Daulat Rai's preface to his book on Guru Gobind Singh

Daulat Rai, an Arya Samajist, was bothered so much, by the publishing of books by some Hindu activists writing books that maligned the Sikh Gurus that he was forced to pick up the pen to author: “Sahib-i-Kamal” - (Par Excellent Master, Guru Gobind Singh). In this book he reminded Punjabi Hindus of the humiliation and degradation to which their ancestors were subjected under Muslim rule before the Khalsa liberated them. Quoting various historical sources, he wrote:

Not only did Muslim invaders kill Hindus by the thousands, looted their properties and carried away men and women as slaves in the thousands, but also under some Muslim rulers Hindus were not allowed even the comforts of life like -- good clothes, good food, ride horses, wear turbans or keep good homes or valuables or even beautiful children or wives. They were allowed to have minimum possessions for mere survival. Often they were given two alternatives: either conversion to Islam or pay Jizya (The jizya was a tax inflicted upon non-believers).[1]

PREFACE

Though I was conscious of my incompetence to deal effectively with the subject,two factors prompted me to write this book.

• First of all, no such comprehensive book on Guru Gobind Singh had been written which dwelt at some length on the mission of this unique patriot and courageous fighter. Many Janam Sakhis written, earlier and now, by over zealous devotees are available. Carried away by their devotion and zeal these writers have written such things as strain credence and the readers find it difficult to shift the factual from the fanciful. Such writings fail to depict a true picture of the persons under study and such do them grave injustice.
• Secondly, the majority of the people know so little about this great hero that many unscrupulous people have tried to gain their selfish ends by saying many wrong and undesirable things about the Guru, his life and teaching.

I was taken aback by a book in which the writer, out of sheer ignorance or coloured by his personal views and prejudices, had tried to belittle and denigrate the mission of the Guru by misinterpreting his words and sayings. Feeling the need of consulting some Khalsa Sikhs regarding these, I was all the more surprised to learn that most of them were poorly informed, nay quite ignorant about their Guru’s real views. There were some whose thoughts were not only wrong but also divergent and contradictory.

I am deeply indebted to my friend Lala Jawala Das, A teacher of High School, Dera Ghazi Khan, for his ungrudging and valuable help. I am conscious of the fact that this book is neither perfect nor comprehensive. It is a humble endeavour to correct the prevailing misconceptions about the life, work and mission of the versatile genius, Guru Gobind Singh. May it inspire someday a better equipped person to touch the theme with greater felicity.

23rd January 1901, Daulat Rai

SAHIB-E-KAMAL GURU GOBIND SINGH

INTRODUCTION

It is imperative to describe the plight of the Hindus and the origin of the Sikh religion before moving on to the life of Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Nanak founded Sikhism in Babar’s time. Hindu India had then been under Muslim rule for 350 years. Muslims were tempted to invade India because of disunity among Hindus caused by political, religious and social considerations. The concept of nationalism was missing. Hindus were divided in numerous religious sects following diverse and sometimes diametrically opposite rites, rituals and beliefs.

Their modes of worship were different and often they were at war with one another. Starting with worship of gods and demigods, Hinduism had degenerated into animal worship. The social fabric was in shreds. The caste system had become air tight, the Brahmins in their hey-day had introduced it to keep themselves in power and plenty.Shudras, the lowest caste, were condemned to eternal slavery and damnation. The old Vedic religion in the hands of the Brahmins had become savage and cruel.Religion stands for peace (inward and outward), goodness and righteous living. The Hindus then were bereft of the blessing of a religion.

Before the onslaught of Islam, Buddhism had already made inroads in Hindu India. Buddhism, besides being simple, had rejected the caste system. The lower castes embraced it in great numbers and overnight gained equality with high castes.Buddhism gained eminence over Brahminism, untill it was overthrown by the might of the Rajputs(Agni Dynasty) adding fire to the intellectual gun of Shankaracharya and his followers.These followers were mainly Brahmins and they exerted themselves extensively to restore the supremacy of the Brahmin, tighten the strangle hold of the invidious caste system and keep the common man ignorant and illiterate.But idol worship introduced by Buddhism had its roots grown to deep to be uprooted. The philosophy of Shankaracharya that “all is God”(Sabh Brahm he hai) failed to cut any ice against the caste system and thus bring Hindus into one fold.Shankaracharya was follower of Shiva. His main disciple Ramanuja was a votary of Vishnu, who preached the worship of his god.He was instrumental in creating more off-shoots of Hinduism like Madhavi, Vishnu Swami, Vallabhachari, etc. Thus instead of intergration further ramification took place to make things worse for Hinduism. People were attracted to these new fountains of clear reasoning but found the filth of many kinds in their depths.

India was weak divided into inimical, political, social and religious camps. The Indians had become ease-loving pleasure-seekers. Their physical well-being and gratification of sense-pleasures became the main purpose of their life.The devotees of Krishna were largely responsible for this moral degeneration. The Brahmins reassumed the role of gurus who engrained in the psyche of the common man the indispensability of idol-worship and rites and rituals for spiritual uplift.

His gurudom came to stay and cannot be shaken off even now. Liberation is the destined end of human life. In order to cheat the common man of his worldly goods and money, the Brahmin advocated that this world of phenomena with its worldly goods, is untrue and the only true entity is the Brahmin.So the common man should offer his worldly possessions to him (the Brahmin), considering them untrue and worthless.He would look after their spiritual welfare in return.

The votaries of Shakti had become cruel and unchaste moral lepers. The Shaivities had taken to drugs, ie; Afeem (Opium), Charas (Poppy husk), Ganja (Marijuana) and Alcohol. Such was the sad plight of the Hindus. They were groping in the dark shrouded by superstition. They were no match for the one god loving fierce followers of Islam. The Hindus were stuck in the swamp of polytheism and human worship. They were at logger heads with one another. The welfare of others was farthest from their minds. They were not united in anything. The Hindu India looked an easy prey to the Mohammedans who turned their face towards it and over-ran it at their will. They destroyed the last vestiges of Hindu power and completely enslaved the people. They tried their level best to belittle the Hindus, rob them of their wealth and women, reduced them to a servile and spineless people. In short they came to own Hindus as thoroughly as a man owns his cattle. The Hindus could not withstand the relentless ramming of their citadel by the Mohammedans. Large number of the two lower caste Hindus embraced Islam either under duress or willingly to escape the stigma of untouchability and slavery.

The high caste Hindus were not greatly perturbed but rather felt relieved that the rotten limbs of the body of Hinduism had fallen off. “A good riddance,” they mused. These high caste but purblind Hindus couldn’t envisage that limb was going to be rejuvenated and turn into their master. The neo-converts were more zealous than the invading Muslims and had no little hand in inflicting unspeakable horrors on their former erstwhile masters and co-religionists. The idol –worship of Hindus invited the wrath of Muslims who considered it a holy duty to destroy the temples, along with the idols, of infidels and bring them under the banner of Islam. Their proselytism assumed gigantic and horrendous proportions.

1. Daulat Rai. “Sahib-i-Kamal” Guru Gobind Singh (Hindi). Amritsar: Gurmat Sahit Charitable Trust, 7th reprint, 1993, pp. 25-64.