Dr Harmeet Singh
harmeetjnu@gmail.com
Guru Gobind Singh was a strong moral force during the time when power was often used for fear and faith to justify tyranny. He was unshakeable, uncompromising, and revolutionary for a just society based on equality and mutual respect. His life and legacy are some of the strongest stories of the resistance in Indian history, not just against Mughal governmental power but against all forms of oppression. Guru Gobind Singh didn’t fight against power just because it was power; he fought against oppression to bring back equality, mutual respect, moral government, and spiritual freedom. He linked faith with force and freedom to create a model of resistance that is still effective today.
The late Mughal period was full of significant contradictions. The empire was noted for its advanced government and magnificent culture, but it also had increasing intolerance, religious persecution, and authoritarianism, especially under kings like Aurangzeb. The forceful conversions to change the religion of the masses were at their peak, religious places of other religions were destroyed, and anybody who disagreed was silenced. This made it against the law to have a conscience. In this harsh setting, Guru Gobind Singh’s vision started to stop these unjust and oppressive forces. It was a vision of Guru Gobind Singh Ji that did not let spirituality and social duty or religion and justice be separated.
Guru Gobind Singh extended this idea of justice and righteousness to protect all the people from injustice and oppression from this Mughal regime. The ancestors of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, especially Guru Tegh Bahadur, who laid down his life for his ideals in a way that is still one of the most ethically daring things that has ever happened in India. The Mughal rulers’ killing of Guru Tegh Bahadur was not only a political crime; it was also an attack on the spiritual freedom and morality that individuals should have. The individuals should be free in their religious and personal domains, and they can follow their own religion without any force and fear. Guru Gobind Singh’s life was never the same after looking at the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. It made him think that people should not only fight injustice with words and prayers, but they also need to be armed with weapons when force is required to resist such a kind of oppressive regime.
Guru Gobind Singh as a Reformer and Religious Freedom Protector
Guru Gobind Singh never fought out of rage or revenge. It was built on a solid set of morals. He thought of a world where good people, not dictators, were in charge. The biggest sign of this conviction was the creation of the Khalsa Panth on 13th April 1699 at Anandpur Sahib. The Khalsa was more than just a military group; it was a change in society and politics. Guru Gobind Singh brought men from diverse castes and regions together into one group, which broke down long-standing hierarchies and made equality an actual thing. This was a highly brave act of reform in an Indian society and subcontinent to end the rigorous caste system and expand the agenda of equality and, secondly, the idea of a just and righteous society with religious freedom for all to preach equality and rights with sovereignty and religious freedom for all. Guru Gobind Singh thought that faith and bravery were the same thing. He did not agree with the idea of passive spirituality, which lets wrong things happen in the name of God’s will. He instead put forth the idea of resistance, stating that it was a holy responsibility to fight against oppression. His writings, which are full of poetic passion and philosophical depth, declare again that it is not only right but also necessary to take up arms to protect what is right when all peaceful measures fail. This was not militarism but moral realism-an understanding that unchecked tyranny undermines the fundamental foundations of human dignity.
The Mughal state thought Guru Gobind Singh was a threat because he questioned its governance model and authority. He didn’t want to take over land or gain regal titles; he wanted to make ordinary people feel brave and morally clear. This gave them more power than any loss on the battlefield did. The Sikhs and Mughal troops fought each other many times, but it wasn’t only about land or resources. It was also about two different ways of seeing the world: one centred on power and obedience and the other based on fairness and moral independence.
One of the most amazing things about Guru Gobind Singh’s resistance was how much he believed in pluralism. He lost a lot personally: his four kids were slaughtered, his mother died, and his followers suffered. But he never thought of his conflict as a fight between two religious organisations. He was against injustice, not against Islam or any other faith. This difference is quite important, especially since stories of sectarian conflict are regularly used to explain why people resist. Guru Gobind Singh’s life shows us that moral resistance goes beyond religious divides and is founded on principles of liberty, freedom and equality for all.
