| (1) Question:- |
Give Brief information regarding Bhai Mardana Ji, Bhai Salo Ji and Bhai Manjh Ji. |
| Answer:- |
As far as Bhai Mardana is concerned, he finds a significant and evident mention in 'Janam Sakhies' Three hymns relating to his name are also enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. It is said that he too was born in Rai Bhoey Di Talwandi, ten years before the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Since six of his brothers and sisters had already died, his mother, in order to save him from death, had named him as 'Marjana' i.e. one who would die' but when his family interacted with Guru Nanak Dev, the latter changed his name from 'Mar-jana' to 'Mar-dana' Bhai Mardana finds a very significant status in 'Janam Sakhies' so much so that he became almost a medium of Guru's illustrative preachings. For instance, he became a medium for preaching and realization to the Muslim Faquir 'Vali Qandhari' because, as the history goes, a thirsty Mardana had to go to him. One more fact of history which eternalizes Bhai Mardana is the stringed instrument called 'rabab' which he played in music to the accompaniment of the recitation of scriptures by Guru Nanak. He has been the first hymn signer and 'rabab' player in Sikh history. His descendants in Pakistan are still the singers of Sikh scriptures. Bhai Lall Ji from his family has recited Gurbani many a times in India also.
Bhai Salo was devoted Sikh of Shri Guru Amar Das Ji. He played a great role in the founding and raising of Amritsar city. He also made a great contribution to the building of Shri Harmandir Sahib. He died during the period of Shri Guru Hargobind Ji who did his funeral rites with his own hands. Gurdwara Tobha Bhai Salo in Amritsar perpetuates his memory where many devotes visit for the holy pilgrimage and a dip in the holy waters. It is said that many women who get a holy bath here with faith are blessed with children.
Bhai Manjh Ji belonged to Rajput clan and was originally a disciple of sultan Sakhi Sarvar. As soon as he met Guru Arjan Dev Ji, he immediately became his disciple He was assigned the service of collecting fuel for Guru Ka Langar i.e. common kitchen. It is narrated in the book entitled Mehma-Parkash written by Sarup Dass Bhalla that once, as he was bringing wood for fuel placed on his head, he fell into a well but, as the history reports, he kept on holding the wood on his head, he fell into a lest the fuel should get wet. Next morning when Guru Ji came to know of the incident, he got him out of the well and admired his remarkable devotion and assigned to him the duty of religious preaching. He did the missionary preaching in the village Kang where a Gurdwara still exists and enlivens his memory. |
| (2) Question:- |
Briefly introduce the Prominent Sikh personalities named as Bhai Bidhi Chand Ji, Bhai Mahan Singh, Bhai Ghanaiya Ji & Bhai Joga Singh. |
| Answer:- |
The story of Bhai Bidhi Chand as known in Sikh circles starts with his life as a thief. It is said that being a neglected child, the habit of stealing had developed at a very early age. Thus, when a Sikh taking interest in him, brought him to the 5th Guru, the Guru effected a change in his life by making him realize that the life was too precious and should not be wasted in such acts. In the time of Guru Hargobind Sahib, Bidhi Chand was trained as a soldier and was made an incharge of a Platoon. Thereafter, he took active part in the battles and proved his valour. His most important achievement was to bring back those horses of the Guru from the Royal Stable which were forcibly taken away by the Governor of Lahore. This devoted follower of the Guru remained with him till his death in 1638 A.D. He died at his own village named as Sursang in Amritsar District. A memorial was built in his memory by the villagers.
