| Baba Deep Singh is one of the most revered names in | | | | and ordered the destruction of the holy Golden |
| Sikh history. As a martyr for the Sikh cause his name | | | | Temple at Amritsar. Accordingly the temple was |
| is bracketed at the top as the greatest of the great, | | | | razed to the ground and he ordered that the sacred |
| who died for the panth (religion). | | | | pool be filled with dead carcasses of slaughtered |
| From all accounts Deep Singh was born in 1682 at a | | | | cows. |
| village close to the holy city of Amritsar. Right from his | | | | This episode jolted Deep Singh and he decided that |
| childhood Deep Singh was spiritually inclined and had an | | | | the time had come to throw the Moslems out of the |
| inherent faith in the teachings of the Gurus. In 1799 he | | | | Golden Temple and restore its sacredness. |
| was baptized by Guru Gobind Singh as a Khalsa. | | | | Accordingly he collected a small body of Sikhs and |
| Deep also spent considerable time in learning the | | | | marched to meet the Moslems. As he moved forward |
| martial arts and riding and weaponry became second | | | | a large number of Sikh peasantry joined him |
| nature to him. In addition his unshakable faith in the Sikh | | | | Baba Deep promised the Sikhs that he would cleanse |
| gurus has made him a role model for modern Sikhs. | | | | the temple and even if his head fell he would still |
| Deep Singh joined Banda in the Battle of Srihand (1712) | | | | continue fighting. Accordingly the Sikhs met the |
| against the Moslems. He fought bravely and played a | | | | Moslems in the battle at the village of Gohalwar on |
| stellar role in the defeat of the Moslems. | | | | November 11, 1757. The Sikhs won the battle but the |
| Deep Singh now went into retirement and devoted his | | | | head of Baba Deep Singh was decapitated. |
| time to translating the Sikh scriptures into Gurumukhi. | | | | Legend tells us that Baba Deep Singh continued |
| But these were trying times in the Punjab and the | | | | fighting by carrying his head in one hand and his |
| Afghan warrior Ahmed Shah Abdel invaded the | | | | Khanda (sword) in the other hand. Whatever the truth |
| Punjab. He advanced rapidly and met the Maharathas | | | | Deep Singh was able to free the temple which was |
| in the 3rd battle of Panipat in 1761. Abdali routed the | | | | rebuilt later. The spot where his head fell is a sacred |
| Mahrathas and soon left back to Kabul with a vast | | | | spot in the temple premises. His khanda which weighed |
| booty. Abdali invaded India 4 times. | | | | 30 kg is still available as exhibit at Takht Sri Hazur |
| On the way back after one of his raids the Sikhs | | | | Sahib. |
| attacked Abdali's army and looted the treasures, which | | | | The significance of Baba Deep Singh lies in the fact |
| he was taking with him. A large number of Hindu girls | | | | that he roused the Sikhs against the Moslems and |
| captured by Abdali were also rescued. When news of | | | | defeated them. |
| this was conveyed to Abdali he was terribly annoyed | | | | |