ZAFARNAMAH Zafarnamah, Guru Gobind Singh’s letter in Persian verse addressed to Emperor Aurangzib, is included in the Dasam Granth. The word zafarnamah is a compound of Arabic zafar, meaning victory, and Persian namah, meaning letter. Zafarnamah thus means a letter or epistle of victory.
Pressed by a prolonged siege, Guru Gobind Singh had to evacuate Anandpur, in the Sivaliks, in December 1705. He passed through a very strenuous period and, traveling across the sandy plains of Punjab, reached Dina, a small village in the Faridkot area, with only three companions or followers. From here, in 1706, he wrote his famous letter, styled Zafarnamah, and sent it to Aurangzib in Ahmadnagar, in the south, through Bhai Daya Singh and Bhai Dharam Singh. The text indicates that the epistle was written after Guru Gobind Singh had heard the news of the execution of his two younger sons at Sirhind. The two elder sons he had seen lay down their lives in the battle of Chamkaur. He says in the Zafarnamah: “It matters little, if my four children have been killed, for the coiling cobra (i.e., the Khalsa) still holds its head high” (verse 78).
As is evident from the title, the letter—more accurately a fair-sized poem in 111 stanzas—was written in an exalted mood of righteous fervor. The central theme of the composition is the presentation of ethical principles as the supreme law in public policy as well as private behavior. It condemns what is unjust and cruel and extols what is true and morally correct. Victory and defeat are judged by ultimate moral standards, not by temporary material advantage.
The epistle serves as a severe indictment of Aurangzib, chiding him for breach of faith in allowing Mughal troops to attack the Sikhs after they vacated Anandpur on solemn assurances given by him and his officers (verses 13, 14).
For its candid and unambiguous critique of the Emperor and his policies, the Zafarnamah stands out as one of the most forthright essays in diplomacy known in history. It emphatically reiterates the sovereignty of morality in state affairs as well as individual conduct, highlighting the importance of means over ends. Absolute truthfulness, the letter argues, is as much a sovereign’s duty as it is any citizen’s.
The letter begins with an invocation to God, whom Guru Gobind Singh remembers as Eternal, Beneficent, Bestower of Grace, Remitter of sins, King of kings, Support of the unhappy, Protector of faith, Fountain of eloquence, and Author of revelation (verses 1–12).
Addressing the Emperor, Guru Gobind Singh writes: “I have no faith in thine oath to which thou tookest the One God as witness. He who putteth faith in thine oath is a ruined man” (verse 15). “Thou knowest not God and believest not in Muhammad. He who hath regard for his faith never swerveth from his promise” (verses 46, 47).
The Guru highlights the Emperor’s lack of faith with a touch of sarcasm, paying him a backhanded compliment: “Fortunate art thou Aurangzib, king of kings, expert swordsman and rider. Handsome is thy person, and intelligent art thou. Emperor and ruler of the country, thou art clever in administering thy kingdom, and skilled in wielding the sword. Thou art generous to thy coreligionists and prompt in crushing thine enemies. Thou art the great dispenser of kingdoms and wealth. Thy generosity is profuse, and in battle, thou art firm as a mountain. Unexcelled is thy position; thy loftiness is as that of the Pleiades. Thou art the king of kings and an ornament of the thrones of the world. Thou art monarch of the world, but far distant thou remainest from thy plighted word” (verses 89–94).
Guru Gobind Singh emphasizes that all these qualities are meaningless without humanity and truthfulness. An often-quoted verse from the Zafarnamah is: “When all other means fail, it is but lawful to take to the sword” (verse 22).
References:
- Zafarnamah, Patiala, 1973
- Randhir Singh, Bhai, Sabadarth Dasam Granth Sahib, Delhi, 1959
- Sainapati, Sri Gur Sobha, Amritsar, 1914
- Harbans Singh, Guru Gobind Singh, Chandigarh, 1966
- Ganda Singh, Guru Gobind Singh: The Last Phase, Chandigarh, 1967
- Macauliffe, Max Arthur, The Sikh Religion, Oxford, 1909
- Ashta, Dharam Pal, The Poetry of the Dasam Granth, Delhi, 1959
