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Why some Gurus never visited the Akal
Takht
By Santokh
Singh
We have heard the statement "Some Gurus never even visited the Akal Takht".
Let us examine why these Gurus were unable to do so in safety.
Brahmins high in the priestly and political heirarchy, started getting
hostile to the Sikhs during the era of Guru Ram Das (1552-1574), when they
presented a petition to Akbar against Sikhism. The opposition became virulent
during Guru Arjan's time, when the Harimandir was constructed, leading to his
martyrdom.
His son became the Sixth Guru, in 1606. No Guru was safe in Amritsar after
1634, when Guru Hargobind was driven out, and Harimandir fell to the Brahmin
cohorts, the Minas. Guru Hargobind died in Kiratpur, in 1645.
His grandson, Har Rai became the Seventh Guru. His elder son, Ram Rai, after
his disgraceful conduct at the court of Aurangzeb, turned against him after
being passed over for Guruship. He apparently had the support of Aurangzeb in
Delhi. He found support in Lahore from Sikhs because he was thought to have the
confidence of the Emperor; in fact there were conversions to Sikhism because of
this! Ram Rai's uncle, Dhir Mal, living in Kartarpur, also supported him, and
together with the Guru's mother, tried to convince Guru Har Rai to accept Ram
Rai back, and make peace. This he could not do, thus Guru Har Rai was confined
to Kiratpur, where he died in 1661.
His second son, Har Krishan became the Eighth Guru, at age five, and was
summoned to Delhi, at the instigation of Ram Rai, by Aurangzeb. He died of
smallpox there, after a three year reign, at age eight.
Guru Hargobind's youngest son, Teg Bahadur, who had been living at Bakala,
became the Ninth Guru, in 1664. In Bakala alone, there were 22 Sodhi aspirants
to Guruship. If this was not enough, Dhir Mal, his nephew, got his masand,
Sihan, to put a bullet through the Guru. The Guru survived, but the masand and
his men took away all the Guru's moveable property.
Guru Teg Bahadur visited Amritsar, but was not allowed within, by the
masands, in 1665. The same year, the Guru founded Anandpur, in the hills. He
spent most of his time touring India, but chose to leave his mother, Nanaki, and
his wife, Gujari, at Patna, which was, significantly, a strong Mohammedan
centre, then.
Gobind Rai was born in Patna, in 1666, came to Anandpur in 1672, and became
the Tenth Guru in 1676. Before the gathering storm, Guru Gobind Singh had to
leave even Anandpur, for the relative safety of the mountains to the east, where
he founded Paonta, in 1685. His first battle was fought here, in 1688. In
between battles and seiges, he initiated the Order of the Khalsa at Anandpur, in
1699.
The Guru sent Bhai Mani Singh and six Sikhs to Amritsar, at the request of
some Sikhs there. They managed to take charge of the Harimandir and the Akal
Takht, at great personel risk, in the name of the Khalsa. "Harimandir, being the
source of Sikh life and faith,, remained the main target during the period of
persecution by both Mughal rulers and Afghan invaders.."
(Harbans Singh)
Guru Gobind Singh left Anandpur, for the last time, on the dark night of 5-6
Dec 1705. A day later was the Chamkaur battle, on 7 Dec 1705. Then Muktsar, his
last battle, on 29 Dec 1705. It was in Rajasthan that the Guru heard of the
death of Aurangzeb, in 1707, and he despatched a contingent of Sikhs to assist
the eldest claimant, the liberal Prince Mu'azzam, who became Emperor Bahadur
Shah.
The Guru met the Emperor in Agra, and accompanied him to Jaipur and the
Deccan, preaching to assemblies the word of Guru Nanak. He decided to stay
behind at Nanded, while the Emperor proceeded on. He died here in 1708, passing
on the Guruship to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
It is distressingly clear why all the Gurus, after Guru Hargobind, never
could visit the Akal Takht in safety. We hope this insinuation, that the
Harimandir and the Akal Takht were unimportant to some of our Gurus, was made in
error due to ignorance of history.
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