During the eighteenth century, after the Gurus period, the Sikhs had to go through very troubled times for more than sixty years. The Sikhs were hunted like wild animals.Even their sympathisers were not spared. They were forbidden to give any help to them. They were not allowed to utter the word Guru and the word Gurr used for the co{censored} form of sugar it was forbidden to be used, and instead called Rorri. Passing through such hard times the Sikhs could not stay in the villages or towns. They had to find shelter in forests and deserts.The saddles of their horses were the most secure and comfortable bed and home they could rely upon, in the hills and the open plains of the Punjab or the battle field.
Whenever the enemy army came to know about their whereabouts they were hunted down and on several occasions they had to suffer great loss of life. In this task a Hindu minister who was called Lakhpat
Rai played a big role in supporting the Mughal Raj to hunt and kill the Sikhs. During a skirmish his brother Jaspat Rai was killed by the Sikhs.
At this Lakhpat Rai swore he would finish the Sikhs. So he committed untold atrocities on the Sikhs that were caught.Those who still were free also suffered a lot.In addition, the two invaders Nadir and Ahmad Shah Abdali, from Afghanistan inflicted great losses on the Sikhs. But during a skirmish with a local brigade of The Mughal Army something special happened.
A large Jatha of Sikhs was camping in a jungle. The Mughals came to know about their whereabouts. They charged the Sikhs. The Sikhs fortunately, were well armed at the time, as they were undergoing arms training. They, at once, organised themselves into two groups. One of them engaged with the attackersand others took positions at a distance, in case their brothers needed any help. But the first group, after uttering the slogan “Bole So Nihal, Sat Shri Akal” charged the enemy with such ferocity that the Mughalshad to retreat. While retreating they were chased with such fury that they had to run. While running most of them stumbled, fell down and were killed.While falling down many of them shouted,“Please, for Guru Nanak’s sake don’t kill me.” But the Sikhs were so fed up of their frequent attacks, that they did not listen to any of the pleas and did not spare any of them. Still several of them managedto escape. The Sikhs, on this victory felt overjoyed and returned to their camp (hiding), and reported to their leader (The Jathedar) about everything. They felt rather proud in telling how the enemy were running, stumbling, falling down and being killed, and making others flee. In thosedays the Sikh Jathedars used to be very far–sighted. The Jathedar asked them about anything special that had happened during the skirmish.
They told him that when the enemy were running, many of them stumbled and fell down due to fear. One of the Sikhs with great pride and full of haume, even told the Jathedar that when lying down on the ground many of them even asked for the mercy in the name of Nanak. At this the Jathedar asked, “What did you do then?” All of them, full of egoist pride said, “We did not want to listen to their cowardly appeals and we killed them.At this the Jathedar, who was a humble and 'true' Sikh to the real message of the Guru Granth sahib and a very wise leader said, “Did you even kill those who asked for mercy in the name of Guru Nanak?
If that is so, you have done a great wrong that we can’t repay for many generations to come because of your inflated pride and the abuse of the courage that was given in trust and for the service of humanity by the Gurus. Those killed while asking for mercy in the name of Guru Nanak Will be born in Sikh families but follow the Muslim tradition whereby they cut their hair. They may do other non– Sikh practices like drinking alcohol or wearing earrings and pursue Mughal like actions. That will go on for many generations to come.” Now it can be seen that such a forecast is being is fulfilled.
Since the possessions of the Punjab by the English, this process has started and at present it is at its height. Most of the youngsters born in the Sikh families are either clean-shaven, or cut their hair short. Also many of them wear earrings and even consume various types of drugs and intoxicants completely forbidden in Sikhism.
Therefore, there is a great challenge to the Sikh Youth, “Do you want to be called the descendants of those Mughals or the proper heirs of Guru Nanak-Guru Gobind Singh who sacrificed their everything for creating the Sikhs in the form of a perfect person called Khalsa – a saint soldier! Now it is up to you, where you want to be counted!
