The mention of Bhai Maharaj Singh jee’s name is poignant and somewhat bittersweet for me: sweet because of the amazing way in which he earned Sikhi—looking at his jeevan I am reminded of the way in which hazoori Sikhs like Bhai Majh jee and Bhai Behlo Jee did seva and earned Sikhi in the Das Guru Kaal; and bitter because of the way in which this hero of the Guru Khalsa Panth was left to rot and die in a revolting prison in a strange foreign land.
Bhai/Baba Nihaal Singh Jee alias Bhai/Baba Maharaj Singh jee was an inspirational and devout Gurmukh. He got the name “Maharaj Singh” because from a very young age he himself used to address everyone as “Maharaj”. Bhai Maharaj Singh jee was, for many years, blessed with the close sangat of Baba Bir Singh Jee Naurangabad who was a pooran Jot Vigaasi Singh. Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee has eulogized Baba Bir Singh Jee as “Sacha Namoona Bir Bahadur Sant Khalsa Doole Bhai Bir Singh Jee Naurangabadiye” and “Sant Bhai Bir Singh Jee Doole” (Gurmat Bibek, p.144–145). After Baba Bir Singh jee’s Shaheedi, Bhai Maharaj Singh jee took charge of the dera until he began living life as an underground revolutionary.
Attached here and also pasted below is Bhai Maharaj Singh jee’s life story as written by Dr. Hakam Singh in Life Stories of Great Sikh Saints pages 75–92.I have also heard (but not personally seen) that there are Pothi Sahibaan containing Vaar Siri Bhagauti Jee Ki and Akaal Ustat which belonged to Bhai Maharaj Singh jee at a museum in London, England. There is a book in English, called Bhai Maharaj Singh by M.L. Ahluwalia (it is a historical account rather than a Gurmukh jeevan charitar) which if anyone would like to read, please give the order, and I can try and put up.
SANT BABA MAHARAJ SINGH JlIn the blessed land of Punjab where the ten Gurus spread the word of unity of God and brotherhood of all human beings, the tract of Malwa holds special historical significance for the Sikhs, it is in this area that Guru Gobind Singh Ji wrote Zafamama and completed the Guru Granth Sahib in the present form. The battle of Mukatsar was fought here and the great holocaust of Sikhs also took place in this area. Great warriors like Baba Deep Singh also came from this area. In this land, sanctified with the blood of innumerable Sikh martyrs, an unusual baby was born in 1780 CE in the village Rabbo (later on known as Kookian di Rabbo), in Ludhiana district in a highly respectable Sikh family. The parents gave him the name Nihal Singh.
Those were the days when the memory of the great holocaust was fresh
[1] in the minds of the Sikhs. This event seems to have acted as a catalyst in that within a few decades Khalsa rose like ‘Phoenix’ from its ashes and within a short period, under the able guidance of Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, defeated the Pathan armies, which until then were considered invincible, and by the turn of the century a Khalsa empire was established by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Mothers were still singing to their children the lullabies describing the exemplary bravery of Sikhs in those precarious times.
From very early days in his life Nihal Singh was exposed to an environment full of devotion to Sikh Gurus and pride in the sacrifices of innumerable Sikh martyrs. This had a profound effect on the psyche of young Nihal Singh. He developed ah unsatiating desire to learn more about the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib and the history of great Sikh warriors and martyrs. As a result of listening to the stories of great martyrs and devoted Sikhs from his mother and elders of the village, to lead his life according to the path delineated by the Gurus became his obsession.
His parents sent him to the local Gurdwara for preliminary education in Punjabi and Sikh history. This, the brilliant and eager to learn student completed in a very short time. For further education, he was then sent to the Dera of Baba Tota Singh, a Nirmala sant, at village Theekriwala. Baba Samund Singh a very learned and pious person was incharge of the Dera at that time. He talked to young Nihal Singh and immediately judged the capabilities and ambitions of this young boy to become a great person in his life. He therefore started training Nihal Singh accordingly so that in a short period he became well versed in Sikh philosophy and history. When Baba Samund Singh was satisfied that Nihal Singh had acquired all that was necessary to embark upon a more advanced spiritual path, he called him one day and said, “Now I will take you to Baba Bir Singh in Naurangabad who will further hone your intellectual and spiritual attributes by putting you through ‘Seva’ and teaching you intricacies of Naam Simran and Bhakti”.
