Popular Revolts and Movements for Regional Independence

The Sikhs and Aurangzeb

Although there had been some clashes between the Sikh Guru and the Mughals under Shah Jahan, there was no significant conflict between the Sikhs and Aurangzeb until 1675.
Aurangzeb tried to engage Ram Rai, the elder son of Guru Har Rai, at the court. However, Guru Har Rai was displeased with Ram Rai and nominated his younger son, Har Kishan, as his successor.
Har Kishan, who was only six years old, died soon after, and Guru Tegh Bahadur succeeded him in 1664.

Ram Rai put forward his claims to the guruship both before the accession of Guru Har Kishan and after his death. Aurangzeb did not interfere and even granted land at Dehra Dun to Ram Rai to build a gurudwara.
Ram Rai remained in Delhi, continuing to intrigue against the Guru and attempting to poison the emperor's mind against him.
After his succession, Guru Tegh Bahadur went to Delhi but to escape Ram Rai's intrigues, he journeyed to Bihar and served with Raja Ram Singh of Amber in Assam until 1671.

In 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur was brought to Delhi with five of his followers. Various accusations were made against him, and he was asked to recant his faith, which he refused. As a punishment, he was beheaded.
Various reasons have been put forward to account for Aurangzeb's actions. According to a poetic work by Guru Gobind Singh, he gave up his life in defense of the Hindu faith following a meeting with some Brahmans of Kashmir who sought his support.
Another tradition suggests the Guru was protesting against the oppression by the Governor of Kashmir, Sher Afgan, and the large-scale forcible conversion of Hindus. However, the Mughal Governor of Kashmir until 1671 was Saif Khan, a liberal and broad-minded person.
Another tradition suggests that Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded because enemies and rivals like Ram Rai had suggested to Aurangzeb that the Guru be asked to show a miracle to prove his divine powers, and that action could be taken if he failed. However, Aurangzeb was out of Delhi from early 1675 to March 1676, pursuing action against Afghan rebels.

Later Persian sources, which appear to defend the official action, claim that the Guru, who had a large following, moved about Punjab with Hafiz Adam, a follower of Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi, extorting money by force from villagers.
The local waqia navis, or intelligence reporter, reportedly warned the emperor that if action was not taken against the Guru, it could lead to disturbances and rebellion.
However, Hafiz Adam had died much earlier, and the execution is placed at Lahore, not Delhi. Nevertheless, it appears that for Aurangzeb, the beheading of the Guru was primarily a law and order issue.

According to another Persian source, whenever peasants conflicted with local revenue collectors, jagirdars, or zamindars, they sought help from the Guru, who looked after them. Far from extorting money by force from peasants, the Guru was emerging as a champion against injustice and oppression.

An atmosphere of heightened religious tensions had been brought about largely by Aurangzeb’s emphasis on sharia, his destruction of newly built temples, and even some old temples at Mathura, Varanasi, etc., as punishment for local rebellions or complaints by the qazis about opening their doors and teachings to Muslims.
In such a situation, any conflict with a distinguished religious leader was bound to have larger repercussions.
Whatever the reasons, Aurangzeb’s action was unjustified from any point of view and betrayed a narrow approach. The execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur forced the Sikhs to retreat to the Punjab hills and gradually led the Sikh movement to turn into a military brotherhood.

Guru Gobind Singh made a significant contribution to the transformation of the Sikh movement, showing considerable organizational ability and founding the Khalsa in 1699.
Initially headquartered at Makhowal or Anandpur in the foothills of Punjab, Guru Gobind Singh and his followers faced and generally triumphed over the local Hindu hill rajas.
An open breach between the Guru and the Mughal authorities occurred in 1705 when Aurangzeb ordered that the Guru be expelled from Anandpur, and his temple and houses be demolished.
Despite assurances of safe conduct, the Guru and his followers were attacked while leaving Anandpur, and his two sons were captured and executed.
While some historians question the religious nature of the conflict, the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur and the subsequent persecution under Aurangzeb pushed the Sikh community towards militarization and resistance.

The Sikhs and Aurangzeb