Guru Gobind Singh had sent a memorandum of grievances, called Zafarnama, to Emperor Aurangzeb in January 1707. He had asked for an interview either in the Deccan, where the Emperor was, or in the Punjab. The objective was establishment of peace between the State and the Sikhs; punishment of the guilty who had attacked and killed many Sikhs despite pledges of safe conduct, especially Wazir Khan who had also committed the heinous crime of murdering 6 and 9-year-old innocent sons of the Guru.

Several months had passed and there was no news from Bhai Daya Singh and Bhai Dharam Singh, through whom the Zafarnamah had been sent. Not knowing the fate of his emissaries, Guru Gobind Singh decided to proceed himself to the Deccan, to meet the Emperor.

He sent his wives, Mata Gujari and Mata Sahib Devan, back to Delhi in the company of Bhai Mani Singh.

On October 30, 1706, after a stay of 9 months and 9 days at Talwandi Sabo, Guru Gobind Singh marched slowly and cautiously towards South India via Rajasthan.

When he was near Bagaur, he came to know that Aurangzeb had died at Ahmednagar, on February 20, 1707. Struggle for succession to the throne was sure to follow, as always. To study the developments and to plan his next programme he decided to return to Delhi, where his wives were.

Struggle for Succession to the Empire

Aurangzeb was survived by three sons. All three staked their claims to the Empire. The eldest, Prince Muazzam, also known as Shah Alam was at Jamrud 2,250 Km away from the Capital. The younger two were in the South.

Prince Kambakhsh, the youngest, had captured Bijapore and Golkanda, so he decided to stay put, and issue his own coins.

Prince Azam, the second son, rushed to Agra, where the central treasury was. Whosoever took possession of the treasure, would have had more resources to recruit more soldiers, and was more likely to have the upper hand.

On June 18, 1707 a decisive battle was fought at Jajau, southeast of Agra, near Samrugarh, where Aurangzeb had defeated his brother Dara Shukoh. Azam was killed. Muazzam won.

He had already taken the title of Bahadur Shah, on May 3, 1707, when he had announced his accession to the throne near Lahore, while on his way to Delhi.

Bahadur Shah took possession of the treasury, which yielded coins, silver and gold worth 24 crores of rupees. He celebrated his victory, by giving away more than three crores of rupees, in generous rewards to the Princes, Commanders and the soldiery.

After the Battle of Jajau

The war was over. Bahadur Shah was at the helm of affairs. It was time for Guru Gobind Singh to get the matters straightened out with the new Emperor.

As per tradition in Sikh books, Guru Gobind Singh had sent two to three hundred Sikhs to help Bahadur Shah, in his campaign for succession. It is also said that they played an important role in the battle at Jajau, and thus in his victory. And, it was in gratitude that Bahadur Shah invited Guru Gobind Singh to Agra, and presented him a khillat and a jeweled scarf valued at sixty thousand rupees.

For the time being keeping this tradition aside, to which writer of these lines, does not subscribe, we shall look at other facts.

Guru Gobind Singh had matters to be resolved with the State. He had been attacked by the hill Rajahs. The Imperial armies from Jammu, Sirhind and Lahore, had joined them without any justification. Then he had been promised, with oaths on the Quran, a safe-conduct if he vacated his forts at Anandpur. They broke the pledge; chased his party and inflicted heavy casualties at Chamkaur and Khidrana. And on top of all that, faujdar Wazir Khan had committed an unforgivable offence of murdering 6 and 9-year-old innocent children. To seek redress of these excesses, he had sent his Zafarnamah to Emperor Aurangzeb, who died before the issues were resolved.

With full self-confidence in justification of his cause, he had proposed a face-to-face meeting with Emperor Aurangzeb. Therefore, he would have had no hesitation in meeting the new sovereign, to seek redress of his grievances.

According to Akhbar-i-Darbar-i-Mualla Guru Gobind Singh met the Emperor through Munim Khan, Jumdat-ul-Mulk, or prime minister of Bahadur Shah.

