Nibhahu Singh ends Jaspat Rai's tyranny
Jaspat Rai was a Hindu officer in Mughal Empire. His native village was Kalanaur, in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab. He was Faujdar of Jalandhar (Punjab) and later appointed as Faujdar of Eminabad. Adina Beg replaced his position at Jalandhar. He was having intense hate for Sikhs and was very cruel to them. It was the time of 1746 when he had a final encounter with Sikhs.
When Jaspat Rai was appointed as Faujdar of Eminabad, he started showing loyalty more than the king because Yahiya Khan’s hate for Sikhs was the same as Jaspat Rai’s hate for Sikhs. Yahiya Khan was the person in charge after the death of his father Zakariya Khan. Jaspat Rai, with his forces, uses to kill Sikhs, destroy their houses, and hides of Sikhs. So once Jaspat Rai was cutting the bushes (which acts as hides for Sikhs) on the bank of river Ravi with his forces, there was a group of Sikhs passing through those hides. Forces of Jaspat Rai had some clashes with Sikhs. He was not able to follow Sikhs too long. He stayed in village Khukhran. He started collecting revenue there and planned to stay there because the Sikh groups from the Mazha area of Punjab used to travel through the same path.
He was waiting for any such group so that as soon as the group will come out of the hides of the bank of river Ravi, he will kill them or capture them. While his stay at Khukhran village, he got information from a person who belonged to Gondla village that a group of Sikhs has came to Gurdwara Rori Sahib (historic Gurudwara belongs to Guru Nanak and Bhai Lalo) near Eminabad. It was the time of March 1746. The Sikhs at Rori Sahib were those who entered Lahore in January 1746 and have clashes with Mughals. Then these Sikhs went out of Lahore. These were followed by Lakhpat Rai who was the brother of Jaspat Rai. Lakhpat Rai was at the post of Diwan in Yahiya Khan’s court. Lakhpat Rai followed them with full force. Sikhs crossed river Ravi and entered Eminabad. They were having the intention to offer prayers, eat food, and have some rest at Gurudwara. Lakhpat Rai stopped following them.
Jaspat Rai sends his soldiers and orders them to kill all Sikhs at the Gurudwara. Sikhs at Gurudwara were under the command of Sardar Charat Singh (grandfather of Maharaja Ranjit Singh). When soldiers reached Rori Sahib, they asked Sikhs to go away from that area. Sikhs told them that they are hungry for many days. They said that they will eat Langar (food) and stay a night here, and then they will go away. The soldiers came back and told this to Jaspat Rai. At that time, Jaspat Rai was having army of Chatha’s as well as Chaudharies with him. So he was very confident to kill all Sikhs in that group at Rori Sahib.
Jaspat Rai with his soldiers and the allied forces of Chaudharies and Chathas’ went to Gurudwara Rori Sahib to threaten Sikhs. He was sitting on an elephant. Jaspat Rai asked Sikhs to leave the place. Sikhs told him that they came here just to offer their prayers at Gurudwara, eat some food and do some rest, they don’t want to fight. Then Jaspat Rai started insulting them and disgracing their religion. When Sikhs opposed it, Jaspat Rai attacked them. Sikhs were at Gurudwara and do not want to make any disturbance to the peaceful environment of Gurudwara. They moved away from Gurudwara and came near to village Bado Ke Gosai, where they spend their night. Sikhs’ tolerance to the fight was taken as a weakness by the enemy Jaspat Rai. He attacked Sikhs in the morning with his full force. He thought that he is sitting on an elephant and he is safe. Sikhs, as the last resort, started the fight in self-defense. When the conflict started, one Sikh, Bhai Nibahu Singh, climbed the elephant by holding the tail and challenged Jaspat Rai for a fight. While fighting, Bhai Nibahu Singh chopped off the head of Jaspat Rai. Jaspat Rai’s soldiers ran away. His head was with Sikhs. Jaspat Rai’s religious preceptor, Bava Kirpa Ram talked to Sikhs and asked for the head of Jaspat Rai. He also offered money in return. Sikhs told him that they haven’t kept Jaspat Rai’s head for money and he can take the head if he wants. Even then Bava Kirpa Ram paid 500 rupees as a contribution for Langar, and took Jaspat Rai’s head back to perform his last rituals. Diwan Lakhpat Rai vowed to avenge his brother’s death.
At that time, Yahiya Khan was in power after the death of his father Zakariya Khan. Diwan Lakhpat Rai went to Yahiya Khan and told him that he wants to kill all Sikhs from the world. Yahiya Khan offered him full support. He passed some orders against Sikhs.