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on the other was written 'Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.' The condition was<br />
whosever's paper shall float first or re-appear on the surface ofwater<br />
shall be the winner and shall have the control of Harmandir Sahib.<br />
Paper with Guru's Fateh appeared first and so the Fateh Darshan<br />
people withdrew from the scene. Thus with his wisdom an imminent<br />
bloodshed was averted.<br />
Now let us discuss in briefthe sequence ofevents those lead to his<br />
martyrdom.<br />
The Khalsa or the Panth was celebrating Dewali and Baisakhi two<br />
festivals every year at Harmandir Sahib, but for that purpose in those<br />
critical days a permission from the government was required for which<br />
the Khalsa had to pay some tax. In 1733, when Dewali was to be<br />
celebrated, the Government granted permission on payment of a sum<br />
of Rupees five thousand as Tax. It was agreed that the tax would be<br />
paid after the celebrations were over. Bhai Sahib agreed to the<br />
condition, having conviction that the Sikhs who would gather in large<br />
numbers, would present their offerings (Bhent) in the Guru Darbar and<br />
the tax amount would be paid.<br />
But governor ofLahore Zakaria Khan and his Dewan Lakhpat Rai<br />
had some different intentions. Just before the celebrations they had<br />
encircled the entire city ofAmritsar with their forces and wanted to do<br />
a mass killing ofthe Sikhs who would assemble at Amritsar, with an<br />
aim to finish the entire community. Bhai Sahib got inkling in advance.<br />
He sent the messages on all the sides telling the Sikhs to avoid coming<br />
to Amritsar for the celebrations as he apprehended a big trouble. As a<br />
result most ofthe Sikhs did not come and the stipulated amount could<br />
not be collected. Lakhpat Rai who was also expecting large<br />
contingents ofSikhs, at the celebrations and was there to put them to<br />
death by firing etc felt frustrated but still killed many persons while<br />
they were having a bath in the holy Sarovar.<br />
Bhai Mani Singh an old man of 90 years was arrested by the<br />
Governor, and was given the option either to pay the stipulated<br />
amount, or convert to Islam or face death by cutting limb by limb (~<br />
~ OC
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