Kartar Singh Jhabbar

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Jathedar Kartar Singh ji Virk (alias Jhabbar) was born at Village Jhabbar in District Sheikhupura in the month of September 1874 A.D. He was grandson of Sardar Mangal Singh Virk who had accepted the rule of Sarkar Khalsa of Ranjit singh. Earlier Maharaja Ranjit Singh's father Sardar Mahan singh had attacked Virks of Jhabbar but lost two battles. Ranjit Singh decided to form an alliance with Virks and Sardar Mangal singh virk was more than happy to serve Sarkar Khalsa. Sardar Mangal singh virk was given rank of Kumedan in the army of the Khalsa. Bhai Kartar Singh was brought up as a classic Punjabi peasent, where youngsters would apart from working in fields, spent their time measuring their chests and biceps, learning how to fight with a staff, eating drinking milk, lassi and other Punjabi goodies. Sardar Kartar singh was way over six feet tall and manly looking. His attire was also a classic Punjabi Jutt's attire of Kurta, Chadra , Pagri and a heavy staff ( Summan wali Daang ). God has given him a body and voice which was built to lead armies instead of common Punjabi folks. He would neither talk bad neither listen bad from anyone, neither was he easy going. Simply in few words "A born leader" His endeavor with preaching Sikhism started when he met Bhai Mool Singh Gurmuula in 1904 A.D. In those days Sikh preachers would visit village to village and give lectures about Sikhism. Situation of Sikhism was bad, Gurdwaras were under control of Mahants, Sikhs were fastly assimiliating into Hinduism. At one such lecture he listened to Bhai Mool Singh when he was speaking at village virn . Bhai Mool Singh's lecutre gave him such enthusiasm to serve Sikhism that anytime a need of preacher arose in any village he along with his party would reach there. He was a fierce worker (Sewadar) of Singh Sabha movement. At one such incident at village Kotli Dasu Singh when a muslim who wanted to convert to Sikhism and about 40-50 muslims attacked the ongoing ceremony. Sardar Kartar Singh Jhabbar and his party defended this ceromony with their staffs. Singh Sabha movement was actively converting Low caste Hindus and Muslims to Sikhism at this time all over Punjab. Normally in such a ceremony after a lecture of Sikh leaders and Gurbani, a Jathedar would call to a congregation that if anybody wants to become a Amritdhari Sikh he/she should come forward. Kartar Singh Jhabbar visited numerous villages all over Punjab and give his lecture in many congregation. Then Jhabbar started making members of Singh Sabha. In two months he made 500 members, during his lectures at Gurdwara Baoli Sahib everyday about five six thousands Sikhs would gather. Later he shifted his headquarters to Lahore.

Chief Khalsa Diwan at this time was creating Khalsa Colleges schools as well as involved with all the academic activites associated with Sikhism. In 1912, Sardar Kartar Singh Jhabbar established a Khalsa Middle school at village Sacha Sauda, distt Sheikhupura. He appointed Sardar Arjun Singh as Principle of this school. He was back to his original job of touring villages and lecturing about Sikhism. Then in 1913 on 13th april, a british troops opened fire on a congregation at Jalianwala Bagh in Amritsar. Then rioting and activities against British army, police, administration offices, and railways started all over Punjab. Eventhough Jhabbar and other Sikh leaders did not led any rioters which were spontaneous after massacre at Jalianwala Bagh, still they were arrested. Few days later, a sessions judge sentenced death to Kartar Singh Jhabbar, Teja Singh Chuharkana, Kahan Singh Chuharkana and Jagir Singh muridka and sentence at Andaman and nicobar island for seventeen other Sikhs. Jhabbar greeted judge with "Sat Sri Akal" after his sentence was read. Sardar Kartar Singh Jhabbar claimed later that in jail at this time he was visited by Guru Gobind Singh who gave him more power to lead Sikhs. Kartar Singh Jhabbar's sentence was reduced to life term after police found no evidence of his involvement in riots and he was sent to remote Islands in bay of bengal. Jhabbar was released from jail in 1920 and he was back in Punjab actively visiting villages and lecturing about Sikhism.


Gurdwara reform movement was started in 1920 A.D. by Singh Sabha's political wing later called Akali Dal. Another Sikh preacher was a close friend of Kartar Singh Jhabbar named Teja Singh Bhuchar. Both were called by Akali dal party to reach Gurdwara Babe ki Ber as the first Gurdwara to be reformed. At this time this gurdwara was under Mahant Harnam singh's widow, she resisted as Gurdwara was her all income but Akali leaders give her pension and this Gurdwara was put under an elected committe led by Baba Kharak Singh. Then akali party decided to take over Golden Temple at Amritsar. Kartar Singh's party i.e. Jatha when reached Golden Temple, the priest was not letting in some low caste people who had converted to Sikhism. Jhabbar ran and after letting these people in went upto Akal Takht and started speaking to Sikh congregation. He told the sikh congregation that these priests do not let in low caste converts from Hindus to golden Temple, neither do they give them Karah Prasad, in his lecture he told about Gurus and their movement to eradicate these evils., and need to reform Gurdwaras by taking over from heriditory Mahants. Thus on 28th June 1920, Golden Temple and Akal Takht was under control of Singh Sabha and democratically elected committe called Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee. Then Gurdwara Panja Sahib at Hasan Abdal was next.


On 24th December, at a meeting at Sheikhupura where Akali party was formed and named "Akali Jatha Khara Sauda Bar", Jhabbar was elected a jathedar of this party. Jhabbar and his party also freed Gurdwara Sacha Sauda.

Then Jhabbar freed Gurdwara taranTaran Sahib and Guru Ka Bagh which is close to Amritsar city and Gurdwara Bave ki Ber as well as four other Gurdwaras.

  • Further reading at book JATHEDAR BHAI KARTAR SINGH JHABBAR

- THE LIFE AND TIMES -

By Bhai Narayan Singh, M.A.

Tranalsted into English by Karnail Singh

Published by Dharam Parachar Committee, SGPC, Amritsar

EXTERNAL LINK

Jathedar Kartar Singh Jhabbar at sikhstudies site http://www.bhaikartarsinghjhabbar.org/eng_boch1_15.html