Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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of Dharam Yudha or holy war… After all what is the use of such
spirituality as would not inspire a person to resist the wrong with
courage and boldness?” 49
The period, starting from the retreat of Guru Hargobind to
Kiratpur and ending with the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind
Singh, may be called a period of armed truce for the Sikh movement.
During it the Gurus never gave up their attitude of defiance to the
Mughal Government. 49a Guru Teg Bahadur, inspite of the consequences
that such a step by Guru Arjan had invited, converted Muslims to the
sikh faith, 49b and his ‘repeated injunctions to his followers that they
should obey the bearer of his arrows show more of the kingly than of
the priestly spirit.’ 50 He had enlisted an army of horsemen and cameldrivers,
made ‘an encroachment on the royal prerogative of setting up
karkhanas’, and ‘encouraged refractory amils, ajaradars, zamindars,
munshis, mutsadis to take shelter in his darbar where he accorded
them places of highest honour.’ (“B’ad az inqayazi Mudat-I-madid w
ahad-I-b’id hazaran hazar afwaj w laskhar az qisam-I-sawaran shutran
waghera tamam asbab wkarkhanajat-I-salatin der khidmat-I-faizdarjat
fraham w mujteme gardidand w, ilawah baran her kas ke mutmared w
sarkash az qisam-I-amal w zamidar w ajaradar w diwan w mutsadi az
taraf-I-arakin-I-saltanat mishud zat-I-wala sifat ra maman w maskan-
I-khud ikhtiar sakhta der khidmat-I-faizderjat musharaf migashat.”). 50a
But, the Gurus did not come into an open armed clash with it either.
One the part of the Mughal Government, this armed truce was made
possible, probably because it considerated that the movement no longer
posed a threat to its authority. It has also been suggested that the
liberal-minded Dara Shikoh exercised a moderating influence on Shah
Jahan. 51 As to the Sikhs, it suited them not to precipitate the conflict
just then. They had their own organisational problems. However,
Guru Har Rai continued to maintain a force of two thousand two
hundred mounted soldiers to meet any unforeseen contingency that
might arise. 52
Certain major events in the period of the armed truce bear a
close resemblance to the events that had taken place before the armed
struggle with the Mughals started under Guru Hargobind. The
resemblance is so close, indeed, that if the name of the participants