Gurbaksh Singh (1688-1764), also
known as Gurbaksh Singh Nihang or Shaheed, hailed from the village of Lil, in
Amritsar District. According to an old manuscript which was preserved in the
Sikh reference library, Amritsar, until it perished in the Government of
India's Army action in 1984, and which is quoted by Singh Sahib Giani Kirpal
Singh, he was born on Baisakh Vadi 5, 1745 Bk i.e. 10th April 1688 (father
Dasaundha Singh, Mother Mai Lachchami). In 1698, the family shifted to Anandpur
where Gurbakshash Singh took pahul of the Khalsa on
the historic Baisakhi day of 1699. He completed his religious education under
Bhai Mani Singh. He later joined the Shaheed Misl under Baba Deep Singhji. After
the martyrdom of Baba Deep Singhji in 1757 at Amritsar, Bhai Gurbaksh Singh was
appointed as jathedar of Shaheed Misl.
In November 1764, Ahmad Shah
Abdali at the head of 30,000 Afghanis invaded India for 7th time, Bhai Gurbaksh
Singh happened to be stationed at holy Shrine at Amritsar. The Durrani (abdali)
advanced up to the town virtually unopposed and entered the partially
reconstructed Harimandir, which he had demolished two years earlier. Bhai
Gurbaksh Singh who had ordered women, children, and the aged, to leave the premises of Harmandar Sahib had with him only thirty men. Ahmad Shah Abdali
knew that there were only 30 Sikhs in the premises and they would not stand his
army of 30,000.
.
He arrogantly asked Bhai Gurbaksh
Singh and his jatha to ‘come out with
hands up’
Baba Gurbaksh Singh replied ‘Sikhs have not learned to give up and
surrender with the hands up’
Abdali ’30 sikhs Vs 30,000 army cannot survive. All of you shall Die’
Baba Gurbaksh Singhji ‘I know, We have learnt that mercilessly. We accept
to die rather giving up, but I have a request. I know you have an armyof 30000
with ammunitions. We shall not survive. I request you, whenever you shoot us,
shoot us in our chest. Please don’t shoot us trough our back’
Abdali
Surprisingly ‘Why???’
Bhai
Gurbaksh Singhji ‘Shoot us at our chest so that no one says, looking at the
army of 30000, any Sikh out of the 30 was afraid and was trying to run , so got
shot at the back.’
Listening this, Abdali got
furious and order the army to attack the Sikhs.
This was
an unequal fight - thirty pitted against thirty thousand. All thirty Sikhs were
killed before Gurbaksh Singh, though throughout in the forefront, also fell.
Giving an eyewitness account of the action, Qazi Nur Muhammad, a writer who was
in the army of the invader, writes in his Jung Nama in arrogance“ when the king and his army reached the
chakk(Amritsar), they did not see any infidel kafir there. But a few men stayed in a fortress were bent
upon spilling their blood and they sacrificed themselves for their Guru.. They
were only thirty in number. They did not have the least fear of death. They
engaged the Ghazis (i.e. in Islamic terminology, a Ghazi is a muslim person who
had killed an Infidel or a kafir)
and spilled their blood in the process. Thus all of them were slaughtered and
consigned to the seventh [hell]”.
This
happened on 1 December 1764. Bhai Gurbaksh singh was Shaheed. In the earlier picture, there is Baba Gurbaksh Singh written at the lower end , below Akaal
Takht, that was the place he was cremated. We should visit Harmandar Sahib,
Amritsar, knowing the fact, each and every inch there has a stories written with blood of SIKHS. Understanding the history and Passing
on to next generation is our responsibility.
Note: Ahmad Shah Durani 'Abdali' was a 'goon' who looted India trough wealth and Indian women. He used to pass through land of Punjab, where only Sikhs were able to fight his cruel and huge force and go back by the same route with the wealth and Indian Women. The Sikhs took the UN CONSTITUTED to get back the looted wealth and to release the India Women and hand them over to their families SAFELY. He attempted to invade India 11 times for LOOTING INDIA, but last few attempts could not go beyond Lahore as he started to be frightened of Sikhs Bravery.
Note 2 : The Sikhs had not personal conflict with the invaders of India nor the Mougal Empire. They could easily ignore the cruelity of the invadors and the Mougal Empire.
A Sikh is taught to live a life in a society of love and harmony irrespective of religion, cast or creed, and if anyone who tries to disturb this harmony was questioned and fought against it. The classic of harmony in history is, 'Pir Budhu Shah sacrificed his army and his 2 sons out of the four with the army of Guru Gobind Singhji.' Pir Budhu Shah was an Islamic preacher 'PIR' who had Love for Guru Darbar, Sikhs and justice. He opposed the INHUMAN rule of the Mougals.
Note: Ahmad Shah Durani 'Abdali' was a 'goon' who looted India trough wealth and Indian women. He used to pass through land of Punjab, where only Sikhs were able to fight his cruel and huge force and go back by the same route with the wealth and Indian Women. The Sikhs took the UN CONSTITUTED to get back the looted wealth and to release the India Women and hand them over to their families SAFELY. He attempted to invade India 11 times for LOOTING INDIA, but last few attempts could not go beyond Lahore as he started to be frightened of Sikhs Bravery.
Note 2 : The Sikhs had not personal conflict with the invaders of India nor the Mougal Empire. They could easily ignore the cruelity of the invadors and the Mougal Empire.
A Sikh is taught to live a life in a society of love and harmony irrespective of religion, cast or creed, and if anyone who tries to disturb this harmony was questioned and fought against it. The classic of harmony in history is, 'Pir Budhu Shah sacrificed his army and his 2 sons out of the four with the army of Guru Gobind Singhji.' Pir Budhu Shah was an Islamic preacher 'PIR' who had Love for Guru Darbar, Sikhs and justice. He opposed the INHUMAN rule of the Mougals.
