Tuesday, 16 April 2013
BHAI NANDLAL
A Mughal Minister Roped to the Realm of Real Religion
Despite being a minister in Mughal administration throughout his life he breathed and lived true Sikhism, not stealthily but openly that too at a time when the faith was at sharp odds with the state . He was in the rush of the 'world, yet detached from it, like a lotus whose stem remains immersed in the mire yet it maintains its sanctity and immaculateness or like a water bird whose feathers remain dry when it swims. Son of a devoted Hindu, Bhai Nandlal was a Persian poet who was fortunate to be under the tutelage of Guru Gobind Singh himself and thus he, understood the religion to its finer details Nandlal Goya exudes ' humility and owes his eminence to Guru 1
Who am I ? Just a particle of dust.
My present status is just a blessing of my Guru .
Getting overwhelmed with his love for his Guru he says :
Oh wind ! Do not disturb me a particle lying at the door of my mentor!
Or else I will defame you that you, cruel , do not spare any site.
Lal or Goya (his nick names), was gem of the 52 strong galaxy of ' poets at the feet of the Guru. His Persian, and Punjabi poetry now serves an authentic source of Sikh history and religion . Nandlal was witness to the bestowing of guruship on the collective body of the Khalsa and the Granth Sahib . RAJIV ARORA and G.S.BRAR adopt this piece from the works of Dr. Ganda Singh for Punjab Monitor which is dedicated to this jewel who symbolises the unity of Punjabis ,the Muslims , Hindus and the Sikhs.
Nothing definite is known about the original area of Bhai Nandlal from where their forbears came . However the way Bhai Nandlal sought shelter from Guru Gobind Singh at the time of crisis shows that his family had old links with the Sikh Gurus .
Nandlal's
father Chhajju Mall appear to be a scholar of Persian and Arabic . Highly perceptive
wisdom, personal Qualifications and ability were the only factors which could help a non
Muslim to rise to some honourable position in the Mughal government of the day
. Chhajju Mal was a 'munshi' in the court of emperor Shah Jehan and had close
links with prince Dara Shikoh who himself had scholastic predilection and had
high regards for Hindu intellectuals. 
When the
Emperor deputed the Prince to Kandhar campaign of 1636 AD, he took Chhajju Mal
with him . At Kandhar, Chhajju was appointed on the post of 'Munshi' i.e.
minister with the charge of such departments as revenue , administration and
military affairs and stayed there till his death in 1652 AD .
Strange are
the ways of God. Chhajju had no child till age of 50. Thus in the evening of
Chhajju's career, was born Nandlal and nothing definite is known about his date
of birth. lt is however obvious that Nandlal was imparted the best education in
Persian as is evident from his compositions .
Dewan
Chhajju Mal was the follower of Vaishnav sect . On the other hand it appears
Nandlal was influenced by the teachings of Sikh Guru right from the
impressionable years of his childhood. Evidences are available as to the
existence of Sikh dharamshalas or the gurudwaras in Kabul , Gazni and Kandhar .
According to
the author of Dabistan e Mazahib (1650 AD) there was hardly any city in the
north lndia and Afghanistan which had no gurudwara . Whole of international
trade of horses from Afghanistan and lraq was in the hands of Sikhs. (ln the
Sept. .97 issue of Punjab Monitor we published an article " Punjabi Colony
in Astrakhan" giving ample evidences how the Sikh merchants were settled
in west places as far as Baku and Astrakhan ) According to a family legend when
young Nandlal was to be initiated to the Vaishnav sect he refused to wear the rosary around his neck . Nandlal
was about 16 years old when his mother passed away . After two years his father
also expired .
According to
a legend, Nandlal tried to secure the post of his father but by that time ,
Dara Shikoh who was kind to Chhajju Mal had left Gazni . The new ruler was not aware of the intellect of
Nandlal and offered only a humble post of a clerk in the administration ,
Nandlal declined the offer which was not according to his cerebral status and
dignity especially at a place where his father had served as a chief minister .
Nandlal who had two younger brothers also to support felt that he had no
backing in Gazni and that it was better for him to leave for Hindustan , as it
would not have been possible for him to maintain the rich family traditions .
Dewan Chhajju
Mal had otherwise left behind a fortune for family in the form of movable and
immovable property. Nandlal converted the whole property into liquid cash and
left the city of Gazni along with his brothers and two Afghan servants for
Multan. For centuries then Multan was considered one of the most prominent
cities of lndia . lmportance of Multan was not only in view of its importance
as religious and political centre but it was an important commercial centre in
the whole of Afghanistan, lndia lran and Bilochistan . Merchants of Punjab and
Delhi would keep camping in the city .