Khalsa Panth: a Strong Moral Route of Resistance
Guru Gobind Singh Ji urged his followers to maintain their hair unshorn, carry swords, and live disciplined lives; he was in favour of freedom for all. It was hard to get rid of or scare away this persona. This identity wasn’t designed to spark a quarrel; it was supposed to give individuals self-respect and the determination to fight for what is right. The Guru’s refusal to follow orders was also against what most people think a good leader should do. He didn’t think that privilege should be passed down from one generation to the next. Instead, he stressed merit, discipline, and good behaviour. He bestowed the Guru Granth Sahib spiritual power and the Khalsa Panth group power before he died. This made guaranteed that leadership would stay accountable and spread out. This choice was revolutionary because it broke up the concentration of power and made it clear that no one is above moral criticism.
In the grand scheme of Indian history, Guru Gobind Singh is important. He was a poet, a philosopher, a warrior, and a spiritual leader all at once. This combination allowed him to fight against injustice on many levels, including intellectual, moral, and material. His resistance was not a response but a vision. He saw the dangers of tyranny, societal disintegration, and moral apathy. He instead suggested a system built on bravery, fairness, and duty. As authoritarianism, less freedom, and the use of religion for political goals become increasingly common in many parts of the world, Guru Gobind Singh’s legacy becomes more relevant. His life teaches us to question authority, stand up for the weak, and speak up when we perceive something wrong. It reminds us that faith loses its essence when it supports oppression and that moral constraint can turn force into freedom instead of control.
Guru Gobind Singh fought against the Mughal Empire, but he also fought against the belief that injustice is unavoidable or can’t be opposed. He used pain as a source of strength and persecution as a motivation to survive. He developed a strong and moral route of resistance by combining faith with courage and independence. When we remember him, we are not just remembering a historical individual; we are also confirming a timeless truth: that the ultimate measure of civilisation is its resolve to stand up to injustice, no matter how powerful it may be.
Zafar Nama: The Epistle of Victory
Zafar Nama: The Letter Epistle of Victory, was written by the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, in Feb 1705 in the Persian language and forwarded to Aurangzeb, taken by Bhai Daya Singh and delivered to him at Ahmednagar. The Zafar Nama was written after suffering through a lot of grief and betrayal. It doesn’t call for mercy or utilise violence. Instead, it accuses the emperor of being dishonest and morally wrong for promoting oppressive and unjust rule. It was a sign of rebellion to promote equality and freedom as a cornerstone of rule and moral equality and protection of the rights of the masses in a state. Inside Zafarnama, Guru Ji wrote that the duty of the ruler is not to commit atrocities and promote hatred for others while sitting on a throne. Whereas the duty of the ruler is to protect the masses and to see all on an equal basis and the protection of their rights. Guru Gobind Singh Ji revealed that the truth is what gives someone real power, not armies or crowns. Guru Gobind Singh conveyed to him a wide-ranging idea of what freedom meant. It was more than just independence from unequal and oppressive authority; it was also liberation from fear, ignorance, and oppression that people had learnt to live within this time. In this letter, Guru Gobind Singh Ji clarified to Aurangzeb that in your entire life you didn’t follow the actual path of Islam, i.e., peace and establishing equality and justice, not proselytisation.
After reading Zafar Nama, Aurangzeb realised his deeds, and in the last time of his life, he wrote his will. Inside that will, he mentioned that there is no doubt that I have been the emperor of India, and I have ruled over this country. But I am sorry to say that I have not been able to do a good deed in my lifetime. He mentioned that my inner soul is cursing me as a sinner, but now it is of no avail. I have carefully kept my earnings of din, i.e., 4 Rs and 2 annas. And I earn it in my spare time by stitching caps. It was by selling these caps that I made an honest earning of 4 Rs and 2 annas. He mentioned that his coffin should be purchased with this amount and no other money should be spent for covering the body of a sinner.
(The author is HoD Political Science, GDC Katra)
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