Shortly thereafter Baba Bir Singh happened to visit the town of Mahana, which was not far from Theekriwala. Baba Samund Singh took Nihal Singh to Mahana, presented him to Baba Bir Singh Ji and said, “I have brought a very promising young disciple who I think will prove himself worthy of your seva”. Baba Bir Singh smiled and asked Nihal Singh a few questions, to which Nihal Singh gave very appropriate answers. Baba Ji was extremely impressed with Nihal Singh’s knowledge of Sikh philosophy, his humility and calm and even temper. He accepted him (Nihal Singh) as his disciple and gave him duty in the langar (common kitchen). But before he could start on his newly assigned duty he was duly initiated to Khalsa brotherhood by taking “Khande di Pauhul”
[2]. At that time Baba Bir Singh said to Nihal Singh, “By taking Amrit you are taking a vow that hereafter you will dedicate each breath of your life in the service of Satguru. In other words, you will live every moment of your life according to the injunctions of Satguru. If your mind always stays alert according to Guru’s instructions then your heart and thoughts will stay free from getting polluted. Gradually your mind will become immaculately clean and you will be able to perceive the presence of Akaal Purakh within”.
Bhai Nihal Singh listened to each word of Sant Baba Bir Singh Ji carefully and felt that it touched something within him. He decided there and then to embark upon the path of selfless service of fellow human beings and follow each word of Gurbani with unshakeable faith. This, he believed, would lead him to a higher realm of spirituality and ultimately to emancipation. Thus with great enthusiasm he took over the duty assigned to him in the langar as suggested by Baba Bir Singh.
It would not be out of place to mention here that Baba Bir Singh was a truly enlightened person who had made his life’s mission to wake up the masses from the slumber of worldly attachments by preaching the meaning of Gurbani and bringing them into the folds of Khalsa brotherhood by administering “Khande di Pauhul” . Not only had he himself achieved an exalted spiritual state but even those disciples of his who followed his directions without questioning him also achieved enlightenment. Names of Baba Khuda Singh and Baba Patasa Singh are worth honourable mention among such blessed souls. Bhai Nihal Singh thought himself to be fortunate to have succeeded in coming under the tutelage of Baba Bir Singh Ji. This thought itself gave him immense energy and a feeling of exhilaration. He felt as if he had taken a new birth. He merged himself into seva (service) and meditation wholeheartedly and soon became envy of many senior disciples of Baba Bir Singh Ji.
Bhai Nihal Singh was so humble and his way of talking so respectful that he addressed everyone as “Maharaj” (a term of extreme respect). This soon became his trademark and gradually everyone started addressing him as “Maharaj” too. In time, people forgot his original name and he became known as Bhai Maharaj Singh. At the same time through seva and intense meditation on Naam he ascended to a very high spiritual level. One could see that his mind was always focussed on Akaal Purakh’s Name while his tongue recited Gurbani and hands stayed busy in the preparation of langar.
It is quite well known, that everyday about 1500 pilgrims partook food at the langar of Baba Bir Singh Ji. However, because of hard work and vigilance by Bhai Maharaj Singh, there was never a complaint of either quality or quantity of food in the langar. It is difficult to say when he took rest because he was always present in the langar to make sure that every pilgrim was properly served. Around the year he had only a ‘kachhehra’ (knee-high breeches), a small turban and a long loose garment (kafni) to cover his body. His daily routine was to get up at 1:00 AM. After taking bath, he then prepared warm water for the bath of Baba Bir Singh Ji. After this, he sat in deep meditation for four hours and then entered kitchen to prepare food for the visiting devotees. During morning congregational meetings, he sat outside and cleaned the shoes of the pilgrims. He gradually reduced his intake of food so much that some sevadars went to Baba Bir Singh Ji and complained that if Bhai Maharaj Singh continued with the small amount food that he was taking, he might not live very long. Baba Bir Singh Ji thought of a subtle way of feeding Baba Maharaj Singh. Everyday several devotees used to bring large cups full of sweet curd for him. He would take a spoonful from each cup and give the remaining to the devotee who had brought it. From that day on, he started giving one cup to Bhai Maharaj Singh after taking a spoonful from it. For the first few days, Bhai Maharaj Singh ate the cupful of curd but then he thought that he was being too greedy for not sharing it with other devotees. So he started taking only a spoonful from the left-over curd of Baba Bir Singh Ji and passed the remaining on to other devotees.
When Baba Ji came to know of this he called Bhai Maharaj Singh and said, “According to Gurbani one must take care of one’s body - keep it healthy so that one could meditate on Naam with full control of one’s faculties. This would not be possible if one’s body is weak”.
ਨਾਨਕ ਸੋ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸਿਮਰੀਐ ਤਿਸੁ ਦੇਹੀ ਕਉ ਪਾਲਿ॥
NANAK SO PRABH SIMRIA TIS DEHI KO PAAL (SGGS, p.554)
Bhai Maharaj Singh, without questioning even a single word of his preceptor, bowed his head and started on a reasonable diet from that day onward.
