Bibi Sharan Kaur Pabla

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An artist's imagination depicting Guru Gobind Singh sending his eldest son Sahibzada Ajit Singh to battlefield. Sahibzada Ajit Singh achieved martyrdom in this battle along with his brother Sahibzada Jujhar Singh and many other Sikh warriors.[1][2] Sharan Kaur Pabla of village Raipur performed the last rites of all of these Sikh martyrs. Guru Gobind Singh also escaped to Machchiwara passing through neighboring villages, instructing Sharan Kaur Pabla on the way to arrange the funeral of his sons and other Sikh martyrs [3][4]

Sharan Kaur Pabla was a Sikh martyr who was slain in 1705 by Mughal soldiers while cremating the bodies of the two older sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, after the battle of Chamkaur. She was from the village Raipur Rani which is 2 KM from the famous town of Chamkaur. [5] [6]

Historical Background: Guru Gobind Singh Escapes Chamkaur Fort

In the battle of Chamkaur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh jee and 40 starving Singhs fought against the Mughal army. The battle, which took place in Chamkaur Sahib's mud fort, lasted 72 hours and saw the loss of many Mughal soldiers, and also 36 of Guru Gobind Singh jee's companions along with the two Sahibzaadey (princes). Fighting an army of hundreds of thousands, Guru Gobind Singh jee gave an exhibition of his battle skills. Guru jee, following the orders of the Panth Khalsa (in the form of the Panj Pyaare) left the fort on the night of December 22, 1705 along with Bhai Daya Singh jee, Bhai Maan Singh jee, and one other Singh, after giving his clothes to Bhai Sangat Singh jee to wear. Only Bhai Sangat Singh jee and Bhai Sant Singh jee fought the battle to its end. They too were martyred. Seeing Guru jee's clothes on Bhai Sangat Singh jee, the Mughals were ecstatic. Taking him to be Guru Gobind Singh they cut off his head and took it to Delhi.

When Guru Gobind Singh ji moved on from the fort of Chamkaur. He briefly stopped at Raipur on his way to Machhiwara. Here Guru Sahib ji asked a lady by the name of Bibi Sharan Kaur Pabla to perform the last rites of the martyred Sikhs, which included two of Guru Gobind Singh's own sons, Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh.

Bibi Sharan Kaur Goes to Battlefield

Bibi Sharan Kaur Pabla.png

Cremates the Sahibzadas and her Husband along with other Martyrs of Chamkaur

As the Story Goes, Bibi Sharan Kaur Pabla performed the last rites of the two elder Sahibzadas, her husband Bhai Pritam Singh Pabla and other Sikh warriors who had laid down their lives in the battle.

Martyrdom of Bibi Sharan Kaur

Here are two accounts of Bibi Sharan Kaur Pabla's Martyrdom.

  • According to one acccount, Bibi Sharan Kaur Pabla was so grief stricken that she herself jumped in the funeral pyre and ended her life.
  • According to another view she did not self-immolate but was slain by Moghul soldiers and thrown in the funeral pyre of the Sahibzadas, when she and her other accomplices from Raipur, were caught cremating the bodies of Sahibzadas. [3]

Identity

Sharan Kaur was a Saini and there are a number of Saini villages around Chamkaur Sahib where the monumental battle between Sikhs and Moghuls took place . Pabla is one of the major clans of Sainis.

Possible Ancestor of Sardar Nanu Singh Saini of Phulkiyan

She is also sometimes linked as a possible ancestor with Sikh nobleman of Phulkiyan, Sardar Nanu Singh Saini, whose family later owned considerable land in the village Raipur. [4]

Bibi Sharan Kaur's Husband

Bibi Sharan Kaur’s husband Bhai Pritam Singh, who was a Khalsa warrior, was with Guru Gobind Singh ji, inside the Chamkaur fort resisting the Moghul attack/onslaught. She discovered her husband among the dead. In total she is said to have collected bodies of thirty-two Khalsa soldiers, including the two elder Sahibzadas. She tried to cremate them in a single funeral pyre. As soon as the funeral pyre was lit she was discovered by Moghul and Ranghar soldiers who wanted the bodies of the “Shaheed” Khalsa soldiers - martyrs according to warrior tradition - to rot in open air in order to terrorise non-Muslim population who refused to apostasize or give out the whereabouts of Guru Gobind Singh ji. Another school of thought, is of the viewpoint that Bibi Sharan Kaur understood the intentions of the Moghul soldiers to outrage her modesty, she jumped into the funeral pyre of Sikh warriors, which included her own husband, to save her honour.[7]

Village of Chamkaur

This village also has the samadhs (funerary shrines) of the following Sikh martyrs:

  • Jathedar Naunihal Singh
  • Mastan Singh
  • Santokh Singh
  • Malkiat Singh.

A Gurudwara Commemorates Bibi Sharan Kaur's Martyrdom

In 1945 a Gurudwara was built in village Raipur to commemorate Bibi Sharan Kaur Pabla. [4]

External Link

See Also

References

  1. ^ Bibi Sharan Kaur - Gateway To Sikhism https://www.allaboutsikhs.com/biographies/great-sikh-women/bibi-sharan-kaur/ 2014-01-27 Retrieved
  2. ^ Bibi Sharan Kaur Jee: Shaheed Singhni of Chamkaur Sahib https://www.sikh24.com/2012/01/06/bibi-sharan-kaur-jee-shaheed-singhni-of-chamkaur-sahib/ 2012-01-06 Retrieved
  3. ^ a b Cite error Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DK Varma; $2
  4. ^ a b c Cite error Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Nanuan; $2
  5. ^ Saini jagata utapati ate wikasa , pp 50, pp 72 , pp 101, Surajita Singha Nanua, Patiala : Manajota Prakashana, ਪਟਿਆਲਾ : ਮਨਜੋਤ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ਨ, 2008, DK Agencies DKPAN-5413 ( HBD )
  6. ^ The Battle of Chamkaur (22 December 1705), The Panjab past and present, Volume 20, pp 276, Devinder Kumar Varma, Punjabi University. Dept. of Punjab Historical Studies, 1986.
  7. ^ Bibi Sharan Kaur's martyrdom as per Sikh accounts
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