five Sikhs,

Bhai Bidhi Chand, Bhai Langaha, Bhai Piara, Bhai Jetha, and Bhai Pirana,

with him. Some writers say that Emperor Jahangir had gone to Kashmir

before the arrival of the Guru in Lahore.

Part 2 - To be continued...

Dhan Guru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj

Extracted from the book, SIKH RELIGION

Sikh Missionary Center

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