Hukamnama's of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.  

 

 

The Hukamnama was an order or request written by the Gurus. Hundreds may have been written and sent out by the Gurus and their families, but due to religious persecution, feuds and the troubled times they lived in only about a hundred now exist. These Hukamnamas are orders or requests by the Gurus to the Sangat (congregation) or to individuals for financial or material support or invitations to meet the Guru, or to come armed with horse to meet some emergency or warnings to such dissenters like the masands.

There only but a few hukamnamas from Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji and Guru Har Rai Ji, but most of them are from Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji and Guru Gobind Singh Ji. These short notes written by the Gurus themselves bear their ‘signs’ and show something of the internal workings of the Sikh sangat. In Guru Sahib Ji’s times documents were not normally signed by name, but rather a formula or ‘sign’ was written at the heading. For example, saroops of Guru Granth Sahib Ji were often brought to the guru who ‘signed’ them by writing the opening verse across the top at the beginning. The original Aadh Granth of Kartarpur is thus signed by Guru Arjun Dev Ji.

Many Hukamnamas of Guru Gobind Singh Ji bear a special formula. The letter S was used with one or two straight lines or daggers with dots on either side. The hukamnamas were normally dated and sometimes numbered and the lines of each page noted to prevent tampering.

 
The topics included instructions about preaching, the needs of the langars, reconciliation between factions, calls to arms, communication between the Guru and his sangat, or in happier times, invitations to come meet the Guru, and warnings to the masands.
   
 

One hukamnama dated Oct 21st 1706 asks for two teams of good oxen as the Guru is going south, where the new emperor Bhadur Shah was, and invites Sikhs to accompany him. A year later the Hukamnama dated Oct 2nd 1707 tells of the satisfactory talks Guru Ji had with the emperor and the rode of honour and jewelled necklace worth 60,000 Rs. he received from the emperor. It seems evident that Guru Sahib Ji was on friendly terms with the emperor shortly after Bhadur Shahs ascension and that the emperor had honoured Guru Sahib Ji.

Sometimes even Guru Sahib Ji got impatient with delays from his messengers. For one Hukamnama asking for assistance directs that if the messenger dallies, then throw him out of the congregation and send another (From Hukamnamas by Dr Ganda Singh).

Economic conditions of different parts of the region come to light in the material asked for in the Hukamnamas. For instance Dacca – weapons, swords, shields and war elephants; Banares – cloth; South Punjab – oxen; Patna – spices, strong cloth, cups, special pigeons; Lucknow – cannon and other equipment.

 
 

 
 

The close relationship between the guru and his Sikhs is shown by the way the guru calls on them by name. It is said that messengers and messeges were received with great honour by the congregations. Guru Ji calls them “His Khalsa, His very own, His Joy” and sends them his blessings. Their devotion to their guru is shown in their response. Often a Hukamnama will end with the instruction to give the messenger Rs.5 or more.

The forthrightness with which Guru Ji attacks the masands is a tribute to his integrity and courage. Once he was convinced of their corruption he called upon the Khalsa to avoid their friendship and especially to refuse to give them money or offerings of any kind. These masands had first been apponted by Guru Arjun Dev Ji as missionaries and stewards but became corrupted by the wealth and greed as offerings poured in. Many were supporters of Dhir Mal, the elder brother of Guru Tegh Bahadure Ji and harassed him so.

It is possible that they wished to take over the guardianship of the youthful Gobind Rai but Guru Sahib Ji’s uncle, Kirpal Chand eventually won through and commenced a careful course of training for the future Guru, the corruption of the masands must have been part of that training.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji decided to abolish the institution of the masands and develop direct communications with the sangat. Hukamnama after Hukamnama sternly warns the Sikhs to have nothing to do with the masands, men or women, and especially not to give them offerings. Saina Pat and Jaya Thadani two of the Guru’s 52 poets saw nothing but evil in the once honourable order. Jaya says “ The masands or ‘parish priests’ established by the early Gurus to preach the Sikh faith had become corrupt and power loving, each striving to be a little guru of his own.”

After the masands had been thoroughly discredited and dealt with severely, Guru Sahib Ji’s characteristic desire for reconciliation again comes to the fore. In no less then six Hukamnamas written in 1702 the sangat is instructed to receive back into the fold any Sikhs who wished to be reconciled and not to trouble them any further. Dr Ganda Singh believes these included repentant masands and those who might have opposed the demise of the caste system in the Khalsa.
   
 
     
 
  Home Page 1 Page 2