Bhai Mahan Singh
There are no details available regarding the early life of Bhai Mahan Singh. In Sikh chronicles, he is remembered as the person who led the forty liberated ones who had fought at Khidrana and died while fighting with the Mughal Forces. The fact as is known regarding these 40 persons, called Mukate has already been narrated in an earlier answer. There is a difference of opinion regarding the names of the 40 persons and the place where they deserted the Guru. Some historians hold the desertion letter, which was torn by the Guru at the request of Mahan Singh as a token of granting pardon to him and his companions. Some other historians are of the view that Mahan Singh and his companions had left the Guru at a latter stage and not at Anandpur. There is another view as per which these Sikhs are stated to have separated from the Guru at the time of crossing river Sirsa and there was no desertion on their part. Thus, the scholars will have to do further research with a view to get at the truth. The fact of their fighting with the Mughal army at Khidrana and their being blessed by the Guru as Mukte for the sacrifices made by them is established by the shrines situated at Mukatsar. A fair also takes place at Mukatsar on the first day of month of Magh in memory of the Martyrs.
Bhai Ghanaya
Bhai Ghanaya is known for his spirit of service. At the time of battle at Anandpur, he used to serve water to anyone who needed it whether he was a Sikh or a Muslim. When some Sikhs complained to the Guru, the Guru called him for explaining the position. Bhai Ghanaya explained that it was Guru's teaching that all human beings were the creation of one God and as such there was no enemy. He was following the Guru by rendering service of quenching the thirst of the wounded persons, whosoever they were. The Guru was highly pleased with the spirit of service and gave Bhai Ghanaya an ointment and bandage material with the direction that wherever needed he should apply the ointment and do bandage for providing relief to the wounded persons. As Red Cross movement had not come into being at that time, Bhai Ghanaya may be rightly considered as one of the fore'runners of this movement.
Bhai Joga Singh
Bhai Joga Singh was a perfect Sikh and he lived in the time of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. It is said that when he was being married, as he had taken just two ceremonial rounds (Lavaan) out of four he got the message from Guru Gobind Singh Ji to reach Anandpur Sahib and he left for Anandpur Sahib leaving incomplete his marriage ceremony. The story of his alleged encounter with a prostitute does not sound true in the context of his spiritual commitment to the Guru. |
| (3) Question:- |
Show your acquaintance with Mata Gujri Ji & Mai Bhago Ji |
| Answer:- |
Mata Gurji Ji
Mata Gujri was the wife of Guru Tegh Bahadur and mother of Shri Gum Gobind Singh. She suffered the agonizing episodes of life as diversly ordained. When Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was martyred she did not lose her moral conviction and prepared her nine years old son, Guru Gobind Singh for splendid deeds. Mata Gujri experienced through all the tortures inflicted on her family and when her two younger grand sons were martyred she suffered it all with courage. It is true that she died after the martyrdom of her grand sons but the saying that she committed suicide by jumping from a tower is a totally fallacious statement because it does not fit logically into the personality that she was. The scholars like Bhai Kahan Singh totally disagree with this kind of contention. The reality is that it was she who inspired them to attain to martyrdom. When she might have come to know of it she would have expressed her gratitude to the Almighty God.
Mai Bhago
Mai Bhago is that brave lady of Sikh history who condemned and denounced the letter of severance of relations with Guru Gobind Singh Ji which Bhai Mahan Singh and his associates had given to Guru Gobind Singh. She put them to shame by calling them cowards, as a result of which they returned to Guru Gobind Singh entering the battle and fighting fiercely, laid down their lives. Mai Bhago herself fought in the battle of Mukatsar and was injured. Guru Ji dressed her wounds and after baptising her with Amrit changed her name from Bhago to Bag Kaur. Mai Ji accompanied Guru Sahib to Nander and subsequently set up her center (Dera) at Bidar. These days Guru Granth Sahib Ji sanctifies a room in the village Janwara which is at a distance of 10 Kmts. from Bidar which is said to be the Dera of (Centre) Mai Bhago. Now, a Gurdwara is under construction there. |
| (4) Question:- |
Introduce briefly the following distinguished Sikhs of the 18th Century.
