By Amanjeetsingh
Saka Sirhind stands as one of the most heartrending and unparalleled episodes in world history an unequal battle and a sacrifice that finds no parallel anywhere. A study of Sikh history reveals that the very foundation of Sikhism rests upon martyrdom. In the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Gurus and saints have described martyrdom as the purest expression of divine love:
“Jo tou prem khelan ka chao,
Sir dhar tali gali meri aao.”
(If you wish to play the game of love, step onto my path with your head in your palm.)
While countless followers of the Sikh faith laid down their lives for righteousness, even tender and innocent children embraced martyrdom to uphold truth and justice. Saka Sirhind is one such saga, where young lives were sacrificed, further strengthening the spiritual foundations of Sikhism.
After the evacuation of the fort of Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666–1708) crossed the River Sarsa (Sirsa Nadi). During this journey, the Guru’s family became separated into three groups. The elder Sahibzadas (sons of Guru Gobind Singh ji ) Baba Ajit Singh Ji and Baba Jujhar Singh Ji accompanied their father towards Chamkaur. Mata Sundri Ji and Mata Sahib Kaur Ji proceeded to Delhi along with Bhai Mani Singh Ji. The younger Sahibzadas (sons of Guru Gobind Singh ji ) , Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Baba Fateh Singh Ji, aged merely nine and seven respectively, set out towards Sirhind with their grandmother, Mata Gujri JI (Mother of Guru Gobind Singh ji) .
The entire month of December (Poh) marks a deeply painful chapter in Sikh history. During this period, Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s elder sons attained martyrdom at the Battle of Chamkaur. On one side stood only forty exhausted, hungry, and thirsty Sikh warriors, while on the other stood a massive Mughal force numbering in the hundreds of thousands. History records no other battle of such stark imbalance. This event took place on 22 December 1704.
The Muslim historian Allah Yar Khan Jogi captures this moment poignantly in Ganj-e-Shaheedan:
“Bass eik takhat hai Hind mein teerath ke liye,
Kataye baap ne bache jahan Khuda ke liye.”
Five days later, on 27 December 1704, by the orders of Wazir Khan, the Governor of Sirhind, the younger Sahibzadas were bricked alive and martyred an act remembered in history as Saka Sirhind. Few events can move the human conscience so deeply; no one can read of this tragedy without tears.
After being separated from the Guru ji , Mata Gujri Ji and the younger Sahibzadas were taken by their former Cook named Gangu to the village of Kheri. They spent their first night in the hut of a devoted Sikh named Kuma Mashki. Overcome by greed, Gangu stole a pouch of jewels belonging to Mata Ji. Blinded by avarice, he later betrayed them, leading to their arrest. Initially detained at Morinda, they were eventually taken to Sirhind in a humiliating, procession.
Wazir Khan, already humiliated by his defeat at Chamkaur, imprisoned Mata Gujri Ji and the Sahibzadas in the Thanda Burj (Cold Tower). In the freezing winter nights, they were denied warm clothing and adequate food. The Governor believed that hunger and cold would force the children to abandon their faith and embrace Islam. He failed to realize that the blood of Guru Gobind Singh Ji flowed in their veins, and that their lineage carried the legacy of Guru Arjan Dev Ji and Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji icons of supreme sacrifice.
A devoted Sikh, Bhai Moti Ram Mehra, bribed the guards with his wealth and secretly supplied milk to the imprisoned children and their grandmother, performing an act of silent warrior .
For three consecutive days, the Sahibzadas were presented in Wazir Khan’s court. On the first day, Diwan Sucha Nand ordered the main gate to be closed and a small window opened, intending to force the children to bow their heads while entering. Perceiving the deceit, the Sahibzadas first presented the sole of their shoes and then entered boldly, proclaiming:
“Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.”
The slogan enraged Wazir Khan and his courtiers. Threats, temptations, and promises were used to break the resolve of the young Sahibzadas, but they remained unshaken true sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, who knew how to offer their heads but never bow them.
Present in the court were Nawab Sher Mohammad Khan of Malerkotla, Diwan Sucha Nand, and the Qazi. Wazir Khan demanded that the Nawab kill the children to avenge the death of his brother, Nahar Khan, at Chamkaur. The Nawab courageously objected, declaring that innocent children could not be punished. Despite his protest, Sucha Nand incited the Qazi, who issued a decree ordering that the Sahibzadas be bricked alive an order Wazir Khan cruelly approved.
When even on the third day the Sahibzadas refused to renounce their faith, the barbaric sentence was carried out. As the wall reached their necks, the executioners Shashal Beg and Bashal Beg beheaded the innocent children.
Upon receiving the news in the Thanda Burj, Mata Gujri Ji thanked the Almighty for granting her grandsons the honor of martyrdom and breathed her last.
For the cremation of Mata Gujri Ji and the Sahibzadas, the devoted Sikh Diwan Todar Mal purchased land by paying gold coins laid edge-to-edge a transaction considered among the costliest land purchases in history. Today, Gurdwara Jyoti Saroop stands at this sacred site.
When Guru Gobind Singh Ji received the news through Noora Mahi, he uprooted a kair plant and proclaimed:
“The roots of the Mughal Empire have now been uprooted.”
Six years later, blessed by the Guru, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur dismantled Mughal authority and razed Sirhind. At the decisive Battle of Chappar Chiri, Wazir Khan was slain, avenging the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas.
Every year, in remembrance of the younger Sahibzadas, a three-day Shaheedi Jor Mela is held at Fatehgarh Sahib from the 11th to the 13th of Poh. Sikh devotees from across the world gather to bow in reverence before this unparalleled sacrifice of innocent lives.
In 1915, the Muslim poet Allah Yar Khan Jogi paid tribute to the Sahibzadas in his epic poem Shaheedan-e-Wafa, writing:
“Hum jaan de ke auron ki jaanen bacha chale,
Sikhi ki neev hum apne saron pe utha chale;
Guryaai ka qissa jahan mein bana chale,
Singhon ki saltanat ka hai poda hum laga chale;
Gaddi aur takht ab kaum paayegi,
Duniya mein zaalimon ka nishaan tak mitaayegi.”
Saka Sirhind remains not merely a chapter of Sikh history, but a timeless testament to courage, faith, and the triumph of righteousness over tyranny.
