A history of the Sikhs, from the origin of the nation to the battles of the Sutlej.

64

HISTORY OF THE SIKHS

CHAP. III

1664-75. Bahadur accompanied the Raja to the eastward. He again
Tegh Bah resided for a time at Patna, but afterwards joined the army,
Tegh Bahadur retires to bring success, says the chronicler, to the expedition
for a time against the chiefs of Assam. He meditated on the banks
to Bengalof the Brahmaputra, and he is stated to have convinced the
heart of the RSja of Kamrfup, and to have made him a
believer in his mission.l
Tegh Baha- After a time Tegh Bahadur returned to the Punjab, and
dur re- bought a piece of ground, now known as Makhowal, on the
thePunjab. banks of the Sutlej, and close to Kiratpur, the chosen residence of his father. But the hostility and the influence of
Ram Rai still pursued him, and the ordinary Sikh accounts
represent him, a pious and innocent instructor of men, as
once more arraigned at Delhi in the character of a criminal;
but the truth seems to be that Tegh Bahadur followed the
example of his father with unequal footsteps, and that,
Leads a life choosing for his haunts the wastes between Hansi and the
ofilence Sutlej, he subsisted himself and his disciples by plunder,
and is con' Sutle
strained to in a way, indeed, that rendered him not unpopular with
Dpel a the peasantry. He is further credibly represented to have
leagued with a Muhammadan zealot, named Adam Hhfiz,
and to have levied contributions upon rich Hindus, while
his confederate did the same upon wealthy Musalmans.
They gave a ready asylum to all fugitives, and their power
interfered with the prosperity of the country; the imperial
troops marched against them, and they were at last defeated and made prisoners. The Muhammadan saint was
banished, but Aurangzeb determined that the Sikh should
be put to death.2
When Tegh Bahadur was on his way to Delhi, he sent
for his youthful son, and girding upon him the sword of
Har Gobind, he hailed him as the Guru of the Sikhs. He
told him he was himself being led to death, he counselled
him not to leave his body a prey to dogs, and he enjoined
1 These last two clauses are almost wholly on the authority of a
manuscript Gurmukhi summary of Tegh Bahadur's life.
2 The author of the Siar ul Muttckharin (i. 112, 113) mentions these
predatory or insurrectionary proceedings of Tegh Bahadur, and the
ordinary manuscript compilations admit that such charges were
made, but deprecate a belief in them. For Makhowal the Gurf is
said to have paid 500 rupees to the Raja of Kahlir.