Bhai Subeg Singh Ji and Bhai Shahbaz Singh Ji:
(Who were martyred on the spinning wheels)
Bhai Subeg Singh was a resident of the village of Jamber (District Lahore, Pakistan). He was a well-educated scholar of Persian. Bhai Subeg Singh worked as a government contractor in Lahore and also served as the Kotwal (police chief) of the city for a time. During his tenure, peace and harmony prevailed in Lahore. The administration sought Bhai Subeg Singh’s mediation to negotiate with the rebellious Sikhs.
The Sikhs, whose homes held saddled horses ready for battle, who resided in the jungles, whose companions were the Gurus themselves, and in whose veins dwelled the Divine Akal Purakh, were warriors who laid down their lives for the country’s independence and the honor of their land. No one could extinguish such brave Sikhs. Eventually, Zakariya Khan sought permission from the throne in Delhi to reconcile with the Sikhs and asked Bhai Subeg Singh to mediate.
The government offered the Khalsa a yearly grant of one lakh rupees and control over territories such as Kangarwal, Jhoal, and Depalpur. It also promised the title of nobility and fine garments. However, they placed the condition that the ongoing struggle against the regime must cease immediately.
The proposal was not acceptable to the Sikh leader, Sardar Darbara Singh. When Sardar Subeg Singh requested the proposal be accepted for a temporary peace, allowing for better preparations to face future challenges, the Sikhs accepted it. The modest servant, Sardar Kapoor Singh, who cleaned horse dung, was appointed as Nawab.
After a brief period of peace, Zakariya Khan resumed his oppressive measures against the Sikhs, forcing them to take refuge in the jungles while waiting for an opportune moment.
Bhai Subeg Singh’s son, Shahbaz Singh, was learning Persian under the guidance of a Qazi in Lahore. Shahbaz Singh, an 18-year-old youth, was handsome, intelligent, and virtuous. The Qazi, impressed by his character and intellect, desired that Shahbaz Singh accept Islam and marry his daughter.
However, the devout Guru-Sikh Shahbaz Singh refused all of the Qazi’s proposals. When the Qazi realized his schemes would not succeed, he tried to intimidate him, but Shahbaz Singh remained steadfast. Enraged by his failure, the Qazi fabricated false accusations against him and instigated the governor of Lahore, Zakariya Khan, against Shahbaz Singh.
Zakariya Khan arrested both Bhai Subeg Singh and Shahbaz Singh, confining them in separate dungeons and subjecting them to severe torture to force them to convert to Islam. Despite being given false news about each other and enduring unbearable suffering, father and son remained firm in their faith, finding solace in Nitnem and Gurbani as they prepared for their ultimate test.
On July 1, 1745, after Zakariya Khan’s death, his son Yahya Khan became the governor of Lahore. A cruel and fanatical ruler, Yahya Khan presented father and son before his court, offering them clemency if they embraced Islam. The resolute duo firmly rejected the offer.
The royal Qazi sentenced both of them to death by charakhriyas (spinning wheels). These were large wooden wheels fitted with sharp blades, designed to gruesomely execute victims. Both father and son were tied to separate wheels, which were then spun. The sharp blades tore their bodies apart, causing streams of blood to flow. Despite the excruciating pain, they continued reciting Gurbani, embracing martyrdom with unshakable resolve.
Their supreme sacrifice stands as a testament to their unwavering faith in Sikh principles and their deep devotion to the path of righteousness.