He always remembered the words of Baba Bir Singh Ji: “When a person embarks on a spiritual journey, he would encounter many obstacles. These may be physical in nature, such as an ailment or they could be mental, e.g., lust, anger, greed, worldly attachment and ego. As he successfully crosses these obstacles he starts acquiring occult
powers as a result of which many people become his followers. At this stage usually many seekers fail. They get lost in these powers and forget their goal. If some rare one, by the grace of Akaal Purakh does not waver at this stage and continues on his spiritual journey by following the code of conduct delineated by the Gurus, he is sure to achieve the goal of merger into Akaal Purakh”. Bhai Maharaj Singh tried to act on these words by spending most of his time in meditation on Naam and in discharging his duty in the langar to the best of his ability.
He was the head sevadar (chief cook) in the langar and had about fifty sevadars working for him. However, he never spoke a single harsh word to anyone nor he exhibited his superior position. Even when someone made a mistake which resulted in a problem in the kitchen, he took the blame on himself by saying that he had failed to give proper directions or it was because of lack of supervision on his part.
One day Bhai Maharaj Singh was sitting in the kitchen in front of a cauldron in which ‘daal’ (lentil soup) was being prepared. As usual, his eyes were closed and he was meditating on Naam. Suddenly a sevadar shouted, “Maharaj Ji! The daal has started overflowing the cauldron, it must be stirred immediately”. Bhai Maharaj Singh suddenly opened his eyes and looked around for a ladle to stir the daal but did not find any. He remembered God, put his arm in the cauldron and started stirring the daal with his hand till the boiling daal subsided. The sevadar was watching the whole scene from some distance. He ran towards Baba Bir Singh Ji and narrated to him what he had seen. A doctor was sent for immediately, who came to the kitchen and saw that Baba Maharaj Singh was calmly sitting in a meditation pose. On examining his arm the doctor found absolutely no sign of any burn there. He went and told all this to Baba Bir Singh Ji who was sitting in the congregation at that time. Baba Bir Singh called Bhai Maharaj Singh and in the presence of the whole congregation said to him, “You know that according to the teachings of our Gurus (Gurmat) playing of miracles is a taboo. Why then you showed this miracle?” Baba Maharaj Singh humbly replied, “Who am I to show any miracle, sir? It is all your kindness and grace of Satguru that my arm came out of boiling daal totally unscathed. All this happened so suddenly that I had no time to think. The only way I could stop the daal from spilling was to stir the pot. I used the only stirring implement that I thought was at my disposal at that time - it happened totally unconsciously. However, if in doing so I violated in any way, any tenet of Sikhism then I humbly apologise and beg to be forgiven”. On hearing this Baba Bir Singh Ji was overwhelmed with emotion. He embraced Baba Maharaj Singh and said, “With your sincerity, humility and deep sympathy for humanity you will be able to complete your spiritual journey ahead of many others. Your exemplary devotion to save the langar even at the cost of serious harm to your body pleases the Guru and your seva has been recorded with acceptance in his court”.
Baba Maharaj Singh was not only discharging his duties of incharge of the langar and personal attendant of Sant Baba Bir Singh Ji with great enthusiasm and to the satisfaction of everyone, but also devoting a major portion of his spare time in learning Gurbani meanings and meditation on Naam. At the same time he was not totally oblivious of the events occurring at the Lahore Darbar. He had a great sympathy for the Khalsa Raj and it hurt him immensely to see its steep decline soon after the death of Maharajah Ranjit Singh.
The deterioration of conditions culminated in the attack of Khalsa army on the dera of a pious Gursikh like Baba Bir Singh who had dedicated his life in the teaching of tenets of Sikhism to the masses and fearlessly given refuge to Sandhawalia Sardars and Jawahar Singh Nalwa, the son of Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa, because to help the helpless is the injunction of Guru Granth Sahib. The martyrdom of Baba Bir Singh and many innocent pilgrims (including the Sandhawalia Sardars and Sardar Jawahar Singh Nalwa) in this attack, deeply hurt Baba Maharaj Singh’s feelings
[3]. He decided to dedicate his life in trying to save the Lahore Darbar from the dirty tricks of the British Government and its sinister schemes to devour the Khalsa Raj and to restore the prestige of the Lahore Darbar to the same level as it enjoyed during the life of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
After the martyrdom of Baba Bir Singh he became the sole incharge of the Dera as was the last wish of Baba Ji. This added greatly to his prestige and respect among Sikh masses, which he already enjoyed because of his immaculate conduct and selfless service.
