PAYING HOMAGE TO SHAHEED BHAI MANI SINGH JI ON HIS 287th MARTYRDOM DAY ON JULY 8, 2024

In our daily ardas (prayer) we pay obeisance to our great martyrs saying "dharma het

sees ditte, band band katwai, charkharian te chareh....... dharam nahi haria" and pay our

homage to those who after being tortured in various ways sacrificed their life, were cut into

pieces limb by limb, whose bodies were broken on the death wheel... who for their religious

conviction remained steadfast in their religion...". When we utter the above mentioned words

we should try to visualize the tortures impinged on the martyrs, the valour with which they

bore the pain and not just utter these words as a repetition drill.

It is very important to mention here that Jaswant Singh Neki in his book Ardas:

Darshan Roop Abhias, 2017) has confused Bhai Mani Singh Ji with Bhai Mani Ram Ji (1644-

1734). He has written that Bhai Mani Singh Ji was born in village Alipur in Multan whereas

Bhai Mani Singh Ji was born in village Kaibowal also called Kaimbowal near Sunam in

District Sangrur of Punjab and Bhai Mani Ram Ji was born in Alipur, Multan. In writing

about Bhai Mani Singh Ji Jaswant Singh Neki has confused several other aspects of life with

Bhai Mani Ram Ji. Bhai Mani Ram Ji was born in a Rajput family and Bhai Mani Singh Ji

was born in a Dullat Jat Family. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha in his monumental work Mahan

Kosh (1930) and The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism published by Punjabi University, Patiala,

(Vol. III), Giani Gian Singh in his book Panth Prakash Twarikh Guru Khalsa (1970). Giani

Bhajan Singh in his book Saade Shaheed and many other historians have pin-pointed that

Bhai Mani Singh Ji came of a Dullat Jat family of village Kaibowal also known as

Kaimbowal near Sunam in Sangrur District of Punjab. This village became extinct during an

invasion by Nadir Shah and was re-established only a few decades ago. According to Giani

Gian Singh (1970) also he belonged to a Dullat Jat family of village Kaibowal also known as

Kaimbowal near Sunam in Sangrur District. This village became extinct during some

invasion. It is very important to note that The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, Vol. III (PP-39-41)

has given the bio-data of Bhai Mani Singh Ji and Bhai Mani Ram Ji on the same pages.

Similarly, Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha has given the bio-data of Bhai Mani Singh Ji and Bhai

Mani Ram Ji on the same pages (950-951). Both of these confirm that Bhai Mani Singh Ji

was born in Kaibowal village near Sunam in Distt. Sangrur of Punjab and Bhai Mani Ram Ji

was born in Multan. None of the four authors of books pertaining to Gurdwaras in Pakistan

has indicated any place as birth place of Bhai Mani Singh Ji (Reference 4, 6, 7, 9).

Several writers who followed the book of Jaswant Singh Neki have repeated the same

mistakes.

There is some discordance between the historians about the exact date of birth of Bhai

Mani Singh Ji although most of them agree that when he was about 5 years of age his father

Chaudhary Kala Ji brought him to the presence Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji and that he

was approximately the same age as Gobind Rai Ji (Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji). At that time,

he was known as Mania. He grew up together with Gobind Rai Ji. The historians in general

agree that he was approximately the same age as Sri Gobind Rai Ji which means that he must

have been born around 1666, the date of birth of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Iqbal Qiser in his book Historical Sikh Shrines in Pakistan published by Punjabi

History Board, Lahore (1998) mentions about Shaheed Ganj Bhai Mani Singh Ji and if Bhai

Mani Singh Ji had been born in Multan he should have pin pointed his place of birth.

