Mai Bhago

Mai Bhago was a Sikh woman who led Sikh soldiers against the Mughals in 1705. She killed several enemy soldiers on the battlefield, and is considered to be a saint by Sikhs. Mai Bhago was a descendant of Bhai Pero Shah, the younger brother of Bhai Langah a Dhillon Jatt a Chief of 84 villages who had converted to Sikhism during the time of Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563–1606), the fifth Sikh Guru.

Mai Bhago was born in her family's ancestral village of Jhabal near Patti, in the present-day Tarn Taran district of Majha region of the Panjab. She married Bhai Nidhan Singh Varaich of Patti. Mai Bhago was a staunch Sikh by birth and upbringing. and she had brothers who were also staunch Sikhs. When she was young, her parents took her to Anandpur Sahib to glimpse Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666–1708), the 10th Sikh Guru.

Mughals and hill chiefs had surrounded Anandpur and were demanding it be evacuated. A group of 40 Sikhs, led by Mahan Singh Brar, asked Guru Gobind Singh Ji to give them permission to fight back with the Mughals surrounding Anandpur Sahib. However, Guru Gobind Singh ji told them to not to fight back. Even though Guru Ji told them not to fight at that time, they still demanded that they want to fight and teach Mughals a lesson for surrounding Anandpur Sahib and will not wait any longer or else they do not consider themselves as Sikhs of the Guru. The Guru Ji told them to stay put as the time was not right to fight but the forty Sikhs disagreed. So all forty Sikhs (except one: 'Bedava') wrote their names on a document which mentioned that they are leaving since Guru Gobind Singh Ji did not let them to fight with Mughals, and therefore left Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Mai Bhago was distressed to hear that some of the Sikhs of her neighborhood, who had gone to Anandpur to fight for Guru Gobind Singh, had deserted simply because Guru Ji did not give them Hukam to fight. She criticized them openly, though admired their eagerness to fight back with Mughals, she told them to always follow Guru Ji's Hukam. There is always a reason behind Guru's words or Hukam. After listening to her, the hot-headed Sikhs were ashamed that they did not follow their Guru's Hukam and decided to go back to Anandpur Sahib immediately. Mai Bhago also joined them, and persuaded them to meet with the Guru and apologize to him.

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