Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies
Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies
Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies
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36<br />
argues that as the Guru Granth became the Guru after the<br />
demise <strong>of</strong> the tenth Guru it shows that the <strong>Kartarpuri</strong> <strong>Bir</strong> was<br />
written after 1708 A. D. Regarding this Jodh Singh comments,<br />
“to make conjectures on the basis <strong>of</strong> misstatements is a sample<br />
<strong>of</strong> the kind <strong>of</strong> research done by the author (G.B Singh).” 43<br />
G.B. Singh writes that in the <strong>Kartarpuri</strong> <strong>Bir</strong> the will <strong>of</strong> one<br />
Niranjan Rai, the great grandson <strong>of</strong> Dhirmal, stands recorded,<br />
and, considering the likely year <strong>of</strong> the death <strong>of</strong> Niranjan Rai,<br />
the <strong>Kartarpuri</strong> <strong>Bir</strong>, he suggests, was written not earlier than<br />
Samat 1780. Now, the fact is that on a blank page <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Kartarpuri</strong> <strong>Bir</strong> another greenish coloured paper stands pasted.<br />
Evidently, the will <strong>of</strong> Niranjan Rai had been written on a paper,<br />
in an ink, and in a handwriting different from the ones <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Kartarpuri</strong> <strong>Bir</strong>. It has nothing to do with the <strong>Kartarpuri</strong> <strong>Bir</strong> except<br />
that some one has later pasted the greenish paper containing<br />
the will on a blank page <strong>of</strong> the Granth. In this regard Jodh<br />
Singh observes that this is another ridiculous instance <strong>of</strong> the<br />
senseless fabrications made by G.B. Singh. Citing more such<br />
instances, Jodh Singh concludes that G.B. Singh on the basis<br />
<strong>of</strong> some wrong statements <strong>of</strong> Kahan Singh mentioned in a<br />
letter, coupled with some false facts introduced by him, has,<br />
without verifying them by a look at the <strong>Kartarpuri</strong> <strong>Bir</strong>, made<br />
assertions which he describes as his research. “In fact every<br />
literate person should be ashamed <strong>of</strong> the manner in which G.B.<br />
Singh has abused the word research.” 44<br />
As to the Banno <strong>Bir</strong>, the reply <strong>of</strong> the custodian shows<br />
that 12 scribes worked in preparing the same. He also writes<br />
that some one had informed him that from Rag Kanara onwards<br />
the entire Banno <strong>Bir</strong> was in one hand. G.B Singh tries to brush<br />
aside this contradiction by saying that, may be, the leaves <strong>of</strong><br />
Banno <strong>Bir</strong> got old and someone got them replaced and rewritten<br />
(actually the finding <strong>of</strong> the scholars, Harbhajan Singh. Harnam<br />
Dass, is that the entire Banno <strong>Bir</strong> is in one hand). On page 271<br />
<strong>of</strong> his book, G.B.