Sakhi Series :- 263 ( Baba Agarh Singh ji )

Baba Agar Singh ji

(Source : www.jathashaheedan.com ) 

Baba Agarh Singh ji was nephew of Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh ji and son of Bhai Nigahiys Singh ji, who presented a horse to Guru Gobind Singh ji Maharaj when he came to Alamgir.

Baba Agarh Singh ji took his vidya from Baba Mani Singh and stayed with him at Sri Amritsar Sahib. After Shaheedi of Bhai Mani Singh ji, Darbar Sahib was overtaken by Lahore Government who imposed restrictions on Sikhs visiting there.

Baba Agarh Singh ji along with handful of Singhs from Bhai Mani Singh ji's family moved to Damdama Sahib. It was here when both Jathas of Damdami Taksal merged. While Singhs started their routine sewa of Vidya and Santhya at Damdama Sahib, Baba Agarh Singh ji started going out on campaigns with Baba Deep Singh ji. He always had one wish, to somehow take revenge of Shaheedi of Bhai Mani Singh ji.

In August 1745, after Zakriya Khan, Governor of Lahore died, his son Yahya Khan took on administration of Punjab. He sent out Mughal army to capture and kill Sikhs from villages, cities, hills and forests. This campaign was led by notorious General Moman Khan, responsible for Shaheedi of Gusikhs like Baba Taara Singh, Bhai Mani Singh, Bhai Taru Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh ji.

During one of the raids near Kahnuwaan in Gurdaspur, on banks of River Ravi, a small group of Singhs of Misal Shaheedan led by Baba Agarh Singh ji were surrounded by Moman Khan. Baba Agarh Singh saw it as a golden chance to finish Dusht Moman Khan. Singhs worked on strategy and lured Mughal forces deep in Jungle. As the Mughal Army entered the dense forest, Singhs, who were known as Kings of Forest pounced upon Mughal army and started Chatka of mughal army. Here Baba Agarh Singh ji, in a hand to hand fight, chopped off head of Dusht Moman Khan, thus avenging the death of thousands of innocent Sikhs and presented his head before Khalsa Panth at Damdama Sahib, where he was given a Siropa, Siri Sahib and a Horse by Panth's Jathedar Baba Kapoor Singh ji.

Babaji took part in Battle of Sirhind in May 1763, when eight Misals of Khalsa Panth united and destroyed city of Sirhind. Governor of Sirhind Jain Khan and his nephew Said Khan led Mughal Army, and in the ensuing battle, Baba Agarh Singh ji and Said Khan shared a 'Saanjha Vaar'(simultaneous stroke) due to which heads of both warriors were cut at same time. Babaji attained Shaheedi in Sirhind in 1763.

( On Chandigarh- Hoshiarpur road is village Tutomajra, where Babaji stayed for many years and did intense Bhagti and Jap-Tap. At Babaji's Tap-Asthaan , a Gurudwara sahib has been built by Jathedar Baba Nihal Singh ji, Misal Shaheedan Harianbela Dal, and Misal looks after sewa of this holy Asthaan)