As Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji fought battles with the Mughals, in every battle where he won, it showed that the Sikhs at that time, though limited in resources compared to the mighty Mughals, could still fight with valor. The Sikhs, who were seen as saintly and linked with the One God through the message of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, proved that they could also defend themselves and win battles when their existence was at stake after the martyrdom of Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji.
Through these battles, confidence was infused among the Sikhs, and a new spirit arose within them. As a result, many people embraced Sikhism and were ready to spread the message of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Settlement of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji in Kiratpur Sahib
Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji left Amritsar and went to Kiratpur Sahib Ji to avoid potential conflict with the Mughals, as all the battles with the Mughals were won by Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji and the Sikhs. He also strategically wanted to recoup the Sikh forces and relocated them to the Shivalik Hills.
In the year 1629, Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji purchased land in the Shivalik Hills from Raja Tara Chand and sent his son Baba Gurditta Ji to settle there and construct a new township. On 30 January 1630, the 7th Sikh Guru, Shri Guru Har Rai Ji, was born here. After this, Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji came to Kiratpur Sahib in 1638. In Kiratpur Sahib, Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji maintained a balance between military activities and missionary work.
Administrative and Spiritual Leadership in Kiratpur
For administrative purposes and spiritually, Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji very wisely appointed his devoted Sikh Bhai Bidhi Chand Ji to propagate the Sikh faith and the message of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the East, and also established the headquarters in Bengal. Along with the propagation of the Sikh faith, he also gave responsibility to the appointed personnel to look after the preaching centres which were earlier set up by Baba Gurditta Ji. With this, Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji chose the perfect person to propagate the Sikh faith, showing his administrative and spiritual leadership for Sikhism.
Miri Piri and Military Reforms
The Miri Piri, which was first started by Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji with two swords in each hand—one for Miri, the symbol of temporal power, and the other for Piri, the symbol of religious leadership. In Kiratpur, Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji updated all his religious posts and masand activities all over India and even beyond the borders to Kabul. In Kiratpur, the Diwans (religious gatherings) were organized on a daily basis on the banks of the Satluj, and Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji started giving sermons and explaining the inherited meaning of the Gurbani Shabads.
With all these changes of religious posts and the sermons of Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, many people from the neighboring villages started coming to Kiratpur and taking part in the sangat, which made Kiratpur an integral part of the religious teachings of Sikhism.
Along with the Miri Piri, Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji kept the military activities intact, and daily drills were performed. Soldiers were always kept on alert for any eventuality. Interestingly, when Raja Chand asked for military help after the Mughal forces attacked him and seized many villages, Guru Ji sent his soldiers to repel the attack. With this, the Mughals ran back and freed the villages.
Along with this, another incident happened in Punjab when Guru Ji and his men were returning from attending a festival near Ropar. The local Mughal contingent attacked him, and a violent clash took place. Once again, the Mughals were badly beaten and surrendered their arms, which showed the military power of the Sikhs against the Mughals.
Guru Hargobind Sahib’s Ji Final Years in Kiratpur
After settling in Kiratpur from Amritsar in 1638, Guru Ji handed over the custody of Harmandir Sahib Ji to the Minas family (Prithi Chand and his descendants), which remained with them for about 63 years. In the last period of his age, he retired here in Kiratpur for about six years, where he propagated Sikhism by appointing his devoted followers as heads in different parts of India and other countries. He also preached Shabads from Pothi Sahib Ji (later became the Guru Granth Sahib Ji) to the local sangat.
On special occasions like eclipses and other important Hindu festivals, Guru Ji visited the concerned places to spread the teachings of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, which included Kurukshetra, and made many followers. Along with this, Guru Ji asked his son Baba Gurditta Ji to establish other preaching centres, which they called Duhuans, symbolizing the flame of Sikhism, and appointed many devoted head preachers, namely Almast, Phul, Gonda, and Hasna. With this, in his last years, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji spread the message of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Achievements of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji
Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji had many achievements during his pontificate. He was the first Sikh Guru who took up arms against the injustice and tyranny of the Mughals. For this, he adopted the policy of Miri and Piri, which infused a new spirit among the Sikhs. He also organized his army with limited resources and challenges, and eventually defeated the mighty Mughals in every battle he had to fight, which showed Guru Ji’s general capability.
With all these achievements, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji also constructed the Akal Takht and a mosque in Hargobindpura for the Muslim inhabitants. He offered special medicine to Emperor Jahangir, even when he was the arch rival of the Sikhs, and also secured the freedom of 52 prisoners from Gwalior Fort.
Nomination of the Successor
Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji spent his last six years in Kiratpur after the death of his eldest son Baba Gurditta Ji, which eventually tore him from the inside. After that, he decided to shift to Kiratpur and chose his grandson Har Rai Ji to pontify on the Gurudaddi at the age of 14 in 1644.
So, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji became the first Sikh Guru to take up arms against the tyranny of the Mughals and spread the message of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. In his final years, he shifted his spiritual center to Kiratpur after the sudden demise of his eldest son Baba Gurditta Ji.