He was regularly being appraised of the intrigues going on in Lahore, the infidelity of Dogra brothers and disloyalty of many Sardars to the family of Maharajah Ranjit Singh. He could feel that if the chaotic conditions continued like that, in a short time the Khalsa Raj that was established by Maharajah Ranjit Singh and the Sikh nation by their untiring toil and innumerable sacrifices would be annihilated and the cunning Britishers, possibly with their stooges, the Dogra brothers, would be the masters of Punjab.
He therefore decided to try to wake up the Sikhs by warning them of this clear and approaching danger. But before whole-heartedly embarking on this mission he wanted to hand over the charge of the Dera to someone who could keep up the traditions of Baba Bir Singh Ji. After a careful search among his disciples and senior workers at the Dera he selected junior Baba Bir Singh, a devoted and saintly person who commanded respect among all the workers of the Dera and installed him as the incharge. Now he felt that he could devote all his enerev to the cause of the wellbeing of the Sikh nation by cleansing the Lahore Darbar of intrigues and betrayals that had become its hallmark.
He first went to Amritsar to get the blessings of the Guru for his mission and stayed there for a few days. He sent invitations to all the citizens of Amritsar to come to a feast. A very large number of citizens came to attend. Although he did not deliver any firy speech in this gathering the spies of Lahore Darbar delivered the news (with exaggerations) indicating that Baba Maharaj Singh had intentions to shake up the government. This news shook up many top government officials in Lahore.
The British resident in Lahore and Heera Singh Dogra, who was the Prime minister at that time, alerted their spies to keep an eye on every movement of Baba Maharaj Singh and report as soon as possible every detail to them. Heera Singh knew that after Baba Bir Singh the Sikh masses in general and Sikh army in particular had deep reverence for Baba Maharaj Singh. Therefore he could prove to be very dangerous if he started preaching against the Darbar.
Sir John Lawrance, the resident in Lahore, wrote a letter on June 1, 1847 to the governor general of India in which he wrote that he had arrested the assassin Prema
[4] according to whom Maharani Jindan had sent a message to Baba Maharaj Singh, requesting him to help assassinate the British Resident and some other officials in the Lahore Darbar.
The Maharani had actually sent a message to Baba Maharaj Singh requesting him to help her to somehow check the onslaught of the British ‘plague’ and save the Khalsa Raj from the claws of foreigners. She was extremely frustrated by the behaviour of the resident who did not let her take any decision even in the day-to-day working of the government.
Although Sir Lawrance did not think that a religious person like Baba Maharaj Singh would become a pawn in the political game of Maharani Jindan; he still did not want to take any chances. Furthermore, he wanted to take advantage of the situation and consolidate his own power.
The followers of Baba Maharaj Singh were planning to somehow take away Prince Dalip Singh out of Lahore, crown him as the Maharajah of the Khalsa Raj and then confront the British Government. It seems that this plan somehow got leaked and as a result battalion of soldiers was despatched from Lahore to apprehend Baba Maharaj Singh.
The news of this order somehow reached Amritsar before the soldiers could reach there to arrest him. That night Baba Maharaj Singh left Amritsar leaving a fairly larger amount of paraphernalia at the camp site. When the Lahore army reached Amritsar to apprehend Baba Maharaj Singh, he was already gone. The army confiscated all the items left in the camp and auctioned them or gave them away to religious organizations. Baba Maharaj Singh was declared a fugitive, warrants for his arrest were issued and the officer who was deputed to keep an eye on Baba Maharaj Singh was relieved of his duty. Even a thorough search of Amritsar area and adjoining villages did not offer any clue regarding Baba Ji’s whereabouts.
The news of arrest warrants of Baba Maharaj Singh spread like wild fire in the whole Majha tract of Punjab and the public was infuriated at this totally unjustifiable act of the Lahore government. This situation scared the British Government who felt that a broad based revolt in Punjab might endanger their freshly enhanced influence over the Khalsa Raj. An order was therefore issued, that anyone (an individual, group or even a town) who helps or gives refuge to the fugitive Maharaj Singh shall be severely punished. Diwan Dina Nath, however, opposed this policy. As a result of his efforts, the order was revoked but two particular areas, Lahore and the town of Hudiara, which belonged to Baba Bir Singh’s mother’s parents, were kept under strict surveillance. The inhabitants of these areas had to undergo extreme hardships but they kept on supplying information and monetary help to Baba Maharaj Singh.
