Heritage of Martyrdom - 1
When Mogul Babur was committing genocide after genocide, burning, looting, abducting men to become slave women to object of lust thus causing innumerable atrocities Guru Nanak ji and Mardanaji were also arrested in Saidpur and put into jail. They were spared death because not they were in Fakiri chola but because there was that Aura that surrounded him that even the nastiest oppressor was afraid to kill him. Guru Nanak wrote fearlessly about such oppressive forces and passed on this knowledge to his successors. After Guru Nanak, Guru Angand Devji, Amardas ji and Guru Ramdasji saw some peaceful time because Emperor Akbar started interacting with Hindu Kings of Rajputana and inter religious tolerance came into existence. Emperor Akbar himself visited Guru Amardasji in Goindwal Sahib and ate food in langar before getting an audience with Guruji.
Mogul Jahangir who succeeded Emperor Akbar was not as liberal as his father and also not a good administrator so he had to depend on his courtiers who were under influence of Subedar Shaikh Ahmad of Sirhind. Shaikh Ahmad was of Naquashbandi
sufi order who didn't tolerate Akbar's policy of neutrality in tolerance of the religion of Kafirs. As soon as the week Emperor Jahangir came into power the orthodox Muslims wanted to reverse the policies of Emperoro Akbar and Sikh religion was the first to bear the brunt of Jahangir's hostility. This because the saintly, the most humble person Guru Arjun had consolidated the Sikh tenets and a huge follower ship was seen to follow his teachings and there were prominent Muslim intellectuals who wanted to be friends with him. Apart from this he had completed the holy tank started by Guru Ramdasji and constructed Harmandir Sahib on the basis of true secular tenets of Sikhism. His monumental work of compiling Guru Granth Sahib was completed.
With Jahangir's hostility due to all misguidance of his courtiers the detractors of Sikhism saw their chance to eliminate Sikhism. Prominent among them were the Subedars of Punjab and a Hindu official Chandu Shah of Lahore Darbar. A campaign of slander was started and Emperor Jahangir ordered the arrest of Guru Arjun Devji and was told to be killed by extreme tortures. So hot sand was poured on his body and he was made to sit on hot plates and when his body was full of blisters he was ordered to be thrown in cold waters of Ravi. There was a belief in ancient tribes of Arabia that great souls should not be burnt or put in graves because their spirits can rise and make likes of them from each drop of blood. That is why Guru Arjun was thrown in River.
The supreme sacrifice of Guru Arjun was to prove a turning point in the history of India because it set the heritage of martyrdom for the sake of your beliefs and your rights and it was a direct challenge to the tyrant. Guru Arjun devji's martyrdom exemplified the core of moral strength and that a virtuous soul can be courageous soul too who can lay down his life for the religious convictions.
When Mogul Babur was committing genocide after genocide, burning, looting, abducting men to become slave women to object of lust thus causing innumerable atrocities Guru Nanak ji and Mardanaji were also arrested in Saidpur and put into jail. They were spared death because not they were in Fakiri chola but because there was that Aura that surrounded him that even the nastiest oppressor was afraid to kill him. Guru Nanak wrote fearlessly about such oppressive forces and passed on this knowledge to his successors. After Guru Nanak, Guru Angand Devji, Amardas ji and Guru Ramdasji saw some peaceful time because Emperor Akbar started interacting with Hindu Kings of Rajputana and inter religious tolerance came into existence. Emperor Akbar himself visited Guru Amardasji in Goindwal Sahib and ate food in langar before getting an audience with Guruji.
Mogul Jahangir who succeeded Emperor Akbar was not as liberal as his father and also not a good administrator so he had to depend on his courtiers who were under influence of Subedar Shaikh Ahmad of Sirhind. Shaikh Ahmad was of Naquashbandi
sufi order who didn't tolerate Akbar's policy of neutrality in tolerance of the religion of Kafirs. As soon as the week Emperor Jahangir came into power the orthodox Muslims wanted to reverse the policies of Emperoro Akbar and Sikh religion was the first to bear the brunt of Jahangir's hostility. This because the saintly, the most humble person Guru Arjun had consolidated the Sikh tenets and a huge follower ship was seen to follow his teachings and there were prominent Muslim intellectuals who wanted to be friends with him. Apart from this he had completed the holy tank started by Guru Ramdasji and constructed Harmandir Sahib on the basis of true secular tenets of Sikhism. His monumental work of compiling Guru Granth Sahib was completed.
With Jahangir's hostility due to all misguidance of his courtiers the detractors of Sikhism saw their chance to eliminate Sikhism. Prominent among them were the Subedars of Punjab and a Hindu official Chandu Shah of Lahore Darbar. A campaign of slander was started and Emperor Jahangir ordered the arrest of Guru Arjun Devji and was told to be killed by extreme tortures. So hot sand was poured on his body and he was made to sit on hot plates and when his body was full of blisters he was ordered to be thrown in cold waters of Ravi. There was a belief in ancient tribes of Arabia that great souls should not be burnt or put in graves because their spirits can rise and make likes of them from each drop of blood. That is why Guru Arjun was thrown in River.
The supreme sacrifice of Guru Arjun was to prove a turning point in the history of India because it set the heritage of martyrdom for the sake of your beliefs and your rights and it was a direct challenge to the tyrant. Guru Arjun devji's martyrdom exemplified the core of moral strength and that a virtuous soul can be courageous soul too who can lay down his life for the religious convictions.
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