There is a village named Jhabal. This village is in Amritsar district of Punjab state. It is here that the courageous lady, Mai Bhago lived in the seventeenth century. Her inspiration made the Sikhs of this village to achieve a glorious position in history. One day all the residents of Jhabal had gathered together and were listening to some Sikhs who had just returned from Anandpur Sahib. A battle was going on between the Mughals and Guru Gobind Singh ji and these Sikhs had been fighting along with Guru ji. The villagers wanted to know why had they returned.
One of the Sikhs said, “The armies of the Mughals and the kings of the neighboring hilly kingdoms have encircled the city of Anandpur Sahib and they want Guru ji to leave the city. No one can come in or go out of the city and there is a limited supply of food and water in the city. The soldiers of Guru ji have been fighting bravely. We also fought against the invaders but after some days the food was finished and many people started to die of hunger. Seeing this we went to the Guru asking him to permit us to leave Anandpur Sahib.”
“Did he grant you his permission?” Mai Bhago asked the soldiers.
One of them whose name was Mahan Singh answered, ”No, Guru ji said told that we should be strong and continue fighting, because soon the battle will end and better times will come. After some days we were extremely hungry and tired and so we again went to Guru ji to ask for his permission. This time he said that if we wanted to go, we could but we should give him in writing that neither was he our guru, nor we his followers.”
“Well, then what happened?” asked Mai Bhago.
Mahan Singh answered with his head bowed, “We wrote those words and left.” Hearing this all the villagers rebuked the Sikhs saying that they were a bunch of cowards and had left their Guru alone when he needed them. All the villagers offered to go to Anandpur Sahib to fight for their Guru. They wanted to prove their sincerity and love for the Guru and wash out the blot of the cowardice of their fellow villagers with their blood.
Mai Bhago lashed out at the Sikhs; “I am ashamed of you. All of you are cowards and traitors. You have betrayed the Guru whose father and great-grandfather sacrificed their lives for us. You should have stayed and fought for Guru ji because you know that he is fighting for a true and noble cause. Now you can stay at home and wear bangles in your wrists like women. You should be ashamed of your cowardice. But I am not scared of laying down my life for Guru ji, so I will go and fight for him.”
Saying this Mai Bhago took some weapons and a horse and set out for Anandpur Sahib. The words of Mai Bhago made the Sikhs realize their mistake and they too joined her. On the way they came to know that Guru ji had left Anandpur Sahib along with his family and forces, and proceeded towards Rajasthan.
Mai Bhago and the Sikhs reached a place named Khidrana where they came to know that the Mughal army was coming to capture Guru Gobind Singh ji. They decided to fight with the Mughals and to try to stop them from reaching to Guru ji.
The Sikhs fought bravely under the command of Mai Bhago and although they were only forty in number they succeeded in stopping the Mughal army. Almost all of them were killed in the battle.
When Guru ji came to know of their heroism, he went to the battlefield. He was moved and touched by the sacrifices of the Sikhs. He also praised the bravery of Mai Bhago. He tore the piece of paper on which the following words were written, “Neither are you our Guru, nor we your Sikhs. “
These martyrs are remembered in the Ardas or prayer of the Sikhs as Chali Mukte (forty liberated souls). There is a big gurudwara in the memory of these Sikhs at Mukatsar.
Mai Bhago started staying with Guru ji at Hazoor Sahib. After Guru ji’s death she went to stay in Karnataka. She preached the teachings of Guru ji among the people of South India. She died in a town named Janmara near Bidar in Karnataka. There is a gurudwara in the memory of Mai Bhago here.
She is always remembered for saving the honor and dignity of the Sikhs of the Magha region and inspire them to sacrifice their lives for their Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

Dr. Jagir Singh
422 Sector 15 A
Chandigarh-160015