ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>GURBIL&#256S P&#256TSH&#256H&#298 10</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 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">&#65279<i>GURBIL&#256S P&#256TSH&#256H&#298 10</i>, a poeticized account of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's career, was completed in 1751, forty-three years after his death. Until it was published in 1968, there were only four manuscript copies of the work known to exist. Apart from specialists, very few had heard of it. The author of this work is Kuir Si&#7749gh, a resident of Mohall&#257 Kambo&#257&#7749 of a city, which, in his book, remains unspecified, but which could possibly be Lahore. He entered the fold of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 under the influence of Bh&#257&#299 Man&#299 Si&#7749gh. He uses two <i>noms de plume</i> for himself, namely Bisan Hari/ Visanu Hari and Sr&#299 Kant Hari. The practice of using in the text synonyms of the actual name was fairly common amongst medieval Hindi poets. But the terms Kuir Si&#7749gh employs have no semantic relationship with his name. It is likely that he adopted the new name Bishan Si&#7749gh (synonym: <i>Bisan Hari</i>) on receiving the rites of <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 baptism.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The entire <i>Gurbil&#257s</i> is written in verse of various forms, including <i>a&#7771il, salok, sava&#299y&#257, sirkha&#7751&#7693&#299, sora&#7789h&#257, kabit, chaupa&#299, Jh&#363la&#7751&#257, tribha&#7749g&#299, dohir&#257, bhuja&#7749g, ras&#257val, g&#299&#257</i>, and <i>nar&#257j</i>. Out of a total of 2, 938 <i>chhands</i>, 2, 901 are written in Braj Bh&#257&#7779&#257 and the remaining 37 in Punjabi. The work has a few specimens of prose interspersed in the text which are linguistically very significant. As far his sources of information, the poet seems to have had access to two preceding works, Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's <i>Bachitra N&#257&#7789ak</i> and Sain&#257pati's <i>Sr&#299 Gur Sobh&#257</i>. More than that, he has relied on information personally obtained from Bh&#257&#299 Man&#299 Si&#7749gh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Whereas the <i>Bachitra N&#257&#7789ak</i> comes down to 1696 and the <i>Sr&#299 Gur Sobh&#257</i> takes up the thread in a broad way from where it ends, Kuir Si&#7749gh's <i>Gurbil&#257s</i> covers the entire span of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's life. It is the first work to record details of the early years of his career, of the S&#299s Bhe&#7789 episode in the creation of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257, and the march of the Gur&#363 from Chamkaur to Talva&#7751&#7693&#299 S&#257bo. It also contains reference to Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh passing on the spiritual succession to the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib which was to be the Gur&#363 after him. Equally important is the poet's evocation of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's image. Writing at a time when the Sikhs were engaged in a bitter struggle against the Mu<u>gh</u>al rulers, he portrays the Gur&#363 as a liberator and warrior, and as the guardian angel of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 ranks. The Gur&#363's mission, nebulously hinted at in the <i>Bachitra N&#257&#7789ak</i>, is now clearly understood as the extirpation of the tyrannical rule of the Mu<u>gh</u>als and the establishment of an autonomous <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 r&#257j. A devotee and admirer of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, he addresses him by such terms as Prabh&#363 (Master), Kart&#257r (Creator), Karun&#257sindh (Ocean of Compassion), Day&#257nidh (Treasure of Grace), Krip&#257sindh (Ocean of Kindness), etc.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The <i>Gurbil&#257s</i> is not, however, free from faults. Its dates are often erroneous; for instance, 1689, instead of 1699 for the creation of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 and 1709 instead of 1708 for the death of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh at N&#257nde&#7693. Figures concerning the strength of enemy forces and the casualties suffered by them are grossly exaggerated. The battles of Anandpur are divided into two rounds, the first of which is described as preceding the attacks of Dil&#257war <u>Kh</u>&#257n, Husain <u>Kh</u>&#257n and Mirz&#257 Beg, which is historically incorrect. Similarly, Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's journey to the South with Emperor Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h is unhistorically interrupted by long visits, lasting for years, to places like Pa&#7789n&#257, K&#257sh&#299 and Ayodhy&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A notable feature of the work is the evidence it furnishes about the martyrdom of Bh&#257&#299 Man&#299 Si&#7749gh and his companions in 1734. Kuir Si&#7749gh seems to have been an eyewitness and mentions the names of some of the Sikhs who were executed along with Bh&#257&#299 Man&#299 Si&#7749gh. No other contemporary source contains this information.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Fauj&#257 Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>