Afghan servants of Nandlal addressed their
employer as 'Agha' (Akah). Slowly 'Agha' became the key word for Nandlal for
the inhabitants of Multan . Thus the locality where Nandlal had his house came
to be Known as Agha Mohalla which exists even today .
Intellect
and integrity of Nandlal became known in the city and he was appointed as the
Munshi in the Multan state by Nawab Wassaf Khan . Nawab had acquaintance of the
father of Nandlal. Through his performance Bhai ji rose to the post of 'mir
munshi' the Finance Minister . Later he was appointed as the garrison incharge
and general of Bhakkar . There after he was appointed as the governor of Dina
Kehrorh, Fatehpur and district Mohiuddinpur. The Highest post which Bhai sahib
held in Multan was that of Naib Subedar i.e. Deputy Governor .
According to
Lala Parmanand 'Dastrul lnsha' a composition of the Bhai sahib throws ample
light on the sharp military acumen of Bhai sahib . A robber named Shahu had gathered a huge army at
Sultan Sarvar hill pass creating chaos with his 7000 men Munshi Nandlal was
deputed to capture his highway men .
Shahu was Vanquished with heavy casualties on his army . This is just one
instance of the fortitude and presence of mind of Bhai Nandlal . ln this way
Bhai sahib continued to serve the Multan state for 30 years perseveringly and
relentlessly . He had an opportunity to serve Prince Salim and Mohd Akbar (1678-79).
Bhai Nandlal
was yet to see a major change in hiS
already illustrious career. When Emperor ascended the throne of Delhi Bhai
Nandlal's services were terminated Bhai Nandlal's allegiance to Dara Shikoh who
had lost ' to Aurangzeb in the war of succession was believed to be the reason
of this termination . Bhai Sahib made well concerted efforts for his
reinstatement but in vain.
Bhai Nandlal
during these years of seclusion devoted his time to study Sikh scriptures . ln those
days Gobind was the Guru of the Sikhs. Guru's fame for his able administration height of scholarly pursuits , and other
skills had spread far and wide . The Sikhs were getting highly organised under
his guruship which was a source of worry for the Mughal empire. Nandlal had on the
other hand had an innate desire to see the Guru . After making adequate arrangements
for his children he left Multan to reach Lahore. After a short sojourn at
Lahore he reached Amritsar and then left
for Anandpur (Makhowal) where Gobind Singh ji was stationed . Thus the
wandering and meandering Nandlal managed to get the shelter of the lord himself
and when the Guru blessed him, his whole life experienced a sudden
transformation . He shouted :
Chun za
shehrag hasat shah nazdik tar Chun basehre mirvi ai be-khabar
(That true lord is nearer than your own
windpipe and fool you are searching him in the forests.)
and
expressing his sympathy with the seekers who have abandoned their everything :
Badshahan
salatnat be guzanshatand Chu gadayan ku baku
bishtaftand .
(The emperors have abdicated their empires Like beggars they are roaming about.)
(The emperors have abdicated their empires Like beggars they are roaming about.)
and
suggested the seekers ; lf you chance to get an usher - era guide
You will
feel the whole thing is inside you itself.
After
staying with Guru Gobind Singh Bhai Nandlal left for Agra and was able to
secure a job for him under Prince Muazzam (later Bahadurshah) . lt is likely
that lt might have been when Muazzam was released from his detention in the
year 1695 AD and he was made governor of Agra .
But strange are the ways of nature. lt is said
Emperor Aurangzeb once sought an interpretation of a particular stanza of Quran
but the galaxy of scholars present could not satisfy the Emperor . Later
Muazzam asked the same question from Nandlal who gave a satisfactory
explanation of the particular stanza . The prince conveyed the meaning to
Emperor who was surprised to know that a kafir -a Hindu better understood the
Quran and desired that such a scholar was converted to lslam. Bhai Nandlal was
able to know the intentions of the Emperor and thus decided to leave for
Anandpur again . Bhaisahib reached Lahore and there he learnt Giassudin who was
his junior at Agra and was on a leave for one month . Bhai Sahib left Lahore
with Daroga Giasudin for Anandpur sahib . After some days Giassudin returned to
Lahore but Bhai sahib stayed behind .
