The Source Book On Sikhism

The Guruship

Guru Gobind Singh bestowed upon the Granth the Guruship at Nanded in 1708. Munshi Sant Singh, author of the Sikh history, composed the most popular verse in 1865 which a Sikh recites daily after his prayer.

“All community should recognize Guru Granth as the Guru.

All obey the commandments contained therein.

Recognize the Granth as the visible body of the Guru.

The Sikh who wishes to meet me should find me there.”

The History

The first (original) book signed and sealed by Guru Arjan Dev Ji was installed in the Harmandir (now known as Golden Temple) on Diwali, 30th August, 1604. Bhai Buddha, a devout Sikh who lived during the life of Guru Nanak to Guru Hargobind, was appointed the first high priest of the temple. The copy of the Granth remained in the possession of the Sikhs until 1644 when it was stolen from the house of Guru Hargobind by his grandson Dhirmal. In about 1674 it was recovered by force from his possession by the Sikhs, but on the specific instructions of Guru Tegh Bahadur it was returned to him. No historical account of this volume is found for the next 175 years. In 1849, following the annexation of Punjab by the British the copy was found by the British in the custody of the Lahore court. A battle to get it back was fought between Sodhi Sadhu Singh, a descendent of Dhirmal and the Sikh Organizations. In 1850 by the orders of the court the copy with its golden stand was restored to Sodhi Sadhu Singh, who later got a copy made of this Granth and presented it to Queen Victoria. This copy can be viewed at the India Office Library, London. The original manuscript is still in possession of Sodhis and is kept in a private house in Kartarpur. A copy of the (original) Granth was also made by Bhai Banno, a devout Sikh of Guru Arjan Dev’s times, in 1604. He got the Granth copied on the way to Lahore for binding purposes. A few Shabads (hymns) which Guru Arjan Dev had struck out from the original manuscript were left in this copy by Bhai Banno. Guru Arjan Dev declared this copy to be a KHARI-BIR (a forbidden copy). This copy at present is with the descendants of Bhai Banno in the village Mangat, district Gurjrat Pakistan. The second (original) Granth signed by Guru Gobind Singh was taken to Kabul by Ahmed Shah Abdali in 1762. Four copies of this Granth were made by Baba Deep Singh. Later many more handwritten copies were prepared. Some of these copies can be found in Harimandir Sahib, Akal Takhat Sahib, Patna Sahib, Hazur Sahib, Bangladesh Sikh temple at Decca and other Sikh temples. The Granth was subject matter of great concern to both Hindus and Muslims. Repeatedly, complaints were filed in the Mughal courts to ban its publication and use. In 1605, Emperor Akbar summoned a copy of the Granth for investigation while he was camping at Batala. He examined the Granth very thoroughly and rather read if for its divinity. He summoned and punished those who had maliciously complained to him and made an offering of 51 gold coins as a token of respect to the Granth. In the times of Emperor Aurangzeb another complaint against the publication of the Granth was filed by the enemies of the house of Guru Nanak. This time Guru Har Rai sent his older son Ram Rai to defend the case. Ram Rai was taken over by the splendour and exuberance of the Mughal court and dared to change certain words recorded in the Granth. By this blasphemous act, he might have pleased the Mughal rulers but he had the anguish of his father who ordered him not to return to Guru’s house and never to see him again.

The other attacks on the sanctity of the Granth and its language were made by the Arya Samaj leader Swami

Dayanand and later by the breakaway Nirankari leader Baba Gurbachan Singh and Eurocentric Sikh researchers such as Trump, McLeod and his “role dancing disciples”. (Editor)