Ans. Several reasons can be put forth to explain why in spite of the two holocausts (Ghallugharas) the Sikhs could not be exterminated or subdued.
Some of these reasons are, able leaders, correct policies (strategies), good battle strategy, positive attitude, three-way-wars, tremendous sympathy and devotion of masses towards Sikhs and exemplary bravery of Sikh women.
However, according to Rogers, there are four particular attributes that can be considered responsible for the successful recovery, with pride and self-respect, of the Sikhs following all calamities.
1. Sikhs had deep faith that one day they will rule the land, because Guru Gobind Singh had given them the boon of “Raj karega Khalsa”, or the Khalsa shall be the ruler. Sikhs believed that whenever and wherever they fought a battle for a righteous cause, the Guru himself was with them, fighting on their side. The Tenth Master had once said, “wherever the Sikhs engage into a struggle for a righteous cause and for benefit to others, you will see me among the Sikhs” (Bansavali Naama). According to “Prachin Panth Prakash”, the Sikhs used to say, “A time will come when the Turks (the Muslim rulers) will be hiding in order to save their lives and these poor ones (Sikhs) will become the rulers and collect taxes. Our Guru’s word cannot be wrong, that is why we are accepting and tolerating these hardships”. With every word they would remember the Guru and while courting the martyrdom they would say, “for our sake our Guru gave his life, why should then we, his Sikhs,hesitate and try to save our lives”? Ahmad Shah Abdali (The Afghan invader) once asked Baba Ala Singh, “why these (Sikhs) cannot be finished by killing”? His reply was, “where one Sikh would give his life for a righteous cause, two will take birth to replace him” (Jang Naama, part 35).
2. Sikhs were the sons of soil as against the foreign invaders. They knew the land of the Punjab like the palm of their hand. They knew every town, source of water, every trail and hiding place. The Afghans themselves used to say, “They (the Sikhs) belong to this land while we are aliens”.
The Sikhs considered themselves the heirs to the land of Punjab and would always say, “When the lands of the worlds were distributed, the Punjab came to Nanak. No outsider could rule over it. We will not allow the Punjab to become a part of either the Mughal or the Afghan empire”. Sikhs believed that the South and West had conspired to plunder the Punjab, but they were not going to allow this conspiracy to succeed.
3. Sikhs possessed an impeccable character and a spirit of self-denial. The very first lesson the Sikhs had learnt (from Guru Nanak) was acceptance of death. They remembered the Guru’s commandment:
ਜਉ ਤਉ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਖੇਲਣ ਕਾ ਚਾਉ॥
ਸਿਰੁ ਧਰਿ ਤਲੀ ਗਲੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਆਉ॥
(SGGS, P. 1412)
“If you have an urge to play the game of love, come into my street with your head placed on your palm”.
The spirit of self- sacrifice was so high that no one harboured an element of jealousy nor anyone would tell his problems to anyone.
Prachin Panth Prakash writes about the character of the Sikhs as follows:
“They would themselves go hungry and hardships not but will not see another Singh in distress. They would give away a dress to another Singh while themselves would ward off cold by sitting in front of fire. They would spend their money earned by hard and honest work to comfort other Singhs. Even those who went to far off places, would not forget to send money to help their brethren”.
According to Bansavali Naama (Kesar Singh Chhibber), ” It was because of such a spirit of self sacrifice of Sikhs that Turks (Mughal rulers) could be exterminated. Even today, because of resolve and sacrifices of such Sikhs, the Khalsa will again rise in glory”.
Quazi Noor Mohammed writes: “In addition to their superior art of fighting, there is another attribute of Sikhs which is worthy of mentioning. This virtue is that Sikhs will not plunder a lady of her wealth whether she is a rich lady or a maid servant.According to Panth Prakash, “if during fighting an enemy loses his turban, they would tell him to pick it up, place it on his head and then fight. Because they consider the loss of turban equivalent to loss of honour and they are not out to dishonour anyone, because this was the directive of the Guru to the Sikhs”.
4. Sikhs had an open-house policy. Their saddles were their homes. They had no attachment to their homes. Many times they had to abandon their homes and run away (to save their lives) but they never worried about that.
The Sikhs never altered their focus. Many obstacles came that might have slowed their pace but they continued on in spite of innumerable difficulties.
It was famous that Sikhs slept while walking or riding. They would not lie down on the ground. They were always ready for expeditions. According to a folklore:Question: “Singh Ji ! You have made your horse ready, to which direction (expedition) are you ready to go”?
Answer: “O sweet maid! I had prepared the horse to go up Northbut a Southern expedition has come up”.
They were fond of using their arms in a battle for a righteous cause. They considered that cuts and injuries received in a battle sanctified their body. Their policy was to attack, run and attack again. According to Quazi Noor Mohammed, “If they (Sikhs) start running away during a battle, do not consider it their defeat. This is their way of fighting – be careful from this trap of theirs. I am telling you again, do not get into their trap, they will pounce back on you”.
- The third occurred in 1984 and continued during the eighties.