ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>HAQ&#298Q&#256T-I-BIN&#256-O-UR&#362J-I-FIRQ&#256-I-SIKH&#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 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>HAQ&#298Q&#256T-I-BIN&#256-O-'UR&#362J-I-FIRQ&#256-I-SIKH&#256&#7748</i>, a Persian manuscript by unknown author, contains, as its title literally signifies, the Truth about the Origin and Rise of the Sikh Sect. On the basis of internal evidence, the work appears to have been prepared sometime between 1783 and 1785. Copies of the manuscript are available at Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, London; <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College, Amritsar; and at Punjab Historical Studies Department of Punjabi University, Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257. An English translation of the manuscript by Indubh&#363san Banerjee was published in India Historical Quarterly, XVII, 1942, under the title "A Short History of the Origin and Rise of the Sikhs."</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The earlier portion of the work dealing with the Sikh Gur&#363s is an imperfect account and betrays the author's ignorance about the origin and development of Sikh brotherhood during the first two hundred years. For example, Gur&#363 N&#257nak's progeny is called Bhall&#257s instead of Bed&#299s; the next seven Gur&#363s are given only a couple of sentences; Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur is described as a rebel and a tyrant who took pleasure in shooting down his horses and men; and the incidents from the life of Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur overlap those from the life of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh; Band&#257 Si&#7749gh is mentioned as launching upon his exploits in the reign of Farru<u>kh</u>-S&#299yar who in fact became emperor five years after the death of the Gur&#363. Thereafter, however, the author's account comes nearer to those of his other contemporaries and can be useful to serious students of history. Describing government's expeditions against Band&#257 Si&#7749gh and his ultimate capture and execution, the author bears testimony to the fact that not a single Sikh out of the one thousand and six hundred captured along with Band&#257 Si&#7749gh accepted the offer to convert to save his life. He particularly mentions a young Sikh whom the Kotw&#257l (executive magistrate) of Delhi offered to accept as his own son and get him a reprieve only if he accepted Islam; but the offer was bluntly rejected and the boy met his death as serenely as did his other brothers-in-faith.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The author praises Zakar&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n, governor of Punjab (1726-45), and describes his rule as an era of peace and plenty. A brief account of N&#257dir Sh&#257h's invasion is also given. After Zakar&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n's death, a tussle for power between his two sons, Y&#257h&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n and Sh&#257h Naw&#257z <u>Kh</u>&#257n, is described. The latter used the Sikhs against his brother, but when later he himself came into power, he persecuted them. Sh&#257h Naw&#257z invited Ahmad Sh&#257h Abd&#257l&#299 to invade India, but as the Sh&#257h descended upon Lahore, Sh&#257h Naw&#257z fell out with him and had to flee to Delhi. Ahmad Sh&#257h's defeat at the hands of the Mu<u>gh</u>als, during this first invasion, brought Mu'in ul-Mulk (M&#299r Mann&#363, according to Sikh chroniclers) to power in Punjab as governor. The author describes the gruesome atrocities M&#299r Mann&#363 perpetrated upon the Sikhs. After one of his subsequent invasions, Ahmad Sh&#257h annexed Punjab and appointed his own son Taim&#363r Sh&#257h his viceroy at Lahore, with his experienced general Jah&#257n <u>Kh</u>&#257n as his deputy. But Taim&#363r Sh&#257h and Jah&#257n <u>Kh</u>&#257n were driven out of Lahore by a combined force of &#256d&#299n&#257 Beg, the Sikhs and the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s. The defeat of the Mar&#257&#7789h&#257s in the battle of P&#257n&#299pat (1761) and the merciless slaughter of the Sikhs (1762) occupy penultimate portions of the work. The remaining section of the book deals exclusively with the Af<u>gh</u>&#257n-Sikh contest for power. The occupation of the Punjab by the Sikhs was completed under eminent Sikh <i>sard&#257rs</i> (chiefs) like Cha&#7771hat Si&#7749gh, T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh <u>Gh</u>aib&#257, Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh R&#257mga&#7771h&#299&#257, Har&#299 Si&#7749gh, Lahi&#7751&#257 Si&#7749gh and Gujjar Si&#7749gh of Bha&#7749g&#299 <i>misl</i>. The account ends with the re-conquest of Mult&#257n by Taim&#363r Sh&#257h in 1779.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The author supplies details about territories possessed by different Sikh <i>sard&#257rs</i> and briefly describes some of the Sikh customs and practices such as <i>p&#257hul, ka&#7771&#257h prash&#257d</i> and <i>ard&#257s</i>. According to him, the Sikh term <i>ard&#257s</i> is a modified form of '<i>arzd&#257sht</i>, Persian term meaning prayer or request made to elders or to the rulers. The Sikh <i>ard&#257s</i> is their prayer to the Gur&#363 or God. The author is familiar with many other terms used by Sikhs such as <i>Gur&#363, N&#257nakpanth&#299, (Gur&#363) Granth, Panth, <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257, Dal, Dal <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257, <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 J&#299o, Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 Dal, V&#257higur&#363, V&#257higur&#363 J&#299 K&#299 Fateh, Mah&#257prash&#257d, Bu&#7749gah, Shabad, Salok, Gur&#363 K&#257 Sikh, Misl, Niha&#7749g, Sukkh&#257</i>, etc. Erroneously he equates <i>sukkh&#257</i> with Niha&#7749g; <i>sukkh&#257</i> is an intoxicating drug popular with Niha&#7749gs. The author of the <i>Haq&#299q&#257t</i> states that the Sikh faith has no prejudice against Islam. Rather the Sikh religion treats all human beings as equals. In Gur&#363 N&#257nak's scripture humility, according to this work, has precedence over meditation and the whole world is considered to be God's manifestation.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Kirpal Singh, <i>A Catalogue of Persian and Sanskrit Manuscripts</i>. Amritsar, 1962<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>