59. Rai Dalla's Fidelity

Notwithstanding the general belief that the Government of the day was against the Guru and his propaganda he still continued to obtain adherents from amongst the influential land-holders and Jagirdars of Malwa. Of these chieftains Rai Dalla, of Talwandi Sabo, now known as Damdama Sahib, was the foremost. He placed all his vast resources at the disposal of the Guru and became an enthusiastic champion of his cause. This alarmed Wazir Khan, Subah of Sirhind. He sent several threatening orders to the Rai calling upon him to beware of harboring a foe of the Emperor. The threats proved of no avail. The Rai wrote in reply that the Guru was his spiritual lord and master to whom he was bound by most sacred ties and that for no consideration he would be a party to any scheme that aimed at harassing him. Infuriated at this rebuff the Subah again applied to Aurangzebe for assistance in subduing the Guru and the refractory Jat nobles that had taken up his cause. When the Guru was sharing the hospitality of Rai Dalla his wives Sundri and Sahib Dewi came from Delhi. Since they were taken to the Imperial capital, in male attire, on the occasion of the bloody skirmish that had taken place on the banks of Sirsa, they had received no intelligence concerning the subsequent events. On hearing of the martyrdom of Princes Ajit Singh, Jujhar Singh, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh and of the tragic end of mother Gujri they fell senseless on the floor. The large gathering of Sikh ladies and gentlemen who had come to pay their respects to them were filled with grief, The lamentations of the bereaved mothers, when they regained consciousness, drew tears from the eyes of the whole assembly. The Guru, all the while sitting sedate and calm, said to them words of comfort and solace. They were told that their sons were not really dead. They had died to remain alive for all time ; for theirs was the death of martyrs for their country and their creed.