At this time Baba Maharaj Singh got the news that Diwan Mool Raj, the governor of Multan had revolted against the Lahore Darbar (actually the Diwan wanted to remove the yoke of the British Government). He therefore decided to go to Multan and help the Diwan in his mission. The Lahore Darbar despatched an army under the command of Baba Mali Singh to intercept Baba Maharaj Singh before he could join his forces with Diwan Mool Raj and capture him dead or alive. At the same time the Lahore Darbar fired several army officers who were suspected to be the followers of or sympathetic to Baba Maharaj Singh.
At the time that Baba Maharaj Singh was deciding to go to Multan he received a message from Diwan Mool Raj requesting Baba Ji to help him as soon as possible. That he had revolted against the British occupation of the Khalsa Raj; therefore he had no intention of fighting the Khalsa army that was being despatched against him by the Lahore Darbar. He urged Baba Maharaj Singh to use his influence to convince the commanders of the invading army about his (Diwan’s) good intentions and thus avoid a catastrophe.
Baba Maharaj Singh knew that Diwan Mool Raj was a devotee of Baba Bir Singh and a loyal servant of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and believed in his good intentions. Therefore, he decided to march towards Multan in a hurry.
In Lahore Maharani Jindan was under virtual house arrest; therefore she could not do anything to avert the order of an additional despatchment of the Khalsa army under the command of Sardar Kahn Singh Majithia to follow Baba Maharaj Singh and surround him before he could reach Multan. She was also aware of the good intentions of Diwan Mool Raj but was totally helpless.
In order to reach Multan from Lahore or any part of Majha area one had to cross the river Chenab and at that time there was only one bridge over this river. Before Baba Maharaj Singh and his army could reach this bridge, the Lahore army under the command of Baba Mali Singh had already occupied it. To make the matters worse, a large army consisting of a battalion of English soldiers and the army of Nawab of Bahawalpur were waiting across the river to engage Baba Maharaj Singh’s forces in case he succeeded in overcoming the resistance offered by Baba Mali Singh’s army.
Baba Maharaj Singh was not only a very highly spiritual person but also an able military strategist and a farsighted general. When he along with his army, which consisted of several thousands of his devotees, reached the river Chenab, he immediately knew that the Khalsa army, the British regiment and the Muslim forces were planning to surround his army. He ordered a part of his army to plunge into the river to cross it down stream to avoid a battle, immediately. To the remaining, he ordered to engage with the army of Baba Mali Singh, cut it and crossed the bridge. A fierce battle ensued in which Baba Mali Singh was wounded and his army retreated; thus making it possible for Baba Maharaj Singh’s army to cross the bridge.
After crossing the bridge he quickly met with the part of his forces which had already crossed the river, regrouped and then advanced towards Multan. They thus thwarted the plan of the British to engage him into a major battle with the combined forces. A small detachment of four hundred selected soldiers under the command of Captain Cox and some Muslim army followed and caught up with Baba Maharaj Singh’s army near Kameela Nagar where a battle ensued. But they could not withstand the charge of brave fighters of Baba Ji’s army and had to retreat.
From Kameela Nagar Baba Ji decided to go to Jhang. The English army tried to stop his advance again but failed and after a skirmish Baba Maharaj Singh’s army reached Jhang. The government officials and the respectable citizens of Jhang gave a warm welcome to Baba Ji and offered their full cooperation in his worthy cause. They offered twenty thousand rupees and all the rations for the army and also offered the local fort if Baba Ji wanted to start his movement of fight-for-freedom from there. Baba Maharaj Singh profusely thanked them for their love, patriotism and generosity but told them that it was more important for him to go to Multan to help Diwan Mool Raj at that time. He added that if God gave him success in his mission in Multan then he would see to it that the expression of patriotism of the citizens of Jhang was duly recorded in the history with appropriate recognition.
When Baba Ji reached Multan, Diwan Mool Raj came to receive him along with his courtiers and many respectable citizens. He bowed reverently before him, presented him with fiftyone gold coins and many valuable presents and made very good arrangements for a comfortable stay for Baba Maharaj Singh and his close associates. Plenty of rations were provided for the army and every one was satisfied.
Baba Maharaj Singh had realized that in order to defeat the combined forces of the Lahore Darbar (virtually controlled by the Dogras) and the British government it was imperative that Dewan Mool Raj and Raja Sher Singh and his group of Sardars must unite. He therefore talked to Dewan and apprised him of his thoughts on the situation. At the same time, he contacted Raja Sher Singh, who had great respect for Baba Ji, and tried to convince him that the only way to get rid of Dogra brothers and the Britishers was to join forces with Diwan Mool Raj. As a result of his efforts, he succeeded in bringing the two together. But, unfortunately this compromise did not last very long because Diwan Mool Raj was unable to meet the expenses of the combined armed forces.
