The Hidden Hindu

by Akshat Gupta

That was where, in 1708 he was visited by, and became a disciple of, Guru Gobind Singh, who gave him the new name of Banda Singh Bahadur. Equipped with the blessings and authority of Guru Gobind Singh, he assembled a fighting force and led the struggle against the Mughal emperor. After establishing his authority in Punjab, Banda Singh Bahadur abolished the zamindari system and granted property rights to the tillers of the land. In 1715, Banda Singh Bahadur was captured from the Gurdas Nangal fort and put in an iron cage. The remaining Sikhs from his troop were captured and chained. The Sikhs were brought to Delhi in a procession with 780 Sikh prisoners, 2,000 Sikh heads hung on spears and 700 cartloads of slaughtered Sikh heads to terrorize the population. They were put in the Delhi fort and pressurized to give up their faith and become Muslims. On their firm refusal, all of them were ordered to be executed. Every day, 100 Sikhs were brought out of the fort and murdered in public, which went on for around seven days. The Mughals could hardly contain their joy while the Sikhs showed no sign of dejection or humiliation. Instead, they sang their sacred hymns; none feared death or gave up their faith. The Sikh Sardars were subjected to tortures in front of Banda Bahadur before being executed. Their heads were then impaled on spears and arranged in a circle around Banda, who was now squatting on the ground. He was then given a short sword and ordered to kill his own son, Ajai S...