Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji
Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib was born on Vaisakh Vadi 5, (5 Vaisakh), Bikrami Samvat 1678, (1st April, 1621) in the holy city of Amritsar in a house known as Guru ke Mahal. He had four brothers Baba Gurditta Ji, Baba Suraj Mal Ji, Baba Ani Rai Ji, Baba Atal Rai Ji and one sister Bibi Veero Ji. He was the fifth and the youngest son of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji and Mata Nanaki Ji. His childhood name was Tyag Mal. The Sikhs began to call him Teg Bahadur after the battle of Kartarpur against Painda Khan in which he proved to be great sword-player or gladiator. But he preffered to call himself "Tegh Bahadur"
From the very childhood Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib used to sit inside the house and spend most of his time in meditation. He seldom played with other boys of his age. Due to the rich religious atmosphere at home he developed a distinct philosophical bent of mind. Naturally he developed inspirations towards a life of selfless service and sacrifice.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib had a regular schooling from the age of six. Where he also learnt classical, vocal and instrumental music. Bhai Gurdas Ji also taught him Gurbani and Hindu Mythology. Apart from the schooling he was also given the military training like horsemanship, swordsmanship, javelin throwing and shooting. He had witnessed and even participated in the battles of Amritsar and Kartarpur. But inspite of all this, he developed an extra ordinary mystic nature in due course of time.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib was married to Gujri Ji (Mata), daughter of Sh.Lal Chand & Bishan Kaur of Kartarpur at an early age on 15 Assu, Samvat 1689 (September 14, 1632). A son (Guru) Gobind Singh (Sahib) was born on Poh Sudi Saptmi Samvat 1723 (December 22,1666). Gujri (Mata) was also a religious lady. She was disciplined in behaviour and modest in temprament. Her father was a noble and rich man.
Soon after the death of Guru Hargobind Sahib, Mata Nanki Ji, the mother of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib took him and his wife (Gujri) to her natal village (Baba) Bakala near the river Beas. Some Chronicles state that Bhai Mehra, who was a devout Sikh of Guru Hargobind Sahib, got constructed a house for (Guru) Tegh Bahadur Sahib where he lived in complete peace and led a normal life for the next twenty years (from 1644 to 1666).
It is a totally wrong conception (as some historian point out) that Guru Sahib got constructed a solitary cell in his house where he often used to meditate God. Actually, it is seen that the meditation for self-purification and self-attainment of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib is wrongly mis-understood. Guru Nanak"s spiritual traditions hold that after attaining the divine light, one has to lift others from darkness to liberate the world. In JapJi sahib, Guru Nanak Sahib says: " There can be no love of God without active service." Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib"s long spell of silent meditation perfected his will. Through meditation Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib archived the torch of Guru Nanak creative vision. He developed aspirations towards a life of selfless service and sacrifice, with a moral and spiritual courage to abide by the will of God. When Guru Hargobind Sahib invested Har Rai Sahib with Guruship, Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib was the first to bow to Guru Har Rai Sahib. He never contested the will of his father (Guru).
During the stay at Baba Bakala, Guru Tegh Bahadur paid visits to many holy and historical places like Goindwal, Kiratpur Sahib, Haridwar, Prayag, Mathura, Agra, Kashi (Banaras) and Gaya. A devoted Sikh of Guru Hargobind Sahib, Bhai Jetha Ji took Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib to Patna. Here he heard the news of the passing away of Guru Har Rai Sahib (6th Oct, 1661) and decided to return to Kiratpur Sahib. On the way back he reached Delhi on March, 21,1664, where he learnt the arrival of Guru Harkrishan Sahib at the residence of Raja Jai Singh. He alongwith his mother and other Sikhs paid visit to Guru Harkrishan Sahib and after expressing profound sense of sorrow and sympathy towards Guru Sahib and his mother Mata Krishan Kaur Ji, he left for Baba Bakala (Punjab).
After some days, Guru Harkrishan Sahib (on the eve of his death), prophetically uttered only two words "Baba Bakala" meaning that his successor would be found at (Baba) Bakala. Now with this announcement near about twenty-two posers and self-appointed successors sprung up in the small village Bakala. The most prominent among them was Dhir Mal who was the only direct descendant of the eldest son Baba Gurditta Ji and it was he who possessed the first copy of Guru Granth Sahib prepared by Guru Arjan Sahib.
This situation puzzled the innocent Sikh devotees for a few months. Then in the month of August 1664, Sikh Sangat headed by some prominent Sikhs from Delhi, arrived at village Bakala and acknowledged Baba Tegh Bahadur Ji as the Ninth Nanak, but the atmosphere remained same at Village Baba Bakala. Guru Tegh Bahadur accepted the spiritual succession but never liked to be dragged into the mire of competition with the imposters. He kept aloof from them. An incident, which changed the whole scene deciding the dispute forever, occurred one day.