In disappointment, Baba Maharaj Singh decided to leave Multan. He indicated to Raja Sher Singh and his associate Sardars including Raja Chatar Singh and Rana Surat Singh Majithia, that he planned to go to Malwa, passing through Mukatsar and Damdama Sahib, would then proceed to Anandpur. From there he would go to Jammu and then to Rawalpindi. Raja Sher Singh and his companions requested that they were planning to engage the British army at Chilianwala, near Gujrat and needed Baba Ji’s help to take the responsibility of supplying their army with food and other necessities. To this Baba Maharaj Singh readily agreed because service to the country and people was the foremost object of his life. When the soldiers in the army heard that Baba Ji was to take care of the supplies they were quite satisfied.
In preparation for this battle, Raja Sher Singh and his companion Sardars needed a lot of help not only from the Khalsa army but also the public-at large. They also knew that Baba Maharaj Singh enjoyed great respect among the Sikh masses as well the Khalsa army. Therefore they requested Baba Ji to help them in obtaining the support of everyone. Baba Maharaj Singh readily agreed to this worthy cause. A letter was prepared addressing the Sikh masses, which went as follows:
“On behalf of Baba Maharaj Singh Ji, the undersigned declare that time has arrived when we must get ready to fight the foreign invaders (Britishers) who with great cunning and deception are succeeding to usurp the Khalsa Raj. It is therefore the sacred duty of every citizen to join this holy struggle and get ready to sacrifice everything in order to free our motherland “
[5].
The response to this letter was overwhelming. Soon Raja Sher Singh had a very large army at his command, ready to have a decisive battle with the British forces. Baba Maharaj Singh made all the arrangements for the supplies for this army and himself left for Rawalpindi.
The Khalsa army, under the command of Raja Sher Singh fought two bloody battles (at Chilianwala and Gujrat). But unfortunately, because of lack of necessary financial sources, some strategic mistakes on the part of Raja Sher Singh and the superior fire power of the British forces, it lost both the battles and with that the courage and conviction to oust the English people from Punjab.
After these defeats, a meeting was held at Rawalpindi in order to make a final decision. The meeting was attended by some generals of the Khalsa army and several prominent Sikh Sardars. The final majority decision was to surrender arms and consider the establishment of British rule in Punjab as fate accomplice. At that point Baba Maharaj Singh got up and once again reminded everyone present of the vow that they had taken before starting on the crusade against the British that they would fight till the end to oust the foreigners from their motherland and would never surrender and lay down their arms - would prefer martyrdom to slavery. He then addressed the leading Sardars who were the first in favour of surrender. He said, “You own large estates now which you want to save by surrendering to the British. But let me tell you, even by accepting all the conditions of the British you may not be able to save your estates because you will be on the mercy of the conquerors and will have to accept whatever crumbs they throw towards you. It would be better if you fight and get martyrdom rather than live a wretched life of a slave”.
This inspiring speech of Baba Maharaj Singh had a profound effect on the soldiers who offered their full cooperation and said that they were ready to fight to the end. However, most of the Sardars had lost courage and were not ready, under any circumstances, to fight another battle with the British. Only Baba Bikram Singh Bedi of Una and Col. Richhpal Singh Poorbia decided to stay with Baba Ji and fight to the end.
From Rawalpindi Baba Maharaj Singh and Baba Bikram Singh Bedi started for Kashmir. Soon after they had left, the news of their departure leaked out and an English army battalion quickly followed and with lightening speed caught up with them. A battle ensued in which the British succeeded in capturing Baba Bikram Singh Bedi. Baba Maharaj Singh, however, succeeded in escaping with his army and reached Sri Nagar
[6].
On reaching Sri Nagar, Baba Maharaj Singh met with Yuvraj Ranbir Singh, the son of Raja Gulab Singh, and got permission from him to purchase provisions for his forces. Having done this he sent his messengers to Majha and Doaba areas in Punjab to meet the Sikh leaders and bring them to his side.
Baba Maharaj Singh was known all over Punjab for his immaculately pious life, great sympathy for Khalsa Panth and magnetic personality. Many Sikh army officers had become his devotees. They believed in the cause for which he had put his life in peril, and were ready to follow him and sacrifice their lives for the freedom of their motherland. When the messengers delivered Baba Ji’s message to the Sikh masses, the response was overwhelming. A large amount of money was collected and an equally large number of volunteers started to go and join his army.
In the mean time the British had taken full control of the Lahore Darbar and started tightening controls over all the government departments. Urdu and English were declared to be the court languages and the courts were directed to give decisions without any undue delay.
