Guru Gobind Singh's Death at Nanded Examination of - Vidhia.com

18 AN EXAMINATION OF SUCCESSION THEORIES
and distorted beyond recognition. Their works on historical
subjects are not, therefore, always, and in all respects, entirely
truthful and dependable, and they should be studied with
caution. Most of the Sikh Janam-Sakhls and Gur-bilas,
Suraj Prakash and Panth Prakash type of literature fall under
this category. The prose works after the Janam-sakhis, however,
are comparatively more factual and reliable.
I have laboured this point at some length to show
how fables and the supernatural element have at some places
come to be introduced into the history of Sikh Gurus and
how a number of their historical events have come to be
enshrouded in mystery.
In the absence of reliable records and chronicles' of
the ancient period, we cannot easily say to what extent historical
truths have thus suffered. But the case of the medieval •
and modern periods is different. There is abundant reliable
original, contemporary and semi-contemporary evidence
available for comparative study of different versions of controversial
events and for sifting fact from fiction. It is in the
light of such material that we propose to examine here in
the coming paragraphs- the last event of the earthly life of
Guru Gobind Singh, i. e., his death at Nanded and the
appointment of his successor.
5. HISTORICAL RECORD ON THE GURU'S DEATH AT NANDED
It will greatly help us understand the various points
of this study if we know the different types of scholars who
have written about the last days of Guru Gobind Singh at
Nanded. First of all, there are those who were then present
at Nanded or had been in its neighbourhood and had unmistakable
knowledge of his death. To this type also belong
those who had known the Guru personally, had met his
companions and had received first-hand information about
the end of his life.
The second type comprises the unattached scholars who
have written on this topic purely from historical point of
view. Only such of them have taken notice of his last command
and farewell message as had studied the growth and
GURU GOBIND SINGH S DEATH AT NANDED 19
development of the Sikh movement from the time of Guru
Nanak and were interested in the religious life of the Sikh
people after the death of their last Guru. They are mostly
non-Sikhs — Hindus, Muslims and Christians.
The Sikh writers mostly belong to the eulogistic type.
In their deep devotion and overflowing enthusiasm they have
at times allowed full and free play to their imagination in
keeping with the tradition of their ancient Hindu precursors.
In their effort to place the Sikh Gurus on a par with, if not
above, the prophets of other religions in the working of
miracles, they seem not only to have borrowed and adapted
some of their myths but have also invented a number of
them to embellish their narratives. The myth about Guru
Gobind Singh having been seen in the jungle by a wood-seller
or an ascetic Sadhu in the morning following his death and
cremation has apparently come from Christian tradition
wherein Lord Jesus Christ is stated to have been seen alive and
walking on the road after his crucification and death. Or, it
may be the creation of the superstitious mind not willing to
acknowledge the fact that a religious prophet such as Guru
Gobind Singh could leave the mortal coil like an ordinary
human being.
To come to the story of the death of Guru Gobind
Singh. It is agreed on all hands that, while at Nanded, he
was one evening stabbed by a Pathan and that his wound
was stitched and bandaged by a surgeon sent by Emperor
Bahadur Shah. It is also accepted without doubt that his
imperfectly healed wound burst open when the Guru bent a
stiff bow presented to him by a visitor.
The news of the death of Guru Gobind Singh finds a
prominent mention in the Royal Court News, the Akhbardt-i-
Darbar-i-Mualla, of October-November 1708 A. D. and in
the Bahadur Shah Noma in a number of places. Emperor
Bahadur Shah had crossed the river Godavri on October 7,
1708, to quell the rebellion of his younger brother Kam
Bakhsh before the news about the death of the Guru was reported
to him. For the next three weeks^he was extremely busy