 | |
| Babur | |
| Jahangir | |
| Shah Jahan | |
| Aurangazeb |
Guru Nanak on Babur's atrocities:
Source:Rag Asa
Guru Nanak Dev witnessed first hand the atrocities Babur committed on Hindus and recorded them in his poems.
He says:
Having attacked Khuraasaan, Babar terrified Hindustan. The Creator Himself does not take the blame, but has sent the Mugal as the messenger of death. There was so much slaughter that the people screamed. Didn't You feel compassion, Lord? pg (360)
On the condition of Hindu women in Babur's monster rule:
Those heads adorned with braided hair, with their parts painted with vermillion - those heads were shaved with scissors, and their throats were choked with dust.They lived in palatial mansions, but now, they cannot even sit near the palaces.... ropes were put around their necks, and their strings of pearls were broken. Their wealth and youthful beauty, which gave them so much pleasure, have now become their enemies. The order was given to the soldiers, who dishonored them, and carried them away. If it is pleasing to God's Will, He bestows greatness; if is pleases His Will, He bestows punishment pg(417-18)
On the nature of Mughal rule under Babur:
First, the tree puts down its roots, and then it spreads out its shade above. The kings are tigers, and their officials are dogs; they go out and awaken the sleeping people to harass them. The public servants inflict wounds with their nails. The dogs lick up the blood that is spilled. Source:Rag Malar, (pg.1288)Back to the table
Though in the beginning of his rule Jahangir followed the humanistic rule of his father Akbar the great -the policy of sulehkul
even issued a proclamation against the forcible conversion of Hindus to Islam, he revoked Akbar's orders that those who have been forcibly converted
from Islam could return to Hinduism. He severely punished Kaukab, Sharif and Abdul Latif for showing inclination to Hinduism. He also prohibited
the free inter-marriage customs between Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir. Hindus marrying Muslim girls and those who had already married were given a
hoice between Islam and death. Many were killed.
Jahangir's torture of Guru Arjun Dev ji:
Guru was imprisoned at Lahore fort. He was chained to a post in an open
The Guru was ordercd to be executed. In addition a fine of Rupees two lakhs
was imposed on him. Some historians say that, as a measure of clemency at
the intervention of Mian Mir, this fine was imposed in lieu of the sentence
of death. The Sikhs offered to pay the fine themselves but the Guru forbade
them to do so. He replied to the Emperor,Jahangir(1605-1628)
Source: Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri
place exposed to the sun from morning to evening in the summer months of May
to June. Below his feet a heap of sand was put which burnt like a furnace.
Boiling water was poured on his naked body at intervals. His body was covered
with blisters all over. In this agony Guru used to utter.
Tera Kiya Metha lage, naam padarath Nanak mange(whatever you
ordain appears sweet. I supplicate for the gift of name)
"Whatever money I have is for the
poor, the friendless and the stranger. If thou ask for money thou mayest
take what I have; but if thou ask for it by way of fine, I shall not give
thee even a Kaurz (penny)."
The Guru accepted death by torture
Back to the table
Shahjahan put enormous eonomic pressure on Hindus particularly peasents to become Muslims. The criminals too were forced to become Muslims.
Source: Badshah Nama, Qazinivi & Badshah Nama , Lahori Source: Manucci, Storia do Mogor vol-II p.451 & Travels of Frey Sebastian Manrique Aurangzeb considered himself "The Scourge Of The Kafirs" (non-believers) and closed Hindu schools and libraries. In his lifetime he destroyed more
than 10,000 Hindu, Buddhist and Jam temples and often erected mosques in their stead.3 In 1669 in Agra he had hacked off the limbs of the recalcitrant
Hindu King Gokla and in 1672 several thousand revolting Hindus were slaughtered in Mewat.
Source: Maasi-i-Alamgiri Aurangazeb also tortured to death the disciples of Guru Tegh bahadur before his death and also killed Guru. Guru Tegh Bahadur - the pride of Hindustan
was martyred for he spoke for the persecuted Hindus of Hindustan. Aurangazeb also killed Guru Gobind singh's two children aged less than ten by walling
them alive for not accepting the choice of Islam. In Punjab Muslim governors killed hundreds of Sikh children and made Sikh women eat the flesh of
their own killed children. Banda Bahadur another great Sikh martyr before being torturd to death was also made to eat the flesh of his own children
killed before his eyes. Any Muslim bringing the head of a dead Sikh was also awarded money.
Aurangazeb tortured Guru's disciples before his own eyes to break Guru's resolve.
On the 9th November, 1675 C.E, the Qazis ordered that Bhai Dayal Dass be
seated in a cauldron of boiling water... Before putting Bhai Dayal Dass
in the cauldron of boiling water, the qazis said,
Shah Jahan(1658-1707)
In 1632 Shah jahan ordered that all Hindu temples recently erected or in the course of construction should be razed to the ground. In Benares alone seventy six
temples were destroyed. Christian churches at Agra and Lahore were demolished. In a manner befitting the Prophet he had ten thousand inhabitants
executed by being "blown up with powder, drowned in water or burnt by fire". Four thousand were taken captive to Agra where they were tortured to try to
convert them to Islam. Only a few apostacised, the remainder were trampled to death by elephants, except for the younger women who went to harems.
