Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed: Difference between revisions

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There are common misconceptions, that Bhai Mani Singh Ji Shaheed, and according to Bhai Kesar Singh ji Chhibbar, his contemporary, of a Kamboj family. Another Giani Gian Singh Dullat [1822-1921], author of the Naveen Panth Parkash, of a Dullat Jatt family of Kamboval village (currently extinct), near Sunam in Sangrur district of the Punjab, claims Bhai Mani Singh Ji to be of his Dullat ancestor. However, both of these claims are false.
There are common misconceptions, that Bhai Mani Singh Ji Shaheed, and according to Bhai Kesar Singh ji Chhibbar, his contemporary, of a Kamboj family. Another Giani Gian Singh Dullat [1822-1921], author of the Naveen Panth Parkash, of a Dullat Jatt family of Kamboval village (currently extinct), near Sunam in Sangrur district of the Punjab. However, both of these claims are false.





Revision as of 21:54, 2 September 2020

Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed

Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed (martyr) (1670 - 9 July 1737), a great Sikh personality of the eighteenth century, occupies a very esteemed position in Sikh history, when he assumed control and steered the course of the Sikhs' destiny at a very critical stage. A great scholar, a devoted Sikh, and a courageous leader, Bhai Mani Singh willingly laid down his life to uphold the dignity of the Sikh religion and the Sikh nation. The nature of his martyrdom has become a part of the daily Sikh Ardas (prayer). He compiled Dasam Granth which includes Banis of Guru Gobind Singh.

Birth

The exact date of Bhai Mani Singh's birth is a bit of a mystery. Giani Thakur Singh lists his year of birth as 1672 while some other writers put it at 1670, but according to Sohan Singh Seetal, a well known Sikh historian, Bhai Mani Singh was born in 1664. Principle Satbir Singh listed his year of birth as 1672 in his 1970 edition of his, "Sada Itihaas", but later editions listed his year of birth as 1662. [1]. Dr Santokh Singh also lists the date of Bhai Mani Singh's birth as 1662 [2]. These earlier dates are indirectly based on Giani Giani Singh’s references to Guru Tegh Bahadur’s visit to village Akoi/Malwa in 1665. Based on critical analysis of ancient Sikh writings, it appears that Bhai Mani Singh may have been born no later than 1665.

Error in Identification

According to Shaheed Bilaas Bhai Mani Singh a book edited and published by Giani Garja Singh in 1961, the birth date of Bhai Mani Ram; alias Bhai Mani Singh (Parmar; Rajput) from Village Alipur located in Muzaffargarh, Multan was 1644. His father, Rao Mai Das Ji, was the son of the great Shaheed Rao Ballu Ji, the General of the sixth Guru Nanak, Guru Hargobind Sahib's army. Shaheed Mani Singh Ji Parmar's family comes from a family of powerful kings, in fact he was the 23rd descendent of great legendary Rajput Emperor of India, Vikramaditya.


There are common misconceptions, that Bhai Mani Singh Ji Shaheed, and according to Bhai Kesar Singh ji Chhibbar, his contemporary, of a Kamboj family. Another Giani Gian Singh Dullat [1822-1921], author of the Naveen Panth Parkash, of a Dullat Jatt family of Kamboval village (currently extinct), near Sunam in Sangrur district of the Punjab. However, both of these claims are false.


As mentioned earlier, Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Ji, belonged to a powerful family of Rajput King's who originated from the legendary Chandarvanshi, Parmar dynasty. In addition to this, his Grandfather Shaheed Rao Ballu, was one of the advisors to great emperor Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad 'Akbar' (known as Emperor Akbar). Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Ji's family were originally from Nahan, Himachal Pradesh, and migrated to Village Alipur, District of Muzaffargarh, Multan, Pakistan in approximately 1582-1600 (B). Due to this, some of their family today, also uses the last name as 'Multani' instead of Parmar to showcase their roots coming from the City of Multan.


Here are a few passages from Sri Gur Partap Sooraj Granth and Gur Padh Prem Prakash Granth:


____________________________________________

(ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਤਾਪ ਸੂਰਜ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ, ਰੁਤ ੩, ਅੰਸ਼ੂ ੨੦)

ਪੁਰ ਮੁਲਤਾਨ ਅਲੀਪੁਰ ਨੇਰੇ । ਮਾਈ ਦਾਸ ਰਾਜਪੂਤ ਬਸੇਰੇ । ੨੫ । ਤਿਸ ਕੇ ਮਨੀ ਰਾਮ ਸੁਤ ਹੋਯੋ । ਆਇ ਤਹਾਂ ਗੁਰ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਜੋਯੋ । ਪਾਂਚ ਪੁਤ੍ਰ ਲੈ ਆਪਨੇ ਸਾਥ । ਸ਼ਰਨੀ ਪਰਯੋ ਰਹਿਯੋ ਗੁਰ ਨਾਥ । ੨੬ । ਸੋ ਪੰਚਹੁ ਭਰਾਤਾ ਕਰ ਖਰੇ । ਸਿੰਘ ਨਾਮ ਗੁਰ ਤਿਨ ਕੇ ਧਰੇ । ਬਡੇ ਬਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਭੱਟ ਭਯੋ । ਉਦੇ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੂਸਰ ਬਿਦਤਯੋ । ੨੭ । ਅਨਿਕ ਸਿੰਘ ਅਰ ਅਜਬ ਸਿੰਘ ਪੁਨ । ਪੰਚਮ ਭਯੋ ਅਜਾਇਬ ਸਿੰਘ ਗੁਨ । ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਖੰਡੇ ਕੋ ਤਿਨ ਦੀਨਾ । ਮਾਨਹੁ ਪੰਚ ਪਾਂਡਵ ਬਲ ਪੀਨਾ । ੨੮ । ਰਨ ਮਹਿ ਕਰੇ ਕਰਮ ਜਿਨ ਭਖੀਨ । ਰਿਪੂ ਮਾਰੇ ਜਿਨ ਸ਼ਸਤ੍ਰ ਤੀਖਨ ।

