Guru Tegh Bahadur

Tegh Bahadur became Guru of the Sikhs at a time when the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb's policy of religious intolerance and persecution antagonised a vast section of his subjects. Denied the freedom to follow their faith, the Hindus of Kashmir approached Tegh Bahadur for help and guidance. The Guru carried the conviction that every individual must have freedom to worship the faith of his or her choice.

He wrote to the Emperor, reminding him that the Holy Koran does not sanction forcible conversion. He requested a meeting to discuss the subject with the Emperor and his advisors and added, "If you succeed in converting me to your opinion, I will embrace your Islam and all the Hindus too might do the same. If however you do not succeed in converting me to your opinion, then I request that henceforth all religious persecution should stop".

Great ingenuity was used to devise new kinds of torture for the Guru and his closest disciples, but Aurangzeb failed to crush their spirit. Thus for a great principle the Guru laid down his life.

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