Diwan Kapur Singh, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, Baba Deep Singh & S. Gurbax Singh |
| Answer:- |
Diwan Kapur Singh
Diwan Kapur Singh was the person who was selected to accept diwani on behalf of the Sikhs. He was a true Sikh possessing the qualities of a warrior as well as a saint. He accepted Diwani with utmost humility and guided the destiny of the Sikhs in the right direction by forming Buddha Dal and Taruna Dal and assigning them different tasks for the progress of the Sikhs and Sikh religion. His bravery can be gauged from the fact that when in 1739 Naddir Shah was returning to Persia after a heavy plunder of Delhi and Punjab, he swooped upon his rear guard, near Akhnoor, on the river Chenab and rescued a number of innocent girls who were being abducted. When he became old, it was at his suggestion that Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was chosen as the supreme Commander of Dal Khalsa.
Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
Jassa Singh Ahluwalia became supreme commander of Dal Khalsa after Diwan Kapur Singh. He shot into prominence when he made a surprise attack on Ahmad Shah Durani’s force near Amritsar in March, 1761 and rescued 2200 women captives who were being carried as slaves. After that, he won many victories by commanding the combined forces of various Misls. For example Sukkarchakkias, Kanaiyyas and Bhangi Sardars were with him when Khawaja Ubaid Khan, the Afghan Governor of Lahore was defeated near Gujranwala in Sept. 1761. The victorious Sikhs entered Lahore and proclaimed Jassa Singh Ahluwalia as the King of Lahore with the title of Sultan ul-Qaum (King of the Nation). A coin was issued in the name of Guru Nanak- Guru Gobind Singh commemorating the Sikh victory with the inscription taken from the seal of Banda Singh Bahadur:
Deg o tegh o fateh o nusrat be diring Yaft az Nanak Guru Gobind Singh
(Prosperity, power and unfailing victory received from Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh).
When Ahmad Shah Abdali came to know of these developments in Lahore, he launched his 6th invasion. It was during this invasion that Wadha Ghallu Ghara took place at Kut. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was also there as the Leader of a Group. He sustained 22 wounds on his body, but survived to take revenge for this ghastly act of Ahmad Shah Abdali. Before going back, Ahmad Shah had also blown up the holy Harimandir Sahib with gun powder and got filled the holy tank. However, the Shah was still in Lahore when Jassa Singh fell upon Sirhind on 17th May, 1762 and extracted Nazrana from Zain Khan, the Faujdar. The combined forces of the Bhangies and Sukkarchakkias joined Jassa Singh in defeating commander Jahan Khan near Sialkot in Nov. 1763. The combined forces went on occupying area after area and Ropar, Kurali and Morinda all fell under their control. A significant achievement was an attack on Sirhind on 14th January 1764, wherein the Afghan Faujdar was killed and the town laid waste. The city was plundered and destroyed because it was not liked by the Sikhs as the two younger sons of the 10th Guru were sentenced to a torturous death at this place. After this victory Jassa Singh Ahluwalia became the most powerful leader of his time. He was not only a brave General but also a devout Sikh. He had got the Holy Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar rebuilt when Abdali had destroyed it.
