Guru Tegh Bahadur Jiਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ਼ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਜੀ

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (1621–1675) was the ninth Sikh Guru, remembered as Hind di Chadar — the Shield of India. In 1675 he gave his life in Delhi defending the right of others to practise their own faith, a sacrifice that made the protection of human rights central to Sikh identity and led directly to the founding of the Khalsa.

Early life

He was born Tyag Mal on 1 April 1621 in Amritsar, the youngest son of Guru Hargobind Ji and Mata Nanaki. Raised in Sikh culture, he studied the old classics under Bhai Gurdas and learned horsemanship, archery and swordsmanship. As a young man he fought beside his father in the Battle of Kartarpur (1635), where his valour earned him the name Tegh Bahadur — “brave bearer of the sword.” He married Mata Gujri in 1632, and after Guru Hargobind Ji’s death the couple settled in Bakala, where Tegh Bahadur Ji lived a life of quiet meditation.

Becoming the Ninth Guru

When Guru Har Krishan Ji died of smallpox in 1664, his last words — “Baba Bakala” — sent seekers to the village of Bakala, where many men set themselves up as the next Guru. Sikh tradition tells how the merchant Makhan Shah Lubana, who had vowed 500 gold coins to the true Guru, tested each claimant with an offering of two coins; only Tegh Bahadur Ji knew of the full vow. Makhan Shah climbed to a rooftop shouting “Guru ladho re” — “I have found the Guru.” In August 1664 a Sikh congregation formally installed him as the ninth Guru.

Journeys and Anandpur Sahib

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji travelled widely across the subcontinent — Mathura, Agra, Allahabad, Varanasi, Dhaka and Assam — preaching the teachings of Guru Nanak and digging wells and founding langars for the poor. In Assam he is remembered for brokering peace between Raja Ram Singh and the Ahom king. Rani Champa of Bilaspur offered him land, which he bought for 500 rupees, and there he founded the city of Anandpur Sahib. His son Gobind Rai — the future Guru Gobind Singh Ji — was born in Patna in 1666 while the Guru was away in the east.

The hymns

A poet and scholar, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji composed 116 hymns in 15 ragas, included by his son Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the Guru Granth Sahib (pages 219–1427). They dwell on detachment from worldly attachments, the nature of the mind and body, sorrow and dignity, death and deliverance — and they remain part of the daily Nitnem of devout Sikhs.

Martyrdom

In 1675 a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits, led by Pandit Kirpa Ram, came to Anandpur Sahib pleading for help against religious persecution under Aurangzeb’s officials. The Guru resolved to confront the emperor, but was arrested at Ropar and imprisoned in Sirhind. In Delhi that November he was ordered to perform a miracle or convert to Islam; he refused. Three of his companions were tortured to death before his eyes — Bhai Mati Das was sawn in two, Bhai Dayal Das was cast into a cauldron of boiling liquid, and Bhai Sati Das was cut into pieces. On 11 November 1675 Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was publicly beheaded in Chandni Chowk, Delhi, on Aurangzeb’s orders.

Legacy and memorials

Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk marks the spot of the beheading; Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib marks where a disciple cremated the Guru’s body. Bhai Jaita carried the Guru’s head to Anandpur Sahib in defiance of the Mughals. His son recalled the sacrifice in the Bachittar Natak: he “gave up his head, but did not utter a sigh.” The martyrdom hardened Sikh resolve against persecution and set the course for the Khalsa, founded by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1699. The classical poet Bulleh Shah honoured him as “Ghazi,” a warrior, and India observes his Shaheedi Divas every 24 November.

Why is Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji called Hind di Chadar?

Hind di Chadar means “Shield of India.” The title honours his martyrdom in defence of the Kashmiri Pandits’ right to practise their own religion — he died protecting a community not his own, making him a shield for all of India’s oppressed.

When is Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s martyrdom day observed?

Shaheedi Divas is observed every year on 24 November in India, where it is a public holiday in several states. The Guru was beheaded on 11 November 1675 (Julian calendar), which corresponds to 24 November in the Gregorian calendar.