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Machhiwara, also spelled Macchivara, was a historical jungle located in the Punjab region near the bank of the Sutlej river near the present-day Ludhiana district in Punjab, India.[1][2] The Machhiwara jungle should not be confused with the Lakhi Jungle that existed near Bathinda.
| Machhiwara | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Detail of the region of Machhiwara from a map of the country between Delhi and Ludhiana, surveyed by F. S. White, 1808 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Ludhiana district, Punjab, India |
Etymology
editThe name 'Machhiwara' is derived from machi, which is the Punjabi word for fish and came as a result of the fishermen who resided in the area.[2]
History
edit
The jungle formed in a region near the bank of the Sutlej river.[2] The jungle was filled with thorny vegetation and existed during the time period of Guru Gobind Singh.[1] The jungle was located near a village, also called Machhiwara (now a town).[1] In the aftermath of the Battle of Chamkaur, the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, became separated from the rest of his entourage and became lost in the Machhiwara jungle after leaving from Chamkaur in December 1705.[3][4][1] The guru was without food, shelter, or a mount during his trek through the jungle.[3] He eventually reunited with three of his companions, Man Singh, Dharam Singh, and Daya Singh, in the garden of the village sharing the name of the jungle.[3][1] The guru had chosen the garden outside the village as his resting place when he was come upon by his companions.[1] Gurdwara Charan Kaval Sahib now marks the location of this village garden.[1] A man named Gulaba Chand was the local masand of the Machhiwara area during the time of Guru Gobind Singh.[5][2] Guru Gobind Singh stayed with Gulaba, who had a house in the Machhiwara village, where he stayed in a room on the first floor.[1] Gurdwara Chubara Sahib now marks the location where Gulaba's house once was.[1] Two Rohilla Pathan brothers who worked as horse dealers, named Ghani Khan and Nabi Khan, helped transport the guru whilst he was disguised as a Muslim holy man.[1] The guru stayed at the family house of the Pathan brothers after staying in Gulaba's house.[1] The familial house of the Pathan brothers is now marked by Gurdwara Uchch Da Pir.[1] The group secretly disguised the guru as a Sufi Pir of Uch, carrying him in a palanquin, with the event known as Uch Da Peer.[1] With the assistance of three Muslims, the group was able to evade Mughal patrols in the area.[3] Eventually, the group made its way out of the area and reached Jatpura, where Rai Kalha, a local Muslim chieftain, received the Sikh guru.[3]
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Some writings associated with Guru Gobind Singh are linked to the Machhiwara jungle and village. The Fatehnama letter is believed to have been composed within and dispatched from the area.[6][7] Furthermore, the sixth hymn of Shabad Hazare, Mittar Pyare Nu, is believed to have been composed by the tenth Guru in the Machhiwara area after the deaths of all his sons.[8][9] The Guru composed this work while leaning against a tree in the wilds of Machhiwara after having been wandering for days with only the soft leaves of the Akk plant (Calotropis gigantea) as sustenance, sleeping directly on the lumpy forest ground, suffering from foot blisters, wearing torn attire, and sustaining cuts from the thorny vegetation of the jungle.[9] This composition forms the sixth stanza of the Shabad Hazare chapter of the Dasam Granth.[9]
"Carry to the Beloved the message of His humble servant
Soft beds are to him like a disease, if thou are not with him
Living in the halls and mansions is like living among serpents, if thou art away
Wine cups hurt him like the sword and things of comfort kill,
as does the butcher's knife, if thou art not with him
In the companionship of the friend, turf is superior to soft beds,
accursed are the places if thou art away."
— Guru Gobind Singh, Shabad Hazare, Dasam Granth, translation from 'History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606-1708 C.E' (2007), pages 833–834, by Surjit Singh Gandhi
The Nihangs favour the dark blue colour for their clothing, which they adopted to emulate Guru Gobind Singh's attire when he escaped from Chamkaur through the Machhiwara jungle.[10]
The Machhiwara jungle, alongside the Lakhi jungle, were both used as hide-outs by Sikhs during periods of active oppression and active genocide, such as by the Mughal government.[11] Punjab used to have many thick forests that were used as safe-spots for Sikhs.[11]
Present
editThe jungle no longer exists for the most part, having been deforested, however surviving remnants can be found in the graveyard located to the north-east direction of the Government Girl School.[12]
Some have connected the surviving Mattewara forest with the historical Machhiwara jungle.[13][14]
The Machhiwara jungle that existed during Guru Gobind Singh's time, which was cut down in the subsequent centuries, is planned to be revived by the SGPC through the planting of samplings on gurdwara land the organization owns within the locality to revive the lost jungle.[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Singh, Gurmukh (2011). Singh, Harbans (ed.). The Sikh Encyclopedia. Vol. 3 (M–R) (3rd ed.). Patiala: Punjabi University. pp. 5–6.
- ^ a b c d Jaggi, Rattan Singh (10 March 2015). "ਮਾਛੀਵਾੜਾ" [Machhiwara]. Punjabipedia – Punjabi University, Patiala (originally published in the 'Sikh Panth Encyclopedia' by Gur Ratan Publishers) (in Punjabi). Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Singh, Patwant (2007). The Sikhs. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307429339.
But this tragic phase was still to reach its nadir. With the break of dawn, after having left Chamkaur in the dead of night, the Guru found himself separated from his companions and alone in the heart of the Machhiwara forest. He was without food, shelter, or his trusted mount, his mind filled with thoughts of Mughal betrayal and the loss of his men and sons; only his iron will sustain him in that bleak hour. As luck would have it his three companions, following the route they had agreed upon, were eventually reunited with him. The four, with the help of loyal Sikhs and at least three friendly Muslims, made their way through the enemy patrols who were searching for them. They finally reached the village of Jatpura where the Guru was warmly received by the Muslim chief of the area, Rai Kalha.
- ^ Hardip Singh Syan (2013). Sikh Militancy in the Seventeenth Century: Religious Violence in Mughal and Early Modern India. I.B. Tauris. pp. 220–222. ISBN 978-1-78076-250-0.
- ^ Gandhi, Surjit Singh (2007). History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606-1708 C.E. Vol. 2. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. pp. 833–834. ISBN 9788126908585.
- ^ The Sikh Review, April, 1977, “Fatehnama” Page 26 by Trilochan Singh
- ^ Singh, Bhai Vir. Sri Kalgidhar Chamatkar Volume 2. pp. 114–117.
- ^ Rinehart, Robin (2011). Debating the Dasam Granth. Oxford University Press. pp. 31–32. ISBN 978-0-19-984247-6.
- ^ a b c Gandhi, Surjit Singh (2007). History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606-1708 C.E. Vol. 2. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. pp. 833–834. ISBN 9788126908585.
- ^ Hardgrave, R. L. (1996). An Early Portrayal of the Sikhs: Two 18th Century Etchings by Baltazard Solvyns. International Journal of Punjab Studies, 3(2), 213-27. Accessed via: https://www.laits.utexas.edu/solvyns-project/sikhs.html
- ^ a b Singh, Jaspal (7 September 2023). Rejuvenating Punjab: New Economic World Order. Virsa Publications. pp. 159–160. ISBN 9788195904952.
- ^ Basaati, Vikram Singh. "The Jungles of Machhiwara". Uch Da Peer. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ Kaur, Gurinder (6 July 2022). "Mattewara: Why Punjab needs this ancient forest near its largest city and river". Down To Earth. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "AAP leader Balbir Singh to urge Punjab CM not to 'destroy Mattewara forests'". ETV Bharat. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "SGPC to revive Machhiwara forest". The Indian Express. 2012-09-11. Retrieved 2023-05-01.