"When his [Guru Gobind Singh's] relations with the hill Rajas got strained the imperial forces from Lahore, Jammu and Sirhind, besides those of many Rajas, came and besieged the Guru's headquarters [Anandpur]. After a lot of fighting he was obliged to leave that place. His sons were killed. On the suggestion of some people the Guru decided to meet the Emperor [Aurangzeb]. Then there was a war of succession and the Guru met the Emperor [Bahadur Shah] through Jumdat-ul-Mulk [Munim Khan]." (Punjab Past and Present, October 1984, p. 102.)

Early in 1707, Munim Khan, then naib subahdar, or deputy governor, of Lahore (Irvine, Later Mughals, p. 19) had received a firman from Aurangzeb, to make arrangements for Guru Gobind Singh's safe travel to the South, to meet him:

He [Aurangzeb] felt persuaded to adopt a conciliatory attitude and ordered a letter to be written to Wazarit-panah Munim Khan, Deputy Governor of Lahore, to be dispatched through Muhammad Beg gurz-bardar [mace bearer] and Shaikh Yar Muhammad Mansab-dar. Therein Munim Khan was desired to conciliate the Guru and invite him to his headquarters and, then, having conveyed to him the royal farman, to send him to the Emperor (at Ahmadnagar) accompanied by a trusted officer of his own and the above mentioned gurz-bardar and mansabdar sent by him. And whenever the Guru arrived in the neighbourhood of Sirhind, wrote the Emperor, the Khan was to provide him with an escort and see him off safe beyond his own territories. Munim Khan was further instructed to soothe if the latter had any secret or open suspicions and to pay him out of his attached property as much as he desired for his traveling expenses. With this letter the Gurz-bardar and the Guru's messenger Daya Singh moved to the north together. (Inayatullah Khan Ismi, Ahkam-i-Alamgiri, Rampur, Insha-i-Farsi, II, pp. 429-30; Cf. Sri Gur-Sobha, XIII, 38-40; Ganda Singh, Panjab Past and Present, Oct. 1983, p. 5.)

As Munim Khan was aware of Aurangzeb's intent to meet Guru Gobind Singh, to hear his case, and conciliate him, it was not inappropriate for him to arrange Guru Gobind Singh's interview with Aurangzeb's son, the new Emperor.

Hence, Guru Gobind Singh met Bahadur Shah at Agra, on July 24, 1707.

According to a news report from the royal court, Guru Gobind Singh gave the new Emperor a thousand gold mohars in nazar. He was welcomed and presented a Khillat, with accessories including a jeweled scarf:

Thursday (Jamadi-ul-Awal, First Bahadurshahi reignal year, A, H. 1119/July 24, 1707:

In response to the Emperor's instructions, Gobind, successor of Guru Nanak, came duly armed and joined his company. The Guru made a nazar of one thousand gold mohars to the Emperor, and received in return, a khillat and a medal studded with precious jewels as a present and got his leave. (Akhbar-i-Darbar-i-Mualla --Punjab Past and Present, October 1984, p. 24; Danashmand Khan, Bahadur-Shah-nama, of the 4th Jamadi, 1119 /2nd August 1707).

Bahadur Shah's Duplicity

It appears that Bahadur Shah gave the Guru, then or some time later, some understanding that his complaint and desire to return to his estate would be considered sympathetically.

On October 2, 1707 Guru Gobind Singh sent hukamnamas to several Sikh congregations. Two of them -- those sent to Sikh congregations at Dhaul and Khara -- are extant. (Number 63 and 64 in Ganda Singh's anthology of Hukamnamas.)

To the Sangat of Dhaul he wrote from the neighborhood of Agra confirming his meeting with Bahadur Shah:

To the whole congregation of Dhaul: You are my Khalsa. The Guru shall protect you. By contemplation on Guru you will be blessed. With great pleasure we came to the Patshah. A dress of honour and a jeweled scarf worth sixty thousand rupees were awarded to us. By grace of the Guru, other matters are also progressing. In a few days we also are coming. My instructions to the whole Khalsa Sangat are to remain united. When we arrive in Kahlur, the entire Khalsa should come to our presence fully armed. He who will come shall be happy. Sammat 1764, Kartik 1st. [October 2, 1707.]

