Ayodhya Revisited
Page 52
From the ‘Janam-Sākhī’ it is clear that Ayodhyā was a pilgrim place and Nanak Deva visited it but it is not known whether he visited the birthplace of Rāma.
Some persons have tried to see the existence of a Rāma temple at the Janma-sthāna from the following passage of ‘Guru Nānaka Bansa Prakāśa’ which was composed in 1886 V.S. (1829 A.D.) by Bābā Sukhbāsī Rāma Bedī who was the 8th descendent in the line of Lakshmī Chand, the youngest son of Guru Nanak Deva:
चले तहां ते सतिगुरु मरदाना ले संगि।
आए अउध पुरी बिखे सरजू नदि जिह संगि।।
सरजू जल मंजन कीआ दरसन राम निहार।
आतम रूप अनंत प्रभ चले मगन हितु धार।।
From the expression ‘Kīyā darsana Rāma nīhara’ it is clear that he had a ‘darśana’ of some idol in a temple at Ayodhyā. It might have been the temple at birthplace of Rāma but the passage does not necessarily carry the exact location.
From the ‘’Sach-Khanda Pothi Janam-sākhī Sri Guru Nanak Deva Ji” which was written by Sodhi Manohardas Meherban in around 1610 A.D. it is gathered that Guru Nanak Deva had done penance and ‘nāma-sumirana’ in a mutt at Ayodhyā. This book was published by Prof. Kirpal Singh and published by Khalsa College, Amritsar in 1962.
Besides, there is a ‘Janam Sakhi’ in Punjabi, a prose hagiography of Guru Nanak compiled and copied by Daya Ram Abhrol in 1733 with 57 miniature paintings by Alam Chand Raj. The work consists of a series of 58 ‘sakhis’ – ethical and moral anecdotes – written in the Gurmukhi script and is available in the British Library.
Moreover, a witness Rajendra Singh by name from Faridabad, Haryana, while deposing before the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High court has cited two more references; the first from ‘Śrī Guru Tīratha San¢grahī’ which was written by Tarasingh Narottama in 1884 A.D. and published by Sri Nirmal Panchayati Akhara, Kankhal. While referring to Guru Tegh Bahadur’s visit to Ayodhyā, it says that “(गुरु गोबिन्द सिंह) इहां आपणी कुल के ब्रिधपुरख राम के जनम थान में आए।च i.e. Guru Gobind Singh came to the birthplace of his old ancestor Rāma. It is well known that Guru Gobind Singh has claimed in his autobiography ‘Vachitra Nātaka’ that Guru Nanak Deva was born in the Bedi clan which was in the line of Rāma’s younger son Lava and he himself was born in the Sodhi clan which was in the line of Rāma’s elder son Kuśa:
लवी राज दै बन गए बेदियन कीनो राज।
भाति भाति तिनि भोगियं भूअ का सकल समाज।।8।।
(‘Vachitra Natak’ : Adhyāya 4)
तिन बेदियन के कुल बिखे प्रगटे नानक राइ।
सब सिखन को सुख दए जह तह भए सहाइ।।
(‘Vachitra Natak’ : Adhyāya 5)
In the “Tawarikh Guru Khalsa: Vol. I” written by Gyani Gyan Singh and published by Guru Gobind Singh Press, Sialkot in 1891 A.D. it is mentioned that Guru Gobind Singh, after making ‘pradakshinā of Kāśī and Rāmanagar, went to Mirzapur and then halted at Ayodhyā at Vasishtha Kunda. Thereafter, he visited Sūraj Kunda, Hanumān-gadhī, Rāmachandra de mandar, Sītā di rasoi; etc. and took bath in the Sarayū river at Svargadvārī and Guptar Ghat and gave gifts.
घशहर काशी रामनगर दा सैल प्रदक्खणा कीती। एथों चल मिरजापुर आदिक नगरा नूं देख दे होए अजुधया जी वसिष्ठ कुण्ड, जो वसिष्ठ जी दा घर ते होम करण दी जगा है, जा ठहिरे। फिर सूरजकुण्ड, हनुमान गढ़ी, रामचद्र दे मन्दर, सीता दी रसोई आदिक अस्थान देखे ते स्वरगद्वारी गुप्तारघाट सरजू दे इशनान दान कीते।च
Here रामचन्द्र दे मन्दर and सीता दी रसोई indicate that it was the same Janmabhumi temple.
