The Untold Story of Mata Gujar Kaur

I thought I was familiar with the Mata Gujar Kaur and Shotay Sahibzaday story. We’ve all heard the classic story of them being captured by the Mughals, kept in a tower, and then bricked alive for not converting to Islam. But it turns out, that is not the full story. It turns out that I had been fed a sanitized, white-washed version of the story. Yesterday at Gurdwara, on the anniversary of their death, my dad relayed the untold history of Mata Gujar Kaur and the Shotay Sahibzaday. I was shocked. Here’s what his research uncovered:

In 1705, the town of Anandpur Sahib was under a prolonged siege by hostile Hindu hill rajas and Mughal troops. On December 5th, the Sikhs evacuated the town with Guru Gobind Singh Ji. In the middle of the battle, Mata Gujar Kaur* along with Guru Gobind Singh’s two younger sons, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh (age 9) and Fateh Singh (age 7), Bhai Duna Singh Hindoria (Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s contemporary and documentarian -source: Giani Pinderpal Singh and Dr. Sukhpreet Singh) and his wife, were separated from the group while crossing the Sarsa River, (Source 1.)

After walking 10 to 15 km, they got to Kumma Mashki's home in Chak Dera where they had a meal,(Source 2.) Kumma Mashki was Muslim by birth but a supporter and ally of the Sikhs. He operated a ferry in his village, (Source 3.) Afterwards, they head to Gangu’s** house in the town of Saheri. Upon arriving at his house, Gangu promptly turned Mata Gujar Kaur and the Shotay Sahibzaday over to the Mughal authorities [who?] in the town of Morinda (in hopes of a reward). In Mughal custody, Mata Gujar Kaur and the Shotay Sahibzaday were tortured in an attempt to convert them to Islam. When they did not convert, the local authorities took them to Sirhind to Nawab Wazir Khan, the regional Mughal ruler, (Source 4.)

According to Bhai Duna Singh Hindoria, to transport the Shotay Sahibzaday over the 25 km from Morinda to Sirhind, the Mughals bound their hands and feet, put them into sacks, and tied them to the side of a horse. They also bound Mata Gujar Kaur’s hands and feet and put a large pot, lined with hot chili peppers, on her head (Source 1 and Source 1b).

Once they arrived in Sirhind, Mata Gujar Kaur and the Shotay Sahibzaday were locked in a tanda buraj (cold tower) which was designed for the nawab in the summer months. As it was an elevated, open air gazebo, in the winter months it was cold. Particularly so as the three were imprisoned presumably, with little to no clothing or food.

The next day, Mata Gujar Kaur and the Shotay Sahibzaday were presented to Wazir Khan. Looking to gain favor with Emperor Aurangzeb, the Nawab tried to covert them to Islam which escalated to torture.

The Sahibzaday were whipped with mulberry twigs, (Source 1). Their hands were dowsed with kerosene and light on fire (Source 5.) They were tied to a tree and sling shotted with rocks, during which Zorawar Singh lost an eye, (Source 1).

After the torture, they were locked back in the tower. One night, Moti Ram Mehra, a devotee of Guru Gobind Singh, decided he wanted to serve milk to the Shotay Sahibzaday. He climbed an adjacent tree and lowered himself into the tower and gave them milk. However, he was caught and the Mughals put him, his wife, his children and his mother to death through by being squeezed in a kohlu (oil press).

The last attempt to convert the Shotay Sahibzaday to Islam was through bricking them alive. However, the wall kept falling. The Mughals tried several times to finish the wall, but failed. So finally, two Mughal executioners put the Shotay Sahibzaday on the floor, place their knees on their chests, and slit their throats, in the fashion of zabiha or dhabihah. Zorawar Singh died quickly but Fateh Singh took an adee kari (about 13 minuets) to die, as his feet kept quivering during that time, (Source 6).

After the killing, the Mughals told Mata Gujar Kaur that her grandsons had been killed. They then pushed her off the tower to her death. ***

Todar Mal (a wealthy jeweler) and devotee of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, claimed bodies of the Sahibzaday and Mata Gujari and wanted to cremate them. However, the authorities would only allow him to do so if he was able to pay for the land he needed for cremation, by place gold coins on their edges on a very small strip of land, (Source: 7.)

The End.

You can see Mata Gujar Kaur and the Shotay Sahibzaday's journey on this map.

That is the story I heard at Gurdwara yesterday. I find this version to be far more compelling and moving than the more pervassive narrative. The Shotay Sahibzaday simply didn't just refuse to convert to Islam, but endured barbaric torture, making their strength and conviction far more impressive. Hearing the complete story made me feel more connected to my history and more empathetic to Mata Gujar Kaur and the Shotay Sahibzaday's sacrfice.

*Born in 1624, Mata Gujar Kaur was one of the first Sikh women to accept Amrit in the 1699 Vaisahi. She was the wife of Guru Thegh Bahdur Ji and the mother of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. When Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was killed in 1675, she help guide and lead the panth along side Guru Gobind Singh Ji. [source?]

**Gangu is often described as Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s cook. However, this is historically contested. Gangu was one of the Hindu Kashmiri Brahmins who asked Guru Teg Bahadur Ji for protection against the Mughals. He then settled in Anadpur Sahib. Principle Satbir Singh [source?] wrote that Gangu was hot headed and thus, people named him “rasoi” or “kitchen” because he was "hot": Gangu Ram Rasoia. From this nick name, people today came to believed he was a cook. (There is a possibility that he was a cook.) After the 1699 Vaisahi, all of the langar was prepared by the Khalsa so, if Gangu was a langari, he was no longer after Vaisahi. It is also likely that Guru Gobind Singh Ji did not have a special, separate cook but ate the same langar that was prepareed for the sangat. (source?)

***In popular liturature, authors state that Mata Gujar Kaur was so distressed by the news of the Shotay Sahibzaday's death that she committed suicide by jumping out of the tower. I find this difficult to believe as she is said to be of phenomeal strength and character, and endured many horrors over her life. For instance, she lived through many wars and battles, lived through her husband's murder, raised Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and accepted Amrit. It is my understanding that she was murdered by the Mughals.

Sources: Source 1: "Katha Gur Sutan Kee Granth" by Bhai Duna Singh Hindoria.Giani Pinderpal Singh, Dr. Sukhpreet Singh Udhoke, and Principle Satbir Singh both refer to Bhai Duna Singh Hindoria as Guru Gobind Singh Ji's contemporary and documentarian. His historical manuscript, "Katha Gur Sutan Kee Granth," was allegedly burned in the 1984 Battle of Amritsar. However, Professor Piara Singh Padma made a copy of it before it was destroyed. Source 1b: Dr. Sukhpreet Singh Udhoke Source 2: Giani Pinderpal Singh Source 3: http://wikimapia.org/19719264/Gurudwara-Yadgar-Shaan-baba-kuma-mashki-chak-dhera Source 4:The Sikh Religion, Vol V & VI by Max Arthur MaCauliffe Source 5: Bir Devinder Singh at Khalsa College Source 6: “Bansavali Nama” by Kesar Singh Chibber Source 7: https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Diwan_Todar_Mal Other Sources: Leaving Anandpur Sahib by Singh Station

A History of Sikhs, Volume 1 by Kushwant Singh

By Lakhpreet Kaur & Dr. Mohan Singh Dhariwal