ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SUBEG SI&#7748GH (d. 1745)</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="SUBEG,SIDGH"> <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">&#65279SUBEG SI&#7748GH (d. 1745), an eighteenth century martyr of the Sikh faith, was born to R&#257i Bh&#257g&#257 of the village of Jambar in Lahore district. He learnt Arabic and Persian as a young man and later gained access to the Mu<u>gh</u>al officials as a government contractor. When in 1733, the Mu<u>gh</u>al authority decided at the instance of Zakar&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n, the Governor of Lahore, to lift the quarantine enforced upon the Sikhs and make an offer of a grant to them, Subeg Si&#7749gh was entrusted with the duty of negotiating with them.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He met the assembly of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 at Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t, Amritsar, as the Lahore government's Vak&#299l, a title which became a permanent adjunct of his name. For having associated himself with the government, Subeg Si&#7749gh had to expiate before he was allowed to join the assembly. He communicated on behalf of the Mu<u>gh</u>al governor the offer of a <i>j&#257g&#299r</i> and <i>naw&#257bship</i> which Sikhs turned down, in the first instance. But Subeg Si&#7749gh pleaded hard and was eventually able to bring them round to accepting the offer.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Towards the close of Zakar&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n's regime, Subeg Si&#7749gh was appointed <i>kotwal</i>, or police inspector, of the city of Lahore. He was by faith a staunch Sikh and had deep sympathy with his brothers-in-faith. On several occasions, he had had the honour of heads of Sikhs cremated with due ceremony and had monuments setup for them. Y&#257h&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n, who succeeded his father, Zakar&#299y&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n, as the governor of Lahore, turned hostile to Subeg Si&#7749gh and willingly entertained complaints against him. Subeg Si&#7749gh was finally charged with acts prejudicial to Islam and to the State. His son Sh&#257hb&#257z Si&#7749gh was similarly arraigned. Subeg Si&#7749gh was offered the choice of embracing Islam to save his life. But he refused to renounce his faith. Even when his son, Sh&#257hb&#257z Si&#7749gh was tied to the death wheel, Subeg Si&#7749gh remained steadfast. Both uttered, "Ak&#257l, Ak&#257l" from their lips as their bodies were broken on the wheel. This was in 1745.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Panth Prak&#257sh</i>. Delhi, 1880<BR> <li class="C1"> Bha&#7749g&#363, Ratan Si&#7749gh <i>Pr&#257ch&#299n Panth Prak&#257sh</i>. Amritsar, 1912<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>The Heritage of the Sikhs</i>. Delhi, 1983<BR> <li class="C1"> Lakshman Si&#7749gh, Bhagat, <i>Sikh Martyrs</i>. Madras, 1928<BR> <li class="C1"> Gandhi, Surjit Singh <i>Struggle of the Sikhs for Sovereignty</i>. Delhi,1980<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>