It indicates that Guru Gobind Singh must have had some negotiations with the Emperor, since his first interview in July; and that he was hopeful of positive results. It is also obvious that he was not going to surrender his freedom; he and his disciples were going to remain armed for self defense.

Unfortunately, this hope was an illusion. Bahadur Shah had absolutely contrary plans. He had no intention to punish his own faujdar. Duplicity was part of his nature. William Irvine tells us:

."During the last years of his father's lifetime Muhammad Muazzam, in whom there must have been great power of dis-simulation, had given out that if Azam Shah claimed the throne he would make no attempt to contend with him but would at once seek a refuge in Persian territory or elsewhere. But the truth was that he had made secret preparations in concert with Munim Khan, diwan of Kabul, to assert his claims without a moment's delay.(Later Mughals, p. 19)

Instead of reprimanding or restraining Wazir Khan, and making return of the Sikhs to Anandpur secure, he awarded and rewarded him, and instructed him to acquit his charge firmly.

A news report from his Court, dated December 1, 1707 states:

Wazir Khan, faujdar and amin of chakla of Sirhind, held the [mansabdari] rank of 1,500 zat and 1700 swar. There was an addition, in rank, of 1,000 zat and 300 swar. Then there was another addition of 2,500 zat and 2,000 swar rank to his status. From his full rank, the rank of 2,500 zat and 1,300 swar was exempted from any conditions and obligations to the state. He was also awarded a khillat. The Emperor issued orders that a communication be dispatched to the said Khan telling him that the population of the said chakla and its fortress was in his charge. He should take care that he acquitted himself of his charge with firmness. (Akhbar-i-Darbar-i-Mualla, 17 Ramzan, Year 1 of Bahadurshahi reign, A. H. 1119 /December 1, 1707, Monday.)

This kind of reward could have been given only to some one whose performance was highly appreciated.

This important fact was perhaps not available to some Sikh writers, which would have helped them avoid faulty analysis and inaccurate conclusions about the tragic events that followed.

The state of Bahadur Shah's mind becomes more apparent from another order that he issued six days later, in this holy month of Ramzan reinforcing his bigoted father's edicts restricting liberties of the Hindus:

December 7, 1707: An order of the Emperor was issued that His Majesty's Kotwal, Sarfraz Khan, should be told that the Hindus should not be allowed to travel in palanquins or ride horses of Arab and Iraqi breeds. They should not present themselves to him with emeralds worn in their ears. They should also keep their beards trimmed. (Akhbar-i-Darbar-Mualla.)

Ordering the Hindus to keep their beards trimmed was obviously his disapproval of full bearded followers of Guru Gobind Singh.

Journey southward

At this time Bahadur Shah was on the move to punish Rajput Rajahs in the Rajasthan, because they had sided with his younger brother, Prince Azam, and fought against him at Jajau. After that he was to proceed to the Deccan to settle his scores with his youngest brother, Kambakhsh, who had declared independence and had struck his own coins.

Guru Gobind Singh had waited at Agra, for more than four months, to get the matter resolved, but to no avail. He was eager to return to his beloved Anandpur. But, could not be sure, as to how long Bahadur Shah's campaign would last.

At Bahadur Shah's suggestion, or of his own volition, he decided to proceed South, to take chances to talk to the Emperor. He caught up with the royal Camp at Dhaulpur, and moved south along with it.

All those who traveled in the train of the royal camps were not State employees. Such camps were mobile townships spread over miles. The commanders traveled along with their harems. Qazis solemnized marriages and confirmed divorces. There were bazaars, where needles to elephants were on sale. Jugglers and snake charmers provided entertainment.

According to Tarikh-i-Bahadur Shahi, Guru Gobind Singh also had come into those districts to travel. He accompanied the royal camp, but was not part of it.

