They signed a bedava (document of dissent) stating that they were no longer Guru Gobind Singh Sahib’s Sikhs. In the early 1700s, Anandpur Sahib was under an extended siege by the allied forces of the Mughals (under Wazir Khan) and the hill chiefs which, led to the complete exhaustion of the Khalsa’s provisions.ĭuring this time, a group 40 of Singhs decided to leave Anandpur Sahib and return home. Battle of Muktsar (aka battle of Khidrana) Though some historians say this cannot be confirmed. Mai Bhago was married to Bhai Nidhan Singh of the village of Patti near Amritsar. It is believed that she always carried a long sang (spear) on her person, and she would use bushes around her village for target practice. At home, Mai Bhgo learned the art of warfare, archery, and horse-riding from her father, with the ultimate goal of joining Guru Sahib’s army. (However, some historians believe that Guru Gobind Singh gifted her Amrit after the battle of Muktsar and at that point, changed her name to Bhag Kaur).Īpparently, Mai Bhago wanted to stay in Anandpur Sahib after the 1699 Vaisakhi to learn martial arts and become a soldier, but her father insisted she return home. It was here that she accepted Amrit along with other members of her family. She also visited Anandpur Sahib with her father in 1699, when Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa. It is said that Mai Bhago visited Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib twice with her family. As a young girl, she most likely heard about her family’s relationship with the Gurus, along with the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Sahib Ji, the wars of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, and Mughal injustices. Mai Bhago grew up in a devout Sikh household where the Sikh tradition of valor was imparted early. Mai Bhago’s family tree Upbringing in Sikhi Mai Bhago was born in the village of Jhabal Kalan near Amritsar, Punjab in the Majha Distirict. Bhai Mallo Shah had four sons and one daughter, Mai Bhago. Pero Shah had a son, Bhai Mallo Shah, who joined Guru Har Gobind’s army and took part in several campaigns against the Mughals. Not much is known about Pero Shah, but Bhai Langah went on to serve in the courts of Guru Arjan Sahib and Guru Harboind Sahib. (Bhai Langah’s history and life is interesting on its own and I encourage you to read about him). At least two of his sons, Bhai Langah and Bhai Pero Shah, aka Piro Shah, (Mai Bagho’s grandfather) converted to Sikhi in the 1580s. (Though some sources say he converted to Sikhi). Mai Bhago’s great grandfather was a follower of Sakhi Sarwar, a Mystic Pir, and took the name Abu-al-Khair (aka Abul Khair aka Abul Khan) and later converted to Islam. After accepting Amrit, she was named Bhag Kaur. Some say this speaks highly about her family who viewed having a girl child in South Asian society as “lucky”.
#Amrit sikhiwiki full#
Mai Bhago was born “Bhag Bhari” which means “fortunate” or “one who is full of good fortune”. Sifting through tertiary and quaternary sources (sadly, I could not get my hands on any secondary or primary sources), I have tried to piece together a brief (and incomplete) overview of Mai Bhago’s life. She led the band of forty back to the Guru and into battle, where they each earned martyrdom….But what do we know of their intrepid leader, Mai Bhago? Not much more than the two lines I have penned here.”īeyond this, historians dispute many aspects of her life like: When was she born? What was her mother’s name? When did she accept Amrit? Was she married or not? What did she do after the famous Battle of Muktsar? When did she die? History also tells us that when they reached their homes, one woman – Mai Bhago, aka Bhag Kaur – shamed them and challenged them … to the occasion. “History tells us that at a difficult time, in December 1705, in the midst of a battle against, forty Sikhs chose to walk out and desert their Guru.
Singh points this out in his 2015 article, “History and Her-Story”: But interestingly, there are few indisputable facts about her life.
Mai Bhago may be the most well-known historical Sikh woman. This article will try to shed light on her life and legacy. As the first documented Sikh woman representative of the sant-sipahi (saint-solider) tradition, Mai Bhago is a revered historical figure.
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