Friday, August 24, 2012

Sikh Sakhis :- 198 ( Deewan Kaura Mall )

Diwan Kaura Mall
<Source : multiple >

Diwan Kaura Mall <an ancestor of Bhai Veer Singh> was a trusted officer under the Mughals in the eighteenth century Punjab. It appears that he, like his father and grandfather, was at first a revenue official, qanungo, in the Multan province. Later, he came to Lahore and rose to be a senior military general and courtier. 

The earliest reference to Kaura Mall is by a contemporary, Shah Nawaz Khan (1699 - 1757), in his Ma'dsir ulUmrd, according to which Kaura Mall, under orders of Zakariya Khan, then governor of both Lahore and Multan, led an expedition in 1738 against Panah Bhatti, a powerful chief who had the entire western Punjab, from the banks of Ravi up to Hasan Abdal in the northwest, at his mercy. Panah Bhatti was defeated, captured and executed. Zakariya Khan appointed Kaura Mall diwan of Multan.

Early in 1746, during the governorship of Yahiya Khan, when Lakhpat Rai, the diwan of Lahore, in order to avenge the death of his brother Jaspat Rai, killed in an encounter with the Sikhs, swore to exterminate the entire Sikh population, and as a first step in this direction, ordered the arrest and execution of the Sikhs of Lahore, mostly domestic servants and small shopkeepers, Kaura Mall, along with the Hindu gentry of the town, pleaded with him to spare their lives, but in vain.

The captured Sikhs were put to the sword on 10 March 1746. Lakhpat Rai followed this with fullscale military operations against Sikhs who had sought shelter in hills and forests, ending with what is known as Chhota Ghallughara, (smaller holocaust), on 1 May 1746 in which about 7,000 Sikhs were killed and 3,000 captured who were later executed in Lahore, as well. Kaura Mall left Lahore in disgust and went to Multan where Shah Nawaz Khan, younger brother of Yahiya Khan, was the governor. A civil war broke out between the two brothers in November 1746, in which Yahiya Khan was defeated. Shah Nawaz Khan who, on 21 March 1747 became governor of Lahore as well, appointed Kaura Mall diwan of Lahore. But Shah Nawaz Khan was forced to flee to Delhi when on 11 January 1748 Lahore was occupied by Ahmad Shah Durrani, who appointed Jumla Khan, an Afghan noble of Kasur, as his governor, and Lakhpat Rai as his diwan. The Durrani was, however, defeated in the battle of Manupur near Sirhind on 11 March 1748, and forced to retire to his own country.

Muin ulMulk, nicknamed Mir Mannu by the Sikhs, who now became governor of the Punjab on behalf of the Mughal government at Delhi, not only reinstated Kaura Mall as diwan but also appointed him deputy governor of the subah (province) of Multan. Lakhpal Rai was arrested and fined, 30,00,000 rupees of which he could pay only 22,00,000. Kaura Mall secured his person by paying the rest (800,000) of the fine and handed him over to the Sikhs who consigned him to a dungeon where he died a miserable death after six months of indignities and torture.

Kaura Mall went to Multan and took charge of the province, but Mir Mannu soon summoned him to Lahore and sent him on an expedition against the Dogra chiefs of Jammu region. For his Multan expedition (September/October 1749) against Shah Nawaz Khan who had again taken independent charge of the province, Kaura Mall, enlisted the help of about 10,000 Sikhs under Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. Shah Nawaz Khan was killed in battle and Kaura Mall reoccupied Multan. Mir Mannu conferred the title of Maharaja Bahadur on him and appointed him governor of Multan, Thatta and Derajat. 

Kaura Mall, in fulfilment of the promise given to the Sikhs, constructed Gurdwara Bal Lila and a sarovar. Nankana Sahib and had desilted the Amritsar pool which had been filled in by Lakhpal Rai during the governorship of Yahiya Khan. He also built a fortress named Garh Maharaja at his ancestoral village, near Shorkot. The Sikhs now began to call him Mittha Mall, mittha in Punjabi means 'sweet' (kaurd means 'bitter').