Jassa Singh Ramgarhia
Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, the chief of the Ramgarhia Misl was another prominent Sikh General of the 18th century. He was earlier known as Ichhogallia after the name of his village, but later on when he was assigned to the task of rebuilding Ram Rauni Fort at Amritsar, and after reconstruction he named it Ramgarh, he became popular as Jassa Singh Ramgarhia. |
| (5) Question:- |
Who was Dewan Kaura Mal? How was he helpful for the Sikhs? |
| Answer:- |
Dewan Kaura Mal was a Sahajdhari Sikh. As he had shown bravery while fighting against Bhatties in 1738, Governor Zakaria Khan was pleased with him and he was made Dewan of Multan. He had a soft corner for the Sikhs. When another Hindu Dewan Lakhpat Rai took vengeance against the Sikhs and killed many of them in the encounter known as Chotta Galu Ghara, Dewan Kaura Mal spoke to the Governor in support of the Sikhs. He left Lahore in disgust and went to Multan where Shah Nawaz Khan, younger brother of Yahiya Khan, was the Governor. When Shah Nawaz Khan defeated his brother and became the Governor of Lahore as well, he appointed Kaura Mal Dewan of Lahore. Although, Dewan Kaura Mal again had to leave when Lahore as occupied by Ahmad Shah Durrani, but Meer Mannu after becoming Governor reinstated him. It was at this stage that at his instance Lakhpat Rai was arrested and entrusted to Kaura Mal for collecting fine of 30 Lakh and suitably punishing him. Dewan Kaura Mal ensured Lakhpat Rai's death by the Sikhs. He helped the Sikhs in many other ways also. Like getting the Gurdwaras Bal Lila and a sarovar and Nankana Sahib constructed. He also got cleaned the sarovar at Amritsar which had been filled in by Lakhpat Rai during the Governorship of Yahiya Khan. He also built a fortress named Garh Maharaja at his ancestoral village near shorkot. It was due to these services that the Sikhs began to call him Mittha Mal, instead of Kaura Mal (Mittha means Sweet & Kaura means bitter in Punjabi). |
| (6) Question:- |
Introduce briefly McAuliffe, Prof. Sahib Singh, Bhai Veer Singh & Prof. Puran Singh. |
| Answer:- |
MCAULIFFE
When a German Missionary Trumpp translated a part of Sikh scriptures, he not only gave inaccurate & faulty translation, but also made biased observations against the Sikh Guru. It was at that time that McAuliffe came forward in support of the Sikhs. Instead of using Trumpp's translation, McAuliffe went through writing his magnum opus “The Sikh Religion” in six volumes. McAuliffe worked hard as he had not only to understand the various dialects, Punjabi language and also the various versions of the life of Gurus as were available, with a view to create a useful work on the life of the Gurus and a translation of their compositions. Before him, a German missionary, Linguistic Trumpp had translated Sikhs’ scriptures but that translation was not only inaccurate and faulty but was also based upon his biased observations made against Sikh religion. Thus, instead of using that translation, McAuliffe went through original scriptures in Punjabi for which he took the help of many Gianis like Bhai Nihal Singh, Sant Singh, Bhai Ditt Singh, etc. but, Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha was found by him to be the most reliable for this arduous task. He even took Kahan Singh Nabha to England for the purpose of proof reading of his book published in England. Thus, it was because of Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha, that a great work was produced in English which has since been serving as a great help for researchers, scholars and non- Sikhs to know about this religion.
PROFESSOR PURAN SINGH
Professor Sahib Singh (1892-1977) was known for his erudition and assiduous pursuit of scholarship. More than 50 works of scholarship including 10 volumes commentary on Guru Granth Sahib were given by him. He gave exposition of several Sikh sacred texts and also prepared textual grammar of Guru Granth Sahib. It was such a great contribution of the great Grammarian and Theologian that he came to be recognized as one of the honoured Sikhs. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism has given him a tribute by stating that “no exegetical work since the publication of this book in 1932 has been possible without resort to the fundamental principles enunciated in it, especially those concerning the interpretation of vowel endings in inflexions of nouns and verbs” (The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, Volume IV, Page 22).
BHAI VIR SINGH
Bhai Vir Singh (1872-1957) generally known as sixth river of Punjab had not only taken active interest in the affairs of Singh Sabha Movement but, was also instrumental in making Khalsa Tract Society, starting a Punjabi Weekly, the Khalsa Samachar and also producing the various genera of immortal literary compositions. By writing some semi-historical novels like Sundari (1898), Bijay Singh (1899) and Satwant Kaur, (Published in two parts (I) in 1900 & (ii) in 1927), he recreated the heroic 18th century of Sikh history as to provide to his readers typical Sikh models of courage, fortitude and human dignity. He also produced tremendous poetry including an epic Rana Surat Singh written in blank verse of Sirkhandi variety. He also tried various other poetic forms like Kabit, Sortha, Baint, Rubai, etc. All his works are published by Bhai Veer Singh Sahitya Sadan, Amritsar (and now Delhi).
