Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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and the attendant circumstance could be omitted, the two sets of
happenings would become almost indistinguishable. This is highly
significant. It could happen only if the Sikh movement continued to
follow a single set plan and the forces it had to encounter also retained
their pattern.
The general policy of guru Har Rai was not to invite armed
clash with the Government. But, when Dara Shikoh, who had been
defeated by Aurangzeb, crossed Satluj at Rupar, Guru Har Rai joined
him at the head of two thousand troops. The Guru accompanied
Dara to Lahore, where Dara spent a month and a half in making
preparations for war. “But Dara was utterly broken down in body and
spirit”, and “his despair infected his troops.” 53 When the guru found
that Dara had made up his mind to flee to Multan and then to Kandhar,
he left his camp and returned to Kartarpur.
The concequences that followed Guru Arjan’s blessing of
Khussrau (A.D. 1606) could not have been lost upon Guru Har Rai.
Yet, fiftytwo years later, Guru Har Rai took an even bloder step of
joining Dara with his troops and encouraging him for about a month
to make a military stand. There can be nodoubt that this was direct
political involvement and against a party (Aurangzeb) who had hitherto
been successful. The Guru took a calculated risk. It was in the fitness
of things that the Guru should have helped Dara, whose chief fault in
the eyes of the orthodox Muslims was his socalled apostasy. Dara’s
success would have helped the Sikh cause. In any case, there was a
chance of fighting militarily the tyrannical state which the Guru felt
should not be missed. Secondly, when Guru Arjan blessed Khussrau,
the Sikh aspirations for political power were in a nascent state. These
had reached only the stageof ‘Sacha Padshah’. But, Guru Hargobind
had openly set up Akal Takht, had raised two flags and had donned on
his turban a plume, an insignia of royalty. In other words, he had set
up a parallel government. Bhai Gurdas calls him the ‘sovereign of
this world and the next.’ 54 When chided by Gherar for having made
the Emperor his enemy, Guru Hargobind said clearly: ‘I have only
injured myself. Why take it to heart?’ ‘The affairs of the Guru’s house
shall ultimately be adjusted and the Turks deprived of the empire.’ 55