Bhai Sati Das (
Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਸਤੀ ਦਾਸ; died 1675) along with his elder brother
Bhai Mati Das were
martyrs
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external ...
of early
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
history. Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and
Bhai Dyal Das were all executed at ''kotwali'' (police-station) in the
Chandni Chowk
The Chandni Chowk, also known as Moonlight Square is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India. It is located close to the Old Delhi Railway Station. The Red Fort monument is located at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk. It was b ...
area of
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
, under the express orders of emperor
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
just prior to the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur. Bhai Sati Das was executed by the means of being wrapped in cotton wool soaked in oil and set on fire.
Biography
Birth
Bhai Sati Das born to family of
Saraswat Mohyal Brahmin
Mohyal Brahmins (or Potohari Brahmins) are an Indian sub-caste of Saraswat Brahmins from the Punjab region, who are sometimes referred to as 'Warrior Brahmins'.
Mohyal Brahmins were the ancient and one of the first Hindu rulers of Punjab and Afg ...
Of
Chhibber Clan. He belonged to the ancient village of
Karyala, about ten kilometres from
Chakwal
Chakwal ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city in Rawalpindi Division, Punjab province, Pakistan.
It is the 66th largest city of Pakistan by population. Chakwal is located 90 kilometres south-west of the federal capital, Islamabad and 270 kilometr ...
on the road to the ''Katas Raj'' Temple Complex, in the
Jhelum District
Jhelum District (Urdu and pnb, ), is partially in Pothohar Plateau, and partially in Punjab Plain of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Jhelum is one of the oldest districts of Punjab. It was established on 23 March 1849. According to the 1998 ...
in
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab (; , ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in central-eastern region of the country, Punjab is the second-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the largest province by population. It shares land borders with the ...
.
Bhai Mati Das was his older brother and Bhai Sati Das was the son of Hira Nand, a disciple of
Guru Har Gobind
Gurū Hargobind ( Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿਗੋਬਿੰਦ, pronunciation: l 19 June 1595 – 28 February 1644), revered as the ''sixth Nānak'', was the sixth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He had become Guru at the young age of ...
, under whom he had fought in many battles. Hira Nand was the grandson of Lakhi Das, the son of the Bhai Pairagh.
Service of Guru Tegh Bahadur
During the time after
Guru Har Krishan
Guru Har Krishan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ, pronunciation: ; 7 July 1656 – 30 March 1664) was the eighth of the ten Sikh Gurus. At the age of five, he became the youngest Guru in Sikhism on 7 October 1661, ...
's death at Delhi and the uncertainty of the next Guru, the Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das sometimes find mention in being present looking for the Guru or directly after when
Baba Makhan Shah Labana found Guru Tegh Bahadur at the village of ''Bakala'' where the new Guru was then residing.
The Guru entrusted financial activity to Bhai Mati Das thus he is sometimes given the name Diwan Mati Das whereas, according to Bhatt Vahi Talauda, Bhai Sati Das served Guru Tegh Bahadur as a cook for the Guru. The two brothers accompanied Guru Teg Bahadur during his 2-year stay at
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur t ...
. Guru Tegh Bahadur bought a hillock near the village of ''Makhowal'' five miles north of Kiratpur and established a new town, Chakk Nanaki now named as
Anandpur Sahib
Anandpur Sahib, sometimes referred to simply as Anandpur (lit. "city of bliss"), is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, in the Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most sa ...
(the abode of bliss) where Mati Das and Sati Das were also present. Bhai Sati Das was known to have a great understanding of the
Persian language
Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken and ...
and according to some sources taught the language to the young
Gobind Rai (Guru Gobind Singh).
The Guru's eastern tours
Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Mati Das were present in the Guru's eastern tours starting in August 1665 including the tours of
Saifabad and Dhamtan (Bangar) where they were arrested perhaps because of the influence of Dhir Mal, or the
Ulemas and orthodox
Brahmins
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
. The Guru was sent to Delhi and detained for 1 month. After being freed December 1665 he continued his tour and Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das were again in his company particularly at
Dacca
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
, and
Malda.
Guru's Arrest
In 1675 the Guru was summoned by Emperor
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
to Delhi to convert to Islam. Aurangzeb was very happy that all he had to do was covert one man and the rest of the Brahmins from
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompass ...
,
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra (, ) is a city and administrative headquarter of Kurukshetra district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is also known as Dharmakshetra ("Realm of duty ") and as the "Land of the Bhagavad Gita".
Legends
According to the Pura ...
,
Hardwar, and
Beneras would follow suit. The Guru left for Delhi on his own accord but was arrested at Malikpur Rangharan near
Ropar
Rupnagar (; formerly known as Ropar is a city and a municipal council in Rupnagar district in the Indian state of Punjab. Rupnagar is a newly created fifth Divisional Headquarters of Punjab comprising Rupnagar, Mohali, and its adjoining dist ...
.
While the Guru was traveling towards Delhi his company at this time consisted of his most devoted Sikhs and comprised Bhai Dayala, Bhai Udai, and Bhai Jaita (Rangretta) as well as Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das. After visiting a few places where large crowds of devotees visited the Guru sent Bhai Jaita and Bhai Udai to go to Delhi so they can access the information and report it back to him and report it to Anandpur as well.
After being arrested Guru Tegh Bahadur was taken to
Sirhind
Sirhind-Fategarh is a town and a municipal council in the Fatehgarh Sahib district in the Indian state of Punjab.
Demographics
In the 2011 census Sirhind-Fatehgarh had a population of 60852. Males constituted 54% of the population and female ...
from which he was sent to Delhi in an iron cage.