ln history
as we know, Guru Gobind Singh is not only known for his spiritual and military
pursuits, He was also an eminent spiritual poet and a great scholar and was a
patron of art and literature of his times . ln those days Anandpur, had the
distinction of having so many poets and litterateurs. There were 52 court poets
of Guru Sahib who wrote in the Punjabi, Brijbhash and Persian. This apart the
Guru translated many classics of other languages into Punjabi . Keeping in view
the tense relations with the state when
many of family members were assassinated by the government and the Guru had himself
faced many military actions, it is surprising that Guru sahib could continue
such literary activities despite the tough times . Not only this he was able to
found the Khalsa to ignite the sense of freedom among the downtrodden and caste
ridden people . As earlier mentioned Bhai Nandlal was fond of writing poetry from
his childhood; His stay at Anandpur was thus a complete transformation of
Nandlal's poems when it took the turn towards spiritualism. Such a
metamorphosis took place that Bhai was now a completely changed man . His
poetry had now got a direction . Under the tutelage of Guru, Bhaiji felt
enlightened .
Bhai Nandlal
presented his first book of poetry 'Bandginama' at the feet of Guru Gobind
Singh . Guru Sahib allowed Nandlal to recite his poetry before the audience in
the evening and the whole congregation spontaneously shouted ' Oh great'. ln
the end Guru sahib had all praises for the intellect and art of Bhai and
suggested that the work be called 'Zindaginama ' instead of Bandginama .
Guru sahib
wished to appoint Bhai sahib on the post of Dewan (minister ) but Bhai sahib
preferred service in the kitchen . As Bhai sahib had been staying at Anandpur
for a considerable time Guru sahib expressed concern for the family of Bhai Nandlal
and offered that he could promulgate hukamnama (orders) to the sangats in and
around Multan to send offerings at Bhai's house. Nandlal quipped; "Nay my
lord I have already made adequate arrangements for them. You kindly bless them
that they earn their living themselves so that they do not remain idle and
rather save them from any parasitic life ". Guru sahib was highly pleased
at the reply of Bhai Narrdlal and said, "Nandlal you are great ."
Bhai sahibs descendents are now living in various cities enjoying honourable
life styles.
Guru Gobind
Singh as we have written had bestowed Bhai Nandlal with the 'Naam' and his
grace. With the undersianding of the concept of 'Naam' i.e. how the Almighty
was administering the whole universal system and what is life etc. Bhai sahib
was often deputed to lead the congregational discourses and explain the sangat
of the concept of 'Naam' the praises and
how they (people) were supposed to bow before the will of Almighty (Hukam rajai
chalna: Bhana Manan and ) would thus remove the misunderstandings and wrong
notions of the sangat. Even today he is the second Sikh whose compositions are
allowed to be recited in the gurudwaras after Bhai Gurdas.
After Bhai sahib was initiated into Sikhism by
Guru Gobind Singh ji his became a devotional poetry. We find a boundless
respect and dedication to the Guru in his poetry ; a height of humility:
Lal sage
gulam Guru Gobind Singh
Dagdare nam Guru Gobind Singh
(Branded with the name Guru Gobind Singh)
Dagdare nam Guru Gobind Singh
(Branded with the name Guru Gobind Singh)
Kamtrin che
sagan Guru Gobind Singh
Reza chine khan Guru Gobinci Srngh
Reza chine khan Guru Gobinci Srngh
(No ! I am
even lower than the dogs at rhe door of Guru Gobind Singh as I eat the remains
left by Guru Gobind Singh)
Bhai sahib stayed at Anandpur till Dec. 1705
AD and was parted from Guru sahib at the time of invasion of Hindu Rajas of the
Hills which were supported by the Mughal armies. History is not clear where
Nandlal stayed there after. When Emperor Aurangzeb died in 1707 AD, Prince
Muazzam, the erstwhile employer of Nandlal, ascended Delhi throne under the
title of Bahadur Shah and Bhai ji once again joined his services. References
are available that when the war of succession among the princes was going on
Bhai Nandlal requested Guru's help on behalf of Bahadur Shah. On winning the
war Bahadur Shah invited Guru Sahib in his court to honour him, The Emperor
presented Guru sahib a Rs. 60,000, Jarhau dhukhdhukhi (an ornament on chest),
kalgi (crown) and a siropa (robe of honour).
It was
further proclaimed that Guru was a religious leader and it was not necessary to
put on these honours on his person and that, Guru's servant could carry them.
To many it appeared strange as the Mughals had martyred the V Nanak and lX Nanak
besides the family including two infant
sons of Guru Gobind Singh.
Since 'naam'
had been bestowed on Bhai Nandlal he wrote:
It is against the tenets of our religion to have enmity with any one.
