Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji upheld the highest ideals of human dignity, sacrificing his life to protect the religious freedom of Kashmiri Pandits during a time of severe oppression.
His martyrdom stands as a timeless message for the world, teaching that true courage means defending the vulnerable and standing for conscience even when the cost is immense.
350 years later, his legacy continues to guide humanity, reminding us that justice, compassion, and freedom of faith are the foundations of any civilised society.
In every civilisation, a Chadar (Blanket) carries a symbolism far deeper than fabric. It represents shield, protection and compassion - a quiet assurance that someone’s dignity and honour has been preserved and someone has received comfort in a moment of vulnerability. And whenever the phrase “Hind Di Chadar”, Dharam Di Chadar or Shrist Di Chadar (Shield of Universe) is invoked, history instinctively turns to Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji, whose unparalleled courage and the timeless stand for freedom of faith enshrined the highest values of human dignity.
A Message for the world
As Sikhs across the world commemorate Guru Tegh Bahadur's 350th Martyrdom Anniversary on 25th November, we remember the following verse by him in Guru Granth Sahib.
“Bhai Kahoo Ko Dhaeth Nahi, Nehi bhai Maanath Aan
One who does not frighten anyone, and who is not afraid of anyone else
Kahu Naanak Sun Rae Manaa Gianne Thaahi Bakhaan
- says Nanak, listen, mind: call him spiritually wise, Guru Tegh Bahadhur, Ang 1427, Sri Guru Granth Sahib
This verse reminds us that as shrinking spaces of conscience strain the foundations of our shared humanity, we must remember that Guru Sahib’s sacrifice was not for His own community it was for the whole world.
He rose to protect those of another faith — the Kashmiri Pandits, who were facing brutal oppression and forced conversions During the reign of Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb. To speak for the rights of others, especially to defend the freedom of another religion, is more than an act of courage; it is a profound commitment to the universal moral conscience. His sacrifice reminds us that the struggle for justice transcends identity. It is an act rooted in humanity itself.
Across eras and empires, one truth remained invincible: no religion, no power structure and no ideology can rise above humanity. It is the supreme dharma, the highest moral compass, and the only force capable of binding the world without discrimination. Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib embodied this eternal truth through the ultimate sacrifice.
On a cold November day in 1675, in the bustling heart of Chandni Chowk, the world witnessed a moment that forever altered the moral imagination of humanity. Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji—the ninth Sikh Guru, a mystic of quiet depth and a warrior of unshakeable courage offered his head so that world could live with dignity and keep its freedom of faith. His disciples Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dayala were also tortured to Death.
The site now is commemorated as Gurdwara Sri Sis Ganj Sahib. Even in that moment of tyranny, humanity prevailed through the courage of His devotees.
Bhai Jaita Ji, later known as Bhai Jiwan Singh Ji, lifted Guru Sahib’s severed head and carried it across perilous terrain to Anandpur Sahib. There, Guru Gobind Singh Ji performed the cremation, honouring the sanctity of His father’s sacrifice.
On the other side of Delhi, Bhai Lakhi Shah Vanjara Ji rescued Guru Sahib’s body under the cover of night. To protect it from Mughal desecration, he set his own home ablaze and performed the cremation within the flames. That sacred ground today stands as Gurdwara Sri Rakab Ganj Sahib.
Today, his sacrifice is not only a moving chapter in history, but a living moral compass for a world grappling with intolerance, identity conflicts, and the shrinking space for conscience. It is a testament to an unwavering civilisational ethos - we did not bow before injustice then, and we refuse to bow now. His sacrifice predates modern human rights charters by centuries yet embodies their highest ideals.
He showed that true courage is not aggression, but the strength to uphold principles even when the cost is immense. In an era where moral positions often bend under pressure, his steadfastness reminds us that conscience must not be compromised for comfort, politics, or fear.
Guru Sahib stood with those who had no political or military power. Today, when communities across the world face persecution, discrimination, or silencing, his example teaches that siding with the vulnerable is not just an act of compassion—it is an act of justice.