According to Iqbal Qaiser the site of martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh Ji is located inside Masti

Gate of Lahore. He was born of a family which strictly followed the Life Style set by the

Guru. He has the honour of being a childhood friend of Dashmesh Pita (10th Guru). He had

compiled Guru Granth Sahib under the divine guidance of Dashmesh Ji. On March 30, 1699

he was baptized i.e. received 'amrit' (nectar) by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Initially the control of Shaheed Ganj was with the Mahants but was passed later on to

a local committee. The control remained with SGPC from 1927 to 1947. It is sad that

presently a turner has installed his lathe machines inside it.

Lakhpat Rai was especially asked to go to Amritsar to suppress the Sikhs who had

gathered at Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar. The government brought Sri Harmandir Sahib under

its control and all the routs leading to Sri Darbar Sahib were barricaded. In addition, mobile

army contingents were deployed to encircle and kill the Sikhs. The Chaudharies of

surrounding parganas were directed to catch the Sikhs anywhere and everywhere and have

them sent to Lahore where they were mercilessly killed. As reported by Teja Singh and

Ganda Singh under these activities of the government thousands of Sikhs were tortured to

death. These martyrdoms of Sikhs were engraved so deeply in the hearts of Sikhs that since

then their martyrdoms became part and parcel of the daily prayer of the Sikhs.

Since 1696 there had been no care-taker at Darbar Sahib. Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji

sent Bhai Mani Singh Ji to Amritsar to handle the affairs there. During this period he

continued to keep a close contact with Guru Sahib. When during the night of December 6,

1705 Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji evacuated Chamkaur Sahib, as per the directions of Guru

Sahib he escorted Mata Sundri Ji and Mata Sahib Kaur Ji to Delhi. Among the Sikh Martyrs

who were martyred in the 18th century Bhai Mani Singh Ji's name is very prominent.

After the battle at Chamkaur Sahib in 1706 he rejoined Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji at

Talwandi Sabo, now called Damdama Sahib. In fact as per the orders of Guru Sahib he

brought Mata Sundri Ji and Mata Sahib Kaur Ji from Delhi to Talwandi Sabo in 1706. At

Talwandi Sabo under the guidance of Guru Sahib he prepared the final recension of Sri Guru

Granth Sahib.

As reported by Rattan Singh Bhangoo in his book Prachin Panth Prakash (1962) after

Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji left for his heavenly abode on October 7, 1708 Bhai Mani Singh Ji

carried on his duties at Amritsar under the directions of Mata Sundri Ji who was living at

Delhi. Incidentally, at Delhi Mata Sundri Ji and Mata Sahib Kaur Ji stayed in Mohalla

Dilwali Singhan. After the martyrdom of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Ji on June 9, 1716

under the Governorship of Abd-us-Samad Khan Sikhs were only beaten, looted and killed

which forced them to hide themselves in far off jungles and deserts. After about a decade and

half the Sikhs started organizing themselves in jathas and became armed. As soon as the

hakoomat (ruling authorities) realized that the Sikhs had organized themselves and had

started living in Sri Darbar Sahib harmoniously it decided to crush their organizational power.

It may be added that Rattan Singh Bhangoo, Khushwaqt Rai and Sohan Lal give

another reason for the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh Ji. They say that Bhai Mani Singh Ji

was hauled up for converting people to Sikhism in Lahore and refusing to shave off his hair

and had bluntly refused to do so. He had used strong words.

Zakria Khan had become governor of Punjab in 1726 and remained governor up to

1745 had earlier acted as governor of Jammu (1713-1720) and of Kashmir during (1720-

1726). He had taken active part in Lahore government's operations against the Sikh leader

Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Ji. After the capture of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Ji and his

companions in December 1715 at Gurdas Nangal, he had escorted the prisoners to Delhi,

rounding up Sikhs he could find in villages along the route. After becoming the governor of

Punjab in 1726 he launched a still severe policy against the Sikhs. Bhai Mani Singh Ji's

Shaheedi took place during his regime.

In 1736 Zakria Khan the Governor of Lahore organized an army of 20,000 to catch

and kill the Sikhs and appointed two commanders for this action, his nephew Mukhlis Khan

and Lakhpat Rai who was Deewan at that time. Different segments of this army roamed

during the day to catch and kill the Sikhs. Therefore, during the day the Sikhs tried to stay

away from the killer forces but at night in the form of Jathas they would appear on important

routs.

In government's view Bhai Mani Singh Ji was the main motivation in promoting the

Sikhs to rebel against the Mughal empire and thus it decided to work out a plan to crush the

Sikhs. In 1735 Bhai Mani Singh Ji approached the Governor of Lahore to allow the Sikhs to

celebrate the upcoming Diwali festival at Sri Darbar Sahib. He was granted this permission

on the condition that at the end of the festival he will pay Rs.5000/- (Rs.10000 according to

some historians) as tax. Bhai Mani Singh Ji was the most learned and most respected Sikh of

the time. According to the historians hoping that he would be able to pay the sum of Rs.5000

out of the offerings he issued invitations to Sikh Sangat to reach Amritsar on Diwali. At this

time the Mughal forces had forbidden the entry of Sikhs into the holy shrine Sri Darbar

Sahib, Amritsar. The Mughal forces were stationed around Sri Darbar Sahib to forbid the

entry of Sikhs. Learning about the plan of the Mughal empire Bhai Mani Singh Ji sent words

to the Sikhs not to come to Amritsar. Thus, at Diwali the Sangat did not come. The amount of

Rs.5000 could not be collected. He was arrested the punishment announced by the Governor

was to cut him limb by limb. When the executioner, tried to cut his leg he said he has to cut

him 'bandd' by 'bandd' i.e. he should first cut the finger tips, then fingers, then hands, then

arms so on and so forth. Thus, his body was mangled bone by bone.

He was martyred in 1737 according to the orders of the governor. At this time he was

about 71 years old. Some historians have, however, stated that he was martyred when he was

80 years old. His age at the time of martyrdom is not an important issue. The main thing is

the way in which he was tortured and martyred. He was executed with his body mangled

bone by bone.

Bhai Mani Singh Ji’s achievement in the literary spheres is his compilation of Sri

Dasam Granth Sahib the tenth master's book. Two other contributions are Gian Ratnavali an

account in traditional style of the life of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Bhagat Ratnavali better

known as Sikhan Di Bhagat Mala, which is an illustrative commentary in anecdotal style on

Bhai Gurdas’ Var XI. The author of Gurbilas Chhevin Patshahi (Sohan Kavi, 1968) claims

that his work is based upon discourses given by Bhai Mani Singh Ji.

At the place of his martyrdom of Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Ji it is very sad that an

Afghan has established his lathe machine. Amardeep Singh (2016) in his book has shown all

the pictures of the area and the work being done there. Amardeep Singh (2016) has stated that

walking away from Shaheed Ganj Sahib the screeching sounds of the lathe machines

dismembering iron rods were a vivid reminder of the supreme sacrifice of Bhai Mani Singh Ji

who was cruelly martyred.

In the fond memory of Bhai Mani Singh Ji in Sarafa Bazar, Rawalpindi. Gurdwara

Bhai Mani Singh Ji has been established. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha in his book Mahan Kosh

(1930) has stated that in this Gurdwara there is also a well which the cruel hakoomat got

filled with the heads of Sikhs.

Around 1975-76 as a memorial to Bhai Mani Singh Ji's birth place, a Gurdwara has

been established and named Gurdwara Janam Asthan Bhai Mani Singh Ji on the ruins of

village Kaimbowal which is a three storeyed spacious stately Gurdwara Sahib. Later another

Gurdwara Yadgar Bhai Mani Singh Ji Shaheed has been built at a nearby place.

This year i.e. in 2024, 287th Martyrdom Day of Bhai Mani Singh Ji Shaheed was

observed on July 8th when the Sikh Sangat all over the world paid homage to the brave martyr. 

HAIL BHAI MANI SINGH JI SHAHEED!

JAI JAI KAR SHAHEEDAN DI