Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed

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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:


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(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 ।

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(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 ।

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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.

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[3] 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. ^ 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