ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>M&#362L SI&#7748GH GARM&#362L&#256 BH&#256&#298 (1846-1945)</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="MjL,SIDGH,GARMjL,BH*,Person,Person"> <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">&#65279M&#362L SI&#7748GH GARM&#362L&#256, BH&#256&#298 (1846-1945), religious preacher and reformist, was the son of Jodh Si&#7749gh, a well-to-do V&#299rk Ja&#7789&#7789 of the village of Garm&#363l&#257 V&#299rk&#257&#7749 in Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257 (later in Shei<u>kh</u>&#363pur&#257) district of the Punjab, now in Pakistan. He learnt Punjabi and Sikh religious texts and history at home and in the village <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i>, and also became well-versed in Urdu and Persian with the help of the local <i>maulaw&#299</i> or Muslim teacher, who being a physician also taught him <i>hikmat</i> or the y&#363n&#257n&#299 system of medicine. M&#363l Si&#7749gh had a sharp memory and studious habits, and soon started giving sermons at Sikh gatherings. Although he attached himself primarily to Nank&#257&#7751&#257 S&#257hib, he travelled throughout the Punjab districts preaching the Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 creed of reformation of Sikh custom and practice. He also espoused the <i>shuddh&#299</i> movement aimed at proselytizing members of other faiths and of the so-called low classes admitting them as members of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 brotherhood. Endowed with a good singing voice and equipped with a vast store of knowledge, historical as well as scriptural, Bh&#257&#299 M&#363l Si&#7749gh was one of the most popular Sikh preachers of his time. His sermons were laced with quotations from <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i>, the <i>Qur'&#257n</i>, Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s, <i>D&#299w&#257n-i-Goy&#257</i>, Shai<u>kh</u> Sa'&#257d&#299 and Firdaus&#299.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bh&#257&#299 M&#363l Si&#7749gh was also a versifier of some merit. Four of his works published in his lifetime are extant : <i>Tibb-i-M&#363l</i>, a treatise on Un&#257n&#299 system of medicine; <i>Upk&#257r <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i>, the story of 16,000 Hindu girls taken prisoner by Af<u>gh</u>&#257n invaders and rescued and restored to their homes by the Dal <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257; <i>Gur&#363 Gar&#299b Niv&#257j</i>, a brief history of the Sikhs and denunciation of superstitious rites; and <i><u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Chandan Brichh</i> explaining the <i>anand k&#257raj</i> ceremony in the context of the marriage of B&#299b&#299 S&#257hib Kaur, daughter of Bh&#257&#299 Subeg Si&#7749gh Shah&#299d of Jambar, to a Sikh young man of Garm&#363l&#257 V&#299rk&#257&#7749. The last-mentioned book, published in 1935 gives in the introduction nine other titles "ready for press" and four more "in preparation". It is doubtful if any of these 13 works was ever published.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bh&#257&#299 M&#363l Si&#7749gh retired from active life after 1935. He died peacefully at this village home in 1945.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Narai&#7751 Si&#7749gh, <i> Ak&#257l&#299 Morche te Jhabbar</i>. Delhi, 1967<BR> <li class="C1"> Pi&#257r Si&#7749gh, <i> Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh Samundr&#299 </i>. Amritsar, 1975<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Sarmukh Si&#7749gh Amole<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>