Baba Deep singh was born on the
20th January 1682 A.D. in the village of Pahuwind in district of
Amritsar. His father's name was Bhai Bhagtu. He went to Anandpur on the
Vaisakhi of 1700 A.D., where after obtaining baptism (into Sikhism) he
started learning weaponry and riding from the Sikhs. From Bhai Mani
singh he began learning reading and writing Gurmukhi and interpretation
of Guru's word. After spending two years at the Guru's institution, he
returned to his village in 1702 A.D. got married and started living
there. He went to Guru Gobind Singh at Talwandi Sabo in 1705 AD where he
helped Bhai Mani singh in making copies of Guru Granth sahib. After the
Guru sahib left for Delhi, he took up the service of looking after
Gurudwara Damdama sahib.
In 1709 A.D., he joined Baba
Banda singh Bahadur in chastising the tyrants of Sadhaura and Sirhind.
in 1733 A.D. Nawab Kapoor singh Singhpuria appointed him a leader of one
squad. On Vaisakhi day of 1748 A.D., when Dal Khalsa was reorganized
into twelve misls, he was entrusted with the leadership of Shaheedan
Misl. In April 1757 A.D., Abdali during his fourth invasion was
returning to Kabul from Delhi with precious booty and young men and
women as captives, Singhs made a plan to rob him of the valuables and
set the prisoners free. The squad of Baba Deep singh was deployed near
Kurukshetra. His squad freed large number of prisoners and lightened the
burden of valuables of Abdali considerably. While departing from Lahore,
Abdali appointed his son Taimur Shah, the Governor of Lahore and told
him, "Try to finish the Sikhs". In Accordance with his orders
Taimur Shah started demolishing Gurudwaras and filling the holy pools
with debris.
When Baba Deep singh came to
know of the demolition of
Harminder
Sahib, he narrated it to the congregation of Damdama Sahib and said,
"Diwali will be celebrated at Amritsar this year." Five
hundred Singhs came forward to go with him. Baba Deep Singh offered
prayers before starting for Amritsar, "My head may fall at
Harminder Sahib." By the time squad reached Taran Tarn the number
of Singhs going with Baba Deep singh reached approximately Five
thousand.
At the news of the approach of
Singhs, the Governor of Lahore sent his general with an army of Twenty
thousand to face them. His army took up positions Six miles north of
Amritsar and waited for the Singhs there. Both the armies clashed near
Gohalwar on the 11th November, 1757 A.D. Fighting bravely Singhs pushed
the army back and reached village Chabba where General Attal Khan came
forward and inflicted a blow on Baba Deep Singh ji which made his neck
lean to one side. A Sikh reminded him, "You had resolved to reach
the periphery of the pool." On hearing the
talk of the Sikh, he supported his head with his left hand and removing
the enemies from his way with the strokes of his double-edged sword with
his right hand, reached the periphery of Harmindar Sahib where he
breathed his last. The Singhs celebrated the Diwali of 1757 A.D. in
Harminder Sahib.
Salute to great Sikh Warrior Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji