~ BHAI MANI SINGH ~

1. purjw purjw kit mrY kbhU n CwfY Kyqu ]2]2]He may be cut apart, piece by piece, but he never leaves the field of battle. ~ BHAI MANI SINGH ~

2. Bhai Mani Singh was born at a village named Kailbowal in 1662. His parents called him Mania. When he was about five years of age, his parents visited Anadpur. They did so to see and pay homage to Guru Tegh Bahadur. Guru Gobind Singh, then known as Gobind Rai, was about the same age as Mania. They became playmates and friends. When Mania’s parents wished to go, Mania refused to accompany them. He expressed a wish to stay at Anandpur and play with Gobind Rai. His wish was granted. He became a life-long companion and devoted Sikh of Guru Gobind Singh. When Guru Gobind Singh introduced the new baptismal or Amrit ceremony, he baptised his playmate Mania, too. Thereupon, Mania became Mani Singh. The Guru held him in high esteem and consulted him on all matters. When Guru Gobind Singh evacuated Anandpur in 1704 Bhai Mani Singh was with him. Under the Guru's orders, he conducted Mata Sahib Kaur and Mata Ajit Kaur to Delhi where he busied himself in serving them. In 1705-06 he accompanied Guru Gobind Singh Ji to Damdama Sahib. There under Guru Gobind Singh's direction, he wrote a copy of Guru Granth Sahib.

3. In 1706, Bhai Mani Singh escorted Mata Ajit Kaur Ji to Talwandi Sabo where Guru Ji was staying. It was there that she learned of the Martyrdom of her four sons and their Grandmother. Guru Gobind Singh Ji told Bhai Mani Singh to take Mata Ajit Kaur Ji to Delhi to live with Mata Sahib Kaur Ji. Mata Ajit Kaur Ji came to know of the trouble that was brewing between the Tat Khalsa and Bandai Khalsa military Sikh factions. She sent Bhai Mani Singh to Amritsar, with Sri Kirpal Singh, the maternal uncle of Guru Gobind Singh. Bhai Mani Singh restored peace among the Khalsa and was appointed Granthi (or head priest) of the Darbar Sahib in 1721 and was asked to organize the service in the Gurdwara to manage its affairs.

4. For years the Muslim rulers had carried on a large scale massacre of the Sikhs. All efforts was made to prevent the Sikhs from assembling at Darbar Sahib, Amritsar. Therefore, for years the Bandi Chorr festival had not been held there. In the year 1738, Bhai Mani Singh applied to the governor of Lahore for permission to hold the festival in Darbar Sahib. Permission was given on condition that Bhai Mani Singh should pay to the government 5000 rupees after the affair. Bhai Mani Singh hoped that he would be able to pay the sum out of offerings to be made by the Sikh visitors. He issued invitation to the Sikhs of all places. In response to that invitation, thousands of them started from their homes.

5. However, the Mughals were cunning and they planned to attack the Sikhs and kill all the young Sikh men when they gathered at Amritsar. With the blessings of Waheguru, an informant informed Bhai Mani Singh of the Mughal plans. Bhai Mani Singh Ji was angered at the betrayal of Zakhriya Khan. He resent letters out to the Sikhs across Panjab, telling them not to come to Amritsar on Bandi Chorr (divali) and that the gathering of the all the Khalsa has been cancelled. Bhai Mani Singh Ji refused to pay the tax for Sikh gathering at Amritsar, which was supposed take place on Bandi Chorr but was cancelled. On refusing to pay the 5000 gold coins worth of tax, Bhai Mani Singh Ji was arrested by the Mughal police force and brought to Lahore to the court of Zakhriya Khan. Bhai Mani Singh Ji greeted Zakhriya Khan with Guru Gobind Singh Ji's salutation: ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕਾਖਾਲਸਾਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕੀਫਤਹ The Khalsa is Waheguru's, Victory is Waheguru's!

6. Listening, Zakhriya Khan became enraged and said, "Oh Mani Singh, open your eyes and see, you are that this moment not walking in the parkarmaa of Harimandar, where you shout these slogans! You are now in Lahore, in Zakhriya Khan's court, where the air says, "Allah is great, Allah is great", where do you get the nerve to say your Sikh slogans? Bhai Mani Singh said with might and power, "you haven't met a fox today, you have today met a lion of Guru Gobind Singh Ji!" Zakhriya Khan shouted; “Old man, you are no longer young. If you convert into my religion, I will give you many wives, I will give you land and will give you a throne to sit on.” Bhai Mani Singh Ji replied “Oh Zakhriya Khan, remember, in the religion we were born, in that religion we will breath our last breaths.”

7. You say you know the stories about the Sikhs. Do you know that Guru Nanak Ji planted the flower of Sikhi and that even a storm cannot uproot that flower. Not even a storm!" said Bhai Mani Singh Ji. Gurbaani says: 'purjw purjw kit mrY kbhU n CwfY Kyqu He may be cut apart, piece by piece, but he never leaves the field of battle' (Ang 1105, SGGS).Zakhriya Khan replied to Bhai Mani Singh Ji, "Your talk is very big Mani Singh. Remember, I will give you that type of torture; I will decree that type of fatwaa, legal decree, that you will shake and tremble. With a smile one his face, Bhai Mani Singh Ji answered back, “The land can shake, the sky can tremble, but a Sikh of Guru Nanak Ji cannot tremble or shake. Sikhi is that religion, whose fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev Ji sat on a hot plate and faced tortures. It is that religion, that in order to keep it alive, children aged 5 and 7 years old gave up their lives but not their religion. Remember Zakhriya, I will die for my religion, but will not do what you say.” myrw isr jwvy qW jwvy, pr myrI is`KI isdk nw jwvy If my head goes then so be it, but may I never give up my Sikh faith.

8. The next day, Zakhriya Khan called the Qazi. "Oh Qazi, from your book of Shari'a Law, I want you declare a fatwaa (legal judgement), such a fatwaa that the whole earth and sky will tremble," said Zakhriya Khan. The Qazi opened the Book of Shari'a and announced the fatwaa: "May this Kaafir (Infidel) be cut piece by piece, limb by limb." The executioner arrived. In his hand is a blade. "Oh executioner, sharpen up your blade and I will sharpen up my mind," said Bhai Mani Singh to the executioner. The executioner replied, "I will sharpen my blade with sand. What will you sharpen your mind with?" Bhai Mani Singh says; “I will sharpen my mind with Naam and Gurbaani.” Bhai Mani Singh Ji shouted to the executioner, "Come on executioner, now me and you will talk." A wooden block was brought forward. Bhai Mani Singh came forward saying "Satnaam Waheguru" he put forward his hand on the block.

9. The executioner makes his mark on Bhai Mani Singh's fingers. Bhai Mani Singh Ji pulls away his hand. "Mani Singh, you got scared! Before you were talking so much, yet this is the first cut. You couldn't even handle the first cut, yet we are going to cut you limb by limb, your whole body," said Zakhriya Khan. Bhai Mani Singh Ji replied back, "Oh executioner, what were your orders? You were ordered to cut me piece by piece. You have left all my fingers. Zakhriya Khan, ensure your servant doesn't disrespect your orders and I will not disrespect my Father, Guru Gobind Singh Ji Paatshaah's orders. Piece by piece, Bhai Mani Singh Ji's body was cut to bits. Bhai Mani Singh Ji only recited Gurbaani. purjwpurjwkitmrYkbhUnCwfYKyq He may be cut apart, piece by piece, but he never leaves the field of battle (Ang. 1105).