Bhai Nand Lal (; ; 1633–1720), also known by his pen name Goya (; ), was a 17th-century

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a 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 ''Si ...

poet in the

Punjab region Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

Biography

Bhai Nand Lal, a respected Persian scholar, was one of the 52 poets associated with

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the ...

. Born in

Ghazni Ghazni (, ), historically known as Ghaznayn () or Ghazna (), also transliterated as Ghuznee, and anciently known as Alexandria in Opiana (), is a city in southeastern Afghanistan with a population of around 190,000 people. The city is strategica ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

, in 1633, he was 23 years older than the Guru. His father, Diwan Chhajju Ram, held the important post of chief secretary to the governor of

. From an early age, Nand Lal showed great promise. He quickly mastered Persian and Arabic and began writing poetry in Persian at just 12 years old under the pen name "Goya." After losing his mother at 17 and his father at 19, he saw no future for his talents in Ghazni. He decided to move to India, selling his family property and, along with his two brothers and two Pathan servants, journeyed through

Kandahar Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city, after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118 in 2015. It is the capital of Kandahar Pro ...

and the Bolan Pass until he reached

Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...

. There, he purchased a house and married a local Sikh woman. Soon, he was offered a job by the Nawab, who eventually promoted him to Mir Munshi—a chief secretary role. In this capacity, he led an expedition against a notorious bandit named Sahu, resulting in the capture of the bandit and the killing of 700 of his followers. However,

, known for its harsh climate and poverty, did not suit Nand Lal compared to the beauty of Ghazni. He eventually moved to

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, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

, where his talents caught the attention of Prince Muazzam (later Emperor Bahadur Shah I). On one occasion, Nand Lal drafted a reply to a letter from the King of Iran on behalf of the prince, a draft that was highly praised. In another instance, while at Emperor Aurangzeb’s court, a debate arose over the meaning of a Quranic verse. When the Muslim scholars could not offer a satisfactory explanation, Nand Lal provided an answer that pleased the emperor. However,

Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

, upon learning that a Hindu had given the explanation, suggested that such a learned man should convert to Islam. Despite being honored with a robe and a cash prize of Rs. 500, Nand Lal soon found himself in a difficult position. In 1686, when Prince Muazzam was imprisoned, Nand Lal lost his job. Aurangzeb tried to retain him in the court by pressuring him to convert to Islam, but Nand Lal steadfastly refused, even though it put his life at risk. As a result, he left for Northern India. Before departing, he composed a couplet expressing his inner sorrow and deep faith in God, Nand Lal’s wife, coming from a Sikh family in

, regularly recited Gurbani and was familiar with the Gurmukhi script. Influenced by her devotion, Nand Lal himself began singing the hymns of the Sikh Gurus and learning Gurmukhi. With Guru Gobind Singh’s name widely respected throughout Northern India, Nand Lal decided to meet him. Leaving his family behind in Multan, he set out for Anandpur around 1689. He lived in a small house and did not visit the Guru himself, believing that if his poetry had true value, the Guru would call for him. Instead, he wrote a Persian poem expressing his deep longing to meet the Guru and sent it to him. The poem spoke of his restless heart and overflowing love. However,

remained silent, expecting Nand Lal to come on his own. After a few days, Nand Lal wrote another poem with even greater intensity, describing his pain as fire consuming wood. He lamented that not only he but the whole world seemed to be burning in this flame of love. Eventually, the Guru invited Nand Lal to meet him. At 23 years old,

had an extraordinary presence. When Nand Lal saw him for the first time, he was overwhelmed by the Guru’s radiance and grandeur. He immediately praised the Guru, calling him the prince of heaven and the king of all beauties. Deeply moved, he composed another poem on the spot, declaring that the glories of heaven and earth were nothing compared to a single strand of the Guru’s hair,Recognizing Nand Lal’s talent and devotion,