Guru Tegh Bahadhur Through the Eyes of Contemporary Court Poet of Anandpur
As Chandra Sen Sainapati, one of the fifty-two court poets of Guru Gobind Singh, writes in Sri Gur Sobha, Guru Tegh Bahadur was “Sagal Srisht Pe Tapi Chadar”—a protective canopy stretched over the entire creation. His sacrifice, then, cannot be just confined to the “Hind,” a term once used for those living south of the Indus; it was a stand taken for the whole of humanity. Bhai Nand Lal Goya, another eminent court poet, calls him “Sultan-ul-Duniya wal-Akhirat” in one of his 20 compositions titled Ganjnama—the sovereign of both this world and the hereafter. This makes clear that the domain of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s concern transcends the physical and spiritual—it encompasses every being, every conscience.
If Guru Tegh Bahadur lived today, he would defend anyone whose rights were violated; he would shield the vulnerable regardless of religion, caste, sect, or gender; he would oppose hatred and refuse silence in the face of injustice. This is exactly what he embodied in his own time. And it is precisely why, to understand him and the magnitude of this historical moment we must return to the original texts that captured his spirit, his message, and his universal vision.
How Kashmiri Pandits Remember Him Today;
In every society, thinkers and intellectuals form the last line of defence. Three hundred and fifty years ago, that line was breached. According to the Bhat Vahis (1732), a delegation of sixteen representatives (Pratanadhi Mandal-Wafal), nearly five hundred Pandits (Scholars) from four distinct regions of India came to seek refuge at Anandpur Sahib. They had travelled from Kashi, Mathura, Kurukshetra, and Kashmir. The greatest suffering was in Kashmir, where the Mughal governor Iftikhar Khan’s brutal persecution and oppressive measures had pushed the Kashmiri Pandit community to the edge. The delegation was led by Bhai Kirpa Ram Dutt, from Mattan, Anantnag, himself a scholar and spiritual teacher.
When they arrived at Anandpur Sahib, they believed they were approaching the last sanctuary left to them. And indeed, no one rose to defend them no monarch, no military leader, no court except Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib.
After listening to their suffering, the Guru consulted his young son, the nine-year-old Gobind Rai. He spoke words that shook the world:
“No one could be greater than the one who offers his life for the protection of another”
Today, when we visited Kashmiri Pandit Families in Jammu; refugees in their own homeland after the exodus of the 1990s, We tried to understand how, far from the valley, their homeland, they remember the Guru who gave his life for their ancestors.
What we realised was profound: even if not always practiced in ritual form, the memory of Guru Tegh Bahadur remains alive in spirit. It survives as a a flame of gratitude, and a moral compass guiding a wounded community that was uprooted twice in history.
Among the many voices we heard in Jammu was that of Ravinder Koul Ji, a respected Kashmiri Pandit who keeps a portrait of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji in his home temple, alongside other deities. He shared with us:
“Instead of sharing my thoughts, I attach a picture of my home temple which has Guru Tegh Bahadur ji along with other deities from day one and where I reverentially pray every morning, for I believe that if I continue to practice my faith, it is only because of the sacrifices of Sikh Gurus, particularly Guru Tegh Bahadur ji. He sacrificed his life so that I could retain my faith. No Kashmiri Pandit, can ever forget this fact.”
Krishna Saproo, a young scholar from the community, offered a voice of a new generation—one that sees the Guru not only through inherited reverence but intellectual clarity:
“As a young Kashmiri Pandit, my remembrance of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji grows from something much deeper than inherited reverence. His portrait in our home temple has always stood as a calm reminder that the survival of a community is ultimately safeguarded by moral courage and clarity of purpose. From childhood I was told that when our ancestors faced a moment of near-erasure in the 17th century, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji chose to stand with us. As the time went on, I came to understand that his sacrifice was not only an act of protection but a profound articulation of the right of a people to exist with dignity and freedom.
Sarbat da bhala, and nirbhau are two Sikhi tenets that I learnt from his legacy. Many young Kashmiri Pandits still base their moral and intellectual compass on these ideas”.
This was not merely an act of martyrdom. It was a message carved into time; a lesson for modern-day leaders and politicians that freedom of conscience is sacred, and that identities cannot be erased simply because they refuse to assimilate into someone else’s idea of the world.
Kanwal Singh is a Columnist and writer from J&K and Damanjeet Kaur is a writer from Punjab.