"At this time the army was marching towards Burhanpur, Guru Gobind, one of the grandsons [sic] of Nanak, had come into those districts to travel and accompanied the royal camp. He was in the habit of constantly addressing assemblies of worldly persons, religious fanatics and all sorts of people." (History of India as told by its own historians, III, p. 565.)

During the period that he traveled along the Camp, we do not know how many meetings he had with the Emperor, but none bore any fruit.

He left Bahadur Shah's Camp immediately after crossing the Banganga river, in August 1708, obviously because his negotiations were going nowhere.

He reached Nanded at the end of August 1708, while Bahadur Shah reached nearby a month later, heading for Bidar on the way to Hyderabad.

"The Government people kept an eye on the Guru." (Summary report to Farrukhsiyar, Akhbar; Punjab Past and Present, October 1984, p. 102).

Guru Gobind Singh Meets Banda Bahadur

In Nanded Guru Gobind Singh heard of a bairagi, or a hermit, named Madho Das, who had his monastery on the left bank of the river Godavari. From his previous knowledge about the person, or having heard some stories about his occultist 'powers' that were current in Nanded, Guru Gobind Singh chose to see him. He met him in his hermitry on September 3, 1708. It is said, that the hermit tried to play some occult tricks on him, which did not work.

This meeting was of a great consequence, for the future of Punjab.

According to Ahmad Shah Batalia's Zikr-i-Guruan wa Ibtida-i-Singhan wa Mazahib-i-Eshan, the following dialogue took place between Madho Das and Guru Gobind Singh:

Madho Das: Who are you?
Guru Gobind Singh: You know.
Madho Das: What do I know?
Guru Gobind Singh: Think it over.
Madho Das (after a pause): Guru Gobind Singh! Yes?
Guru Gobind Singh: Yes.
Madho Das: What brings you here?
Guru Gobind Singh: To make you my disciple.
Madho Das: I am your Banda (slave).

Guru Gobind Singh told him that he did not want him as his banda, but as Banda Singh. He escorted him to his own camp and initiated him with Pahul of the double-edged-sword.

When Banda learnt the background and purpose of Guru Gobind Singh's journey to the Deccan, he sought permission to go and punish the barbarians who had perpetrated the unspeakable atrocities of torture and decapitation of the young children of Guru Gobind Singh.

The Guru could not have sent him from Deccan to take revenge; any other Sikh in Punjab could have done that, if he desired. He would rather uproot the evil.

He had indicated in his Zafarnama, 'when all other means are exhausted it is just to pick up the sword'. The last resort was Emperor Bahadur Shah who had failed to redress the injustice. It was time for action.

He decided to launch a campaign, and appointed Banda as its Jathedar (leader of the group). To provide him with a council of five, he did not include Daya Singh or Dharam Singh, the only two living out of the first panj piyaras or the "Beloved Five". Perhaps, he wished to retain them with him. From those who volunteered to go with Banda he selected Binod Singh, Kahan Singh, Baz Singh, Daya Singh and Ram Singh.

Binod Singh and his son, Kahan Singh, were direct descendants of Guru Angad. Baz Singh, according to Macauliffe, was a descendant of Guru Amar Das. According to another writer, he was a Ball Jat from Mirpur Patti, near Amritsar. Twenty more volunteers were added to the team.

Before giving them the marching orders, Guru Gobind Singh bestowed upon the Jatha a drum and a Nishan (a standard) as emblems of authority. To Banda he gave five arrows from his own quiver, sanctioning the use of force for the just cause.

Attempt on the life of Guru Gobind Singh

After crossing the river Banganga, Guru Gobind Singh had separated himself from Bahadur Shah's camp, and arrived at Nanded. Probably, his last meeting with the Emperor was disappointing; perhaps even unpleasant.

It is not difficult to comprehend that Bahadur Shah would not let live an aggrieved and non-conciliated 'enemy', as the Guru's grievances had not yet been redressed.

