Bhai Mani Singh Chauhan

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Bhai Mani Singh

Bhai Mani Singh (1662 to 1737) was a Sikh scholar, warrior and leader during the eighteenth century during the times of Guru Gobind Singh. He is considered one of the most hallowed martyrs in Sikh history. The nature of his martyrdom has become a part of the daily Sikh Ardas (prayer). Bhai Sahib is believed to be born in about 1662 the son of Mal Das of Alipur in Muzaffargarh district (now in Pakistan) and a brother of Bhai Mani Ram whose five sons were among the first few to be initiated at the time of the inauguration of the Khalsa on 30 March 1699. It is believed that Bhai Mani Singh remained unmarried all his life.

Bhai Mani Singh took part in the battles of Anandpur both as an ensign and a fighting soldier. He also fought in the battle of Chamkaur and was one of the three Sikhs who survived that critically unequal battle and came out that night unscathed as did Guru Gobind Singh. Bhai Mani Singh constantly attended upon the Guru thereafter until his death in a chance skirmish with Mughal troops near Chittor during the Guru's march to the Deccan along with Emperor Bahadur Shah. A minor dispute between the foraging parties of the two camps had developed into a fierce encounter.

Bhai Mani Singh's Death

Guru Gobind Singh sent Bhai Mani Singh to the scene to intervene and settle the issue, but a chance bullet hit him and proved fatal. The exact place and date of the incident are not known. While Giani Garja Singh, editor of Shahta Bilas quoting Bhatt Vahis, places the event in Chittor in Rajasthan (3 April 1708), Kavi Sainapati, a contemporary of Guru Gobind Singh, in his Sri GurSobha records that the skirmish took place near the River Narbada (Narmada), which was crossed a few weeks after the date mentioned in the former work. The Nihang Sikhs trace the origin of their order from Bhai Mani Singh.

In the service of the Guru

Bhai Mani Singh is said to have been brought, in the early years of his childhood, to the presence of Guru Tegh Bahadur at Anandpur. He was approximately of the same age as the Guru's own son, Gobind Rai. Both grew up together - Gobind Rai and Mania were the names they went by in those pre-Khalsa days. Mani Singh remained in his company even after he had ascended the religious seat as Guru. Mani Singh accompanied the Guru to the seclusion of Paonta where Guru Gobind Singh spent some three years almost exclusively given to literary work.

Bhai Mani Singh took Amrit at the hands of Guru Gobind Singh Ji on the day of the creation of Khalsa. When Guru Gobind Singh Ji left Anandpur on the night of December 20, 1704, his family got separated at river Sirsa in the confusion created by the Mughal attack. Bhai Mani Singh took Mata Sundri Ji and Mata Sahib Devan to Delhi via Ambala.

In 1706, Bhai Mani Singh escorted Guru Sahib's wife and Mata Sahib Devan, the mother of the Khalsa, to Talwandi Sabo where the Guru was staying. When Guru Sahib left Agra with Emperor Bahadur Shah for Nanded in 1707, Mata Sahib Devan and Bhai Mani Singh accompanied him. Afterwards Bhai Mani Singh escorted Mata Sahib Devan Ji back to Delhi where she lived with Mata Sundri Ji for the rest of her life.

Granthi of Harimandir Sahib

Mata Sundri Ji came to know of the trouble that was brewing between the Tat Khalsa and Bandai Khalsa military factions of the Sikhs. She appointed Bhai Mani Singh as the Granthi of Harimandir Sahib and sent him to Amritsar with Mama Kirpal Singh (Chand), the maternal uncle of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. On his arrival at Amritsar in 1721, Bhai Mani Singh restored peace among the Khalsa and put the affairs of Harimandir Sahib in order.

The Plot of Zakariya Khan

By 1737, the Mughal government of Lahore had strictly prohibited the Sikhs to visit Amritsar and bathe in the holy tank. To overcome this restriction, Bhai Mani Singh applied to Governor Zakariya Khan for permission to hold the Diwali festival at Harimandir Sahib. The permission was granted for a tribute of Rs.5,000. He hoped that he would be able to pay the sum out of the offerings to be made by the Sikhs who were invited to come.

The Sikhs came in large numbers. Zakariya Khan, under the pretext of keeping order, sent a force under Diwan Lakhpat Rai to Amritsar. The force was stationed near Amritsar. It was to march towards the city just on the day of the festival so that the Sikhs might be frightened and dispersed. The trick worked and the fair broke up at the approach of the Mughal army.

