Guru Nanak (1469-1539) is undoubtedly the most influential Punjabi born in the last 1,000 years. The era he was born in proved to be doubly important; the bloody invasion of Babar reinforced the foundation of Muslim kingly rule in India but at the same time Guru’s life and teachings paved the way for the new historical forces to successfully challenge what was erected on the power structures built by Babar and his successors.

It’s pleasantly surprising to know that the process the Guru triggered by resisting and critiquing Babar’s dreadful invasion was brought to its end by his followers that changed not only the face of Punjab but also proved to be the last nail in the Mughal Empire’s coffin. A miracle, his followers would claim. Unleashing of suppressed socio-historical forces, historians would comment.

Baba Nanak’s poem known as Babar Bani is not only an immensely powerful poetic composition but also a historical document that on the one hand exposes indescribable excesses committed by Babar’s troops against peaceful Hindus and Muslims and on the other vividly portrays the sufferings, pains and humiliation of the vanquished:

“Having attacked Khurasan, Babar terrified Hindustan/The Creator Himself does not take the blame, but has sent the Mughal as the messenger of death/There was so much slaughter that the people screamed…Those heads adorned with braided hair, with their parts painted with vermillion - those heads were shaved with scissors, and their throats were choked with dust… Their wealth and youthful beauty, which gave them so much pleasure, have now become their enemies/ The order was given to the soldiers who carried them away …Since Babar’s rule has been proclaimed, even the princes have no food to eat/The Muslims have lost their five times of daily prayer, and Hindus have lost their worship as well…The Hindu women, the Muslim women, the Bhattis and the Rajputs - some had their robes torn away from head to foot, while others came to dwell in the cremation ground. Their husbands did not return home - how did they spend their night?” ( trans from Sikhs.org).

The so-called Mughal glory had piles of skulls as its foundation. It’s ironic that by a curious twist of fate Babar and his successors came to be known by their enemy’s name, Mughal. They were Barlas and Mughals were their enemies in their Central Asian home.

Baba Nanak holds a unique position in Punjab’s socio-spiritual and literary history. Because of Punjab’s religious diversity each community has a different relationship with him. Hindus treat him as a rebel or deviant but nevertheless a sage not outside the confines of Hindu Dharma. Muslims take him as a saint, a spiritualist and a poet who was influenced by some of the Muslim religious concepts and mystic practices such as monotheistic notion of God, rejection of caste and Sufis’ pantheistic belief. And Sikhs venerate him as the bedrock of their religious belief for being the fountainhead of Sikh religion. So he is a revered figure for all communities in Punjab and beyond. Apart from religious and spiritual position Baba Nanak is a towering luminary of Punjab’s literary tradition. He was the one who preserved the Shlokas (couplets) of our grand saint and the first classical poet of contemporary Punjabi, Baba Farid which were later incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy Sikh scripture. He himself was an immeasurably profound poet with a philophobic mind. He calls himself a ‘Dhaadi (a minstrel/ bard)’. “Haun dhaadi vekaar, kaare laya e / raat dine keh var dhuron farmaya e (I was an unemployed minstrel / I was given the job/ Sign of times day and night, it was ordained).” It shows his humility that in a caste-ridden society he likens himself to a Dhaadi, a traditional singer, who is considered to be on a lower rung of caste hierarchy.

After the Buddha, he was the sage who in his loud and clear voice absolutely rejected the caste system of Hindu Dharma that advocated the concept of inherent inequality among human beings.

Baba Nanak composed sacred verses in Punjabi and several other languages but the bulk of his expression is in a language called Sant/ Saadh Bhasha, mostly a blend of Punjabi, Hindi and Sanskrit, employed by spiritually inclined poets, sages and intellectuals of Medieval India. He used an idiom of Punjabi based on the Western dialect. Being born in Sandal Bar his mother tongue was Lenhdi/ Bar Boli which along with Multani (now called Seraiki) is the language employed in our classics. Majority of his followers speak Majhi, Doabi and Malvai dialects.

It’s interesting to note that he expressed his concern over the changes in Punjabi under the foreign influence: “Ghar ghar Mian, sabhna jian / boli avarr tumhari (In each and every home, everyone uses foreign greetings (mian) / Your language has changed.”

The changes in the Punjabi language he was worried about need to be probed by scholars and historians. The findings may surprise us as there is a continuity of language used by poets and authors before and after his era. Baba Farid is his predecessor and Shah Husain and Damodar Das Gulati are his successors. All three use almost the same language which can easily be understood even today. Maybe he was referring to the increasing influence of Persian. If we come to know why he was worried about the changes in the language, it may have bearing on our view of the evolution of our language. Conversion taking place at a fast pace during his times could be one of the factors. The change of faith can affect the language of the converted if it’s different from that of their new faith.

Baba Nanak is a personage without whom our religious, spiritual, intellectual and literary history cannot be complete. But we need to focus more on those aspects of his life which have been less explored. Baba Nanak owned what was wholesome in the indigenous culture but also accepted what came from the outside world that enriched life. Thus was born his inclusive humanist vision.

Note: Baba Nanak’s 555th birth anniversary has recently been celebrated. — soofi01@hotmail.com

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2024