The holy writings of the Tenth Guru Sri Gobind Singh Ji

The sacred Banee of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib has guided the Khalsa for the last 300 years and is part and parcel of the Sikh psyche. Sri Dasam Granth of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib is the second most respected scripture of the Sikhs after Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. In addition of being the source of the Banees of Sikh Baptism (Amrit Sanchar), Daily Prayer (Nitnem) and Ardas, Sri Dasam Granth Sahib is also the only source from where the terminologies, phrases and concepts of the Khalsa are derived. Some prominent examples are, 'Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh', 'Deg Teg Fateh', 'Bipran Ki Reet', 'Panth', 'Khalsa', 'Khanda', 'Kirpan', 'Sarab-loh', 'Dharam-Yudh' etc.

Recently there have been some theories that are being peddled that the Banee of the Tenth Guru is actually the creation of the British. This conspiracy theory was first propagated by one Dr Jasbir Singh Mann, a self acclaimed scholar of Sri Dasam Granth. Concocting this fake theory he claimed that Sri Dasam Granth was made by Mahants of Patna, Nirmalas and the British. This mixture of fiction and fantasy has been the most absurd theory on Sikh history.
With the aim of laying such absurd theories to rest, this document has been jointly prepared by www.sridasamgranth.com and www.patshahi10.org

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1. Does any 18th century source state that there was a controversy about Sri Dasam Granth, (also known as Dasam Patshah ka Granth) or Book of the Tenth King?

There is no such source. There is absolutely no evidence from any source in the 18th century that claims there has been any controversy regarding the second canon of the Sikhs. There are various types of literature in Sikh History from the 18th century and within them are numerous accounts of how Sikhi came to fruition. These include Sri Gur Sobha Granth, Mehma Prakash, Gurbilas Patshahi Dasvin, Gurbilas Patshah Chevin, Bansavlinama, Guru Kian Saakhian. Then there are also the Rehatnamas which are related to the sayings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. There is not one line within these texts that claims that there was any controversy on Sri Dasam Granth, on the contrary the evidence for the creation, compilation, and status of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Banee is very much positive within them.

2. Is it true that the Dasam Granth appeared only in 19th century and no copy of Dasam Granth existed in Punjab or Delhi area in 18th century?

This is a highly surprising question. On the Visakhi of 1699 the compositions of the Sri Dasam Granth were recited together with those from Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This automatically places the Granth not only in Punjab but within the clear context of Anandpur Sahib. According to the dates within Sri Dasam Granth the compositions were written at Paonta and Anandpur. So firstly the creation of these compositions was in Punjab. Secondly the Anandpuri Hazuri Bir of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the Patna Sahib Bir of 1698 were written in Punjab. So to some extent this question is incorrect as Sri Dasam Granth recensions already existed in the 17th century. The recension referred to as the Bhai Mani Singh Bir, was written by Bhai Mani Singh and he was based in Amritsar, in Punjab.

3. Is it correct that Dasam Granth was first introduced in literature by Malcolm in 1810 AD in his book titled “Sketch of the Sikhs”?

As per the answer above it is quite clear that nobody apart from Guru Gobind Singh introduced the Granth into Khalsa psyche in the 17th century. Sri Gur Sobha Granth written in 1711 by Guru Sahib’s poet Senapati was one of the first books to illuminate the writings in the Sri Dasam Granth. This book is written not only in the style and language of the Sri Dasam Granth but some verses are similar to the verses found in Sri Bachitra Natak, most notably the battles of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. It is clear that the court poets wanted to emulate the writings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji as these were read in the Guru’s Durbars. John Malcolm wrote his book “Sketch of the Sikhs” over 100 years after Kavi Senapati, so he could not have introduced Sri Dasam Granth in literature. However Malcolm, a noted historian and statesman, who not only wrote extensively on the life in India, but also Iran, narrated what he saw in Amritsar, that the Akali Singhs revered two Granths, “Adi Granth” and “Dasven Patshah Ka Granth”. He wrote a detailed description of how Akali Singhs who were in-charge of Akal Takht pass Gurmatta in a congregation. There he saw both the Granths being read and revered.
 
4. Is there any evidence in history that reveals that British intentionally assisted in creation and promotion of “Dasmi Patshahi Ka Granth” or Dasam Granth to gain entry into Punjab and expand their Kingdom for Missionary and Political Purpose?

This is another false presumption propagated by Jasbir Singh Mann, a self-promoted expert on Sri Dasam Granth. As stated above the Granth was created by Guru Gobind Singh Ji for the Khalsa, this was the same Granth which gave the Khalsa a sense of Raj-niti. This was the same Granth which Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who created the first Sikh empire, read and whose armies carried with them together with the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. At the same time the Akalis, whose leader was Akali Phula Singh, were in-charge of the Akal Takht where both Granths were present. So the idea that the British would use the same Granth (that gave the Khalsa a sense of statehood) as a political tool makes no sense. If anything it was the British, under Dr Trump’s translations, that started creating confusion among the Sikhs by showing that the Sikh Granths were inferior to the Christian Bible. He also started labeling both Granths as something which contained Hindu idioms.

 5. Is there any internal evidence showing the date when Dasam Granth was written?

This question is never asked about the creation of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, and as Sri Dasam Granth is the work of Guru Gobind Singh Ji this is also insulting. However there are no internal dates within Sri Guru Granth Sahib but there are some dates of creation of different compositions/works within Sri Dasam Granth. As Sri Dasam Granth is mainly placing Sikhism in a historical context these dates are important. Some of these dates are as follows:

ਸੱਤਰ੍ਹ ਸੈ ਪੈਤਾਲ ਮਿਹ ਸਾਵਨ ਸੁਦਿ ਥਿਤਿ ਦੀਪ ॥ ਨਗਰ ਪਾਂਵਟਾ ਸੁਭ ਕਰਨ ਜਮਨਾ ਬਹੈ ਸਮੀਪ ॥2490॥
(This work has been completed) in the year 1745 of the Vikrami era in the Sudi aspect of the moon in the month of Sawan, (July 1688 A.D.) in the town of Paonta at the auspicious hour, on banks of the flowing Yamuna.
(Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib in ‘Krishnavtar’)

ਸੰਬਤ ਸਤਰ੍ਹ ਸਹਸ ਭਿਣਜੈ ॥ ਅਰਧ ਸਹਸ ਫੁਨਿ ਤੀਨਿ ਕਿਹਜੈ ॥ ਭਾਦਰ੍ਵ ਸੁਦੀ ਅਸਟਮੀ ਰਿਵ ਵਾਰਾ ॥ ਤੀਰ
ਸਤੁਦਰ੍ਵ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸੁਧਾਰਾ ॥405॥
This (work) was completed on Sunday, the 18th day of month of Bhadon, in 1753 Bikrami Sammat (September 14, 1696 A.D.) on the banks of river Satluj.
(Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib in ‘Charitropakhyan’)

ਸੰਮਤ ਸੱਤਰ੍ਹ ਸਹਸ ਪਚਾਵਨ॥ ਹਾੜ ਵਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮੈ ਸੁਖ ਦਾਵਨ ॥ ਤ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਕਰਿ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸੁਧਾਰਾ ॥ ਭੂਲ ਪਰੀ ਲਹੁ ਲੇਹੁ ਸੁਧਾਰਾ ॥860॥
This Granth has been completed (and improved) in Vadi first in the month of Haar in the year 1755 Bikrami (July 1698); if there has remained any error in it, then kindly correct it.
(Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib in ‘Ramavtaar’)

 6. Is there any evidence that shows that British introduced Dasam Granth to strip the Sikhs of the spirit of independence and warfare?

This is another baseless claim that Jasbir Singh Mann started some years ago, without any hard historical evidence. If the British aimed at stripping the Sikhs of their military might they would have rather wanted the Sikhs not to read and revere Sri Dasam Granth which clearly contains the Bir Ras banee. Sri Dasam Granth also has details of the wars which Guru Gobind Singh Sahib fought, and elevated the weapons to the same level as the embodiment of Akal Purakh. Hence by giving a detailed description of weapons and their usage and warning the Khalsa of the moral challenges it might face, Sri Dasam Granth prepares the Khalsa for warfare, both physically and mentally.
 
7. Is it true that a Nirmala priest Atma Ram of Calcutta worked with Mahants at Patna to create, compile and promote this Gurmukhi Granth titled “Dasmi Patshahi Ka Granth” in Devnagri?

In the numerous texts of the 19th century there is no mention of any Atma Ram working with any Mahant at Patna. One important 19th century text is Sri Gur Panth Prakash, the main Sikh text of this period, which was written by Rattan Singh Bhangu a descendent of Bhai Mehtab Singh Bhangu (who beheaded Massa Ranghar). There is no mention of any Atma Ram in this important source of Sikh history. The Granthi of Patna Sahib, Baba Sumer Singh makes no mention of any Nirmala priest in his book.

After Sri Dasam Granth was written it was then also transcribed in different languages including Persian, Urdu and Devnagri. There is one copy of Sri Dasam Granth kept in the British Library that was written in Devnagri in the 19th century, over 100 years after the creation of Sri Dasam Granth by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. There is however a mention of an Atma Ram in Malcolm’s ‘Sketch of the Sikhs’, who helped in deciphering the meaning of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and other works for Malcolm (see p.9). And it appears that the same person helped Malcolm understand the Indian judicial system (see p.128). There is no mention of any Granth created by Atma Ram in this book and there is no mention of any Atma Ram working with Mahants from Patna

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