Baba Maharaj Singh opened an army camp at Chhumbh in the Jammu state and established a second camp at Vatala Devi. He then sent a group of warriors (Jatha) under the command of Baba Ram Singh, one of his most trusted associates, to Lahore. The plan was to somehow abduct the young Maharaja Dalip Singh and bring him to the hills of Jammu and Kashmir where he was to be formally crowned as the legitimate Maharaja of Punjab. Following this, battles were to be fought in his name to throw the yoke of the British slavery. Baba Ji also wrote to his devotees in Kabul to contact Amir Dost Muhammad, the ruler of Afghanistan asking him to forget the old differences and join hands with him to defeat their common enemy.
It seems that there were several agents of the British in the camps of Baba Maharaj Singh who were keeping them aware of all his plans. As a result the Jatha sent to Lahore was apprehended. Baba Ram Singh was let go because he was considered a saintly person, above and beyond political intrigues. The remaining members of the Jatha were given severe punishments.
Baba Ram Singh, on leaving Lahore sent a message to Baba Maharaj Singh in which he suggested to him to come to the Doaba tract where he had a very large following. He believed that together they could be more effective in making the public aware of the grave situation in the country and recruit a large number of volunteers. On receiving this message Baba Maharaj Singh left for Doaba.
On reaching Doaba, Baba Maharaj Singh started working towards bringing together the Sikh Sardars who were fighting with each other on petty personal matters. He also contacted the Rajas of Shivalak hills and urged them to work towards unity of Hindus and Sikhs. He visited many Hindu temples and Muslim mosques and appealed everyone to forget the sectarian differences and make a united front to fight the foreign imperial power. His efforts met with some success in bringing unity among Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs in that area. At this time he also heard from Amir Dost Muhammad Khan of Afghanistan. He assured Baba Ji that he would do everything in his power to annihilate the British influence in his own country; but was unable to render any help because of paucity of funds.
It soon became clear to Baba Maharaj Singh that in order to fight the British army he would need a large quantity of arms and ammunition, to Purchase which he did not have any financial sources. He therefore decided to attack the army cantonments at Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur to capture guns and ammunition. He called a meeting to discuss with his associates the day and time for such attacks. In the meeting, someone said that he would take the responsibility to kill the deputy commissioner of Jalandhar. At this point Baba Maharaj Singh said, “As Sikhs of Guru Gobind Singh we are not supposed to harm anyone who is
innocent and is not carrying arms to fight us. If someone can capture and bring him to me then I would tell him that we only want to have our country left to us and not forcibly occupied by any foreign power”. It was decided that on third of January, 1850, the two cantonments would be attacked.
A lot of ground needed to be prepared before these attacks. For example, volunteers to handle large guns had to be found and recruited. Adequate quantity of rations needed to be procured. Therefore soon after this meeting Baba Maharaj Singh set out to visit the rural areas around Jalandhar to enlist volunteers and collect small weapons. A prearranged meeting was held at village Zahoora in which two Muslim gunners were introduced to him. Having accomplished this he intended to go to Amritsar for pilgrimage before taking the final step of attacking the cantonments.
As he was travelling towards Amritsar, he was staying in villages where he had his devotees who generously donated money and pledged help in the form of volunteers for the oncoming battles of freedom of motherland. At the same time the English spies were keeping a close watch on his movements and waiting for an appropriate time to get him apprehended. Such an opportunity occurred on the evening of December 28, 1849 when Baba Maharaj Singh was resting in a cluster of trees between the villages of Sham Chaurasi and Adampur, about 14 miles from Jalandhar. A Muslim informer came to Mr. Wenistrat, the deputy commissioner of Jalandhar and told him the location where Baba Maharaj Singh was resting along with 20 to 30 of his trusted companions. Within minutes, the deputy commissioner along with twenty cavalry police rushed to capture him. This party was joined with police constables from the police post Adampur. They surrounded the cluster of trees where the spy had informed that Baba Maharaj Singh was resting. Totally contrary to the expectations of Mr. Wenistrat, practically no resistance was offered by the party of Baba Ji and he along with his 21 companions was captured.
Baba Maharaj Singh was brought to Jalandhar and put in the Jail. Mr. Wenistart was amazed at the respect that Baba Ji enjoyed among the Hindu as well as Sikh populace. Even the Sikh sentinels responsible for his sucurity bowed before the cell in which he was kept.
Mr. Wenistrat, the deputy commissioner of Jalandhar, was curious to know how Baba Maharaj Singh was able to command such respect among the Sikh masses. He therefore studied Baba Ji closely while the latter was in the Jalandhar jail. In a letter to the commissioner, he gave the following description of the personality of Baba Ji, on the basis of his observations:
“Bhai Maharaj Singh is not an ordinary person. He is respected by his country-men as much as the Christians respect Jesus Christ. Thousands of Hindus and Sikhs have witnessed the miracles made by him and believe that he is a Guru incarnated”.