Our religion is to keep our heart as clean and transparent as a glass. There
are again references available that Bhai Sahib was with the Emperor when he
marched on to Deccan, When he returned to Punjab in 1710 AD, Bhai sahib was
again accompanying him. The Emperor died in Lahore and Bhai sahib left for
Multan there after and spent the last days of his distinguished career at
Multan itself. Lala Permanand Arora ;a biographer of Bhai Sahib believes that
Bhai Nandlal was alive till 1713 as some letters are available which have
reference of Emperor Farrukhsiyar.
On his retirement Bhai sahib founded a school
which continued to function under the supervision of his successors till
1849A.D. Here in Multan Bhai sahib breathed his last to immerse into that
Formless Nirankar for ever to transcend this birth and rebirth system.
WORKS OF BHAI NANDLAL
As is
apparent from the style of writing, most of the works of Bhai sahib were
completed during his stay with Guru sahib. Works written under the tutelage of Bhai
Sahib number about ten . Seven of them are in Persian while three are in
Punjabi. He wrote under the nicknames Goya and Lal.
1.
Zindaginama is work which he first completed at Anandpur sahib and presented to
the Guru. The subject matter of this work in Persian is dedicated to God and
Guru and its theme is Gurbani itself.
2. Gazals (Persian) is the most famous work of
Bhai sahib and truly interprets Gurbani.
3. Tausif-O-Sana and Khatima (Persian) is
again in the praises of God almighty; tough words of Persian and Arabic, hence
not a very popular work.
4. Ganjnama
(Persian) lt is both in prose and poetry, and is written in praises of the ten
Gurus.
Writes he; Gar
phirozed hazar mehre mah,
Almen dan
juz tmam siah,
(May there be thousands of suns and moons the world is dark without Guru) and;
(May there be thousands of suns and moons the world is dark without Guru) and;
Naame-u-shahe
Nanak hakk kesh
ke niaed
chunu digar darvesh.
(His name is
Nanak emperor, his faith is truth. Sage like him has never appeared on this
earth before)
Praises for
the other Gurus there is rich Persian terms and when the poet refers to the
name of Guru Gobind Singh, the spirit and substance in his poetry acquires
acme.
Hakk hakk
agah Guru Gobind singh
Shahe shahenshah Guru Gobind Singh
and Hakk
hakk andesh Guru Gobind Singh
Badshah
darvesh Guru Gobind Singh
There are at
least 55 stanzas each ending with the name of Guru Gobind Singh.
5 & 6.
Jotbigas (Persian and Punjabi) are two different compositions but under the
same name. At several places Goya makes loud cries that there is no difference
between Guru Gobind Singh and Guru Nanak to clear the misgivings created by
people opposed to the Tenth lord.
Hamu Guru
Gobind Singh hammu Nanak ast
Haman shadge U Johre manak ast.
(He is Guru Gobind singh and same is nanak
while the gurbani shabads are jewels and gems)
7 & 8.
Rahitnama (Punjabi-Prose) Tankhahanama (Punjabi-verse) These works are code of
conduct of Sikh religion and are held in high esteem in Sikhism. Some of the
scholars like Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha have suspicion of these being the works of
Bhai sahib, Dr. Ganda Singh has also accepted the views of Nabha without much
thought. Their only objection is that Rahitnama bears the date as December 5,
1695 as the date of composition where as the Guru,s name is given as Gobind
Singh which should have been Gobind Rai, as Guru Gobrnd assumed the Singh name
tn 1699 i. e at the time of founding the Khalsa. This translater feels that
this argument alone is not sufficient to suspect the works as it is very much
likely that later scribes (utara karn wale) might have changed the name of the
Guru sahib. May be Bhai sahib himself might have corrected the Guru's name.
Both these documents are invaluable from historical and religious aspect.
Tahkhan nama which is a code of religious punishments ends with the definition
of Khalsa.
lt writes ;
Khalsa is
the one who rides the horse
Khalsa is
the one who daily goes to battle.
ln the summation of Tankhahanama "Raj
Karega Khalsa" stanza is given, ln Rahitnama Bhai sahib very explicitly
gives who is the Guru of the Sikhs after Guru Gobind Singh.
Jo mam sath
chahe….
lf some one
wants to talk to me He should read Guru Granth Sahib. Tisar........
My third form is the Sikh Who recites Gurbani
day and night
9 & 10
Dastoor-ul-insha (Persian) and Arj-ul-alfaz (Persian verse) The former is a
collection of some letters which Bhai sahib wrote to his relatives and friends,
while the latter is a magnificent spiritualistic and philosophical work of Bhai
Sahib.
