Barbarity of Babar

On his way back from Mecca, Guru Nanak had seen at Kabul, how Babar was making preparations to attack India. Before the invasion of Babar Guru Nanak reached Aimanabad. There he stayed with Bhai Lalo whom he had appointed the first preacher of his mission. To tell the people of the city about the coming Invasion, he recited a hymn "Babar is coming from Kabul for the attack. He will take away everything from the people by force. There will be bloodshed on a large scale. This will all happen before the creator of this world."

The day came when Babar reached Aimanabad. The rulers had made no military preparations to face Babar but paid some Mullahs (Islamic teachers) to read verses from the holy Koran (Islamic religious book). Babar was the victor. The victorious army looted the city as they pleased. Nobody was there to stop them. After a general massacre all the men, women and children who escaped death were taken prisoners. The Invaders gathered them all together and gave them hand-mills to grind flour for the army. Guru Nanak and Bhai Marinade were also taken prisoners and put on the job of grinding flour.

All the prisoners were weeping when Guru Nanak entered the prison camp. It was natural for them to cry because their near and dear ones had been killed before their eyes. Their houses had been plundered and they were being forced to grind flour. On seeing the prisoners crying Guru Nanak recited a hymn which gave them peace and stopped them crying. They realised that it was because they had forgotten God that they were in this sad plight. Those women who had once lovely hair, fully decorated as symbol of being married and who used to sit on sofas in palaces, had their hair shorn with sickles and were made to sit on the ground, grinding flour. Their beauty had become their enemy. Had they remembered God, the Master before, they would not have had to see that bad day. They had forgotten the Lord in their love for worldly possessions.

Babar's general, Mir Khan reported to Babar how all the prisoners had become quiet and contented on hearing Guru Nanak recite his hymn. Babar visited the prison and saw with his own eyes and ordered that Guru Nanak be released. Guru Nanak said, "O king, 1 cannot go outside alone, 1 shall only go if all these prisoners are released along with me." All the prisoners were released at Guru Nanak's insistence.

Babar was pleased with Guru Nanak and said, "Fakir, ask for anything more." Guru Nanak replied, "God who sustains all has given me enough. All kings are due to his grace. One who depends upon other men is always a loser. Anyone who begs from you is ignorant." Mir Khan said to Babar, "O king, it is not for us to give to fakirs. We are the ones who should ask from them."