The history of "Barah Baj Gaye"

Well, this brings me to most often repeated snide remark against the Sikhs. BARAH BAJ GAYE.. (for the un-initiated, who might be reading this post, it means, "It is twelve of clock") a remark that intends to imply that Sardars go into a 'mad' mood at twelve o' clock.

Every Sikh has been at the receiving end of this remark quite often. But do the reciters of the story know the truth behind it?

NOW THE STORY

During 17th Century when Hindustan was ruled by Mughals all the people were humiliated and were treated like animal. Mughals treated the Hindu women as there own property and were forcing all Hindus to accept Islam and even used to kill the people if they were refusing to accept.

That time our Ninth Guru Sri Guru Teg Bhadarji who came forward, in request of some Kashmir Pandits to fight against all these cruel activities. Guruji told the Mughal emperor if he could succeed in converting him to Islam all the Hindus would accept the same but if he failed, he should stop all those activities . The Mughal emperor happily agreed to that but even after lots of torture to Guruji and his fellow members he failed to convert him to Islam and Guruji along with his other four fellow members who were also tortured for the same sacrificed their lives in Chandni Chowk. Since the Mughals were unable to convert them to Islam they were assassinated.  Tthus Guruji sacrificed his life for Protection of Hindu religion. Can anybody lay his life that too for protection of some other religion. This is the reason he is still remembered has Hind Ki Chaddar . For sake of whom he had sacrificed his life, none of the them came forward to lift his body with a fear that they would also be assassinated .

Seeing this incident our 10th Guruji, Sri Guru Gobind Singhji (Son of Guru Teg Bahadarji) made a resolution that he would make such a human who would not be able to hide himself and could be easily located in thousands, THE SIKH.  

At the start Sikhs were very less in numbers even though they were fighting against the Mughals emperors. At that time Nadir Shah raided Delhi in the year 1739 and looted Hindustan and was carrying lot of Hindustan treasures and nearly 2200 Hindu women along with him. The news spread like a fire and was heard by Sardar Jassa Singh who was the Commander of the Sikh army at that time . He decided to attack Nadir Shah's Khafila on the same midnight. He did so and rescued all the Hindu women and they were safely sent to their homes. It didn't happen only once but thereafter whenever any Abdaalis or Iranis had looted Hindustan and were trying to carry out treasures and Hindu women along with them for selling them in Abdal markets, the Sikh army quite few in numbers but were bravehearted attacked them in the midnight,12 O'clock and rescued women.

After that time when there occurred a similar incidence people started to contact the Sikh army for their help and Sikhs used to attack the raider's at Midnight, 12 O'clock. It continued and became a fame that at midnight nearly at 12 O'clock it is very difficult to fight against Sikhs as the Sikhs get some Extra Power to save Religion, Nation and Humanity. Nobody can fight and win against them at midnight, this continues till now. Nowadays these smart people and some Sikh enemies who are afraid of Sikhs, have spread these words that at 12 O'clock the Sikhs goe out of their sense.

With 'guerilla' tactics, they continued to attack the Muslim camps and liberated the Hindu women from the clutches. The usual time of such attacks was either at noon, or midnight. The attacks were so ferocious, that the Muslims began dreading the expected attacks of the Sikhs at 12 o' clock, midnight or noon.

It was these people, the marauders, who coined the phrase that "Sardaron ke barah baj gaye".

And Now, THE IRONY; the descendents of the rescued people are making fun of the rescuers!!!!!

I think any person who repeats this sentence against the Sikhs is making fun of the meekness of his own lineage.

posted on Thursday, May 26, 2005 12:12 PM

Comments

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# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 5/21/2006 10:00 PM jasbeer singh

wel mere hindu bhaio aur baheno "WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KEE FATEH" I WANNA TEL ONE THING TO U ALL ;jis DHARAM ne hindu DHARAM ki raksha ki jiske wajah se HINDUSTAN ka WAJUD hain OO jinhone aap ki MAA BAHEN ki RAKSHA ke ALWAYZ SARBAT ka BHALA chaha kya aap ko unka MAZAK karna chaiye & jahan tak BARAH BAJNE KA SAWAL HAIN hum to hus parte hain BECOZ hame lagta hain koi help maang raha hain to isme aap apna mazak karte ho HUMARA naihn
rohit_9831@yahoo.com Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 2/17/2006 11:02 PM AMARDEEP

Dear Kulveer,
It is wrong to say that sikh gurus fought against muslims, they were never against Islam. Infact sikhism is basically fusion of two religions hinduism and islam.many muslims were ragis in gurdwaras before partition.Guru Nanak Dev ji's main companion was a muslim. foundation of Golden Temple was laid by a muslim. most of the punjabi muslims who visit india from pakistan pay there obeisance at Golden Temple and also in Gurdwaras of Pakistan.
Sikh Gurus fought against tyrannical Mughals And not against common muslims. Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 8/20/2005 1:05 PM Kulveer Singh

Dear skj, 

The story of the marauding Afghan raiders and the guerilla attacks by Sikhs on their camps is well documented history. It is for everybody to read in various books on Sikh History, especially the ones by Cunnigham, Khushwant Singh, Prf. Mohan Singh etc. I couldnt find an e-version of these books to give a link on this blog. 

