ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SH&#256H&#256B&#256D (30º-10'N, 76º-53'E)</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="SHHBD"> <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">&#65279SH&#256H&#256B&#256D (30º-10'N, 76º-53'E), also called Sh&#257h&#257b&#257d M&#257rka&#7751&#7693&#257, is an old town in Kurukshetra district of Hary&#257&#7751&#257 on the left bank of the M&#257rka&#7751&#7693&#257 River, 20 km south of Amb&#257l&#257 Cantonment. During the medieval period it had a fortified ser&#257i used by imperial officers and troops moving between Delhi and the northern provinces. It also had a resident garrison to guard the highway. Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur reduced and plundered Sh&#257h&#257b&#257d in 1709. Later, when, after the conquest of Sirhind by the Dal <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 in January 1764, the Sikhs started occupying territory, Nish&#257n&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299 <i>misl</i>, under Dasaundh&#257 Si&#7749gh and Sa&#7749gat Si&#7749gh, took possession of a long and narrow stretch of land south of the Sutlej, extending from Si&#7749gh&#257&#7749v&#257l&#257 in Firozpore district up to Sh&#257h&#257b&#257d with Amb&#257l&#257 as the headquarters. The territory of Sh&#257h&#257b&#257d and Ism&#257&#299l&#257b&#257d fell to Sard&#257r Mehar Si&#7749gh. Several attempts were made by the Af<u>gh</u>&#257ns to dislodge the Sikhs, but they were repulsed every time. It was during this period, between 1770 and 1780, that a magnificent old mosque, said to have been built by Emperor Sh&#257h Jah&#257n in 1630, was converted into a <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i>. The only major change was the demolition of its minarets. The <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> was named Mastga&#7771h, this designation being commonly used for <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i> converted from mosques. Bh&#257&#299 Prem Si&#7749gh of Haz&#363r S&#257hib was appointed the first <i>granth&#299</i>. Gurdw&#257r&#257 Mastga&#7771h is on a high ground in the northeastern part of the town. The original prayer hall, under a high dome is used as the <i>d&#299v&#257n</i> hall. The Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib is seated in the centre in front of the <i>mihr&#257b</i>. Bullet marks on the exterior surface of the domes and the walls still bear witness to the turbulence the country went through in the eighteenth century. The Gurdw&#257r&#257 is affiliated to the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee which administers it through a local committee.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u> Gur&#363 <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i>, [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Ganda Singh, <i>Life of Banda Singh Bahadur</i>. Amritsar, 1935<BR> <li class="C1"> Gupta, Hari Ram, <i>History of the Sikhs</i>. Delhi, 1978-82<BR> <li class="C1"> Gurmukh Singh, <i>Historical Sikh Shrines</i>. Amritsar, 1995<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Major Gurmukh Si&#7749gh (Retd.)<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>