32. Hussain
Khan's Expedition
Dilawar Khan had a slave called Hussain who
boasted that if he were given a command, he would sack the Guru's city of
Anandpur and exact tribute from Bhim Chand and other hilly Rajas. The
failure of Khanzada provoked Dilawar Khan to plan for a bigger attack on the
Guru. So he sent Hussain Khan with a force of two thousand men. Hussain brought the Raja of Dadhwal to his
knees and plundered Dun. Raja Kirpal of Kangra joined him. Bhim Chand too
cast his lot with Hussain. He then with the help of Kirpal and Bhim Chand,
planned to proceed to Anandpur. The Guru kept his troops ready for any
eminent attack. When Hussain was preparing to march towards
Anandpur, Raja Gopal of Guler sent his envoy to make peace with him. Hussain
replied that he would be glad to meet with Raja Gopal if he gave him a
subsidy as other Rajas had done. Gopal went with some money but Hussain was
not pleased with his contribution. Hussain's terms were payment of ten
thousand rupees or he would put Gopal and his troops to death. Gopal pleaded his inability to pay that large
sum of money and thus came back. At this point Gopal sent his envoy to the
Guru to pray to him for a negotiated settlement with Hussain. The Guru sent
his agent, Sangtia with an escort of seven troopers to negotiate a peace
settlement between Gopal and Hussain. Two parties could not reach any settlement
with the result that a battle ensued between Hussain, Kirpal and Bhim Chand
on one side and Raja Gopal and Raja Ram Singh on the other. Having fought
very bravely Hussain perished in the battle field. Raja Kirpal of Kangra was
also slain. Himmat and Kimmat, two officers of Hussain Khan were also
killed. On the other side the Guru's envoy Sangtia and his seven troopers
were all killed. On seeing this Bhim Chand fled with his army. After his
victory Raja Gopal went to the Guru with large offerings and thanked him for
his grace which made him successful in the battle field. A third son, Zorawar Singh was born to the
Guru on Sunday, the first day of the second half of the month of Magh,
Sambat 1753 (1697 A.D.). The defeat irked Dilawar Khan and he then sent
Jujhar Singh and Chandel Rai to Jaswan but they could not achieve the
purpose. They, however, captured Bhalan, a strategic place in that state.
Before they could proceed further, Gaj Singh of Jaswal fell upon them.
Jujhar Singh and Chandel Rai both fought like lions but Jujhar Singh as
killed and Chandel Rai fled from the field. The defeat of the imperial forces caused
anxiety to Aurangzeb and he sent his son Prince Muazzam, later known as
Bahadur Shah, for restoration of order in the hills. The Prince took charge
in August, 1696 and deputed Mirza Beg to teach lesson to hill Rajas. He
inflicted defeat after defeat, set up villages on fire, plundered the
territory. After Mirza Beg, the Prince sent four more officers who, side by
side, chastised the hill Rajas, plundered the homes of the apostates who had
escaped destruction at the hands of Mirza Beg. In due time a fourth son, Fateh Singh was born
to the Guru on wednesday, the eleventh day of Phagan, Sambat 755 (1699
A.D.). In the state of seclusion and tranquility of the mountains, the Guru
translated Sanskrit works in Sambat 1755 ( 1698 A.D.). It was on the 14th of
June of that year that the Guru according to his own version, completed his
translation of the Ram Avtar from Sanskrit into Hindi. Most of the
compositions that are said to be of the tenth Guru, are not his. Macauliffe
writes: "What is called the Granth of the tenth Guru (Dasam
Granth) is only partially his composition. The greater portion of it was
written by bards in his employ. The two works entitled Chandi Charitar and
the Bhagauti ki Var found in it are abridged translations by different hands
(any one even moderately acquainted with Hindi can tell from inner evidence
of style that these translations have been done by different persons) of the
Durga Sapt Shatti, or seven hundred sloks on the subject of Durga, an
episode in the 'Markandeya Puran' on the contests of the goddess Durga with
demons who had made war on the gods." There were fifty-two bards in the court of
Guru Gobind Singh to translate the Mahabharat, the Ramayan, and the gallant
achievements of Rama, Krishna, Chandi, and others. It does not follow from
this that the Guru worshipped those whose acts were thus celebrated; this
was only done for the purpose of inciting bravery and dispelling cowardice,
and filling the hearts of his troops with valor to defend their faith. This
the Guru himself declares in his translation of the tenth canto of the
Bhagwat," I have rendered in the vulgar dialect the tenth chapter of the
Bhagwat with no other object than to inspire ardour for religious warfare."
The Guru never put faith or worshipped anyone
other than the One Immortal God. In Akal Ustat he writes:
"Without Thee (God)
I worship none Whatever boon I want, get from Thee."
The
Guru makes the above point clear in his thirty-three Swayas:
"Some fasten an
idol firmly to their breasts; some say that Shiv is God; Some say that God
is in the temple of the Hindus; others believe that He is in the mosque of
the Musalmans; Some say that Rama is God; some say Krishna; some in their
hearts accept the incarnations as God; But I have forgotten all vain
religion and know in my heart that the Creator is the only God."
(Swaya- XII)
"Why call Shiv God,
and why speak of Brahma as God ? God is not Ram Chander, Krishan, or Vishnu
whom ye suppose to be the lords of the world. Sukhdev, Prasar, and Vyas
erred in abandoning the One God and worshipping many gods. All have set up
false religions; I in every way believe that there is but One God."
(Swaya- XV, Guru Gobind Singh)