During his governorship of Multan, Kaura Mall established friendly relations with Daudpotra chiefs of the neighbouring state of Bahawalpur, quelled rebellions in Sahival and Dera Ghazi Khan and realized huge arrears of revenue due from the districts of Mirak, Shorkot, Kot Kamalia, and Chiniot. In October 1751, in view of the impending third invasion of India by Ahmad Shah Durrani, Mir Mannu again summoned Kaura Mall to Lahore. Kaura Mall tried to buy peace but when the invader, by passing Mir Mannu's advance positions across the Ravi, laid siege to Lahore, he prepared to fight, soliciting help from the Sikhs again. The final battle look place at Mahmud Bull, some distance from Lahore, on 6 March 1752. Kaura Mall fought valiantly, but was shot at and killed by one Bazld Khan of Kasur at the insistance of his treacherous and jealous ally, Adma Beg (faujdar of Jullandar).

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Sakhi Series : 197 ( The Rose )

The Rose
( Source: http://www.akj.org/ )
 
One day Bhai Vir Singh was going for one of his regular walks. He would walk through beautiful fields everyday. The day was fresh and sunny...

As he walked he felt quite happy and content with everything. He came across this fresh grassy patch and in the middle of this grassy patch was the most beautiful flower he had ever seen. He liked it so much he decided to go up to it and smell it, and it smelt wonderful! He thought to himself "What a wonderful species! I think I will pick it and take it home." As he started to
pick it, he heard a voice...

"What are you doing!!" The voice had come from the flower. Bhai Vir Singh said "I saw you looking so beautiful I thought I would take you home with me." The flower said "my beauty is not from me, it is from my roots." Bhai Sahib said "OK, then I shall take your roots." As he proceeded to take the roots another voice came...

"Don't take us, we are sustained by the soil" said the roots.

As Bhai Sahib went for the soil, the soil said "Don't take us we are sustained by the rain from the clouds above!!"

Then Bhai Vir Singh stood and looked at the beautiful white clouds gently swimming across the blue sky and he said...

"I know what the clouds are going to say! It is not us but it is that WONDERFUL AKAAL PURAKH that sustains us!! If that is the case then VAAHEGUROO! I WANT NOTHING ELSE BUT YOU. You sustain all these beautiful things, you are the source, it is YOU that I shall take home with me..."

Sometimes we get distracted by the creation and we forget the Creator...
 

Monday, August 13, 2012

Sakhi Series :- 196 ( The Power of MOOL MANTRA )

STORY OF "General Ayub Khan, former President of Pakistan"

"I used to study at a place name Aibtabaad.I used to get the beatings from teacher (Maulvi) everyday as I was the weakest student of my class.

One day I became determined that I will not go to school. Halfway to school there was a Gurdwara Sahib. I would go inside the Gurdwara Sahib to hide away. The Baba jee (main sevadaar) of the Gurdwara Sahib knew me very well.

He asked me "O Yubeyaa! Isn't it your school time? What are you doing here?"

I replied, "I don't want to go to school because the teacher scolds and beats me everyday. I can't bear it any more. I don't want to go to school."

He took me under his lap and said me,

"Yubeyaa! I assure you, you will never ever get the beating from your teacher any more, but in return you will have to follow my instructions."

He told me that whenever I go to school I should just keep reciting this holy Mool mantar. I followed his instructions. I went to the school reciting the "Mool Mantar".

It was the first day in my school when I was spared from the beatings and scoldings of the teacher. I followed it everyday. Whenever I used to go to school I used to recite this holy Kalaam (Word of God) and after that I was never beaten by any teacher in the school.

Then exams arrived, so I went to the same Baba jee at the Gurdwara Sahib and said, "Baba jee, I want to get good marks in the exam, tell me what should I do?"

The Baba jee replied ,"Never leave the Holy Word of Guru Nanak (referring to the Mool Mantar) you will reach any position you wish."

It's because of this Kalaam (Holy Word) of Guru Nanak Sahib that I have reached the position of president today."

At Ayub KHAN'S Home in Drawing Hall You can see On the wall

"painting of the Mool Mantar (the opening verse of Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee) in Urdu and Panjabi"