Chhote Sahibzade: Lesser-Known Facts about their Martyrdom

We know the chronology of the martyrdom of the young princes (Chhote Sahibzade) (seven and nine years) they were laid to rest. Does anyone know what happened to them before that to intimidate them and convert them to Islam? How much torture was inflicted on them? What happened to them before their martyrdom?

Lesser-known Facts

1) According to the book “Katha Guru Sutan Ji Ki” written in Brij Bhasha by Bhai Dona Singh Handuria, a Sikh who was separated from Mata Gujri Ji, the younger princes were brought to Morinda by handcuffing them.
2) On the night of 9 Poh, the grandmother, and younger princes were kept hungry in the morgue at Morinda and no clothes were given to them. They were forced to sleep on the floor without any warm cloth.
3) 10 Poh was brought to Sirhind where Wazir Khan returned disappointed as he could not capture Guru Ji even after such a long siege. When he found out about the arrest of his mother and younger sisters, he thought that the love of mother and son would draw him towards me and force him to bow down before me.
4) Mother Gujri Ji and the younger princes ‘Chhote Sahibzade’ were imprisoned in the cold tower. What will happen now is unpredictable (the historical tower has now been demolished and rebuilt by Panth Dokhis).
5) Mother and grand-children sat on the cold floor and mother had only a few baby clothes. Even that night they were not given anything to eat.
6) Two days later they were produced in court. According to Dr. Ganda Singh, the nostrils of the Sahibzada were red, lips were blue and hands were cold.

Tortures on Sahibzadas

Before the martyrdom of Sahibzadas, they were tortured extremely. How?

• The Sahibzadas were beaten with a Khamchi (thin tut) so that they would accept Islam out of fear of getting injured. With this, their flesh emerged and scars appeared on the soft body. After this, they were sent back to their grandmother.
• The next day both the Sahibjadas were tied with peepal tree and shot with Gulel (from Katha Guru Sutan Ji Ki).
• The fire was started by placing pulp in the fingers of the Sahibzadas to shake their faith by the burning of the skin (according to Dr. Ganda Singh Ji).
• On 12th Poh, in the last court hearing, when Qazi was asked to give fatwa, no fault of Sahibzada was found. At this point once again Sucha Nand played the role and asked the Sahibzada what would you do if you were released. Sahibzadas replied that we will go to father Guru Gobind Singh and collect Singhs and behead the Suba Sirhind.

Sucha Nand Vs Chhote Sahibzade

Sucha Nand has said that if they are caught again then what will they do? They said again, we’ll take the head of this Suba? Sucha Nand said if caught again then??

Sahibzada Zorawar Singh said, “O Sucha Nand, as long as this state is not rooted out and we are not martyred, we will continue to fight,” Qazi said that these government rebels should be bricked alive in the wall.

Sucha Nand has said that if they are caught again then what will they do? They said again, will we take the head of this Suba? Sucha Nand said if caught again then??

Then finally Sahibzada Zorawar Singh said, “O Sucha Nand, as long as this state is not rooted out and we are not martyred, we will continue to fight,” Qazi said that these rebels should be bricked alive in the wall.

The decision was announced and after listening to the entire tale, The mother spent all her service spirit and divine earnings on her grandchildren that night.

History tells us, before going to the martyrdom, Mata Ji adorned the blue robes of the little princes she had in her bundle and kissed their foreheads and bade them farewell.

According to Sohan Singh Seetal, Baba Fateh Singh, the youngest son, goes a little further and looks back at Mata Ji and says, “Grandma, after the death of our mother, you were the one who never left us alone, we’ll be waiting for you in the next world.”

Last Moments and Martyrdom of Chhote Sahibzade

The wall which had been built to brick the princes alive, fell down. The executioners Shashan Begh and Washan Begh who were sharpening the daggers asked the half-killed Sahibzadas when they regained consciousness to accept Islam again. Young princes replied;

“ਸੱਚ ਕੋ ਮਿਟਾਓਗੇ ਤੋ ਮਿਟੋਗੇ ਜਹਾਨ ਸੇ
ਡਰਤਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ ਅਕਾਲ ਕਿਸੀ ਸਹਿਨਸ਼ਾਹ ਕੀ ਸ਼ਾਨ ਸੇ
ਉਪਦੇਸ਼ ਅਪਣਾ ਸੁਣ ਲਓ ਜ਼ਰਾ ਦਿਲ ਕੇ ਕਾਨ ਸੇ
ਕਹਿ ਰਹੇ ਹੈ ਹੁਮ ਤੁਮ੍ਹੇ ਖੁਦਾ ਕੀ ਜ਼ੁਬਾਨ ਸੇ”

The two princes were taken by the executioners under their knees and martyred between 10:45 and 11:30 by cutting their trachea. It is written in the historical Granth ‘Bansavli Nama’ that Baba Zoravar Singh was martyred in two to two and a half minutes. Baba Fateh Singh kept on kicking and bleeding for about half an hour (twelve minutes) and his legs stopped moving slowly.