Tegh Bahadur Ji

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was born on 1 April 1621 in Amritsar, the youngest son of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji. As a young man he distinguished himself in battle, earning the title Tegh Bahadur — 'Brave Sword'. However, after the conflicts of his father's era, he withdrew into deep meditation and lived quietly for many years in Bakala village. When Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji passed, his last words pointed to Bakala, and it was there that Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was recognised as the ninth Sikh Guru in 1664.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji embarked on extensive travels across the subcontinent — through Malwa, Bihar, Bengal, and Assam — spreading the message of Gurbani, establishing Sikh institutions, and connecting with the sangat in communities that had rarely seen a Guru. He founded the city of Anandpur Sahib in 1665 in the Himalayan foothills of Punjab, which would become one of the most significant sites in Sikh history. He composed 115 Shabads and 15 Saloks that are enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, many exploring the themes of fearlessness, impermanence, and liberation.

The defining event of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's Guruship was his martyrdom in defence of religious freedom. Emperor Aurangzeb had launched a systematic campaign to forcibly convert Hindus to Islam across the Mughal Empire. A delegation of Kashmiri Pandits (Hindu priests) came to Anandpur Sahib in despair, pleading for protection. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's young son — the future Guru Gobind Singh Ji, then nine years old — suggested that his father was the only one great enough to save their faith. Moved by the appeal and his son's words, Guru Tegh Bahadur agreed to stand up for the Pandits' right to practice their faith.

Guru Tegh Bahadur travelled to Delhi to face Emperor Aurangzeb directly. He was arrested, imprisoned, and subjected to terrible pressure to convert to Islam. Three of his companions — Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, and Bhai Dyal Das — were tortured and killed before his eyes in an attempt to break his resolve. Yet he remained steadfast. On 24 November 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was publicly beheaded in Chandni Chowk, Delhi. His supreme sacrifice — not for his own faith, but to protect the right of another faith to exist — earned him the eternal title of Hind Ki Chaddar (Shield of India). Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi mark the sites of his martyrdom and cremation.