GURU GOBIND SINGH JI

ABOUT

Guru Gobind Singh, was born on January 5,1666 in patna. 

When he was born his name was Gobind Rai.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji was the tenth and last sikh guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher.

Born : Jan 5th, 1666 (patna city)

Fullt Name : Gobind Rai

Parents : Guru Tegh Bahader Ji

Name        ( Father )

                 Mata Gujari Ji

                   ( Mother )

Spouse : Mata Jito,

                Mata Sahib Devan,

                Mata Sunderi 

Child : Ajit Singh Ji, 

            Fateh Singh Ji,

            Zorawar Singh Ji,

            Jujhar Singh Ji

Died : Oct 7th,1708 (aged 41)

Death : Hazoor Sahib,

Place       Nanded

 

CHILDHOOD

GURU GOBIND SINGH JI was born on January 5th,1666 in Patna, his name was Gobind Rai. Son of the ninth sikh guru, guru Tegh Bahader and wife Mata Gujri Ji. The first maharaja of sikh empire Ranjit Singh. Later built the gurdwara Takat Sri Patna Sahib in the site of the house where guru Gobind Singh was born and lived for the first four years of his life. 

In 1672 guru Tegh Bahader took his family to anandpur sahib, which he had founded in 1665.

In  1675, a group of kashmiri brahmins under the leadership of pandit Kirpa Ram, mad in desperation by the religious fanaticism of the Mughals General, Eftikar Khan (he had threatened them forced conversion to Islam) visited Anandpur to seek guru Tegh bahader advice. Aurangzeb ordered the forced conversion of all hindus and thought that if the respected kashmiru Brahmans accepted Islam, others in the country would be easily converted.

As the guru sat reflecting What to do, young Gobind Rai, arriving there in company with his playmates, asked why he looked so preoccupied. The father as records Kuri Singh in his gurbilas, Patshahi 10, replied she will be refuced only if a truly worthly person comes forward to lay down his head. Distress will then be expunged and happiness ushered in.

" None could be wortheir than you to make such a sacrifice", remarked Gobind Rai in his innocent manner.

Guru Tegh Bahader advised the brahmans to return to the village and tell the authorities that they would accept Islam of guru Tegh Bahader could first be persuaded to do so.

The martyrdom of his father led the sikhs to family install the nine years old guru Gobind Singh as the tenth guru on march 29,1676 on vaisakhi. He continued with his education which apart from reading and writing also include archery, hourse and other martial arts. 

 

Personal life

The guru had three wives. On 21,1677 he married Mata jito at Basamtgrah. They had three son's Jujhar Singh, Zorawar Singh, Fateh Singh. He married his secomd wife Mata Sunderi at Anandpur, with whom he had son called Ajit Singh. His third wife Mata sahib devan whom he had married at Anandpur, they had no children, Mata Sahib Devan played on instrumental role in sikhis and was proclaimed as mother of the khalsa by the guru.

Guru Gobind Singh introduced The Five 'K's that the sikhs abide by 

Kesh : Uncut hair

Kangha : A wooden comb

Kara : An iron or still bracelet 

Kirpan : A dagger

Kacchera : short breeches

In 1699, the guru asked the sikh assemble at Anandpur in vaisakhi. The guru with a saword in hand called for a volunteer from among thr crowed who is ready to sacrifices his head. On his third call on sikh named Daya Ram later called bhai Daya Singh come forward. He continued his process with forth more volunteers but after the fifth volunteer went inside the tent, the guru came out with all the five volunteer unharmed. The guru blessed the five volunteer namely, Bhai Daya Singh, Bhai Dharam Singh, Bhai Sahib Singh, Bhai mohkam Singh and Bhai Himmat Singh  and called them panj pyare and the first khalsa in the sikh tradition.

The guru took an iron bowl and prepared a solution of water and sugar stirring it with a double-edged sword calling it Amrit. The five volunteers received the Amrit from the guru amidsh recitation from the Adi granth.

A with this the khanda ka pahul of the warrior community of khalsa initiated. A new name surname of "Singh" meaning lion was given to them by the guru. Guru asked the panj pyare sikhs to baptize him on a khalsa and with this guru become the sixth khalsa and from this time he came to be known as Guru Gobind Singh. A code of discipline was introduced by him for the khalsa warrior.

Sikh-Muslim conflicts

Guru Gobind Singh believed in a dharam yudh that is to fight to defend righteousness and fought wars again the Mughal Empire and the king of siwalik hills, but never held captive or destroyed place of worship of other religions. 

The second battle he passage out of Anandpur sahib for the guru his family and followers which the guru accepted. They were leaving Anandpur and the one including the guru's mother Mata Gujri and his two son Zorawar Singh age 8 and Fateh Singh age 5 was captured. The two son died after they were buried live into a wall when they refused to convert to Islam while mata Gujri died hearing her grandson's death.

The guru lost two of his other son Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh along with other sikh soldiers during the battle of chamkaur. 

In 1705 the battle of chamkaur where aurangzeb and his army betrayed after making a promise the guru wrote a defiant letter to aurangzeb in persian language titled Zafarnama. 

Last year of death, the guru and his soldiers stayed at different places following the second battle of Anandpur sahib including hidind the machhiwara jungle, following the succession struggle after of aurangzeb in 1707.