The very fact that Sardar Nihang Singh forcibly occupied the Janma-sthāna mosque on 15th December, 1858 A.D. and wrote राम,राम on its walls shows that the Sikhs had been associated with the Janma-sthāna shrine for long.
(16) Hafizullah’s report to the Faizabad’s law-court in 1822
Prof. Harbansh Mukhia writes in his article: “The Ramajanmabhumi-Babari Masjid Dispute: Evidence from Medieval India”:
“The first written evidence bearing on this dispute and stating unambiguously that the Babari mosque had been built at the place of Rama’s birth comes from a legal document submitted to the Faizabad law-court in 1822 by one Hafizullah, the court’s superintendent. The document has been reproduced in its original Persian language by Kamalud-din Haider in his Qaisar ut-Tawarikh. I give the translation: The mosque founded by emperor Babur is situated at the Janmasthana, i.e. at the site of the birth of Rama, son of Raja Dasrath, (and is) adjacent to the kitchen of Sita, wife of Rama.” (Reference : Qaisar ut-Tawarikh, Vol. II, Lucknow 1896, p. 117)
Although Joseph Tieffenthaler was the first person to mention the birthplace of Rāma, the existence of a temple and its demolition, the testimony of Hafizullah is a very strong evidence in favour of the existence of the Janma-sthāna of Lord Rāma at the site of the disputed structure. But he, too, was under the influence of the new campaign to attribute its demolition to Babur.
Despite the fact that Hadiqah-i-Shuhada of Mirza Jan and many other books of this category assert since 1855-1856 A.D. onwards that the mosque was built on Lord Rāma’s Janma-sthāna after demolishing a temple, they have not been taken as supportive evidences here; because the demolition has been attributed to Babur, and the date of demolition shown in these books is 923 A.H. i.e. 1516 A.D., which is a decade before the Babur’s conquest of Hindustan.
(17) Forcible occupation of the mosque by the Nihang Sikhs in November 1858
After the Proclamation of Queen Victoria on 2nd August, 1858 the British Government directly took over the governance of the territories under the East India Company. Ayodhyā came under the direct rule of the British Government. In view of the communal riots between the Hindus and the Muslims in 1855 the British Government took an arbitrary decision and deprived the Hindus of the worship in the disputed shrine and made an arrangement for the worship outside the mosque. It generated widespread resentment and a Nihang Sikh with 25 followers from the same sect from Punjab came to Ayodhyā and forcibly occupied the mosque. They did puja and homa inside it and placed an idol therein. Thereafter, they prayed to Guru Govind Singh and pitched a nishan outside the shrine. They wrote राम राम throughout the mosque with coal. After a lot of persuasion, legal process and use of force by the police they were ultimately evacuated from the mosque. But they made their camp in the mosque premises for quite some time.
The forcible occupation of the disputed shrine by the Nihang Sikhs, who wrote राम राम throughout the mosque, is a forceful proof that it was a sacred centre associated with Rāma’s saga which the Hindus had not forgotten even then. It is attested by the following complaint of Syyed Muhammad.
(18) Complaint of Syyed Muhammad
On 30th November, 1858 A.D. Syyed Muhammad, the Khatib and Muazzin (the person who rouses Muslims for prayer by loudly reciting the Azan) of the Masjid Janma-sthāna in the Mohalla Ram Kot submitted a complaint to the S.H.O. of the local Police Station that a Nihang Sikh of Punjab had established a platform of clay between the Mehrab (arch) and the Mimber (pulpit) inside the mosque. The following is the content of his complaint:
Complaint of Syyed Muhammad
&nbs
p; Khatib dated 30 Nov., 1858.