Makhan Shah Lubana, a rich trader and a devout Sikh from Tanda district Jehlam (now in Pakistan), came to pay his obeisance and 500 gold coins as offerings to the Guru Sahib, at village Bakala. It is said that earlier his ship full of merchandise was caught in a storm. But due to his prayer to the Guru Sahib, his ship was saved. He made up his mind to offer 500 gold coins in lieu of the safety. Reaching village Bakala he had to encounter so many "Gurus". Everyone contested to be the real "Guru". He offered everyone only two coins and non-of them challenged. The imposters were glad to accept only two coins. But h was disappointed as he sensed something wrong.
One day he learned from some villagers that there was also another Guru named Tegh Bahadur Ji. He went to see the Guru who was meditating in a lone house. When he offered two coins to Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, the later questioned that why Makhan Shah was breaking his own promise offering only two coins instead of five hundred. At this Makhan Shah could not contain himself with joy. He immediately climbed to the roof of the same house and cried loudly that he had discoverd the true Guru (Guru Ladho Re...Guru Ladho Re...). On hearing this a large number of Sikh devotees assembled there and paid their homage to the true Guru.
This incident ravaged Dhir Mal and he with the hired ruffians, attacked Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib. A bullet hit Guru Sahib and when the Sikhs learnt about this attack, they retaliated and took possession of (Guru) Granth Sahib lying with Dhir Mal. But Guru Sahib returned it to Dhir Mal while forgiving him.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib with his entire family reached Amritsar (about November, 1664) to pay obeisance at Harmandir Sahib, but the ministers of the holy place shut its doors against him and he was not allowed to enter. Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib did not pressed or forced his entry but returned calmly and reached Kiratpur Sahib via Vallah, Khandur Sahib, Goindwal Sahib, Tarn Taran Sahib, Khem karan. Before reaching Kiratpur, he also visited Talwandi Saboke, Banger and Dhandaur. It is to be noted that wherever Guru Sahib went, there he established new Manjis (preaching centres of Sikhism). Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib reached Kiratpur Sahib in May 1665.
In June 1665 Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib bought some land from Raja of Bilaspur near Makhowal village on the bank of River Satlej and founded a new town Chak-Nanki after revered name of his mother Nanki. Later this town was renamed as Sri Anandpur Sahib.
After a brief stay at new founded town, Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib set out for a long journey towards the east in order to strengthen the Sikh nation by setting up new preaching centers and renewing the old ones. It was his second missionary tour. He left Anandpur Sahib in August, 1665 alongwith many staunch sikhs such as Bhai Mati Das Ji, Bhai Sati Das Ji, Bhai Sangtia Ji, Bhai Dayal Das Ji and Bhai Jetha Ji apart from his close family members. It was like a long-march for the sake of suffering humanity. This mission raved the othodox regime of the Mughals, because large crowds began to attend the gatherings and sought the Guru"s blessings. When Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib was coming at Dhamdhan in the Banger area in December 1665 a Mughal enforcement officer Alam Khan Rohella arrested him alongwith Bhai Sati Das Ji, Bhai Moti Das Ji, Bhai Dayal Das Ji and some other Sikh followers under the imperial orders from Delhi. All these were produced before the court of the empror Aurangzeb, who orderd to hand-over them to Kanwar Ram Singh Kachhwaha, son of Raja Jai Singh Mirza. The entire family of Raja Jai Singh was a staunch follower of Guru Sahib and hence they treated him not like prisoner but endorsed great respect and also secured the releasing orders from the imperial court. Guru Sahib was released after about two months. Resuming his mission further, Guru Sahib reached Mathura and then Agra and from here he reached Allahabad via Etawah, Kanpur and Fatehpur. He also visited Benaras and Sasaram and then reached Patna in the month of May 1666.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib proceeded further towards Dacca via Mongair, Calicut (now Kolkata), Sahibganj and Kant Nagar in October 1666. But before leaving for these places he made necessary arrangements under the supervision of a devout Sikh lady known as Mata Paidi for the safe stay of his family members at Patna during the rainy season. Then Mata Gujri Ji was expecting a child. At all the places Guru Sahib halted, Satsangat and Kirtan (recitations of Verses from Guru Granth Sahib) were held daily and religious sermons were delivered. Many prominent Sikhs like Bhai Mati Dass Ji, Bhai Sati Dass Ji, Bhai Dayal Das Ji and Baba Gurditta Ji, supported Guru Sahib in religious sittings during these tours.