admitted him to his court as the topmost poet. One day, Nand Lal presented a collection of his poems to the Guru, calling it Bandgi Nama (The Book of Homage). The Guru renamed it Zindgi Nama (The Book of Life), stating that the poetry was so deeply spiritual that it was not just about devotion but the essence of life itself. During Guru Gobind Singh’s time, there were conflicts with the Mughals and local kings. Emperor Aurangzeb sent his son, Prince Muazzam, to suppress the rebellious kings and deal with the Guru. However, Bhai Nand Lal intervened, convincing the prince that

was not involved in any rebellion. Instead, he portrayed the Guru as a saint and suggested that the Guru could be an ally in the Mughal power struggle. In 1700, during the Holi festival,

held grand celebrations. Nand Lal composed a Persian poem describing the beauty of the festival, where the Guru sprinkled colors and the air was filled with fragrances of rose water, amber, musk, and saffron. Nand Lal remained with the Guru until December 1704. When the Guru’s family was separated after the Battle of Sarsa, Nand Lal helped ensure the safety of Mata Sundari and Mata Sahib Kaur, guiding them to Delhi. He used his connections with influential nobles to protect them from Wazir Khan, the Mughal governor of

Sirhind Sirhind is a Twin cities, twin city of Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab, India, Punjab, India. It is hosts the municipal council of Fatehgarh Sahib district. Demographics In the 2011 census of India, 2011 census Sirhind-Fatehgarh had a population of ...

, who was hostile to Sikhs. After Aurangzeb’s death in 1707, Nand Lal played an important role in connecting Guru Gobind Singh with the new Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah I. He served as a secretary in Bahadur Shah’s court and was present in his military campaigns. Even after Guru Gobind Singh’s passing, Nand Lal witnessed the power struggles among Aurangzeb’s successors. He was with Bahadur Shah when the emperor launched a campaign against

Banda Singh Bahadur Banda Singh Bahadur, born Lachman Dev (27 October 1670 – 9 June 1716), was a Sikh warrior and a Jathedar, general of the Khalsa Fauj, Khalsa Army. At age 15, he left home to become an Sannyasa, ascetic, and was given the name Madho Das Baira ...

. Later, he accompanied Bahadur Shah to Lahore. When the emperor died in 1712, Nand Lal joined his son, Jahandar Shah. However, after Jahandar Shah’s defeat in 1713 by

Farrukhsiyar Farrukhsiyar (; 20 August 16839 April 1719), also spelled as Farrukh Siyar, was the tenth Mughal emperors, Mughal Emperor from 1713 to 1719. He rose to the throne after deposing his uncle Jahandar Shah. He was an emperor only in name, with all ...

, whose brutal execution of the former emperor shocked the city, Nand Lal escaped Delhi and returned to

Death

Bhai Nand Lal came to

once again in 1712 after the death of Muazzam and started a school of

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

and Persian. This school was still functioning in 1849 when the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

annexed

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. Lal died in 1713 in

Works

Some of his major works include: * ''Diwan-i-Goya'' () – contains 63 ''

Ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

s'' and 12 ''Rubaiyāt'' (quatrains) and some verses. * ''Zindaginamah'' () – It is a Masnawi of 510 verses which discusses the spirituality and high-spirit in one's life. * ''Ganjnamah'' () – Ganjnamah contains short poems eulogizing the Ten Sikh Gurus. * ''Tankhanama'' – It contains the code of conducts for Sikhs and Khalsa. * ''Jot Bigās'' * ''Arz-ul-Alfaz'' () * ''Tausif-o-Sana'' () * ''Khatimat'' (also spelt as ''Khatimah'') * ''Dastoor-ul-Insha'' () * ''Faiz-i-Noor'' ()

Translations

His works, originally in Persian, were translated into Punjabi and English. The translation of ''Diwan-e-Goya'', titled ''The Pilgrim’s Way'' by B.P.L Bedi into English has a foreword from Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and was published by Punjabi University Patiala.

References

External links

Bhai Nand Lal WebsiteGhazals of Bhai Nand Lal with ExplanationBhai Nand Lal's Ghazals - Giani Sant Singh Maskeen (live)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lal, Bhai Nand Punjabi Sikhs Persian-language poets People from Ghazni Province 1633 births 1713 deaths