घनक़ल दरख़वास्त मोहम्मद ख़तीब मोअज्ज़िन मस्जिद बाबरी वाक़ै अवध मोर्रख़ा ३० नवम्बर १८५८ ई० मुकदमा नं० ८८४ मुतालिक़ा अरज़ी थानेदार अवध दोबारा खड़ा करने निशान दर मस्जिद जन्म स्थान महन्त निहंग सिंह फ़क़ीर ख़ालसा के मोहल्ला राम कोट (कोट राम चन्द्र) परगना हवेली अवध तहसील व ज़िला फ़ैज़ाबाद मुन्फसले १५ दिसम्बर १८५८ ई० ग़रीब परवर आदिले ज़हां सलामत जनाब आली सानेहा जदीद सरज़द हुआ है कि मुसम्मी निहंग सिंह सकनी पंजाब सिक्खान मुलाज़िम सरकार (दौलतमदार बअवामी बैरागियन जनम स्थान पर बानी-ए-फ़साद हैं। बीच मस्जिद बाबरी वाक़ै अवध करीब मेहराब व मेम्बर के एक चबूतरा मिट्टी का ब बुलन्दी चहार अन्गुश्त बना कर कंकरों से मामूर करके की जाय अक़ीदत बवजेह रौशनी आतिश के क़रार दिया है व चबूतरा मस्जिद अन्दर कटेहरा के ऊपर चबूतरा मस्जिद के चबूतरा जदीद है के मौकूफ़ हुआ है यह बुलन्दी तख़मीनन सवा गज़ की तय्यार करके निशान तसवीर बुत पर इस्तफादा किया है व बराबर उसी के एक गढ़ा खोदकर मुंडेर पुख़्ता कर व उसको तय्यार करके आतिश रौशन की है व पूजा व होम में मसरुफ़ हैं व जा बजा मस्जिद में कोयला से राम राम लिखा है आदिले ज़माना यह मुक़ाम इन्साफ़ का है कि सरीह जुल्म व ज़ियादती अहले हुनूद अहले इसलाम पर करते हैं व हुज़ूर मालिक फ़रीक़ैन के हैं। व मज़मून इम्तियाज़ वादशाही से साफ मुतर्रश्शह है कि वहीं पर कोई फ़रीक बग़रज़ करने बना देगा (अपठनीय) अगर असबाबन बहादुरी करेगा तो सरकार से सज़ायाब होगा जनाब आली मुक़ाम ग़ौर का है मस्जिद मुक़ाम इबादत मुसलमानान है न कि बख़ेलाफ़ उस के बवजेह हुनूद की व साबिक़ में क़ब्ल में अमलदारी सरकार मुक़ाम जनम स्थान का सदहा बरस के निशान पड़ा रहता था व अहले हुनूद पूजा करते थे। चबूतरा बसाजिश शिव गुलाम थानेदार अवध के बैरागियों ने शबाशब में ता सुदूरे हुक्म सरकार के वास्ते मुमानियत के नाफिज़ हुआ था बबुलन्दी एक वालिश्त तय्यार करा लिया। उस वक़्त साहेब डिप्टी कमिश्नर बहादुर ने बमोजिब हुक्म जनाब साहब कमिशनर बहादुर के थानेदार को मौकूफ़ किया व बैरागी पर जुर्माना मुतअय्यन हुआ अब फि़लहाल इस चबूतरे की भी तरवमीनन सवा गज़ तय्यार करा लिया है इस सूरत सरीह जियादती साबित है लेहाज़ा उम्मीदवार हूँ कि बनाम मुरतजा खां कोतवाल शहर सुदूर हुक्म होवे कि कोतवाल बचश्म खुद मोआईना करके उमुरात जदीद खुदवा डालें व मरदुमान हुनूद को बाहर मस्जिद करें व निशान बुत उलटवा दें व नाम हाय लिखें को धुलवा डालें व आयन्दा को हुक्म होवे (फटा हुआ है) करें।
वाज़िब जानकर अज़र् किया।
सैय्यद मोहम्मद ख़तीब
मोअज्ज़िन मस्जिद बाबरी वाक़ै अवध
३० नवम्बर १८५८ ई०च
Its English translation is as follows:
“Copy of the application of Mohammad Khatib Moazzin of the Masjid, dated Novermber 30, 1858, case no. 884 regarding application of Thanedar, Oudh, for reconstructing the symbol within the Masjid Janam Sthāna Mahant Nihang Singh Faqir Khalsa Mohalla Ram Kot, (Kot Ram Chander) Pargana Haweli, Oudh, Tahsil and District Faizabad decided on December 15, 1858.
Gharib Parwar Aadil-e-Zaman Salamat!