As "the government people kept an eye on the Guru", some spy's report of selection of Banda Bahadur as a Jathedar, and bestowing a drum and a standard to his jatha/group and arrows from his own quiver, to their leader, could also have been a factor of what followed.

Two Pathans, Jamshed Khan and Wasil Beg (?) from Bahadur Shah's camp joined the camp of Guru Gobind Singh, where caste or creed was no criterion. Finding an opportunity one day, when the congregation had dispersed after the evening prayers, the Guru was alone, resting. Jamshed Khan suddenly attacked him with a dagger, missing his heart slightly. Before the assassin could deal another blow, Guru Gobind Singh struck him with his saber.

According to Sikh tradition, the other Pathan trying to escape met his end at the hands of Sikhs who rushed in hearing the noise. (Official records do not confirm the murder of the second Pathan, if there was one.)

The wound was stitched, but it opened and bled profusely, when the Guru tried to pull a stiff bow.

Guru Gobind Singh felt that his time on this earth was coming to an end. It was his duty to designate a Guru, to provide guidance to the panth, whose leadership had been entrusted to him.

Gurgaddi Passed on to Granth Sahib for all times to come

On October 6, 1708 Guru Gobind Singh called Bhai Daya Singh and instructed him to fetch the holy Granth Sahib. When brought in and installed, Guru Gobind Singh rose from his seat; placed a coconut and five paise before the scripture. He made his obeisance before it., and told the congregation that henceforth the holy Granth would be the Guru of the Sikhs. He instructed that the Granth Sahib should be considered embodiment of the living Guru, ultimate successor to the spiritual seat of Guru Nanak. Any one who needs spiritual guidance should seek from Guru Granth Sahib.

Temporal guidance had already been entrusted to the Panth - the collective body of the Khalsa.

The tradition of a personal Guru of the Sikhs was thus ended, and through the holy Book, the Word or the Sabda became the everlasting Guru -the perpetual source of guidance for the Sikhs.

The above event was documented by Narbad Singh a Bhatt, present at Nanded, in the sangat of Guru Gobind Singh.

Bhatts are bards, who, apart from being panegyrists, are also hereditary genealogists. They maintain Bhatt vahis, or scrolls of family records. Bhatts were always present in the Darbars of Sikh Gurus since the time of Guru Arjan. A few swaiye, or eulogistic compositions, by these Bhatts also appear in the Adi Granth.

Narbad Singh Bhatt's record in the Bhatt Vahi Talauda Parganah Jind states how Guru Gobind Singh bequeathed the gurgaddi to Granth Sahib:

Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Master, son of Guru Tegh Bahadur, grandson of Guru Hargobind, great-grandson of Guru Arjan, of the family of Guru Ram Das, Surajbansi Gosal clan, Sodhi Khatri, resident of Anandpur, parganah Kahlur, now at Nander, on the Godavari bank in the Deccan, asked Bhai Daya Singh, on Wednesday, shukal chauth of the Kartik month 1765 Bk (October 6, 1708), to fetch the Sri Granth Sahib. The Guru placed before it five paise and a coconut and bowed before it. He said to the sangat, "It is my commandment: Own Sri Granthji in my place. He who so acknowledges it will obtain his reward. The Guru will rescue him, Know this as the truth."

Only one day after performing his last duty of nominating his successor to the gurgaddi from which he had guided the followers of Guru Nanak for 33 years, Guru Gobind Singh left for his heavenly abode, on Katak sudi 5, 1765 Bk -- October 7, 1708.

Following is an English version of Guru Gobind Singh's last brief sermon which is now traditionally sung, after the supplication offered day or night, at the end of all Sikh religious functions:

Ordained by the Immortal Being
The Panth was launched
All Sikhs are now enjoined
to acknowledge the Granth as the Guru
Consider Guru Granth as embodiment of The Living Guru Those who wish to meet the Lord
may look for Him in the Word.
When the Khalsa rules,
There will be no rebels
After humiliation all shall assimilate
Those who give in shall be saved.