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# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 8/19/2005 12:35 AM Kaushik

Hi Kulveer,
This was a very good response from you. Thanks. Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 8/18/2005 2:23 PM skj

hey guys,
its sad if the story is correct. Hey writer, can u prove it anyhow, i m interested to know about it...... help me to help my mind to think good an force other peoples mind to think good and etc. etc.etc. 

Also, i m thinking something otherwise, fun should not end. So, just gimme the answer and authenticity and I will change the meaning of "12 Baj Gaye" towards some menaingful purpose and this way fun wont finish and at the same time, the sentiments too wont hurt. 

i m waitin.
thnks & best regadrs,
skj Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 8/18/2005 11:05 AM Kulveer Singh

Dear Kaushik, 

I have removed the comment of Proud Surdie, because I dont want this blog to be a banner for propagating stereotypical views about other communities, and superiority of one's own. 

And nothing that I say on this topic is just a personal outburst, it is meant to represent the hurt experienced by most Sikhs and their children. 

I dont want personal respect from anyone because of the valiant history of the Sikhs and their gurus; I have enough achievements in my career to expect it naturally. But can I expect fellow Indians (not eveybody is as mature as you) to stop making fun of the way of life we Sikhs live and enjoy. 

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# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 8/18/2005 2:05 AM Kaushik

Well proud surdie, if sikhs are not hindus, then who is a hindu? the tamilian brahmin is more different from a punjabi brahmin than a sikh is. the assamese is so different from a marathi that all of us can claim to be from a different religion.
and hardly any one follows vedic hinduism. So, according to you, nobody should be a hindu in india. Sad that you have not understood the founders of your panth.
Kulveer, When the children laughed at you with barah baj gae, you should have told them the history which they would have told their stupid ignorant parents and that would have put some gyan into the world and the thing would eventually stop.
I don't think anybody would point to your father and make a joke unless he is close to your father. Otherwise, that guy would be a cheapo and the other people present should shun that guy.
Add to the solution, pal, not the problem.
And while I do respect sikhism and sikhs immensely, it is my personal experience that paanch ungleeyaan baraabar naheen hoteen. I have seen a few very bad sikhs who should be ashamed of calling themselves sikhs. So, it is just a matter of your experience. Or do you want respect just because your forefathers were valiant soldiers? Then, aren't you propagating a hereditary caste-system which is against the principle of your religion? 

Why cannot you be an individual first? In India, individuals are respected, be it manmohan singh (although i don't like the fact that he is in congress) or gulzar, and not communities. In India, communities, just liek labour unions, are a means to create nuisance. So, it is my request, please be a respectable human being and stop crying. people will respect you. otherwise, Indians have so many things to worry about like rozee rotee that respect is actually quite far down the menu. You should be happy that in spite of calls for khalistan and the violence of terrorism, Indians still respect sikhs. In spite of their colluding with unforgivable enemy pakistan and using the temple to further the cause of terrorism (something we despise muslims for), Sikhs are the only community respected as a community.
My own very personal case - If I wanted to be personal, I could be very personal, too - I had a sikh girlfriend and wanted to marry her but her parents broke our relationship on the ground that i am from a bengali family (I was born and brought up in Bihar and do not particularly like bengalis for various reasons). Apparently, the bengali 'RELIGION' was not acceptable to them. What do you say to this informativeness level of an educated sikh family? So, should I disrespect sikhs because of that one family? Surprisingly, I still cannot get myself to disrespect that family itself. In spite of all the hurt that they caused me, I still prefer going to a gurudwara. I still defend sikhs and sikhism.
Learn (seekh), man. Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 8/17/2005 10:42 AM Kulveer Singh

Dear Amar and Samir, 

I guess the very fact the Sikh history is just a 'footnote' in the history being taught in schools contributes much to the ignorance in the masses about the fact that Sikhs were a major force in finishing off the Mughals after Aurangzeb. Almost equal to, or even more than the Marathas. They were the first to close the gates of invasion into India, from Afghanistan. They even took the war into Afghanistan, into the heartland of the invaders. How many know the story of the Kohinoor being won back from the Afghans. 

Cunnigham's book is a great source of information, written in about 1860, just about the time when the Sikhs had just been won over by the British Empire. In that sense, the books by Khushwant Singh, and Prof. Mohan Singh are really a treasure house of information on the Sikh People and provide more perspective. 

But Hey Amar, and Samir; Is anybody REALLY interested in learning more about the Sikhs? Only if they have the time to slip out of their ignorant cocoons of thoughts, where all Sikhs are supposed to be 'morons' Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 8/17/2005 10:42 AM BCBoy

Thanks Kulveer Singh jee to tell the reality. It would be so kind of all of you if u spread this message in your friend , social and family circle. 

Regards 

BCBoy
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# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 8/17/2005 10:33 AM Kulveer Singh

Dear Kaushik, 

Well, well, well..... I agree with most of the things that you say; and in a different frame of mind I would even have said the same things... This is what truth is about; it is never black and white, it is always grey and all the colours in between, "Vibgyor" as they say. 

As Gandhiji said, "Only fools and Dead men dont change their minds"; so I wish that you try to see some of the truths across the line of your thoughts. 

Firstly, it is true about what you say about 'showbiz' in religions and sects. Sikhism is a victim of the same showbiz, something that is totally against the teachings of Guru Nanak and the other Gurus. But that is a call for a reform movement within the Sikhs, a much broader issue. 

Secondly, about the Sikhs protecting their 'own' against the Muslims; true again. NObody was doing any 'ehsaan' during those days. But then how many of the Hindus remember or appreciate the valiant fights that the Sikh guerillas fought for centuries. Why is there only one page on the SIkh Empire of Ranjeet Singh, while there are chapters on the resurgence of the Marathas, when both were complementing each other during that crucial phase of hitory. 

This brings me to the basic question; if Sikhs are YOUR own, then, why is the Sikh made to feel like a Moron in public, and why do you have "Sardar joke" sections in reputed portals. You say that this is only about Santa or Banta, and not about all Sikhs. If all the Sardar jokes were on Santa and Banta, I wouldnt have been here, trying to touch people.... This is where I differ completetly, absolutely. You have to imagine yourself on the OTHER side of the table for a moment. 

Imagine that you are in a meeting with colleagues when you argue a point to which they have no reply; and then one of them gets up and looks at the clock and says 'barah baj gaye', and the arguement is settled against you!... 

Imagine that you are in a marriage party with your parents and friends having your food, when a complete stranger joins the group and says, pointing to your father - wah, saat aadmi or ek sardar!!..... 

Imagine when your child is in a class of 50, and then the teacher starts a joke session. One child gets up and tells Sardar jokes.. the teacher laughs with the other children and your child is crying because somebody just told him that "sardarji ki judi mein barah ande, ek anda phoot gaya to kitne bache.."........ 

Imagine that your sister comes home crying because some guy in her class just threw a snide remark against her.. 

And then Imagine that you are not only expected to listen to such jokes, but you are also expected to appreciate and laugh at such situations.... 

Sindhu, or Hindu, I dont mind being called a Hindu, I have read all the Vedas, the Mahabharatas, and the Gita, and I am proud to be a decendant of this heritage. But then, I hope my brothers and sisters across other sects of Hinduism appreciate my concern at being targeted as a 'different' species, without the normal human emotions of 'pain'
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# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 8/17/2005 1:10 AM Kaushik

Hi,
Thanks for the info. It was helpful. I do not make fun of sikhs but I do like Sikh jokes and share them whole heartedly with my sikh friends (Who also like it). Actually, jokes are more or less the same. The English make fun of the Scottish, the Yankees make fun of the texans (You might have heard of Dubya (Bush) jokes - he's a texan. The tamilians make fun of mallus. The kannadigas make fun of tamilians.. and sikhs themselves make fun of Biharis and south indians ... Yes, I am a bihari but have respect for sikhism. In fact, I go to the Gurudwara and not temples - just my way. I have respect for Hinduism as well. In fact, I do not see much difference between Sikhism and Hinduism - the teachings are all the same. 

And that is where, I differ from your article. The guru did not take the torture to protect people of some 'other' religion. He was protecting his own people. Firstly, sikhism was not a different religion then. Secondly, it is still not a different religion. Only the appearance is different. 

A religion is based on core values and not external appearance and sikhs should understand this more than others because Guru Nanak was dead against showbiz in religion. He did not say - make a religion in my name. He questioned the prevalent practices in Hinduism, quite rightly, and the blind beliefs that were beginning to come into 'religion'. Buddha and Jina (Mahavira) did the same but alas, most of their followers have made a mockery of these great men by introducing their own set of showbiz. This includes Sikhism. Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism are not different religions because their core is the same. The teachings can all be found in the ancient hindu books. Jains have been the most assimilating and you cannot make them out except for their surname 'Jain'. However, Buddhists and even sikhs, many of them, foolishly believe that their religious identity lies in shunning hinduism. 

Just a piece of information. The word 'Hindu' has come form the word 'Sindhu' - It is how Arabians would pronounce Sindhu. The word denoted the people on 'this' side of the Indus river (indus itself is the English version of the word Sindhu and that is also where the word India has come from). Previously, India was known as Bhaaratawarsha. Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 8/17/2005 12:21 AM Simer

First of all, i aint a scholar nor am i a true sikh *have to say the truth, I m a cut surd sikh from delhi itself currently in UK, Well i hve been reading this book from J.D. Cunningham titled " History of the sikhs" which is first published in 1849, depicts sum reality of sikhs lives n wht they did if there is n e one interested in knowin much, dis is da book, os there is a very goond one from surjit singh gandhi titled "sikhs in the eighteenth century" which depicts realities, n realises u of the importance n authenticity of whtever u wanna noe abt sikhism. 

well makin fun is good but ppl who made fun mst see how other feels, sometimes doing it intentionally is really not fruitful.. 

Simer_mayo@yahoo.co.uk Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 8/16/2005 9:14 PM Amar

Only if one reads two large volumes of "A History of Sikhs" written by Khushwant Singh with tremendous research on publications of British, Mughal and Indian writers, the role of Sikhs become apparent and relaisation of sikh's contributions in shaping Indian History. It is unfortunate that the sikh history including greater Punjab of pre-British India and Maharajah Ranjeet Singh has been totally omitted by Indian writers including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in his famous book, History of India and the school text books and all key publications.
The sikhs are also to be blamed for not advocating the role they played and living on past glories. The injustice done to sikhs from the beginning including derogatory remarks as 'Barah baj gaye' and 'sikh jokes' bears the testimony to the tragedy of sikhs The saviours of Hindu religion became the baits and object of humiliation as is evident from Nanavati commission article.
Nevertheless, the sikhs don't look back and continue to be a force to reckon with and possibly people of India will realise their error some day. I highly recommend to all to read Khushwant Singh's book and find out for themselves, what I say.
Sare Jahan Se Acchha Hinbdustan Hamara Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 5/27/2005 2:46 PM amita

i have an answer for u in my blog ..chk it Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 5/27/2005 5:45 AM Plato

One Piece of History that one cannot deny is of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. He gave his Head for protection of Kashmiri pandits at Chandni Chowk Delhi. Sis Ganj Gurudwara is located at the place where Guruji was executed on Aurangzeb's order. Guru Gobind Sing Ji and his four sons along with thousands of Sikhs sacrificed themselves for whom. What were they fighting for. Has anybody given thought to this before makin fun of sikhs. 

There are stories from history of bravery unparalled. Of Bloodiest battles. Few hundred against and army of thousands, not once but over and over again, in many battles fought over the land of five rivers. 

People of India should read this history at least once. This history which is not part of school books but history nevertheless.
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# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 5/27/2005 5:22 AM Plato

The area of operation of sikhs extended from plains of Ganga to the afganistan, and most of these might have attacks taken place in area which was in pre-partition india. 

Mates for more information read history of sikhs, even many british, french and other european people have written books and their own experiences with Sikhs of that Era. 

Read about Hari Singh Nalwa, Banda Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh JI. This hostiry is only 300 years old. This is around 1650 AD to 1850 AD. To be more specific 1700-1800 AD. Times of Amed Shah Abdali who defeated Marathas in 3rd battle of Panipat thus paving way for Britrish to rule a Weak and Divided India at that time. 

This is after the East India Company, Vasco de Gama etc. These are not pre-historic times or 1000 B.C. where we can doubt about the authenticity. 

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# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 5/27/2005 2:37 AM CoolCat

Wow!! 

Oh praji, maaf karde.... maine eis tarah di gul kisi de nal nai kiththi hai.. and I wont do it either.. haan bachpan mein kiya tha.. but after I heard this story (long ago from another sardarji friend of mine) I stopped... not because u saved the hindus, but I felt it is not proper way to treat someone, one human to another..
But lemme tell ya this.. u dont have to take this so seriously... ppl make fun of all mallus (I am a malayalee), my english aint bad at all, but when I see ppl making fun of their accent, sometimes u feel it.. but then chaltha hai yaar.. zindagi hai, maze sey kato... kya kehthe ho?? 

-CC Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 5/26/2005 6:35 PM sayan331

WOW...this has been an interesting read !! Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 5/26/2005 12:32 PM xxx

amita this is true. Remove Comment

# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 5/26/2005 12:17 PM amita

Can u tell me how authentic is the history u have recited here ??
A trusted web link shud help :D 

I dont think nyone shud tease nyone with such silly things ..But yeah i have seen these anecdotes taking place ... 

If what u say is true then well it can stop this fun session going on :)
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# re: The history of "Barah Baj Gaye" 5/26/2005 12:16 PM mansi_delhi81

after reading ur post - i sincerely realised my mistake - i m really sorry for hurting the feelings of sikh community.
and Thanks for your community's support in the society :-) Remove Comment