Sir! Of late, one Nihang Sikh, who is a resident of Punjab, a Government employee and a Bairagi, is on rampage at the Janmasthan. In the middle of Baburi mosque near the mehrab and mimber he has constructed a chabutara made of clay which measures about four fingers in height by filling it with lime-stones. Following his faith he has unnecessarily made illumination and after having raised the platform in the mosque to the height of one and a quarter yards he has placed a flag, picture and idol there. After digging a pit equal to that measurement he has constructed a concrete parapet. Thereafter, he has made aatish and illumination. He is fully occupied with worship and homa. He has written ‘Rama’, ‘Rama’ with coal everywhere in the mosque. Now it is time for justice, as the Hindus are committing acts of high-handedness and tyranny on the Muslims. You are the master of both the parties, and if any person constructs forcibly, he would be punished by your honour. Kindly consider the fact that a mosque is a place of worship for the Muslims only and not for the Hindus. Earlier the flag (nishan) of Janmasthana was lying there for hundreds of years and Hindus used to do puja. Because of conspiracy of Shiv Ghulam Thandedar, Oudh Government, the Bairagis constructed overnight a Chabutra up to the height of one ‘Balisht’ until the orders of injunction were issued. At that time the Deputy Commissioner suspended the Thanedar and fine was imposed on Bairagis. Now the Chabootra has been raised to about 1¼ yards. Thus, high-handedness has been proved.
It is requested that Murtaza Khan of Kotwal City be ordered that he himself should visit the spot, inspect the new construction, get it demolished and oust the Hindus from there. He should get the flag and the idol removed and the writing on the walls washed. Orders may be issued for the future (paper torn). Having deemed it necessary, it has been urged so.
Syyed Mohammad Khatib
Moazzim Masjid Babri sites in Oudh
Dated November 30, 1858.”
Thus, the worship inside the mosque in the year 1858 A.D. is confirmed by this petition of Syyad Muhammad. It appears that sometime during the reign of early Awadh Nawabs or during the Governorship of Girdhar Bahadur (1720-1722) Bairagi Sadhus captured this mosque also and posted a flag and started performing pujā. When Tieffenthaler visited it in circa 1770 A.D., he found the similar situation. The puja inside the mosque was stopped only after Oudh was taken over by the British Government. It was a great injustice to the Hindus
.
(19) Reports of the S.H.O. Sheetal Dubey
In his report dated 28th November, 1858 A.D. Sheetal Dubey, the S.H.O. of Ayodhyā, reported that in the middle of the Masjid Janma Asthan Sant Nihang Singh, Faqir Khalsa of Punjab, performed homa, worshipped Guru Govind Singh, “erected the flag post of Bhagavān (god) which was being protected by 25 Sikhs. The following is the complete report of Dube in Devanāgarī transliteration which is the exhibit no. 19 in Suit no. 1:
Report of Sheetal Dubey dated 28th
November, 1858 A.D. (Hindi).
The following is the English translation:
Copy of the application of Sheetal Dubey Thanedar Oudh, dated November 28, 1858, along with the application of Thanedar Oudh for re-erecting flag within the Masjid Janam Asthana resident of Mohalla Ram Kot (Kot Ramchandra Pargana, Haweli, Oudh, Tahsil and District Faizabad.
Dated December 15, 1858.
Gareeb Parwar salamat Khuda wand,
Today Mr. Nihang Singh Faqir Khalsa resident of Punjab, organised Hawan and Puja of Guru Govind Singh and erected a flag of Sri Bhagwan, within the premises of the Masjid. At the time of pitching the flag, 25 Sikhs were posted there for security. Deemed necessary, so requested. May your regime progress. Pleasure.
Applicant.
Your obedient servant
Sheetal Dubey, Thanedar Oudh
Dated November 28, 1858.
Here निशान has been translated as ‘flag’ instead of ‘symbol’.
This report is exhibit no. 19 in the suit no. 4 also and duly verified.
(ii) Another Report of the S.H.O. Sheetal Dubey dated 1st December, 1858 A.D. informs us that the Nihang Sikh was still in command of the Janmasthan mosque. The Nihang Sikh was called by S.H.O. Dube on 30th November, 1858 and asked to vacate the mosque. But he replied that the place belonged to the Nirankara and the Saheb Bahadur should dispense justice. He was not in a mood to leave the Masjid premises. The Nihang Sikh neither gave any information about his movement nor did he really move. This report is as follows: