भारतीय इतिहास के ६ स्वर्णिम पृष्ठ (वीर सावरकर - विदेशी आक्रान्ताओं पर विजय गाथा)

them. Quite naturally, the Moghal Emperor, Aurangzeb, who had most brutally murdered his father, Teg Bahadur, for not renouncing his religion, sent a detachment of his army to capture Guru Govind Singh. Because of the actions that were fought with the Moghal army, the Guru enclosed himself in the fort of Anandpur, which was immediately invested by the Moghals. Amongst the soldiers fighting with Guru Govind Singh from the fort, were two of his sons below the age of eighteen. In order to boost up the courage of the army, the Guru sent his two sons with other soldiers out of the fort to fight with the Moghals. While these two sons were being done to death in this unequal battle, this strange father was crying words of approbation ‘Wah-wa! Wah-wa!’ At nightfall, the fighting stopped as a matter of course and the remnant of the Khalsa battalion entered the fort very stealthily. But of that Khalsa (chosen) soldiers, many had lost hope. So, the Guru plainly told them all, that those who wanted to save their lives should leave the Khalsa army and forsake him immediately. He, however, was determined to fight on from inside or, if neccessary, out of the fort. Thereupon, from the best chosen (the Khalsa), many Sikh warriors resigned their membership and deserted Guru Govind Singh. Soon on that dark and dismal night, Guru Govind Singh bade adieu to those who remained of his Khalsa army and escaped through the Moghal siege, along with his wife and two sons, who were under twelve. 969. While after leaving the fort, Guru Govind Singh was thus wandering through the forest on that fateful night, he lost track of his two tender children, who unfortunately fell in the enemy hands. Those wicked monsters gave the young kiddies an ultimatum ‘Forsake Hinduism and become Muslims, or else we will kill you with all sorts of tortures!’ Prompt came the reply from the young mouths, thundering dauntlessly—lion’s cubs as they were—’We are prepared to die for our religion!’ They had refused to forsake their Hindu religion. Highly enraged at this defiant reply, the Muslim authorities pronouned their direst sentence. Building a wall round them to suffocate the two children to death was the horrible punishment given. Straight stood the two tender children and brick-upon-brick rose to their very neck, when they were again asked, ‘You kafirs, don’t you forsake your Hindu religion even now?’ ‘No, no never!’ came the smothered voice! And even as the two kids were shouting slogans in praise of Hinduism as loudly as they could in that horrible position, the last bricks were laid, to bury them for ever.