Gurudwara Fatehgarh Saheb, Sirhind, Punjab

This is the Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib in Sirhind, Punjab.  This is the place where the younger sons,  of Tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, were bricked alive in a wall.  Guru Gobind Singh's sons are profoundly called Sahebzadas.

 

 

 The younger sahebzadas Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh were of tender age of only eight and five years, remained under the care of their grandmother Mata Gujri since the death of their mother, in early December 1700, C.E. 

 

 
Mata Gujri with Younger Sahebzadas

 

 

 When the entourage of Guru Gobind Singh started from Anandpur Sahib, they had to wade through the swollen rivulet Sarsa.  Mata Gujri and the two Sahebzadas got separated from the main body of the Guru's convoy.  After crossing the rivulet, Mata Gujri was looking around to find out who others had crossed over to her side, when she spotted Gangu who had worked as a domestic help in the Guru's household. 

 

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It was said that he was not a reliable person and had once been divested of his job.  On seeing the Guru's mother and children, he offered to escort them to safety in his own house in village Saheri near Morinda.  He planned to betray Mata Gujri and young Sahebzadas.

 

 

It was on the day of battle of Chamkaur that Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh alongwith Mata Gujri were taken into custody by Jani Khan and Mani Khan Ranghars, the officials of Sirhind Sarkar at Morinda.  Next day they were sent to Sirhind to be interned in the Cold Tower (Thanda Burj) of the fort.  Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh were ordered to be produced before the Nawab of Sirhind, Wazir Khan, on the following day, when he had just returned from Chamkaur along with his ally Nawab Sher Mohd. Khan of Malerkotla.

 

Unable to capture Guru Gobind Singh, he  planned to convert his younger sons to Islam.  He tried to lure them with sweet words and promises of riches and honours.  Sahebzadas remained undaunted.  Consequently, a Qazi was summoned to pronounce judgement according to Shariat who gave this verdict that  both the brothers be sentenced to death.  The Nawab passed the final orders that in case the young Sahebzadas refused to accept Islam, they be bricked alive and put to death. Tradition has it that as soon as the brick-wall reached chest-high, it crumbled.

 

 

 

 

The Nawab of Sirhind accompanied by the executioner, Shashal Begh and Bashal Begh of Samana, again went close to the scene and asked Sahebzadas to agree to conversion to save their lives. On the refusal by Sahebzadas, they were sent to the Cold Tower for the night and next morning they were put to death by execution.  Mata Gujri, breathed her last on hearing the news of execution of younger Sahebzadas.

 

 

The wall where these younger Sahbzadas were bricked, still remains and a gold Palanquin has been placed at the place where Sahebzada Zorawar Singh and Sahebzada Fateh Singh

 were bricked alive.

 

I bid farewell to sahebzadas with drops of water in my eyes.