Execution

Bhai Mani Singh was arrested for not paying the stipulated sum. He was asked by the Qazi to embrace Islam or else face death. Bhai Mani Singh stoutly refused to barter his religion and boldly opted for death. By orders of Zakarya Khan, Bhai Mani Singh was executed at Nakhas, Lahore in December, 1737 AD. The Nakhas has ever since been known as Shaheed Ganj - the place of martyrdom. This was a gruesome execution in which Bhai Mani Singh's body was chopped to pieces joint by joint starting from the extremities interior-wards. The Martyrdom greatly inflamed the passions of the Sikhs. They pledged to uproot the evil forces of the Mughals sooner than later.

A scholar

Bhai Mani Singh acted as scribe when Guru Gobind Singh Ji compiled Sri Guru Granth Sahib from his sacred tongue. Bhai Sahib is also stated to have transcribed many copies of the sacred Sikh scriptures which were sent to different preaching centers in India. He also taught the reading of Gurbani and its philosophy to the Sikhs.

Bhai Sahib was responsible for collecting the Bani (holi writings) of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and compiling it in the form of Dasam Granth. Besides this, Bhai Sahib also authored Japji Sahib Da Garb Ganjni Teeka (teeka means translation and explanation of a work). He expanded the first of Bhai Gur Das's Wars into a life of Guru Nanak which work of his is called Gyan Ratanawali. Mani Singh wrote another work, the Bhagat Ralanawali, an expansion of Gur Das's eleventh War, which contains a list of famous Sikhs up to the time of Guru Har Gobind. He also prepared a new version of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in which, for the convenience of Sikh Sangat, he took out Guru-bani from the Ragas and rearranged/systematised it for each Guru separately. He did a similar thing with the Bhagat-bani also. It is stated that the segregation of Bani thus was disapproved by the Sikh-Sangat in general and Bhai Sahib was reprimanded for the sacrilege accordingly.

In his capacity as a Granthi of Darbar Sahib, Bhai Singh is also stated to have composed the Ardaas (Sikh Prayer) in its current format. He also started the tradition of adding the deeds of the Gursikhs with the prayer.

Reference

  • Sikhs.org Article 1 on Mani Singh
  • Article 2 on Mani Singh
  • Panth Parkash, Giani Gian Singh ji.
  • Prachin Panth Parkash, (ed) Bhai Vir Singh, New Delhi Edition, p 222-223, Rattan Singh Bhangu.
  • Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Prof Harbans Singh.
  • Encyclopaedia of Sikh Literature, Mahan Kosh, 1974, foot note, p 951.
  • Gurmat Sudhakar, Bhasha Vibhag, 1970, p 221, Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha.
  • Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji di Shabad Murti, p 38, Bhar Randhir Singh ji.
  • Sidki Jeewan, Mani Singh Shaheed Da Jeewan Britaant, 1907, Giani Thakur Singh.
  • Jeewan Sandesh, (Itihaas Number), Giani Gurdit Singh ji.
  • Bhai Mani Singh, Bhasha Vibhag, 1961, p 85, Dr S. S. Kohli.
  • Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji de Darbari Rattan, 1994, p 251-252, Prof Piara Singh Padam.
  • Glimpses of Sikhism and the Sikhs, 1982, Sher Singh Sher.
  • Punjab History Conference, Twenty Second Session, March 25-27, 1988, part I, Proceedings, Punjabi University Patiala, 1989, p 80, Dr G. S. Nayer Member Editorial Board, Punjabi University Patiala.
  • Identity of Bhai Mani Singh, Article, Published in Punjab History Conference, Twenty Second Session, March 25-27, 1988, part I, Proceedings, Punjabi University Patiala, 1989, p 80-81, Prof Gurmukh Singh.
  • Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed, (a research book), January 2004, Jullundur, K. S. Dardi.

External links

Jathedars Of Damdami Taksaal

Guru Gobind Singh ◄ ► Baba Deep Singh ◄ ► Bhai Mani Singh ◄ ► Bhai Gurbax Singh ◄ ► Giani Bhai Soorat Singh ◄ ► Jathedar Bhai Gurdas Singh ◄ ► Giani Bhai Sant Singh ◄ ► Sant Daya Singh ◄ ► Sant Giani Bhagvan Singh ◄ ► Sant Harnam Singh Bedi ◄ ► Sant Bishan Singh ◄ ► Sant Giani Sundar Singh Bhindranwale ◄ ► Sant Giani Gurbachan Singh Bhindranwale ◄ ► Sant Giani Kartar Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale ◄ ► Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale