ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BAINT&#256&#7748 SHER SI&#7748GH K&#298&#256&#7748</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="BAINTD,SHER,SIDGH,K*D"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279BAINT&#256&#7748 SHER SI&#7748GH K&#298&#256&#7748, by Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh, is a poem dealing with some gruesome events from the history of the Sikhs - murders in 1843 of the Sikh monarch Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sher Si&#7749gh, his young son Part&#257p Si&#7749gh, and minister Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh &#7692ogr&#257 at the hands of Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257 collaterals Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh and Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh, and of the latter at the hands of Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh's son, H&#299r&#257 Si&#7749gh, and his supporters. No biographical details about the poet are known, except that he was a witness to these tragic events. As he himself says in the text, he composed the poem, in the <i>baint</i> poetic measure, "at the time of the happenings" (34). These murders occurred on 15-16 September 1843, followed by Duleep Si&#7749gh's installation on the throne referred to in the poem (24). The poem does not mention any other event, not even the sequential murders of H&#299r&#257 Si&#7749gh and his confidant Pa&#7751&#7693it Jall&#257 which took place on 21 December 1844, leading to the presumption that it was composed immediately after Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sher Si&#7749gh's assassination. According to the poet, the poem comprises thirty-four stanzas (but in fact it contains thirty-three), with a couplet each at the beginning and at the end: the poet seems to have counted the opening couplet among the stanzas : the concluding couplet barely records the date of the event (1 <i>Ass&#363</i>, 1900 Bk/ 15 September 1843). All stanzas comprise eight lines each, except two (2 and 24) which have six lines apiece.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The poet traces Sher Si&#7749gh's unpopularity among the army to dismissal by him of some old soldiers a few among whom had been serving since the days of his grandfather. He gives the instance of a Niha&#7749g, also recorded in Sohan L&#257l S&#363r&#299, '<i>Umd&#257t-ut-Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u></i> (Daftar IV, Part III), who as a mark of protest gifted away his horse and spent the remaining years of his life like a recluse at the <i>sam&#257dh</i> of Haq&#299qat R&#257i. Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257 treacherously kills Sher Si&#7749gh (8); Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh slays prince Part&#257p Si&#7749gh despite his pitiful pleadings (10). Both kill &#7692ogr&#257 Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh (13). H&#299r&#257 Si&#7749gh, the son of Dhi&#257n Si&#7749gh, avenges the murder of his father by killing, with the support of the army, Aj&#299t Si&#7749gh (30) and Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh (31). The poet does not conceal his hatred of the Sandh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299&#257s, but also gives them credit for their soldierly feats (26) when fighting against H&#299r&#257 Si&#7749gh &#7692ogr&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The poem does not possess many literary merits, but is significant being a contemporary account of these bloody events at the Lahore court.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Dharam Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>