A contemporary of Bhai Vir Singh, Professor Puran Singh (1881-1931) was a great scientist and a literaturer. Although, science was his special field and in view of that he had started business of distillation of essential oils wherefrom he prepared Thymol, Fennel and Lemon oil but gradually he became inclined towards literature. He wrote both in English and Punjabi. Many of his works were aimed at promoting the knowledge of Sikh religion. These included “The Ten Masters”, “The Spirit Born People’ and collection of essays in Punjabi, namely “Khule Lekh” and “Khule Maidan”. |
| (7) Question:- |
Name the Sikhs who have been President of India, Prime Minister of India, Home Minister of India, Minister of External Affairs, Defense Minister of India, Speaker of Lok Sabha and Minister of Railways. |
| Answer:- |
President of India- Giyani Zail Singh
Prime Minister of India- Dr. Manmohan Singh
Home Minister of India- S. Buta Singh
Minister of External Affairs- S. Swaran Singh
Defense Minister of India- S. Baldev Singh (First Defense Minister of India)
Speaker of Lok Sabha- S. Hukam Singh (First Speaker of Indian Lok Sabha)
Minister of Railways- S. Swaran Singh |
| (8) Question:- |
Name the Sikhs who occupied the post of Chief Justice of India in Supreme Court, Chief Election Commissioner, Chief of Central Bureau of Investigation, Permanent Representative of India in UNO, Foreign Secretary to the Government of India, Finance Secretary to the Government of India, Chairman of Punjab National Bank & Allahabad Bank. |
| Answer:- |
Chief Justice of India in Supreme Court- S. Jagdish Singh Khehar
Chief Election Commissioner- Dr. M. S. Gill
Chief of Central Bureau of Investigation- S. Joginder Singh Bawa
Permanent Representative of India in UNO- S. Hardeep Singh Puri
Foreign Secretary to the Government of India- S. K. C. Singh
Finance Secretary to the Government of India- S. Montak Singh Ahluwalia
Chairman of Punjab National Bank- S. Surinder Singh Kohli
Chairman of Allahabad Bank- S. Harbahajan Singh |
| (9) Question:- |
Name any 5 big companies, whose CEO's are Sikhs. |
| Answer:- |
Name of the Company Name of the CEO
Master Card Ajaypal Singh Banga
Go Daddy Inc Aman Singh Bhutani
Gujrat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul) Dr. Rupinder Singh Sodhi
Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) N. P. Singh
Datawind Inc Suneet Singh Tuli
|
| (10) Question:- |
Give names of the Prominent Sikhs living outside India, who are known for the following positions or achievements. |
| Answer:- |
A) The first Sikh Turbaned Woman Pilot in USA- Arpinder Kaur
B) A Prominent Doctor known for his excellent work in the field of environment- Rajwant Singh, the founder of Eco-Sikh Organization
C) A farmer who is known as the Peach King of California- Didar Singh Bains
D) A farmer who is known as farming king of Argentina- Simarpal Singh
E) A scientist who is known as father of fibre optics- S. Narinder Singh Kapani
F) An inventor who is No. 7 in the world with the number of patents to his credit (which is more than that of Edison)- Gurtej Sandhu
G) Two sisters of UK known for their paintings- Amrit & Ravindra Singh known as Singh Twins
H) A renowned dentist of USA- Dr. Amarjeet Singh Marwaha
I) British Medical Doctor & Researcher known for the discovery of a new layer of the Cornea- Dr. Harminder Singh Dua
J) Two lady filmmakers realting to Sikhs- Harpreet Kaur, famour documentary filmmaker (eg. we are Sikhs) & Valarie Kaur living in California who had made a short film in Memorium (2012) about 2012 Mass shooting at Sikh Gurdwara in Wisconsin, USA |