At Delhi, the Guru and his five companions were taken into the council chamber of the
Red Fort
The Red Fort or Lal Qila () is a historic fort in Old Delhi, Delhi in India that served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift hi ...
. The Guru was asked numerous questions on religion,
Hinduism,
Sikhism
Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
and
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
, such as why he was sacrificing his life for people that wear
Janeu
''Upanayana'' ( sa, उपनयनम्, lit=initiation, translit=Upanāyanam) is a Hindu educational sacrament, one of the traditional saṃskāras or rites of passage that marked the acceptance of a student by a preceptor, such as a '' guru ...
and
Tilak
In Dharmic culture, the ''tilaka'' ( sa, तिलक) () is a mark worn usually on the forehead, at the point of the Ajna chakra, or sometimes another part of the body such as the neck, hand, chest or arm. ''Tilaka'' may be worn daily or for ...
when he himself was a Sikh upon which the Guru answered that the Hindus were powerless and weak against tyranny, they had come to the abode of Guru Nanak as refuge, and that with the same logic he would have sacrificed his life for Muslims as well. On the Guru's emphatic refusal to abjure his faith, he was asked why he was called ''Teg Bahadur'' (gladiator or Knight of the Sword; before this, his name had been ''Tyag Mal''). Bhai Mati Das immediately replied that the Guru had won the title by inflicting a heavy blow on the imperial forces at the young age of fourteen. Guru Tegh Bahadur was reprimanded for his breach of etiquette and outspokenness and the Guru and his companions were ordered to be imprisoned and tortured until they agreed to embrace Islam.
Guru's Martyrdom
On November 11, 1675 large crowds gathered to see the Guru and the executioners were called to the ''kotwali'' (police-station) near the Sunehri Masjid in the
Chandni Chowk
The Chandni Chowk, also known as Moonlight Square is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India. It is located close to the Old Delhi Railway Station. The Red Fort monument is located at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk. It was b ...
and the Guru who was kept in an iron cage and all the three of his companions were moved to the place of the execution. Mati Das, Dyal Das and Sati Das were then tortured and executed.
Martyrdom of Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dyal Das
Bhai Mati Das who was the first to be martyred was made to stand erect between two posts and double headed saw was placed on his head and moved across from head to the loins. Seeing this Dyal Das abused the Emperor and his courtiers for this infernal act. He was tied up like a round bundle and thrown into a huge cauldron of boiling oil. He was roasted alive into a block of charcoal. No sign of grief was shown by the disciple of the Guru and the Guru also witnessed all this savagery with divine calm.
Martyrdom of Bhai Sati Das
After the martyrdom of Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dyal Das, Bhai Sati Das moved towards the Guru with folded hands and asked for his blessings, saying that he was happy to achieve martyrdom.
The Guru blessed him telling that they must resign themselves cheerfully to the will of the Lord. He praised him for his lifelong single-minded devotion to him and his cause. With tears in his eyes, he bade him farewell saying his sacrifice would occupy an abiding place in history. Sati Das touched the Guru's feet, and came to his place.
Bhai Sati Das was tied to a pole and wrapped in cotton fibre. He was then set on fire by the executioner. He remained calm and peaceful and kept uttering ''
Waheguru Gurmantar'', while fire consumed his body.
Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur
Early next morning Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded by an executioner called Jalal-ud-din Jallad, who belonged to the town of
Samana in present-day
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprisin ...
. The spot of the execution was under a banyan tree (the trunk of the tree and well near-by where he took a bath are still preserved), opposite the Sunheri Masjid near the Kotwali in Chandni Chowk, where he was lodged as a prisoner, on November 11, 1675.
His head was carried by Bhai Jaita, a disciple of the Guru, to Anandpur, where the nine-year-old
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sin ...
cremated it(The
gurdwara
A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...
at this spot is also called Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib). The body, before it could be quartered, was stolen under the cover of darkness by Lakhi Shah Vanjara, another disciple who carried it in a cart of hay and cremated it by burning his hut, at this spot, the
Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib
The Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib is a historic gurdwara near Parliament House in New Delhi. It was built in 1783, after Sikh military leader Baghel Singh (1730–1802) captured Delhi, on 11 March 1783, and his brief stay in Delhi, led to the cons ...
stands today. Later on, the
Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, was built at Chandni Chowk at the site of Guru's martyrdom.
Legacy
The Bhai Mati Das Sati Das Museum was built in honor of Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das in Delhi opposite of
Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib
Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib is one of the nine historical Gurdwaras in Delhi. It was first constructed in 1783 as a small shrine by Baghel Singh to commemorate the martyrdom site of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur and was probably expanded ...
, Chandni Chowk the spot where they were martyred.
See also
*
Guru Tegh Bahadur
Guru Tegh Bahadur ( Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ਼ ਬਹਾਦਰ (Gurmukhi); ; 1 April 1621 – 11 November 1675) was the ninth of ten Gurus who founded the Sikh religion and the leader of Sikhs from 1665 until his beheading in 16 ...
*
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sin ...
*
Bhai Mati Das
*
Bhai Dayala
References
*http://www.searchsikhism.com/mati.html
*''Sikh History Book 5'' by Kartar Singh, Hemkunt Press, New Delhi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Das, Bhai Mati
Sikh martyrs
Punjabi people
History of Punjab
People executed for refusing to convert to Islam
Executed Indian people
People executed by the Mughal Empire
People from Jhelum District
17th-century executions in India
1621 births
1675 deaths
Victims of human rights abuses
People executed by India by decapitation
Converts to Sikhism from Hinduism
hi:भाई मतिदास