Amarnama by Kavita R on the Final Phase of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Life Book Review

Amarnama, A Perspective Last Phase of Guru Gobind Singh’s Life
Kavita R
Gurmat Prakashan, 2008
83 pages

Introduction

The ‘Amarnama’ is a historical ballad composed in Persian verse consisting of 146 rhymed couplets and it pertains to the last phase of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s life.  As per the colophon, the ballad was composed in October, 1708 and is ascribed to the bard, Dhadhi Nath Mall, who is said to have been with Guru Gobind Singh Ji during his sojourn in Nanded. 

Review

The short book is split into eight chapters. The first two deal with the origins of the text and its author, along with outlining the historical significance of the text. It’s significance comes from the fact it is a contemporary and eyewitness account of events and incidents that occurred during the presence of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. These include events such as Guru Gobind Singh Ji meeting Madho Das Bairagi on September 3rd, 1708 and how Guru Gobind Singh Ji sent 5 Singhs (Bhai Binod Singh, Baj Singh, Daya Singh and Run Singh) with Banda Bahadur to carry on the battle for freedom and righteousness in Punjab, uproot the atrocious Mughal regime and usher in the sovereignty of the Khalsa.

The text also provides insight into the socio-religious conditions of the time, such as Brahmanical superstitions of the time - "do not obey the Brahman at all. Do not blemish yourself" and "do not practice what the Brahman says. Do not slaughter the animals by way of halal."

The third chapter is absolutely brilliant. It cross references the main details of the Amarnama, provides further necessary context and helps to interpret the Amarnama in relation to a number of text, the main seven being: Sainapati’s Gur Sobha, Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Zafarnama, Koer Singh’s Gurbilas Patshahi Das, Kesar Singh Chibbar’s Bansavalinama, Sarup Das Bhalla’s Mehma Prakash, Sukha Singh’s Gurbilas Dasvin Patshahi, Rattan Singh Bhangu’s Panth Prakash. 

Further useful material the author utilised is listed in the following ten pages of bibliography. Works in Punjabi, Persian, Urdu and English are listed and if you are a history nerd like myself you will absolutely love it - some of the expected sources pop up such as Akhbarat-i-Darbar-i-Mualla. Good luck in your hunt for some of the gems listed.

Chapter four delves slightly deeper into the history and evidence of the who, what, when, where and why questions surrounding the Amarnama. For instance, the who part puts forward the possibilities - Guru Gobind Singh Ji or someone else - and then provides evidence from the text itself to support a logical outcome. This is continued into the following chapter which takes a closer look at the Zafarnama, Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s meeting with Bahadur Shah and the arrival of Guru Gobind Singh Ji in Nanded in September 1708. 

The last chapter, just ten pages long, is the entire Amarnama in English. When you read it you will understand why this is at the end of the book. The context, information and further detail provided by the author in the five chapters preceding this are in order for you to understand the Amarnama - a poem that stretches over ten pages. 

The appendix includes significant statements pertaining to the last injunction of Guru Gobind Singh Ji regarding the succession of Guru ship. They are all in Punjabi, which is somewhat odd, as the entire book is in English, however, I imagine it was to save time in translating as the author sources these statements from the Sarbloh Granth, Sainpati’s Sri Gur Sobha, Bhai Nand Lal’s Rahitnama, Prahlad Singh’s Rahitnama and Koer Singh’s Gurbilas Patshahi Dasvi, amongst numerous others. 

Conclusion & Rating 

I personally came across this text when searching for Sikh sources that provided insight into Banda Singh Bahadur. However, it was so much more than that. This short book is an absolute gem and thoroughly deserves a 5 star rating. It provides so much - Amarnama in English, historicity of the Amarnama, a detailed analysis of Punjabi, Persian, Urdu and English sources to evaluate and interpret the Amarnama and a critical analysis of the Amarnama itself. The bibliography on its own is something anyone interested in Guru Gobind Singh Ji or Sikh history in general would most certainly appreciate and the appendix provides a quick go to for evidence of the succession of Guruship after Guru Gobind Singh Ji. 

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