After due investigations Mr. McLeod, the commissioner, wrote his report on Baba Maharaj Singh as follows:
“I am convinced that Bhai Maharaj Singh is a remarkable person. He has all the attributes of a saint. He has unusual self-control and self-confidence. He seems to have the power to foresee the coming events and has the qualities of a great leader whom people would like to obey”.
With this report the commissioner expressed his opinion that the presence of such a person in Punjab would be hazardous to peace because everyday thousands of Hindus and Sikhs came to the jail to pay their homage to Bhai Maharaj Singh - someday this could lead to a rebellion.
The British government therefore decided to move Baba Ji out of Punjab as soon as possible. He was first transferred to the Allahabad fort prison and after some time to fort William in Calcutta (Kolkata). Even this did not satisfy the British government. Finally the Governor General issued an order on March 23, 1850 as a result of which he was deported to Singapore where he was to be kept in solitary confinement for the rest of his life.
In Singapore Baba Maharaj Singh was kept in a room on the second floor of the prison. The Governor General of India wrote a special note to the in-charge of the Singapore prison:
“I have been directed to inform you that special vigilance must be exercised regarding Bhai Maharaj Singh. He should be kept under strict observation all the time but no hardship must be meted to him”.
However, instead of literally following the directions of the Governor General, the confinement of Baba Ji was made in such a way that no one could see him. Even his personal companion and devotee, Kharak Singh, was put in a separate cell so that the two could not see each other. Back home, in Naurangabad no one knew anything about the whereabouts of Baba Maharaj Singh.
Because of staying in a dark and damp place, consuming bad and alien food for several years, and lack of adequate medical aid, Baba Maharaj Singh lost his sight and contracted cancer in mouth. Disregard of his health condition by the prison authorities made the matters worse. For example, for three months he was living on salted lemonade only. Finally, the day came when this selfless and untiring devotee of Guru Gobind Singh and a true patriot, sacrificed himself for his country. The day was July 5, 1856 when he merged into the supreme soul, Akaal Purakh.
[1]According to historical records over sixty percent of the total Sikh population was annihilated at the hands of the Pathan army of Ahmad Shah Abdali in this horrible event which occurred in 1762. Abdali is known to have boasted that he had completely exterminated the Sikhs and in future there would not be a single follower Nanak or Gobind Singh on the face of this earth.
[2]Please see the chapter on the life history of Baba Bir Singh Ji in this book.
[3]A detailed account of this episode given in the biography of Baba Bir Singh.
[4]Prema and his brother Mohra came from Wazirabad. They had been in the employ of Raja Gulab Singh Dogra and were known to be reckless men who loved to undertake dangerous assignments. The Sikh Sardars who wanted to get rid of the British interference, which was becoming more and more suffocating everyday, and was hindering the smooth functioning of the Khalsa Raj, conspired to assassinate Sir Lawrance, the British resident at Lahore and some Sikh Sardars who had become his stooges. They decided to strike when all of them gathered for a meeting in the Shalimar Garden, Lahore. For this task Prema and his brother were selected. This, according to the British spies, was known to Baba Maharaj Singh who, it is said, gave a sword as his blessing to Prema.
According to the Lahore treaty of 1846 the Khalsa Raj was divided into three portions. The state of Jammu and Kashmir was handed over to Raja Gulab Singh Dogra, the area comprising the Jalandhar Doab and Cis-Satluj tract was annexed into the British territory and the third part was being administered by Maharani Jindan as the caretaker of the young Prince Dalip Singh. But this was only on paper. The real power was in the hands of Henry Lawrance who openly issued orders even against the decisions of the Lahore Darbar. Maharani Jindan was sick and tired of his belligerent behaviour and wished to get rid of him.
Unfortunately the plan of this conspiracy was leaked by an associate of Prema, who happened to be a double agent. Consequently, Prema was captured along with his associates a couple of days ahead of the day of the meeting.
[5]Later on, referring to this very letter, in order to convict Baba Maharaj Singh, Lord Dalhousie, the governor general of India wrote, “these battles (Chilianwala and Gujrat) were fought by the Sikhs directly against the English people. The purpose was to destroy the influence of the British from not only Punjab but the entire Indian sub-content.”
(The letter was under the signatures of Raja Sher Singh and his companion Sardars)
[6]Baba Bikram Singh Bedi was taken to Amritsar and put in a prison where after a short time he died.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥
