Miri Piri

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Father of Miri Piri, Guru Hargobind

Miri

The word miri has been derived from Persian word “miri”, which itself comes from the Arabic “amir” which literary means commander, governor, lord, prince, etc, and signifies temporal power. The words miri and piri are frequently used together.

Piri

The word piri has been derived from Persian “pir” literary meaning saint, holy man, spiritual guide, senior man, head of a religious order and stands for spiritual authority.

Miri Piri

The adoption of the term “miri, piri” in Sikh tradition has been made to connote the temporal and spiritual components of life. The term represents for the Sikhs a basic principle which has influenced their political thought and has governed their social structure, political behaviour, organisation, leadership and politics.

SGGS Page 417: ( By Guru Nanak )

ਕੋਟੀ ਹੂ ਪੀਰ ਵਰਜਿ ਰਹਾਝ ਜਾ ਮੀਰ੝ ਸ੝ਣਿਆ ਧਾਇਆ ॥

kotee hoo peer varaj rahaa-ay jaa meer suni-aa Dhaa-i-aa.

Millions of religious leaders failed to halt the invader, when they heard of the Emperor's invasion.

ਥਾਨ ਮ੝ਕਾਮ ਜਲੇ ਬਿਜ ਮੰਦਰ ਮ੝ਛਿ ਮ੝ਛਿ ਕ੝ਇਰ ਰ੝ਲਾਇਆ ॥

thaan mukaam jalay bij mandar muchh muchh ku-ir rulaa-i-aa.

He burned the rest-houses and the ancient temples; he cut the princes limb from limb, and cast them into the dust.

ਕੋਈ ਮ੝ਗਲ੝ ਨ ਹੋਆ ਅੰਧਾ ਕਿਨੈ ਨ ਪਰਚਾ ਲਾਇਆ ॥੪॥

ko-ee mugal na ho-aa anDhaa kinai na parchaa laa-i-aa. ((4))

None of the Mugals went blind, and no one performed any miracle. ((4))

"Hearing of the invasion of Mir (Babur - the Mughal ruler), millions of Pirs (religious persons) were engaged by Pathans to perform miracles (praying and reciting of Kalmas /mantras) to check or repel the attack by the Mir. But the Mir (Babur) burned all the age-old temples and resting places, and princes were cut into pieces and thrown away. Not even a single Mughal (Mir) was blinded by religious leaders (Pirs) and none of their miracles could check the invasion of Mughals (Mir)."

At the end of the above verse Guru Nanak says:

ਹ੝ਕਮੀ ਹ੝ਕਮਿ ਚਲਾਝ ਵਿਗਸੈ ਨਾਨਕ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਪਾਈਝ ॥੭॥੧੨॥

hukmee hukam chalaa-ay vigsai naanak likhi-aa paa-ee-ai. ((7)(12))

The Commander issues His Command, and is pleased. O Nanak, we receive what is written in our destiny. ((7)(12))

"Laws of the Nature are going on under the order of the Almighty. Therefore, every one gets what one sows."

Guru Hargobind

Guru Hargobind sahib was only eleven years old at the time of the martyrdom of his father, Guru Arjun dev sahib. He was faced with two choices, either to let the Muslim tyrannical rulers (Mughals) and fanatical clergy to annihilate Sikhism and other non-Islamic religions of India or fight the tyranny. Guru sahib chose the latter and showed extraordinary personal courage, valour and political acumen and manoeuvred Sikhism on its course chartered by Guru Nanak through the initial crucial stages.

The martyrdom of Guru Arjun in 1606 at the behest of the fanatical Mughal Emperor Jahangir prompted the succeeding young Guru Hargobind sahib to refocused the role of the Sikh Gurus. The Guru discerned sagely that the Sikhism had to fight for its survival or be devoured by the mighty Mughals who were tyrannically converting predominantly Hindu society of India to Islam. At his succession ceremony the Guru donned one sword to symbolize Piri, [spiritual authority] and second to symbolize Miri, [temporal authority]. Evidently the Guru sahib's concept of Miri Piri and motivation to assume the dual role of Miri and Piri were to challenge the religious coercion, political tyranny, social oppression and ensure peaceful and prosperous co-existence not only for the Sikhs but also, for the whole multi-religious and multi-cultural society of India.

The Guru's motives to assume the dual role of Miri Piri were misconstrued at the time; but were soon validated when the Sikhs had to fight four defensive battles in 1628, 1630, 1631, 1634, A.D. against the aggressive Muslim imperial forces. Led by the Guru himself, the Sikhs routed the numerically superior Mughal forces in all four battles.

Guru Teg Bahadur's Martyrdom

lftkhar Khan, the Governor of Punjab (1671 to 1675) waged a campaign of terror and converted the Hindus to Islam at the point of the sword. Confident of the Sikh Gurus' invincible resolve to defend universal religious freedom, a delegation of sixteen Brahmins led by Kirpa Ram, approached and beseeched Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib in 1675 to save their religion from the Muslim tyrants. Fully aware of the ominous consequences the Guru Sahib assured the delegation that the Guru Nanak’s house will help. To the zealot Muslim tyrants the Guru Sahib came to represent a charismatic leader of the non-Islamic, predominantly Hindu, segment of the multi religious society and threat to their evil designs to create an absolute Islamic society in India.

Guru Sahib was arrested along with his three devoted disciples Sati Das, Mati Das (both brothers) and Dyal Das at Mallikpur Rangra by Mirza Noor Mohammed, the jail warden of Roper and taken to Delhi after being jailed for four months at Sirhind. Like his grandfather, Guru Arjan Dev Sahib, Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib was offered the choices of conversion to Islam or face death! The indomitable Guru Sahib chose the latter. To intimidate Guru Sahib Mati Das was sawed alive in two, Dyal Das was boiled alive in a cauldron and Sati Das was wrapped in cotton wool and burnt alive before him. The Governor and Quazi of Delhi tortured Guru Sahib for five days. Finally the Guru Sahib was martyred by beheading at the behest of Aurangzeb.

The martyrdoms of the Sikh Gurus are unique exemplifications of ultimate sacrifices for a cause of the universal religious freedom. Since Guru Tegh Bahadar Sahib championed the cause of religious freedom at the request of a Hindu delegation, many mischievous Hindu writers with ulterior motives portray Guru Sahib’s martyrdom as a sacrifice to save Hinduism because they want to propagate contemporary, progressive Sikhism as a sect of primeval Hinduism. The guru Sahibs would have done the same for the Muslims if they were victims of Hindu atrocities.

There were striking similarities in the crucial events in the lives of the sixth Guru Hargobind Sahib and Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. Both had their fathers martyred. Both were young, eleven and nine years of age respectively at the times of their fathers' martyrdoms and succession to the Guru-ship. And both had to face the dilemma of either annihilation of Sikhism or challenge the tyrannical Muslim Rulers who were far superior in manpower, resources and equipment. Both opted for the latter and not only successfully warded off the murderous onslaughts but inflicted mortal blows to the mighty Mughal Empire and Muslim Jihad (crusade). The Mughal Empire crumbled soon after. Although both the Gurus won decisive battles against aggressive Mughal and Hindu forces but they made no attempts to occupy territory.

Its worth reflecting that the evil Mughal are gone completely from the face of earth and the name of purity and righteousness of Guru Nanak continues to grow!

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