When Shuja was appointed as governor of Kabul he carried on a ruthless war in the Hindu territory beyond Indus...The sword of Islam
yielded a rich crop of converts....Most of the women (to save their honour) burnt themselves to death. Those captured were distributed among Muslim
Mansabdars.
Under Shahjahan peasents were compelled to sell their women and children to meet their revenue requirements....The peasents
were carried off to various Markets and fairs to be sold with their poor unhappy wives carrying their small children crying and lamenting.
According to Qaznivi Shahjagan had decreed they should be sold to Muslim lords.
Aurangazeb(1658-1707)
Guru Tegh Bahadur's Supreme sacrifice for Kashmiri Hindus
In 1674 CE Aurangzeb ordered that the Hindus of J&K be converted to Islam by
force from the Kashmir side. Harassed beyond any human measure by Sher
Afgan Khan, the Governor of Kashmir, the prominent Brahmins of Kashmir led
by Pandit Kirpa Ram (who later became Sanskrit tutor of Guru Govind Singh,
appeared before the Guru at Anandpur on the 25th May, 1675 CE, and appealed
for protection. In His infinite compassion Guru tegh Bahadur assured them
total protection. Guru proclaimed His resolve to protect the Dharma of Bharath,
"Go and tell the Governor that Guru Tegh Bahadur is our leader.
If you convert him to Islam, we shall become Muslims of our own accord."
On getting this message, Aurangzeb ordered the arrest of the Guru. For
courting arrest, the Guru started towards Agra from Anandpur on the 11th
July, 1675 CE At Agra, when the soldiers came to arrest the Guru.
The qazis asked Bhai Mati Dass a disciple of Guru , "Embrace Islam
and enjoy the pleasures provided by the goveInment. Moreover when you die as a Muslim, you
will go to heaven where there will be streams of milk, many kinds of wine to drink
and beautiful women to enjoy. If you do not embrace Islam, your body will be sawn
into two."
Bhai Mati Dass replied, "I can sacrifice hundreds of
such heavens for Dharma. I don't need women nor wine. I see all the happiness
in the path of Dharma."
After his refusal, the qazis asked him his last wish, to which he replied,
'When I am being cut with the saw, let my face be towards my mentor so that
I may behold my Guru till my last breath and he may keep on seeing me so
By the order of the qazis, the executioners sawed Bhai Mati Dass into two by axe
on the 8th November, 1675 CE, in Chandani Chowk, Delhi.
that he may be convinced how happily I reach my last destination.'"There is still time. Embrace Islam and save yourself from
pains otherwise you will face greater agony than your companion. You
have seen how cruelly he was sawn."
Bhai Dayal Dass replied,
"You could not harass my companion. Did you notice, how calmly
he was meditating on the word of his Guru when he was being sawn.
Having made mockery of bodily pains, he had diffused into the Supreme
Being. Hurry up and let my soul attain unity with the Lord."
On his reply in the negative, the executioners sat him in the cauldron
of boiling water. He stayed on sitting in the water with an unwavering
mind. His flesh separated from his bones and his soul merged into the
Supreme Being.
(Source: From the work of Sri.Santok Singh Jagdev.Published by SGPC)
Established in His Divine resolve of Dharma Guru Tegh Bahadur tolerated all the
tortures of Aurangazeb with smile. Guru Tegh Bahadur was threatened and given a
choice to embrace Islam or death.
Guru chose Death rather than deviating from the path of Dharma.
Guru sat in meditation and was beheaded by Aurangazeb. Aurangazeb killed Guru physically but Guru's
words eternally power the hearts of every child of Hindustan. He had said in the face of death:
Bah Jinahn di pakariye
Sar dije bah na chhoriye
Tegh Bahadur bolya
Dhar payae dharma na chhoriyeGive up your head,
but forsake not those whom you have
undertaken to protect.
Says Tegh Bahadur, sacrifice your life,
but
relinquish not your Dharma
In 1748 CE Mughals appointed Meer Mannu as Governor (Subedar) of Lahore and also as a Nawab of
Multan. A fanatical Muslim he wanted to kill all Sikhs.He gave money to Muslims who would bring him a Sikh head.
He ordered that all Sikh women in Jails to be provided with specially made
heavy flour grinding instrument named Chakki. Sikh woman happily would sing the
Shabads of Nanak and grind flour whole day.They preferred hard work and toil to the
choice of Islam.
Meer Mannu then ordered that all Sikh infants be killed unless
they or their mothers should get converted to Islam. More than 300 Sikh infants were killed by Muslims and their dead 
bodies given back to their mothers.
History of Hindustan records with pride and veneration
that not a single Khalsa mother got converted to Islam.
This frightened away the pilgrims, and Bhai Mani Singh was not able to pay
the fee. He was arrested and brought to Lahore, and condemned to death. On
his refusal to save his life by accepting conversion to Islam, Mani Singh
was tortured and executed.
Dear Hindu, Today when we celebrate Deepavali remember that if we are part of the great Hindu heritage that is because of the supreme sacrifices by noble souls like Bhai Man Singh.