____________________________________________

(ਗੁਰ ਪਦ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼, ਸਫ਼ਾ ੧੬੨)

ਭਯੋ ਆਲਿਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਨਚਨਾ ਸਿਆਲ ਕੋਟ ਰਾਜਪੂਤ । ਫੇਰ ਮਾਈ ਦਾਸ ਸੁਤ ਰਾਜਪੂਤ ਅੱਤ ਮਜਬੂਤ । ਨਿਕਟ ਹੈ ਮੁਲਤਾਨ ਕੇ ਇਨ ਅਲੀ ਗਢ ਅਸਥਾਨ । ਤਾਂਹਿ ਕੇ ਸੁਤ ਪਾਂਚ ਪਾਂਚੋ ਭਏ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੁਜਾਨ । ੭ । ਉਦੇ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਅਨਿਕ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੁ ਬੀਰ । ਅਜਬ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੁਮਤ ਅਜਾਇਬ ਸਿੰਘ ਰਣਧੀਰ ।

____________________________________________


From these passages, the origin and family of Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Ji now becomes clear, that they belong to a powerful ancestral Parmar, Rajput family.

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 not the same age as the Guru's own son, Gobind Rai. 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 in large part 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 during 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 Mata Sundri Ji the wife of Guru Gobind Singh to Talwandi Sabo where the Guru was staying. It was there that she learned of the Martyrdom of her four sons and their Grandmother. 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.

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 Mughal Empire

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 the Golden Temple. The permission was granted for a promised payment of Rs.5,000 to the Governor. Bhai Mani Singh was certain that he would be able to pay the sum out of the offerings that would be made by the Sikhs who were invited to come.

The Sikhs came in large numbers, but Zakariya Khan, under the pretext of keeping order, sent a force under Diwan Lakhpat Rae to Amritsar. It marched towards the city on the day of the festival in order to intimidate and disperse the Sikhs and the festival 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 faith 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 since been known as Shaheed Ganj - the place of martyrdom [3].

This was a gruesome execution in which Bhai Mani Singh's executioner was ordered to chop Bhai Mani Singh's body to pieces joint by joint starting from the extremities. The irony of the execution was that Bhai Mani Singh had the last word. When the executioner started to cut into Bhai Mani Singh's wrist, Bhai Mani Singh gestured to his fingers telling the executioner that he should follow the orders of his commander with strictness, like a true Muslim. Very puzzled by the interruption, the executioner and guards asked the Great Shaheed what he meant. Bhai Mani Singh replied, " you have been ordered to execute me by chopping my joints, have you forgotten that my joints start with my fingers.

A scholar

Bhai Mani Singh acted as scribe when at the age of 14 Guru Gobind Singh Ji - the then Guru of the Sikhs - dictated Sri Guru Granth Sahib. He also 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 Gurbani[4] of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and compiling it in the form of Dasam Granth (Book of the Tenth Guru). 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 GurDas's Vaars into a life of Guru Nanak which is called Gyan Ratanawali. Mani Singh wrote another work, the Bhagat Ralanawali, an expansion of Bhai GurDas's eleventh Vaar, which contains a list of famous Sikhs up to the time of Guru Har Gobind.

In his capacity as a Granthi of the Darbar Sahib at Harmandar Sahib, Bhai Singh is also stated to have composed the Ardaas (Supplication) in its current format; he also started the tradition of mentioning deeds of various Gursikhs with the supplication.

Disambiguation


External links

References

  1. ^ Sada Itihaas, 1998, p 154, Principle Satbir Singh.
  2. ^ The Guru's Word.
  3. ^ Shaheed Bilaas of Giani Garja Singh (1961) states that Bhai Mani Singh (Rajput) was arrested after Diwali of 1733 AD and was executed on June 14, 1734 AD i.e. about 8 months after his arrest following Dewali (See: Shaheed Bilaas, Bhai Mani Singh, 1961, p 93, Editor Giani Garja Singh) whereas all other ancient sources and oral Sikh traditions assert that Bhai Mani Singh was martyred shortly after his arrest following Dewali---hence his Martyrdom is said to have occurred in the month of November or December according to other ancient sources. It must be remembered that the Mughal rulers of Punjab were noted for their quick executions of the Sikhs. It is highly improbable that they could ever have waited for eight months to execute Bhai Mani Singh after he was formally arrested and charged shortly following Dewali. This does not make sense at all. This is another point in Shaheed Bilaas of Giani Garja Singh which conflicts with the traditionally accepted ancient Sikh sources. To all probability, Bhai Mani Ram alias Bhai Mani Singh Rajput of Alipore (born 1644) had died naturally of old age on June 14, 1734. He was already over 90 years on that date. His death was later confused with that of actual Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed by Kavi Sewa Singh Bhat simply to please his Patron, Bhai Sangat Singh, the great grand son of Bhai Mani Ram Rajput (See: The Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Vol IV, 1998, p 95-96, (Ed) Dr Harbans Singh; Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh (a research book), 2004, pp 37-98, S Kirpal Singh).
  4. ^ Literally "Word of the Guru".


Books and articles

* Shahid Bilas (Bhai Mani Singh) - Ed. Giani Garja Singh

  • Ancient Bansawalinama, Charan 10, 13, 14, Bhai Kesar Singh ji Chhibber.
  • Panth Parkash, Giani Gian Singh ji.
  • Prachin Panth Parkash, (ed) Bhai Vir Singh, New D